The diligence of the Lakes to Land communities which have been working on master plans since last summer is paying off, and draft plans are nearing completion. One item that planning commissions in Arcadia Township, Bear Lake Township, Blaine Township, Crystal Lake Township, Gilmore Township, Joyfield Township, the Village of Honor, Manistee Township, and Pleasanton Township have all completed is a “Cornerstones and Building Blocks” document outlining the community’s major goals and listing strategies to achieve them. With this important step, the groundwork for collaboration is officially laid.

Image: washingtonpost.com

Now the communities are getting ready to launch into the fun part of what we set out to do. Each has been invited to select five “low-hanging fruit” strategies as a starting point and bring them to a Priority Sharing Meeting on June 27 (see calendar for details). This will be the first opportunity to get our whole group together for a good look at that “shared vision” we talk about in the Initiative’s tagline. It will also be a jumping-off point to begin transforming that vision into a better quality of life for all of the region’s citizens.

Let the collaborating begin!