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Summary Report September 1994 A new city plan focuses on downtown Chanhassen, located near the city's eastern border, as the commercial and civic heart of the community. Vision 2002 Process <. OC (;,~B~K > <. Chanhassen Vision 2002 Focus on the Downtown A Letter from the Mayor and City Council Dear Chanhassen Residents: "Focus on the Downtown" represents the culmination of Vision 2002, a commmunity-based planning process for downtown Chanhassen that commenced nearly one year ago. As participants in this bold undertaking, we were pleased to witness the dedicated citizen participation in meetings, discussions and committee work. The direct result of this public process is a suggested plan for the downtown, shown on pages 4-5, which proposes locations for future public facilities, including a post office, library, senior housing and activity center. The ideas outlined in this news- letter were collected through public planning exercises which defined a vision statement, crafted guiding principles for growth, recognized and prioritized elements critical to the city's center and then formulated design concepts to direct planning decisions for the downtown. Together these tools help us get started on the work needed to accomplish our vision. Following the distribution of this newsletter, we'll be canvasing residents for their opinions on these ideas. We lookforward to hearing your comments. Mayor Don Chmiel and the City Council Importance of a Focus A city can be compared to a house. Some homes merely contain a series of rooms that bear little relationship to one another. This house primarily serves.only the most basic shelter needs. Other houses take into account the complexity of family life through the arrangement of bedrooms, kitchen, family room and work areas. Together these spaces shape opportunities for family interaction. Many suburban communities choose to structure their city on the fIrst model. Organized as a loose aggregate of prop- erty owners, this plan discourages community life. On the other hand, growing numbers of forward-looking communi- ties are seeking to create a focus and civic identity for their residents. They begin by establishing a center for civic activity through a downtown or other shared meeting places. Chanhassen fits the model of the city with a focus. It is blessed with an historic center which dates back to the mid- 19th century. It already has its "family room" where commu- nity members can congregate, shop or recreate. Chanhassen's well-defined downtown also serves the com- munity by establishing a local identity. This identity helps to foster civic pride as well as etch the signature of this unique crossroads in the memories of visitors. This ability to capture the imagination of both residents and guests is the reason why so many communities today arv striving to create a center for civic activity. Luckily, in Chanhassen the first settlers have laid the important cornerstones for succeeding generations to build upon. NOV~Me>e.R.. ~ MAY Before European settlement, Chanhassen's natural landscape was shaped by open grasslands and sugarbush woodlands. Downtown along West 78th Street, ca. 1940. A view along West 78th Street today. ~ <. JVN~ -- SBPIE:MBF-lZ.~< 01"11;.0E3~!<- > ~~~~~ .--0' ~~. r"'-. .- ~ <~"'f" IN\lt:'7nbA"f12. t<E-So LiRC-l':7 Rt;:G.t=-lv~ f'v13L-1 c. INI1Ui II ~'-"'< :7 S-N.D'( " MAI'I'INOr PH'1"!?lCA~ i<-l=-SOV!<L--E:-7 . I?E-VE-LDPMEN"I O""O/<.:VN'-n~ t:'::XI"L-OR-~ tsVA"-UAI~ AN., . 1"ocu,," "fl<-D UPS .IJ Pll~L.-IG INF-Of(.M^J"tON M"'......-IN.<,S. . ANA<-Y$'S. ~eN,"""T,o"-l.5 TO AP I-l-oc.. co M M \ ,..,-...s=. ,. oe""-l-or C.ONc.eo~UA.l.- ~l-^-N:; The plan for Chanhassen's downtown grew out of a community-based planning process. VI SI ON 5urz\jr=-y 2.002.... N E:W5 Le-IT E; 1Z-. . peHONST1<A-rE'- . s,N--Ipu;;. 'iISolON 2.002- Puewv Pl<-I/o..JG\f'~S O~'N\ON :w 5> V6ID€-sTU' PFJNGIPL!;:.S "*-U:> CON~ts. P"'rs RJ;;ViSf:-D CO N GETTS Fop-. DOWNTOWN . .APDf'\ A P<.AN "'1t"'1~t>-1"'t--!"" 'I\SIG>--.!.