NEVADA CITY, Calif. May 31, 2018 – Join The City of Nevada City and the Future of Nevada County (FoNC) for a public workshop this Saturday, June 2nd, 11am-1pm, City Hall, 317 Broad St., to discuss and envision a downtown community gathering place.
City officials have identified two potential streets that satisfy needs for emergency vehicles and vehicular traffic; York Street and lower Commercial Street.
FoNC is hosting this public workshop to serve as a conduit between the public and city officials; ensuring opportunity for community members to provide feedback for the city’s upcoming beautification project in downtown Nevada City.
A facilitation method will be used to ensure that each individual has the opportunity to share their opinion in small groups so that, as a whole, community members, business & building owners alike can share concepts, concerns, and ideas for the city’s consideration.
A variety of features for a public space are available for the community to discuss and select such as wider sidewalks, shade trees, kid-friendly space, local art, bicycle racks, and additional seating to name a few. This information will be gathered from the public workshop and a second workshop will follow in a month to share public feedback.
For those who can not make the public workshop or would simply like to share their ideas, an online survey is available for residents here (https://form.jotform.com/FoNC/resident-survey) and Nevada City merchants here (https://form.jotform.com/FoNC/merchant-survey). The community is highly encouraged to give their feedback.
FoNC was born out of a void just over a year ago. A new generation wanted to create a formalized space to come together and be empowered within their very own community. The group formed from a common desire to create a space where the topics close to their hearts could be discussed and followed up by meaningful action.
“FoNC members consist of young professionals, activists, educators, business owners, environmentalists, artists, and social justice advocates, along with their mentors,” stated FoNC member and Nevada City business owner, Rachel Luck. “We discuss, explore, and act on issues about which we feel strongly: environmental sustainability, access to local government, diversity and inclusion, indigenous rights, affordable housing, economic development and jobs, and the cost of living. We are oriented towards and interested in addressing the root causes of these issues.”
FoNC members are highlighting in this public workshop the importance of the process itself. They believe that community input is key to the success of any project and feel that the process is the most important element in this community-building event.