Give input on Town Center on March 9

The Town Center visioning and code update work continues with a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. on March 9 at West Mercer Elementary.

Input received at this hearing (and in writing) will help to inform the proposed code that the Joint Commission will put out in advance of the final hearing on March 30.

“The commission is really getting into the meat of the decisions now,” said Ross Freeman, city communications and sustainability manager.

Earlier this month, the commission approved new Town Center Comprehensive Plan policies that will provide the framework for the code updates.

Council to discuss Trellis, Coval final plat approvals

The two items scheduled for the March 7 City Council meeting are final long plat approvals for two housing developments: Trellis and Coval.

Eighteen townhouses will be built north of Mercerdale Park and Farmers Insurance as part of the Trellis project, which the Planning Commission reviewed in 2014.

The Coval project, consisting of 16 lots, was contentious when first proposed.

Preliminary plans for the Coval long plat were rejected after neighbors raised concerns about the project’s zoning and environmental impact, given its proximity to steep slopes and watercourses and its proposed tree removal.

The council meeting starts at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 7 at City Hall.

Correction: A previous version of this story stated that the Coval project would consist of 18 townhouses.

Biennial citizen survey scheduled for March 1-6

Every two years, the city commissions a professional telephone survey of registered voters across the Island to gather opinions on community, government, and quality of life issues.

The 2016 survey occurs this week, from March 1-6.

Launched in 2004, the survey provides the council and city staff with valuable feedback from a wide cross-section of residents, helping the council make difficult decisions on the best use of limited financial resources.

The randomized survey reaches a statistically significant portion of the Island’s population, but not everyone.

If you don’t receive a call, but have feedback on city operations, you can always contact the relevant department by phone or email.