The financial impacts to the city of smart growth and infill development, as opposed to sprawl and new development outside of existing developed areas, will be part of a presentation happening on Tuesday, Aug. 16.
The presentation, open to the public, will be at 3 p.m. in the City Hall commission chambers, 10 N. Division St. Information will be provided by Michel Rodriguez, director of research at Smart Growth America.
Both Battle Creek and Kalamazoo were part of Smart Growth America’s study this year, which assessed the financial impact of a variety of density and growth scenarios. The presentation will discuss the findings, which demonstrate that both communities would see significant savings by accommodating forecasted growth at a higher density than the current citywide average, but still within the community’s character.
“This study will be important in informing the current master plan update as we consider future land uses throughout the city and any potential expansion of utilities, roads or other infrastructure that may be required,” said Planning Manager Christine Zuzga. “This is particularly important to Battle Creek when you consider the amount of land we have in the city limits and the current diverse land uses we can accommodate.”
From infrastructure and utilities to police and fire protection, Rodriguez’ presentation will include information on how the costs of city services could differ under various growth and development scenarios.
The study is part of the technical assistance available to the city through our participation in the Redevelopment Ready Communities program, a state certification supporting communities becoming development ready and competitive. Battle Creek continues to work through the RRC certification process.