Friday meeting aims to start city planning

by Hillary Copsey
Senior City Writer

A steering committee comprising city officials, residents, Ohio University administrators and students will meet Friday with representatives from Poggemeyer Design Group to brainstorm about Athens’ future.

City Council appointed 17 people in January to serve on the committee, which will guide consultants from Poggemeyer in creating a comprehensive plan for the city. Friday’s meeting is the first time all the committee members will meet Poggemeyer’s representatives, Randy Mielnik and Charlene Kerr, to discuss city issues to address in the plan.

“It’s going to be a meeting where we all meet for the first time,” Councilman Jim Sands, D-at-large, said. “People with strong opinions will establish those, and the consultants will tell us how the process is going to work.”

The comprehensive plan will map development in Athens in all areas, including retail, traffic, water management and university relations, Councilman Ed Baum, R-at-large, said.

Some committee members already have ideas about things on which the comprehensive plan should focus.

“I would like to see something stopping this city from becoming a ghetto. That’s what happens when you don’t pay attention to development,” said Joanne Prisley, committee member and 37-year resident of Athens. “I would like to see the city remain a viable small town with a strong central city.”

Sands said urban forestation — keeping the mature trees in the city and planting new ones — is a key part of Athens’ development.

But because of the breadth of the task, other committee members are waiting to see how Poggemeyer will tackle it before deciding which issues need looked at most urgently.

Alan Geiger, certified planner and assistant to OU’s president, said he is interested right now in working closely with the committee to see where the real needs and concerns of the community lie. A fellow committee member, John Kotowksi, OU director of facilities planning, also said he would meet with the committee before determining the most important concerns in Athens.

Other committee members said the trick will be combining all the ideas into a coherent vision for the city’s next 20 years.

“There will be lots of things under contention. One person’s idea of a beautiful city is another’s ugly city,” Athens resident Paul Wiehl said. “The idea is to come up with something that combines everyone’s ideas.” 

The meeting is at 3:30 Friday afternoon at the Community Recreation Center on East State Street. It is open to the public.