By Sentinel Staff
Sitka Comprehensive Plan 2030 has received the 2018 Comprehensive Plan award of American Planning Association, Alaska Chapter.
Maegan Bosak, city community affairs director and project manager, accepted the award at the Alaska APA meeting in Anchorage, where she was a presenter on the public engagement strategies used in Sitka’s comprehensive plan process.
“I am very proud to accept this award and would like to thank team members Barbara Sheinberg, Michael Scarcelli and Samantha Pierson, as well as the Planning Commission and citizens of Sitka for all their hard work,” Bosak said in a news release.
The award recognizes a comprehensive plan completed within the past three years that demonstrates public participation and innovative or visionary approaches.
The Sitka Comprehensive Plan 2030 “was built upon a robust and varied community outreach program and vigorous community discussion,” the city said. “Six points important to plan development and its use include: public outreach, addressing resistance, identifying 11 land use and future growth challenges and opportunities, finding a balance between a readable, easy-to-use plan and technical data that supported the plan development, winning and using a 2017 EPA Smart Growth America Sustainable Land Use Code Audit Technical Assistance grant, and a strong start to plan implementation.”
Sitka’s process began in early 2016 and the Assembly unanimously approved the final document in May 2018. The plan focuses on setting a vision for the community up to the year 2030, in the areas of economic development, housing, historic cultural and arts resources, borough facilities, transportation, parks trails and recreation, and land use.
City Administrator Keith Brady thanked Bosak and the team for their dedication to the project.
“We are blessed to have such skilled staff,” he said.
Both the Sitka Comprehensive Plan 2030 and the technical document are available at www.cityofsitka.com under the Planning and Community Development Department.
