DEARBORN — Residents are invited to participate in public workshops and take an online survey to determine the creation of Dearborn’s new master plan, which will be a vision for the future of transportation, land use, the economy and environmental and cultural stewardship.
The survey can be found at www.cityofdearborn.org/live/masterplan. The survey must be completed by Aug. 1.
The first public workshop, a kickoff event open to all residents, is 7 p.m. July 19 in Club Room One of the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave.
The master plan provides a basis for the city to write and enforce zoning laws that set forth how property owners can develop and use their land. It also recognizes the need to balance the interests of residents, businesses, and a large daytime working population, helping to determine the physical characteristics of the city and facilitating the type of community residents want to see long term.
The workshop will include interactive sessions to discover what Dearborn residents think is visual appealing for a community. Additional exercises will help define the type of community residents want to aim for.
The sessions will also help to identify the infrastructure and design elements that would support the plan. Options may include a quiet suburban community, a hot spot for night life, business and shopping activity, a community known for its green initiatives and alternative energy options or pockets of activity amid quiet neighborhoods, or a full scale city with a combination of amenities.
Three other public meetings will focus on specific neighborhoods of the city, although all residents are invited to attend:
• Northeast and southeast residents: 7 p.m. July 27 in Studio A of the Ford Center.
• Southwest residents: 7 p.m. Aug. 3 at the Dearborn Schools Administration Building, 18700 Audette.
• Northwest residents: 7 p.m. Wednesday, August 17 at the Dearborn Hills Golf Course.
A summation workshop will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 20 at the Ford Center.
Dearborn households will receive a post card this week with the online survey information. In addition, copies can be picked up at Henry Ford Centennial Library, 16301 Michigan Ave., or in the City Plan Office at City Hall, 13615 Michigan Ave.