By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green City Council members recently presented their goals for 2023 – ranging from sidewalk improvements and downtown recycling, to pushing for rental registrations, and working toward bike lanes on Main Street.
After much debate, council members narrowed their strategic planning to the following goals for next year:
Neighborhood revitalization – Continue to focus on neighborhood revitalization efforts and implementation of CAP related initiatives.
- Completion of rental registration and self-inspection program underway by the end of 2023.
- Increased emphasis on streets, sidewalks, and drainage.
Zoning issues
- Move forward with implementation of the new zoning code .
- Update subdivision regulations.
Complete streets
- Improve the downtown experience for pedestrians.
- Complete a design study/traffic analysis for downtown as called for in the Future Land Use Plan.
- Contract for an engineering/design study on Main Street from Napoleon Road to Newton Road to add a combination of protected on-street bicycle lanes and/or shared use paths and to evaluate other infrastructure to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety.
Sustainability – Emphasize council’s commitment to the city’s sustainability values.
- Create a downtown pilot recycling/composting program.
- Help residents, in an appropriate manner, to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy generation
Advance the Gateway project – The project will create a multi-use building corridor in the area along East Wooster Street between the university and the downtown – specifically between Thurstin/Manville and Enterprise streets.
Mayor Mike Aspacher also presented his ideas to City Council, with a reminder that several projects already underway have to be completed.
“We all know that there is a long list of ideas and opportunities that we would like to see accomplished. However, it is important to keep in mind there is a finite amount of resources available,” Aspacher said.
The mayor reminded council of projects that are ongoing:
- Implement the new zoning code.
- Continue to implement and work through issues associated with rental registration and inspection.
- Continue efforts with the Gateway Development and the impacts of any changes/moves in that area.
- Finish the construction of the new city building
- Major infrastructure projects, including the Village utility upgrade, West Wooster utility and paving, Campbell Hill/Napoleon Road roundabout, South Main Street..
- Continue sustainability initiatives with climate action planning.
- Begin evaluating safety service facilities.
- Continue economic development initiatives.
- ARPA related projects: Downtown restrooms, residential paving projects, continued work on the shared use path connecting the high school/middle school, pickleball project and dog park feasibility study, and housing improvements.
Aspacher set his 2023 strategic goals as:
Exterior Housing
Exterior housing conditions have been a topic of conversation since before his first term on council and remain today. The city has discussed it in various forms over the years and it has been mentioned in the various planning documents published in recent years.
“My hope is to work with council on this incredibly important and difficult issue with the goal of having legislation drafted and a reasonable and feasible enforcement strategy in 2023,” the mayor said.
Downtown Forward
Downtown Forward offers the opportunity for the city to discuss and identify what the community wants the downtown to be in the years to come. One possible project would be investigating the feasibility of a mixed-use parking facility as part of Downtown Forward. This type of project could address a number of downtown needs – draw additional amenities and shopping while efficiently adding parking spaces, Aspacher said.
Improving the Resident Experience
Over the years, council and the administration have worked to increase the city’s investment in items like the website and communications/outreach with the goal of improving the citizens’ experience – to make it easier for residents to do business with the city. The next evolution of this will occur in 2023 with the development of a comprehensive review and upgrading of city forms, permits, and applications. The goal is to allow for residents and businesses to digitally fill out and submit forms.
Residents will be able to pay fees associated with these forms online as well. This will include permits in planning, public works, utilities, police division with parking, and more.
“No longer are we going to ask people to visit multiple different departments/divisions to fill out multiple different forms and write multiple checks – all for the same project,” Aspacher said.
This system will also allow residents to easily report common problems such as potholes or sidewalk concerns.
