As city officials continue to work on a new general plan for Centerville they have solicited community input through surveys and at community events including at a Jan. 31 General Plan Open House. On Feb. 18 Chris Hupp with consulting firm Psomas shared some of the feedback that has been received with Mayor Clark Wilkinson and members of the city council.

What Centerville residents seem to want most is the preservation of the city’s historic character. 

“Centerville is steeped in history and close-knit family values, and that’s something we don’t want to lose,” Huff said.

Residents also want to see the hillside preserved, along with an effort to improve the city’s open spaces and increased access to walking and biking trails. Some are also interested in seeing more ATV trails. Many are concerned about Main Street and keeping its historical character.

In the surveys, there were also calls for better sidewalk connectivity and safer pedestrian areas, especially near high-traffic locations like Main Street. Some respondents expressed support for bus rapid transit, but most want to see it developed away from Main Street allowing for improved walkability and the preservation of Centerville’s character.

Responses were mixed in regard to housing; some want to see Centerville primarily stay with single family housing while others want more moderate income housing options, including multifamily housing for younger families and seniors.

With this issue, city officials have to balance the desires of their constituents with a state mandate that requires each community to have an affordable housing plan. While as yet the legislature has not mandated specific numbers or percentages, so far it requires communities to have such a plan. 

“We need to find a balance that meets state mandates for housing while preserving the essence of Centerville,” Hupp said.

One surprising fact that emerged from the surveys was that many residents don’t realize that Centerville extends to the west beyond I-15, Hupp said. 

“Seeing as that's out of sight, out of mind, that was a great opportunity that we thought to look into as far as land uses are concerned,” he said. “All of the redevelopment potential that we’re looking for right now is on the west side of I-15 to capture some of that tax base and get some of that tax revenue into the city to help mitigate some of the things that were asked for by the residents.”

More than 500 residents have responded at three open houses and in four surveys over the last several months. This is about an average participation in communities for developing general plans, Hupp said, but some city council members expressed concern that they’re not hearing from enough of their constituents.

“I'm not trying to increase the scope of work; I'm not trying to delay the process, Councilmember Gina Hirst said. “But also, this does define 20 to 30 years of potential developments so I’m like, if this is needed, so that our residents feel seen and heard, I would like to discuss that.”

City officials are now going to look into the cost of sending out postcards to all residents to gather more feedback before proceeding with any more development of the general plan.