Since Wal-Mart retreated from Mill Creek’s planned East Gateway development, community members have thrown out a ton of suggested uses for the vacant property.
Selma Bonham said the site is ideal for a new library, someone else suggested a senior center.
“We don’t have a community center in Mill Creek — a place to meet,” Bonham said at a planning commission open house Thursday, Jan. 10. “I think a new library would be a wonderful addition to East Gateway. A library or at least some sort of community center.”
The city’s community development department proposed to city leaders and residents in June a plan to create a mixed-use development similar to Town Center at Mill Creek’s east border. Under the proposal, amendments to the city’s comprehensive plan would establish a zoning designation for urban villages allowing the city to rezone commercial properties for a combination of residential and retail uses.
Community members were invited to several meetings early in the process to help develop a master site plan for East Gateway, which features public parks nature trails and plazas amidst a network of shops and residential neighborhoods.
Planning Commissioner Stan Eisner said city leaders are well aware of people’s interest in having some type of community facility added to the project plans.
“We’re getting lots of comments about that,” Eisner said. “All I can say is that we’re looking at all of them. I know that people want a community center.”
The city planned to have a public facility at Town Center, but the cost of land forced leaders to scrap that portion of the project.
While such a facility may still be cost prohibitive, Bonham and other community members say they’re happy to know planners and city leaders are at least considering their comments.
“I’m so pleased the city gave us these opportunities to offer our input, you don’t get that very often,” Bonham said. “Now that Wal-Mart is gone — what a win for the community — I think this development will be a huge success.”
Eisner believes including the public in the initial planning of East Gateway helped bolster community buy-in.
Down the road, he expects the public’s involvement in shaping the design and role of East Gateway in Mill Creek will offer developers a clear picture of what’s expected.
“This illustrates the quality of design that we’re looking for,” Eisner said. “Developers are going see right away what our standards are, and that will make a huge difference in the type of development proposals we receive.”
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