The Exponent


08-22-2003	Previous edition: 08-08-2003

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Sagamore survey to determine community needs

By Amanda Anthony
Assistant Campus Editor

The rough draft of the Sagamore Parkway Task Force's community survey is nearly complete.

The task force received a rough draft of the survey with questions from four of the five committees at the Aug. 13 meeting. Since then, the fifth committee has sent in its questions, according to John Stevens, who heads the Purdue-based "Statistics in the Community" group that's helping the survey.

"We're waiting for feedback," Stevens said. "The most useful questions are asking about developments and changes on the parkway."

The Sagamore Parkway Task Force was commissioned by the city of West Lafayette to evaluate and optimize Sagamore Parkway's value as a major gateway to West Lafayette. Members are supposed to explore opportunities for expansion, in-filling and developing properties along the parkway.

The task force has five committees, each of which focuses on a different aspect of the parkway. One of the task force's goals is to do a community survey to evaluate what people want.

Lisa Kochert, vice president of the Lafayette-West Lafayette Chamber of Commerce and head of the public spaces committee, said she thinks all the committees are working in the same direction.

"I'm thrilled with the progress that's being made," Kochert said.

The committees got together for a "charrette" on Tuesday where they looked at some large-scale maps of the parkway.

"All of the committees can say, 'This is what we're looking at,'" Kochert said.

Stevens said he thinks the committee has a pretty good idea of what's beneficial for the parkway, but he thinks it is good that the task force is asking for the community's input.

"The committees have given us some really good questions that should help us give them some useful input," he said. "They're being really good about incorporating public opinion."

The task force hopes to have its work complete by the end of October. Stevens said he thinks his group and the task force are on schedule.

"I think we're on track to do that although it's still pretty flexible," said Stevens.

West Lafayette's director of development, Josh Andrew, said the task force's final determination will likely go into a citywide urban design plan that the city is doing.

"The last urban design we did was in '88," Andrew said. "The strategic plan recommended we do another one, look at what we need to do to revitalize, develop and strengthen those areas."

It's separate from the task force's plan but it will use information the task force has generated, Andrew said.

The urban design plan will look at historic population growth, parks, landscaping, planning; "it's just everything," Andrew said.

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