Envision St. Cloud MeetingOsceola County is one of the fastest growing counties in the United States, and St. Cloud is certainly included in that surge of growth. That level of growth calls for vision, planning and leadership, all of which is taking place within the leadership of St. Cloud. City of St. Cloud officials and staff have been thinking “What will St. Cloud look like in the year 2042?”. This question is the driving force behind “Envision St. Cloud”, a City of St. Cloud Growth Management Services (GMS) project that is making its debut to the public on May 3rd at the Marina Building in St. Cloud.

St. Cloud City Council approved Resolution No. 2017-021R Jan. 26 for the City to work with GAI Consultants, Inc., in completing a visioning and master planning project. The result will include changes to the city’s future land use, zoning and regulatory policy, and a specific economic-development strategy. The project will be completed in four phases and will help the municipality in exploring the city’s potential.

Veronica Miller“We are envisioning how our community will grow and look in the next 25 years,” said Growth Management Administrator Veronica Miller. “As we change as a community, we all play an important role. How will we define ourselves as a city? To this end, we are working with the very capable GAI Consultants, Inc. Their staff will help the municipality, residents and business owners in balancing our desires with the challenges that come with growth and change. When we all talk to others about St. Cloud, we all want to talk about it with pride and admiration. That is our ultimate goal because it will mean that we have a great city that provides a great quality of life to those who live in, work in and visit St. Cloud.”

“St. Cloud is growing, and every resident and those just beyond our city boundary have a unique opportunity to help shape the future of the city for the next 25 years and to ensure that we plan for future employment, shopping, housing and recreation areas throughout the city,” said City of St. Cloud Planning and Zoning Manager and “Envision St. Cloud” Project Manager Andre Anderson. “We value citizen input and want to hear from every segment of the St. Cloud community – youth and adults – from our children in our schools to our business leaders to our veterans, who all combined make for a rich and diverse community.”

GMS staff and the GAI team have met to discuss specific ideas regarding Parks and Recreation, Public Services, St. Cloud Police Department, City Management, Economic Development, St. Cloud Fire Rescue and GMS. Now, City staff is ready to hear input so that the municipality and community may work together to develop the city’s vision for the future.

“Envision St. Cloud’ is an important citywide initiative for a superior quality of life as St. Cloud continues to grow,” said City Manager Joe Helfenberger. “We absolutely want the community’s input. We are inviting our residents and business owners to join in a discussion to chart the course of our great city that will be even greater as we plan now for the year 2042.”

An “Envision St. Cloud” Citywide Vision Plan Public Kickoff Event is set for May 3, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at the Marina Building (1104 Lakeshore Dr.) in the Banquet Hall (located on the second floor).

More information will be available soon on the “Envision St. Cloud” website at www.envisionstcloud.com.