A plan for growth

By Chuck Kajer

On Wednesday, Jan. 5, the New Prague Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a hearing on the city's proposed Comprehensive Plan Update.

A Comprehensive Plan is an important tool for a community as it maps out its future. It will determine where business and residential improvements will be located within the city in the next 20 years, and will help ensure that the city grows in an orderly way.

Given the proximity to the Twin Cities, growth in our community is inevitable. In the past decade, suburbs such as Eagan, Lakeville, Apple Valley, Farmington, Shakopee and Prior Lake have struggled with growth, trying to find a mix of industry, residential and multi-family housing that adequately meets the demands of residents and prospective residents without putting added burdens onto the city as it works to provide needed services to its residents.

Members of the Planning Commission, as well as city staff and consultants, have studied what has happened in these communities and come up with a plan they think will help minimize many of the problems other cities have faced. It won't—in fact, can't eliminate them. Growth brings change and change brings many challenges. But the Comprehensive Plan is designed to make the change as painless as possible.

Kudos to the Planning Commission and others involved in creating this document. Anyone who is interested in learning about the direction growth in the city of New Prague will take over the next 20 years should attend this public hearing and learn more about the Comprehensive Plan. And if you have any comments or questions, now is the time to be heard.