Grosse Pointe Farms to hold public meeting as master planning process begins

GROSSE POINTE FARMS — Grosse Pointe Farms residents, landlords and business owners are being asked to offer their opinions on the city’s development going forward.

During a June 13 City Council meeting, Mayor Louis Theros said that the city will be hosting “a public meeting on the master plan” at 7 p.m. June 27 at Pier Park. This public open house will include a presentation on the master planning process and an interactive workshop, the city’s planners with McKenna Associates said.

A master plan is a sort of guide to what already exists in a community and what else residents, officials, business leaders and others would like to see in the coming years. It can be used to guide future development.

City Planner Paul Urbiel, of McKenna, said the June 13 council meeting marked the “official launch” of the master plan process. He said residents, visitors and business owners could expect to see flyers about the June 27 master plan open house around town.

In addition to the in-person meeting, “As part of the process, we are also doing a series of virtual (activities),” Urbiel said.

These include a survey with multiple-choice and open-ended questions, as well as an online-only mapping option that will allow people to drop pinpoints on various locations and indicate what they’d like to see in those spots. Urbiel said mapping-activity participants will also be able to “vote” and leave comments on these pinned ideas.

“The mapping activity we’ve used to great effect (in other communities),” Urbiel said. “It allows us to cast a wider net (for) public opinions.”

A website about the master plan, with opportunities for public feedback, is available at www.gpfmasterplan2022.com.

The master plan survey can be taken online by going to the master plan website. There’s also an option for those who’d prefer to fill out a paper copy; paper copies of the survey are available at the front desk of Farms City Hall, 90 Kerby Road, during regular weekday business hours. The deadline for completing the survey is Aug. 8.