Loading ...Designing the Future of Pine City
Sam Klemet reports:
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The future of Pine City was on display Saturday night at the Elementary Auditorium. The Minnesota Design Team gave a presentation to area residents on ways they believe Pine City can improve over the next few years.
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These are just some of the ideas presented by the volunteer group of 20 engineers, architects, and urban and city planners that make up the Design Team. The group typically works with rural communities with populations between 2,500 and 6,000 people. Pine City is the home for just over 3,000 people and Chair of the Minnesota Design Team, Sean Walther, says there are plenty of opportunities for enhancing what he says is already a great community.
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Saturday’s presentation allowed Pine Citians to take a look at 25 poster boards filled with ideas, maps, and strategies for making Pine City better not only for its residents but businesses and visitors, as well. Sam O’Connell is one the Co-Leaders of the Design Team. She says she hopes the poster boards get the wheels turning on future projects.
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Some of the proposed ideas from the design team include creating bike and walking trails along the city’s rivers, developing more housing options especially for students who attend Pine Technical College, and putting up more signage to attract people off of I-35. Pine City Planner Nathan Johnson says many of the Design Team’s ideas are inexpensive and can begin immediately.
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Pine City resident Jenny Erdmann listened to the Design Team’s proposals at Saturday’s presentation. She doesn’t think every idea presented will turn into reality, but says she heard several suggestions that she thinks will help make Pine City a better place to live.
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Fellow Pine City resident Stanley Teeman thinks the Design Team visit was a positive for the the city and thinks the plans, if put in motion, can especially help the business community.
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The Design Teams work is now done. They simply provide the blueprint for the future developments, but the city now must take action to make the visions a reality. Mayor Jane Robbins says the city’s residents must take the next step.
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The Design Team will conduct a followup visit within six months to a year to track the progress of Pine City’s development.
Slide Images Courtesy of MN Design Team.