On June 1, the Warren Planning Commission is hosting a public gathering in which residents from Warren and the larger Valley can share their ideas about the future of the town.
The event, to be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Warren Town Hall, will function as a means of information gathering for the planning commission – like a series of open-ended focus groups, or a survey in real time. “There will be some back and forth of idea sharing, which will hopefully engender some different kinds of thinking for the town,” said Jim Sanford, a commissioner in Warren for 25 years. “It’s meant to be fun.”
Participants will get started with coffee and donuts, then attend one or several small group brainstorming sessions, each with a facilitator. The group topics include Warren as part of the overall Mad River Valley, Warren in itself, the town’s village area and the Main Street.
Sanford said he foresees issues around affordable housing arising, as well as the question of whether the town could create a new road that links Roxbury Gap Road to Route 100. These were a few speculations, but participants may raise any question, topic, concept, or potential plan of action that comes to mind.
Over the years, the planning commission has held several charrettes, or public meetings where community members helped the town with specific design challenges. One addressed the question of how to rearrange the Main Street area, with one suggestion being to slow traffic in the village. Sanford said the town ended up lowering the speed limit, which reduced traffic. Another charrette focused on designing the town’s municipal area, with the successful idea to move the town garage out of downtown Warren.
The commission said that the feedback gathered at the visioning session will be used to inform the development of a plan that will guide the town’s growth over the next decade or so.
The event is open to all residents and stakeholders. Lunch will be provided and participants can register online at: planning,warrenvt.org.
