ABOVE: Shawn Ager (back) and David Sidney from Place Foundry address the Public Works Committee about the Danville 2050 Comprehensive Plan.
The Danville City Council Public Works Committee has unanimously forwarded the city’s proposed 2050 Comprehensive Plan, from Place Foundry out of Rockford, to the full council for possible approval next Tuesday.
Afterwards, Shawn Ager repeated Place Foundry’s point that shrinking the square mileage size of Danville is not the idea. It’s putting the area already within the city limits to its full potential; such as having shovel ready spots along the Lynch Road corridor ready for new, incoming industry.
AUDIO: We really want to focus on infill; where there are areas in the city limits that we’re not utilizing to the fullest extent. We really envision Lynch Road to be a strong industrial corridor; having sights ready there so that more manufacturers, industry, businesses can come in and continue to grow that area; as well as even possibilities for sports tourism.
Community Development Administrator Logan Cronk says pending full council approval, one of the first things for the city to do will be update the zoning code. So if the plan calls for industry, transportation improvements, or residential in a particular area, make sure the zoning code matches up.
AUDIO: There’s a lot of pieces of this that we can start on immediately. One of the major pieces that we are going to start on is the amendment to the zoning code, or updating it to match the language provided in this plan. (So, where they want business, they want industry; let’s make sure the city’s zoning code says “yes you can right there.”) Exactly. For example, if we’re saying we want to be more business friendly, how do we do that in our zoning code?
Meanwhile, the after effects of the permanent closing of the Village Mall location County Market continue. Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr says the current owner of that part of the mall, Jimmy Virk, says he still intends to take care of the rain and storm damaged roof; but we’ll see.
Wonders continue about the future of the former County Market location at the Village Mall.
AUDIO: He said that they would be fixing the building. At first he said the 15th, then he said within a week to two weeks, and then he said two to three weeks. So, my guess is that sometime within the next two to three weeks we’ll see if he’s going to follow through with his word. I sure hope so.
Mayor Williams says he’s had good discussions with Vermilion Advantage executive director Amy Brown about the future of the site.
