Citizens are invited to help shape the Austin of the future at a public meeting 7 p.

Monday, December 06, 1999

Citizens are invited to help shape the Austin of the future at a public meeting 7 p.m. Wednesday in Austin City Council Chambers at the Austin Municipal Building.

What should the Austin of the future be? More parks or less? Bring more of Austin and Lansing townships into the city? Stricter nuisance laws or a relaxation of the current ones? Trees along the boulevards or all of them gone? Billboards or no billboards? A monorail from major employers like Weyerhaueser Paper Company’s Austin plant, Hormel Foods Corporation and Quality Pork Processors to the Horace Austin Park area?

Perhaps a dome over the downtown area, turning North Main Street’s businesses into an enclosed shopping center?

According to Craig Hoium, planning and zoning administrator, the city is currently going through the process of updating its comprehensive plan.

Ron Fiscus and Jeff Mundt of Yaggy, Colby Associates have been retained by the city to help guide officials and staff in revamping the comprehensive plan.

Fiscus and Mundt are both specialists in community land-use issues and transportation plans, Hoium said.

According to Hoium, the pair also has the "expertise to implement the most desirable land uses and transportation plans within the current city limits of Austin and also for surrounding areas in which our community may grow."

Hoium has an agenda listing specific areas that must be reviewed at Wednesday’s public meeting:

– North of the intersection of 18th Ave. NW and 8th St. NW to the Oaks Condominiums and north of OakPark Mall.

– The undeveloped land north of Interstate 90 between the Target development site and West Oakland Ave.

– Southwest, southeast and northeast outlying areas surrounding the city of Austin.

Hoium has invited the mayor and council members, as well as planning commission, city engineer, administrator and assistant city engineer, Housing and Redevelopment Authority and Development Corporation of Austin representatives.

In addition, Mower County staff and officials have been invited as well as the Austin and Lansing townships’ boards.