Mayor's Community Update - 06/25/2018

Greetings!  This week the Community Development Authority (CDA) began work on a downtown streetscape plan. The intent of this plan is to identify improvements to sidewalks and public spaces with the goal of increasing walkability, sustainability, connectivity and safety as part of our ongoing downtown revitalization efforts. This project will help to assess and identify ways to improve downtown amenities — streetscaping furniture, way-finding signs; address pedestrian enhancement and vegetation ideas, and explore the redevelopment of underutilized property for either a community event/gathering space or new private mixed-use development.

Why the continued focus on revitalization? A vibrant downtown is key to having a strong community and the streetscape plan will create a master plan for coordinated improvement in the downtown. As part of this week’s kickoff meeting, the CDA reviewed an asset inventory and the results of an initial parking study. As the process moves forward, we will be looking for your input. In July, we will release a preferences survey to gather community input on various design elements. We will communicate more when the survey is ready for release and I ask that you take ten minutes to provide your input. 

Final preparation for Celebrate Waupun is underway. The festival kicks off on Friday, June 29, at Tanner Park and runs through Sunday, July 1. Thank you to the endless volunteers who contributed to the planning of and will commit time during this community celebration. It truly takes a community to staff the event. New this year, REACH Waupun is sponsoring a Rally & Run 5K event and we welcome Hispano Fest. I hope to see you there!

See you around town! ~ Mayor Julie Nickel