Press Releases
08-21-09 - Your Region. Your Scenarios. Your Turn to Choose…
For Immediate Release:
August 21, 2009
Contact:
Daniel Wayne Senior Planner
Shasta County Regional
Transportation Planning Agency
(530) 225-5486
Redding, CA – Over the next six weeks, Shasta County residents will determine the outcome of the ShastaFORWARD>> regional blueprint process. Shasta County’s population is projected to swell from 180,000 residents to over 330,000 residents by the year 2050. Four unique strategies for accommodating future growth and development (we call them “scenarios”) are ready for public review: the status quo or ‘Current Trend’ scenario and three alternatives scenarios developed in consultation with local residents.
Alternative scenario A, B, and C are the product of extensive public outreach, including 25 focus groups, 1,500 community surveys, and a series of local workshops. In all, 1 out of 80 adults in Shasta County participated in the formation of the alternative scenarios. A coalition of technical staff and community stakeholders then worked for months bringing each of the community’s scenarios to life. Computer-generated maps, performance measures, and narratives are used to “tell the story” of each scenario.
Current Trend – What happens if we continue to grow and develop according to current plans, policies, and practices? Although this scenario is the most predictable and politically expedient option in the short term, the net effect on Shasta County’s form, function, and livability are anything but business-as-usual. Comparing the Current Trend to local values and priorities, we see a gap between what people say the want and what they’re getting – including less open space, more traffic congestion, and a higher cost of living. There a tipping point in the growth and development of our region – a critical mass of people, cars, and homes where you just don’t get the same pay-off as before.
The following alternatives scenarios are community-driven strategies designed to better align Shasta County’s future with local values and priorities.
Scenario A – What happens if we focus on increased Rural & Peripheral development while limiting urban development? If growth and development is spread throughout the region rather than confined to cities and towns?
Scenario B – What happens if we focus on developing our Urban Core & Corridors? If we focus on building up existing cities and limited outward growth along a handful of designated corridors?
Scenario C – What happens if we focus on maintaining Distinct Cities & Towns? If each community kept there own unique identity by focusing there energies on growing inward rather than expanding outward?
“We began ShastaFORWARD>> with a blank slate and let the public input lead us wherever it might go,” commented Daniel Wayne, Senior Planner for Shasta County’s Regional Transportation Planning Agency. “There’s no right or wrong scenario; each scenario has its own advantages, costs, and trade-offs. It’s up to local residents to decide where the right balance is. We hope that the ShastaFORWARD>> project is fun for everyday folks to participate in; that it makes the planning process more approachable and accessible.”
Visit the ShastaFORWARD>> website at www.shastaforward.com for maps and a full description of each scenario. Local residents may vote online for the scenario they feel is best for the county or pick up a brochure with a mail-in survey at their local library. All votes should be submitted by September 30, 2009.
Residents are also invited to tune in to KIXE-TV Channel 9 to learn more about the ShastaFORWARD>> blueprint project and the proposed growth scenarios. Regional Blueprint Episode 2: Choosing a Path premieres Monday, August 24, at 6 pm and 9 pm, with encore presentations throughout September. Visit www.shastaforward.com for a complete listing of broadcast dates and times.
August 21, 2009
Contact:
Daniel Wayne Senior Planner
Shasta County Regional
Transportation Planning Agency
(530) 225-5486
Your Region. Your Scenarios. Your Turn to Choose…
Redding, CA – Over the next six weeks, Shasta County residents will determine the outcome of the ShastaFORWARD>> regional blueprint process. Shasta County’s population is projected to swell from 180,000 residents to over 330,000 residents by the year 2050. Four unique strategies for accommodating future growth and development (we call them “scenarios”) are ready for public review: the status quo or ‘Current Trend’ scenario and three alternatives scenarios developed in consultation with local residents.
Alternative scenario A, B, and C are the product of extensive public outreach, including 25 focus groups, 1,500 community surveys, and a series of local workshops. In all, 1 out of 80 adults in Shasta County participated in the formation of the alternative scenarios. A coalition of technical staff and community stakeholders then worked for months bringing each of the community’s scenarios to life. Computer-generated maps, performance measures, and narratives are used to “tell the story” of each scenario.
Current Trend – What happens if we continue to grow and develop according to current plans, policies, and practices? Although this scenario is the most predictable and politically expedient option in the short term, the net effect on Shasta County’s form, function, and livability are anything but business-as-usual. Comparing the Current Trend to local values and priorities, we see a gap between what people say the want and what they’re getting – including less open space, more traffic congestion, and a higher cost of living. There a tipping point in the growth and development of our region – a critical mass of people, cars, and homes where you just don’t get the same pay-off as before.
The following alternatives scenarios are community-driven strategies designed to better align Shasta County’s future with local values and priorities.
Scenario A – What happens if we focus on increased Rural & Peripheral development while limiting urban development? If growth and development is spread throughout the region rather than confined to cities and towns?
Scenario B – What happens if we focus on developing our Urban Core & Corridors? If we focus on building up existing cities and limited outward growth along a handful of designated corridors?
Scenario C – What happens if we focus on maintaining Distinct Cities & Towns? If each community kept there own unique identity by focusing there energies on growing inward rather than expanding outward?
“We began ShastaFORWARD>> with a blank slate and let the public input lead us wherever it might go,” commented Daniel Wayne, Senior Planner for Shasta County’s Regional Transportation Planning Agency. “There’s no right or wrong scenario; each scenario has its own advantages, costs, and trade-offs. It’s up to local residents to decide where the right balance is. We hope that the ShastaFORWARD>> project is fun for everyday folks to participate in; that it makes the planning process more approachable and accessible.”
Visit the ShastaFORWARD>> website at www.shastaforward.com for maps and a full description of each scenario. Local residents may vote online for the scenario they feel is best for the county or pick up a brochure with a mail-in survey at their local library. All votes should be submitted by September 30, 2009.
Residents are also invited to tune in to KIXE-TV Channel 9 to learn more about the ShastaFORWARD>> blueprint project and the proposed growth scenarios. Regional Blueprint Episode 2: Choosing a Path premieres Monday, August 24, at 6 pm and 9 pm, with encore presentations throughout September. Visit www.shastaforward.com for a complete listing of broadcast dates and times.
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