ACP Visioning-Planning from Columbus, Ohio, will lead Muncie's comprehensive plan effort

MUNCIE, IN - ACP Visioning-Planning from Columbus, Ohio, will lead Muncie’s comprehensive plan effort over the next year. 

The plan, which is titled Muncie Action Plan (MAP), will be a chance for all of Muncie to get involved in determining what Muncie will look like, according to Mayor Sharon McShurley.

The City is providing funds from Economic Development Income Tax (EDIT) and the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant. Ivy Tech Community College-East Central Region (Muncie) is contributing to the project using a $50,000 grant from Ball Brothers Foundation.

Leading the steering committee for MAP will be Dr. George Branam, East Central  Indiana Pathologists, and Virginia Nilles, Director of the Muncie Public Libraries.

“Joining them will be a working committee of 30 persons from across the city,” said Gail Chesterfield, Chancellor of IV Tech’s local campus. “We’ve invited people who we know have a concern for Muncie’s future and who will be eager to guide this planning process.”

Beginning in mid-November, ACP and the steering committee will be conducting community forums, focus groups, and surveys of Muncie residents, as well as people who live and work in the City. The purpose will be to collect ideas and visions that address city land use, economic development, transportation, neighborhood revitalization, gateways, and other vital aspects of community development.

The purpose of the Plan according to Mayor McShurley, is to provide clear, measurable action steps that will allow the City and its partnering entities to work together to help Muncie deliberately move forward in an organized manner to improve the appearance and quality of life in Muncie.

“We were very impressed with all of the presentations by the four finalists,” according to Mayor McShurley. “ACP stood out for this particular project because they specialize in planning…This is all they do. They also have a proven record of accomplishment in other communities, including Fort Wayne, in making sure plans are not only on the drawing board but put into action. This is an ongoing process and we are interested in cultivating feedback from all members of the community.”

Working with ACP will be Burgess and Nipple, an engineering and transportation firm from Indianapolis, and Development Economics from Washington, D.C.. During the implementation phase, local contractors will be used to put the plan into effect.

“Muncie’s had long-range plans before,” said Chancellor Chesterfield. “ But they usually ended up on a shelf somewhere gathering dust. We plan to use MAP, our roadmap to the future, to take us where we need to go as a City and a College. We hope the high level of community involvement will create champions for MAP who will see that the action plan gets done.”

Much of the planning will also be the basis for the Community Development  Department’s five-year consolidated plan. This plan will guide the use of about $10 million the City expects to receive over the next five years from  HUD, said Connie Gregory, CD director, and member of the MAP selection team. This part of the planning will be completed by mid-March for community review and the final MAP will be released by September 2010.

“We  want citizens and neighborhood groups to help us target these funds for the most impact, rather than take a scatter-shot approach,” Gregory explained. “MAP will help us preserve our distinct and diverse community character—all of the things that make Muncie unique , a great place to live work and raise our families. MAP will be a fundamental tool for realizing our dreams.”

The target date for the Comprehensive Plan to be released is September 2010.

Members of the management committee include Mayor McShurley, CD Director Gregory, Chancellor Chesterfield, City Councilmember Linda Gregory, and Muncie-Delaware Metropolitan Plan Commission Director Marta Moody

The contract for ACP will be sent to the Board of Public works for approval on Wednesday, September 16.  A press conference will be held in the Mayors office after the Board of Public works meeting.