My Clearwater
Fall 53
What’s Your Vision for Clearwater 2045?
Tremendous community engagement from residents
this summer has set the tone for a major city of
Clearwater project to envision the path the city will
take in the next 25 years.
More than 200 people attended online and inperson
Community Conversation sessions at
recreations centers and libraries throughout
the city this past summer. The name of
the game was for residents to weigh in
with their thoughts on their vision for
the future of Clearwater.
City staff held the meetings on the
project, named Clearwater2045,
in various neighborhoods to obtain
feedback that reflects the diversity that
makes Clearwater great.
“We couldn't be more pleased with the great
turn out we had at these meetings,” said Planning and
Development Director Gina Clayton. “We heard a variety
of opinions expressed, and we also found many common
themes that will guide our work.”
The process of updating Clearwater’s comprehensive plan,
which is a policy document that local governments adopt
to guide decisions on future growth and sustainability, is an
exhaustive two-year process that will be ongoing through 2022.
It will detail the city’s long-term vision and goals while
outlining the steps needed to achieve them. An important
component of a comprehensive plan is identifying current
and anticipated opportunities for improvement in public
infrastructure and services, while implementing
strategies that ensure enhancements will be
made in a timely fashion to meet future
demand.
The community conversations
included interactive chances
for participants to work with
each other in small groups to
brainstorm ideas on what they
view as priorities for the city.
Clayton says the success and
excellent turnout at recent meetings
will be a catalyst for a project that will
continue to seek community input during
meetings and online that will take place over the
next year-and-a-half.
All Clearwater residents and business owners are
encouraged to visit the city’s comprehensive plan website,
clearwater2045.com, where there are opportunities to take
a visioning survey, participate in contests, view project
timelines, and find out more about the project.