2008 Woodie Awards
Agency seeks student input for MLK area plan
By Callie Phillips & Paige Gabriel
Issue date: 3/20/08 Section: News
The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency is seeking input from UTC students and faculty on their plans to enhance and improve the Martin Luther King community in downtown Chattanooga.
The Regional Planning Agency was in the UC lobby Wednesday and will return Thursday to talk to UTC students.
Pam Glaser, senior planner for the regional planning agency said, "The MLK community envisions a future that continues partnerships with residents, businesses and academic institutions to develop a healthy community that considers economic growth along with sustainability.
"As part of the MLK plan study area, we are hoping that the UTC students and faculty have even more to add in telling us what they envision for the future."
Karen Hundt, director of the MLK project, said that they are seeking input from UTC students because they consider the university to be an important part of the neighborhood.
"What we would like is to get students to come out to the MLK area and spend time there and spend money in some of the shops and restaurants," Hundt said.
Plans to revitalize the MLK community started last fall with the first M.L. King Neighborhood Plan Meeting. This meeting was open to the pubic and had a good turn-out, according to Glaser.
According to notes taken at the meeting, participants were divided into groups of eight to 10, given maps and markers and were instructed to draw what they would like to see in the area.
Their options included new development, transportation, open space, beautification and anything else the participants thought might improve the area, according the meeting notes.
Glaser said this input was analyzed and some common themes were discovered. Participants saw a need for a grocery store, electric shuttle service, recreation facilities and parks, as well as retail along the commercial portion of the community.
Since the first meeting, the planning agency has been gathering information, meeting with community members and groups to discuss community issues and preparing a draft plan for the area to be presented to the public sometime this spring, according to Glaser.
Once the planning is complete, a final version of the plan will be presented to the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission and the Chattanooga City Council this spring for adoption.
Hundt said that the students she has talked to wanted to see affordable off-campus housing, restaurants, laundry, stores and entertainment in the MLK area.
Meg Chestnut, a Chattanooga junior, said, "I would like to see more restaurants closer to UTC Place. This would be helpful to new students who may not be familiar with the area yet. Also, by making upscale improvements to the MLK area, it might draw more students to live at UTC Place."
Shunoa Jacks, a Chattanooga junior, said, "It would be nice if there was more shopping in the area. Not everyone wants to drive all the way out to East Brainerd to do their shopping or wait on the bus to take them."
The Regional Planning Agency was in the UC lobby Wednesday and will return Thursday to talk to UTC students.
Pam Glaser, senior planner for the regional planning agency said, "The MLK community envisions a future that continues partnerships with residents, businesses and academic institutions to develop a healthy community that considers economic growth along with sustainability.
"As part of the MLK plan study area, we are hoping that the UTC students and faculty have even more to add in telling us what they envision for the future."
Karen Hundt, director of the MLK project, said that they are seeking input from UTC students because they consider the university to be an important part of the neighborhood.
"What we would like is to get students to come out to the MLK area and spend time there and spend money in some of the shops and restaurants," Hundt said.
Plans to revitalize the MLK community started last fall with the first M.L. King Neighborhood Plan Meeting. This meeting was open to the pubic and had a good turn-out, according to Glaser.
According to notes taken at the meeting, participants were divided into groups of eight to 10, given maps and markers and were instructed to draw what they would like to see in the area.
Their options included new development, transportation, open space, beautification and anything else the participants thought might improve the area, according the meeting notes.
Glaser said this input was analyzed and some common themes were discovered. Participants saw a need for a grocery store, electric shuttle service, recreation facilities and parks, as well as retail along the commercial portion of the community.
Since the first meeting, the planning agency has been gathering information, meeting with community members and groups to discuss community issues and preparing a draft plan for the area to be presented to the public sometime this spring, according to Glaser.
Once the planning is complete, a final version of the plan will be presented to the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission and the Chattanooga City Council this spring for adoption.
Hundt said that the students she has talked to wanted to see affordable off-campus housing, restaurants, laundry, stores and entertainment in the MLK area.
Meg Chestnut, a Chattanooga junior, said, "I would like to see more restaurants closer to UTC Place. This would be helpful to new students who may not be familiar with the area yet. Also, by making upscale improvements to the MLK area, it might draw more students to live at UTC Place."
Shunoa Jacks, a Chattanooga junior, said, "It would be nice if there was more shopping in the area. Not everyone wants to drive all the way out to East Brainerd to do their shopping or wait on the bus to take them."
