Visualizing Hayden's Futures, November 15, 2004

Government>Hayden Town Government>Hayden Comprehensive Planning and Visioning Project>Planning Forum #4, Visualize Future

Image courtesy of The Orton Family Foundation [Click here to view full size picture]

“VISUALIZING HAYDEN’S FUTURES”
How do you want to grow???

A Community Supper and visual presentation of the draft Comprehensive Plan.

Monday, November 15, 2004, 6:00-9:00pm
Hayden Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall

(Daycare provided for participants by the EPYCS Club at the Elementary School Cafeteria from 5:30-9:30pm)

The evening featured the draft Comprehensive Plan images of alternative futures utilizing The Orton Family Foundation’s CommunityViz software, combined with “keypad polling” to interactively provide input and feedback.

For additional information contact: Hayden Town Hall, 970-276-3741.

Press release on the Nov. 15 Evening

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What would the Town of Hayden look like if it grew to over 15,000 residents? This small community of 1,600 residents is facing change through rapid growth, similar to many rural areas throughout Colorado and the Rocky Mountain West. In response to this change, the Town is in the process of updating the Comprehensive Plan and will host “Visualizing Hayden’s Future” on Monday, November 15, 2004 from 6-9pm at the Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall. The Town of Hayden, along with staff from the planning firm of Winston Associates and CommunityViz will present the draft Comprehensive Plan in a visual presentation facilitated by Civic Results, that specializes in collaborative civic engagement.

The evening will showcase the Comprehensive Plan model “visualized” utilizing The Orton Family Foundation’s CommunityViz models. Interactive “keypad polling” will then anonymously gather everyone’s feedback and opinions. Town Manager Russ Martin states that “the goal is to gather as much information as possible to confirm the Comprehensive Plan efforts to date and affirm how to guide growth in the interest of the Town. We also need to know that the Comprehensive Plan is on track with the core values identified in earlier public forums.” The planning firm of Winston Associates has held 3 planning forums to date.

One of the greatest challenges in gathering ideas about growth is visualizing what it might look like. The evening will feature visual “snapshots” of the alternative growth patterns. Planning Commission Chair Donna Hellyer said “This is a great opportunity for the community to get involved, it’s not too late. The format of this forum will allow everyone to take part in an atmosphere that is comfortable and allows each individual voice to be heard. Participants in earlier forums were surprised by the encouragement to look at a town size of 15,000 residents in 20 years, when the current County’s population is less than 20,000 residents. It’s hard to comprehend just how big a community that would be until it can be visualized. We hope that this evening will provide a better understanding of what Hayden might look like with that type of growth and allow all concerned citizens to provide feedback.”

To help busy residents attend, a Community supper will be served and childcare will be available through the Hayden High School EPYCS (El Pomar Youth in Community Service) Club nearby at the Hayden Elementary School cafeteria.

The Comprehensive Plan update is part of a multi-phase community planning and visioning project funded by a grant from the Gates Family Foundation which has included a Community Video “Hayden’s Where My Heart Is” and the use of The Orton Family Foundation’s CommunityViz software for developing and visualizing the plan.

For additional information on the project contact the Hayden Town Manager, Russ Martin, at 970-276-3741 or rmartin@amigo.net.