The Columbus / Bartholomew County Planning Department is hosting a three-day public workshop to develop the Columbus Central Neighborhood Plan. The first session was held Tuesday night and was framed as “visionary session” aimed at identifying room for improvement for the area just northeast of downtown.

Jeff Bergman, with the city/county planning department, says that the principal players in developing the plan are the community, Design Collective, out of Baltimore, MD and the consulting firm, Green Street. The major points being discussed are:

– Improving access to jobs, recreation and health food options;
– Promote mixed-use and mixed-income redevelopment;
– Mitigate any environmental concerns for the area;
– Examine land use possibly adjusting zoning;
– Recommend roadway improvements;

According to a marketing analysis done by Green Street, residents in the area of the central neighborhood plan make up six-percent of the Columbus population. The area has a higher rate of lower-income residents, with 23 percent living in poverty. Green Street says that, in addition, the incomes of residents living in this area are expected to grow more slowly than the rest of the city. The consulting firm says that the average value of a single-family home is $96,674, considerably less than the Columbus average. In addition, 47 percent of residents in the area pay more than one-third of their income towards housing.

Organizers say that the workshops continue Wednesday and Thursday nights at the United Way Center on 13th Street. Public discussions and open houses are scheduled for both nights, beginning at 6 p.m. In addition, they say that a closing presentation will be offered at the end of Thursday’s session.