Dick Cashman was born and raised in lower North Mankato, lived in Edina and on the west coast, and now lives in upper North Mankato.
“North Mankato has always been a nice place. There’s nothing objectionable here,” he said Saturday during an open house to let residents review the city’s comprehensive plan and give input on updating it.
Cashman attended the event, at the Spring Lake Park warming house, to take a look at what was in the plan but didn’t have any big issues to add.
City Administrator Kevin McCann said the plan is updated every 10 years. “There are things in the plan that don’t get completed, so we leave them in the updated plan.”
City Planner Matt Lassonde said the current comprehensive plan included a focus on the downtown business district along Belgrade Avenue.
“We have done a lot of that,” he said, citing city efforts to create a design plan for the central business district, as well as a focus on the upper North Mankato Commerce Drive corridor.
The city is also in the process of studying a major project in the next few years that would narrow Belgrade in the business district and widen the sidewalks to make it more pedestrian friendly and to slow the speed of traffic.
Lassonde said the plan that was updated 10 years ago also called for creating a more detailed transportation plan, something he said has been done in cooperation with other area local and state officials.
“And there was a desire for trail system improvements and trail signage and we have done a lot of that,” he said.
“This (report) doesn’t sit on the shelf. We use it,” Lassonde said.
City Councilman Billy Steiner said the plan and effort to update it are taken seriously. “The staff has really done a good job in laying everything out. It’s good to have citizen input on this.”
One woman attending the open house was writing down comments at the table focused on the city’s housing plan.
“I’m very interested in our young adults and that they can’t find affordable rentals and are living with their parents. I think it just causes more anxiety and depression for them and for their parents.”
The city uses the comprehensive plan to review existing trends, developing a community vision and identifying goals for land use and growth management, housing, economic development, transportation, utilities, parks, trails, recreation, business districts and community design.
Goals, objectives and policies identified through the update will guide city decision-making over the next 10 years.
Once revised, the document will be made available for public review and final comment, after which it will be presented to the City Council for adoption.
The public can attend the second and final in-person open house at the Spring Lake Park warming house, 630 McKinley Ave., from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday.
Residents who are interested in providing input but are unable to attend an in-person open house, a virtual open house is available at www.northmankato.com/2023-comp-plan. It will be active through June 9.
Questions may be directed to City Planner Matt Lassonde at matthewl@northmankato.com or 507-514-6456.