The Benton Harbor Planning Commission has approved a draft master plan and sent it on to the full city commission. At a meeting this week, Paul Lippens with McKenna Associates said the plan came out of several meetings with residents and public surveys.
“It’s a draft that reflects the results of all the published analysis that was done as part of the project, and it establishes and represents both the policies based around what we heard to advance the city’s land development procedures,” Lippens said.
The plan envisions doubling the city’s population by 2040, a home construction boom, becoming a sanctuary city, setting guidelines for the development of container homes, and creating new opportunity areas, among many other things. Lippens noted the plan can still be amended, saying there will be a public comment period and public hearings even after the city commission accepts the document. It’s hoped the entire plan will be final by the end of the year. You can see it and make comments at BestBentonHarbor.com.
