The Chelsea City Council plans to invite community stakeholders and residents to a kick-off meeting to learn about “placemaking” during a workshop as the elected officials continue their economic development discussions, which will culminate in a city-wide plan by the end of the year.
The council plans to invite state experts in “placemaking” defined as a concept “that people choose to settle in places that offer the amenities, social and professional networks, resources and opportunities to support thriving lifestyles” to a March 30 meeting that will begin at 6 p.m.
Also planned is an April 13 meeting with Robert Gibbs of Gibbs Planning Group, a consulting firm hired to provide the city with a professional analysis of the city’s retail sector. City Manager John Hanifan told the City Council last week that Gibbs would be in town that day and would like to make a general presentation at 6 p.m.
In other business at its Monday, March 2 meeting, the City Council approved on first reading an ordinance amendment that would allow the City Council to extend the current 60-day expiration date for “use of public property” for special events.
Several changes were proposed by Council Member Melissa Johnson, including a Jan. 1 application period and an expiration on the date or rain date of the event. Hanifan said he’d incorporate them into the document for the second reading, which is planned for March 16.
The City Council also approved a request to distribute a revised future comprehensive land use draft map to neighboring municipalities and other entities, which would include a change of zoning from commercial to residential for 118 Middle St. Prior to December 1999, the property was zoned residential.
The request for the zoning change was made by Jim and Kim Myles.
