APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – Bolstering its workforce and focusing development efforts on new parts of the city are among the goals that have been set forth by Appleton officials.
The common council recently approved a series of updates to the city’s comprehensive plan, which runs through the year 2030.
Elected officials discussed the city’s needs throughout 2016 and held various meetings to get public input.
One of the top priorities spelled out is integrating mixed-use developments, which blends residential and commercial properties, into both the downtown and the area north of College Avenue.
Communications Coordinator Chad Doran feels this is important in attracting young professionals to Appleton. To ensure there are enough 20 and 30-year-olds to fill the needs of area employers, he says the city must offer things to entice them, such as affordable housing and a wide range of entertainment options.
While a large focus will continue to be placed on the city’s downtown, Doran says the updated plan also calls for adding affordable housing throughout the entire city.
Another goal is to preserve, and expand upon, the city’s environmental features.
Doran notes Appleton’s many walking/biking trails do not all link up. Officials want to find ways to connect those trails to each other and to the city’s parks.
According to Doran, identifying land to create new parks is a focus, specifically on the city’s north side.
The communications coordinator notes the portion of the Fox River that runs through Appleton is “the cleanest it has been in decades.” He says the plan calls for finding ways to get more people on the river, through means such as promoting the nearby watercraft rental businesses.
While the city already has a weekly downtown farmer’s market on Saturdays, the plan suggests looking into the feasibility of creating a public market that could be open during the week without impeding on the existing event.
Doran notes that no specific projects have been immediately identified since the plan encompasses the next 13 years.
