Downtown committee seeks public input

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The City of McCook and the Downtown Planning Steering Committee is inviting everyone interested in downtown McCook to attend a presentation and provide comment of the proposed downtown plan at 6 p.m. Thursday at Heritage Senior Center, 1400 W. Fifth.

In August, the city announced the beginning of a process for planning the future of its historic downtown. Since that time, the Downtown Committee has met numerous times and public comment has been received at the kickoff meeting, public surveys, small groups, public forums, and a community workshop.

The final draft plan, developed by RDG Planning & Design of Omaha and Miller & Associates of Kearney and McCook, is ready for presentation. As a result, the open house is scheduled to receive additional public comment. Following the open house at 6 p.m., a formal presentation by the consultants will be made to all citizens at 6:30 p.m. at the same location.

The city is now ready to receive comment on the downtown plan before it is submitted to both the McCook Planning Commission and the McCook City Council for final adoption.

While public comment will be accepted also at those meetings before the plan is adopted, the adoption of the plan must be done before the City applies for a CDBG grant of approximately $350,000 for downtown improvements to the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.

With the city's match, this could result in more than $435,000 in improvements to begin implementing the Downtown Plan.

The Downtown Planning Steering Committee of Troy Bruntz, Matt Sehnert, Shelby Haag, Cody Dame, Cloyd Clark, Bruce Hoffman, Renea Smith, Dawna Bates, Jennifer Morgan, Tacie Fawver, Rex Nelson, Carol Schlegel, Jeff Gross, Ray Walter, and Mayor Dennis Berry invite you to this important Downtown meeting this Thursday.

For further information please contact Jeff Hancock, City Manager at 308-345-2022 and/or citymgr@cityofmccook.com.