6-Visioning

Visioning and Public Participation

Visioning Workshops

A series of town meetings were conducted as the first step in the public input phase of the City of Royal Oak's Master Plan update effort. For planning purposes, the City was divided into seven planning subareas. A workshop was conducted for each subarea. The primary focus of each workshop was to gain an understanding of the issues pertinent to that subarea.

In conducting the town meetings, a technique called "Visioning" was used. The visioning process provide a vehicle for people of diverse viewpoints to identify the common dreams and desired future for their community. Each workshop entailed identifying vision statements via a brainstorming process based upon the following principles:

• Visions should generate new and bold ideas for the future
• All ideas and visions are welcome
• No ideas or visions will be criticized
• Participation from all is encouraged

A common format was followed at each workshop. Central to the process was small group discussions. Workshop participants were divided into small groups and, with the help of a trained volunteer facilitator, generated lists of visions statements which reflected individual ideas.

Topics covered by the small groups included:

• Housing and Neighborhood Preservation,
• Commercial, Office, and Industrial land use, and
• Community Services, Recreation, and Transportation.

Topics were somewhat altered for the Downtown visioning workshop. After all statements were recorded, the small groups voted on which statements were "priority" vision statements. This step facilitated both the prioritization of issues, as well as built consensus amongst participants. The facilitator recorded all statements and votes. Each small group then presented its "priority" vision statements to the large group, and again the large group voted on the statements producing "top priority" visions for that particular workshop.

The following table gives the details regarding each workshop including date, location, and attendance. Nearly 200 people attended the workshops.

Table 5

Royal Oak Visioning Workshops

Priority Visions

Several predominant themes arose from the visioning workshops. In general, those themes focused on the following elements:

• Neighborhood preservation
• Areas around the Downtown
• Commercial corridor improvements along major roadways
• Woodward Avenue improvements
• Downtown
• Community Facilities
• Transportation

The results of each workshop are discussed in detail by Subarea in the balance of this section. However, the following table summarizes the predominant themes expressed in each subarea.

Table 6

Summary of Subarea Issues

The following identifies the priorities expressed at each of the Visioning Workshops. Although the majority of issues which arose related to the Subarea in which the workshop was conducted, several issues which were of city-wide significance arose and are listed separately. A complete documentation of all vision statements are contained in Appendix 1 for each Subarea workshop, and are organized both by small group and by topic.

Subareas 1 and 2

1. Protect single family neighborhoods with use of buffering, only small scale multiple-family, and prevention of commercial encroachment
2. Improve Woodward Avenue corridor addressing appearance, quality of businesses, parking, pedestrian access, etc.

Subarea 3

1. Maintain existing character of single family neighborhoods
2. Protect historic resources and maintain trees and open space
3. Promote residential scale and character of commercial areas adjacent to neighborhoods

Subarea 4

1. Protect character of residential neighborhoods and encourage single family housing
2. Restrict cut-through traffic through neighborhoods
3. Maintain parks as natural areas

Subarea 5

1. Promote historic neighborhood identification and develop design and density standards for new development
2. Encourage consistency between existing land use and zoning
3. Reduce cut-through traffic in residential neighborhoods
4. Ensure buffers and transitional uses between commercial areas and neighborhoods
5. Improve Eleven Mile corridor with regards to facades, landscaping, signage, parking, and code enforcement

Subarea 6 (Downtown)

1. Promote a mix of land uses downtown including high density housing, office space, and a retail and service mix that meets day to day needs of residents
2. Encourage preservation of historic structures and promote urban character
3. Consider a cultural facility/center and enhance the civic center area
4. Parking should be consolidated into mixed-use multi-level structures
5. Consider expansion of the Downtown Development Authority south of Lincoln Avenue

Subarea 7

1. Preserve integrity of single family neighborhoods
2. Ensure buffers between commercial areas and neighborhoods
3. Improve appearance (landscaping, screening, signage) of Eleven Mile Road corridor and other commercial, office, and industrial areas

In all of the Workshops, a number of visions were expressed that went beyond the boundaries of the particular Subarea. The following statements of City-wide significance were expressed:

Community Facilities

1. Improve and maintain parks
2. Consider a community recreation center with a swimming pool, tennis courts, skate board and roller rink, and ice rink
3. Provide programs for adolescents and young adults
4. Develop strategy for school building re-use
5. Consider a cultural facility/center and enhance the civic center area
6. Reorganize civic center and promote as a focal point
7. Expand Farmers Market complex

Transportation

1. Increase opportunities for walking, hiking, biking, and rollerblade trails
2. Restrict cut-through traffic in single family neighborhoods
3. Promote non-motorized transportation
4. Consider city-wide public transportation system
5. Bury railroad below grade and reclaim land for development
6. Promote pedestrian walkways downtown

Concept Plan Workshops

Following completion of the Visioning Workshops, Concept Plans were formulated for each Planning Subarea. The purpose of the Concept Plan was to illustrate the common themes which emerged from the Visioning Workshops and provide a vehicle for discussion with the Steering Committee and the public in following workshops.

The Concept Plans contained the overall key concepts plan for Royal Oak as well as more detailed Land Use Concept Plans for each Subarea.

While the overall plan identified and illustrated the key concepts for the entire City in a generalized fashion, the subarea concepts provided and illustrated more specific recommendations. Key concepts and specific recommendations were derived directly from the Visioning Workshops as well as analysis of existing land use patterns and other physical conditions. Particular attention was given to areas where there are conflicts between current zoning and existing land use (i.e., single family dwellings zoned for multiple family).

Key concepts were identified for the following areas:

• residential neighborhoods
• major corridors that are primarily commercial in nature
• Woodward Avenue corridor area
• downtown area
• areas where existing land uses are to be maintained, and
• opportunities/enhancement areas, selected target areas designated for redevelopment and/or enhancement.

The subarea concept plan narratives followed a similar format for each subarea with a brief description of the area giving location, neighborhood character, major existing land uses, and subarea landmarks. Second, issues emerging from the visioning workshops and from further analysis were identified. Finally, the subarea land use concept plan illustrated specific recommendations for future land use.

The Concept Plans were reviewed by the Steering Committee prior to the scheduling of the public workshops. The purpose of the workshops was to present Concept Plans to the public and receive their input on the general content and direction. In an effort to bring continuity to the planning process, concept plans for the entire City and each subarea were presented.

Two workshops were held. The first workshop was conducted at Kimball High School on May 21, 1998 and was attended by 9 people. The second workshop was conducted on June 2, 1998 at the Baldwin Theater and was attended by 63 people.