Thanks to everyone who came out to the celebration picnic.  Now you can read the Draft 20/20 Vision Report. Click the underlined links to download a copy of the Draft Executive Summary and the Draft 20/20 Vision Plan.

The City of Suwanee invites you to join in celebrating the conclusion of the  20/20 Vision Strategic Plan process.  This has truly been a community-wide process and the resulting plan will be so much better because of it.  We’re almost done with the plan so it’s time to give you all a round of applause for your hard work and show you what it has accomplished!

We want to wrap up the community engagement phase of the 20/20 Vision with a community celebration and opportunity for the citizens to review and provide feedback on the draft plan.  We spent a good bit of time thinking about the best way to accomplish these goals in a fun, yet meaningful, event and will do so with the time-honored tradition of an old-fashioned Southern potluck picnic.  The community-wide picnic will take place on Sunday, April 29th beginning at 12:30 pm.  The Suwanee Music Barn, located on Blue Grass Trail off Stonecypher Road, is excited to host us. Our consultants for this plan, Interface Studio, will be at the event and will unveil the plan.  People who can’t make the picnic will also have an opportunity to review the plan and provide feedback; the draft will be available on www.suwanee2020.com after April 29^th.

The City will be providing BBQ from a local restaurant, as well as chips and drinks.  We’re asking attendees to bring along a hot or cold side dish or dessert to share.

During the picnic, a mini open house is planned to capture feedback.  In addition, entertainment will be provided by one of the Suwanee Music Barn’s house bluegrass bands.  The event is scheduled for 12:30-4 pm, with the picnic to begin about 1 pm and the band to perform about 3:30.

I hope that all of you will be able to make it and enjoy this fun event with your families.

RSVP for the picnic by April 20 by emailing Billie Marshall at marshall@suwanee.com. Please let us know if you can make it, so that we have enough food for everyone. Check back for updated picnic information, including an inclement weather location.

We expect to present the final draft to the City Council for consideration at their June Council meeting.  We’re almost there!  Hope to see you on the 29th!

It’s now time to BRING SUWANEE’S FUTURE INTO FOCUS. During the course of the first three roundtables, each group has discussed big picture issues and strengths in Suwanee but also expressed a range of opinions regarding topics from Economic Development to Youth.  We have reviewed the roundtable notes and copied out the specific ideas that have been generated during the discussions.  We have combined these ideas with those that emerged from the Open House and other discussions during the 20/20 process. The results are summarized in the background materials for this final roundtable which includes a Suwanee 20/20 Draft Vision Statement and a Summary of Objectives & Ideas.

These files represent what has been discussed in all 25 roundtables. It is, therefore, crucially important and the responsibility of each roundtable to provide honest feedback on all of the objectives and ideas expressed throughout the process to date.

There are two parts to this roundtable discussion:

EXERCISE 1: 20/20 Draft Vision Statement
We have created a draft 20/20 Vision based upon the prevailing themes that have emerged from the roundtable discussions. In this exercise, we are asking that each group edit this vision statement as necessary. The goal is to develop a vision statement based on the consensus opinion of each roundtable.

EXERCISE 2: Summary of 20/20 Objectives & Strategies
Similar to the draft 20/20 vision statement, we have also created a summary of the objectives and ideas expressed throughout the 20/20 planning process. These objectives and strategies are organized in a number of categories including:

>     What Makes Us Interesting: Arts & Culture
>     What Provides Us Comfort: Public Safety
>     How We Make Decisions & Move Forward: Communications
>     How We Grow: Land Use
>     How We Prosper: Economic Development
>     How We Play: Parks & Open Space
>     How We’re Connected: Transportation

We are asking that every group review and edit the objectives listed in as many of the topic areas as possible beginning with the topics most important to each roundtable.  Do the objectives correspond with your roundtable’s values?  If not, how should they be changed? What objectives are missing? Are there strategies that are listed as examples that you believe should not be included in the plan? Finally, how should we prioritize the objectives?  The City and their partners will not be able to implement everything immediately so it is important to discuss which objectives truly should be a high priority implementation item within each topic area.

After we’ve had a chance to review the work of this last session of roundtable discussions, we will work with the City to organize additional public forums to review and discuss a working draft of the Suwanee 20/20 Vision.  We’re nearing the end of the process. Please stay involved and help us finish this important work!

Background materials provided:
Draft 20/20 Vision Statement
Summary of Objectives and Ideas to date
Sample instructions for commenting on objectives

To supplement the roundtable discussions, we are holding a series of focus groups on specific topics that have been raised throughout the Suwanee2020 process. These focus groups, facilitated by Interface Studio, are intended to talk with those in the community that have particular knowledge and experience with different aspects of Suwanee. They are small meetings designed to help us learn about the challenges and opportunities in Suwanee. The focus group meetings are taking place the week of October 24th and include:

· Seniors, Tuesday at 2:00pm

· Arts & Culture, Tuesday at 6:45pm

· Young Professionals, Tuesday at 7:00pm

· Small Business, Wednesday at 8:30am

· Large Employers, Wednesday at 10:00am

· Asian Families, Wednesday at 4:00pm

· Youth, Wednesday at 6:30pm

Except for the youth focus group, there are slots open for all of the others. If you have a particular knowledge and interest in any of the discussions, please email Jessica Roth (JRoth@suwanee.com) to RSVP.

The first two roundtable sessions are providing a lot of valuable insight into Suwanee’s present and potential future. The third session, starting soon, is intended to provide the opportunity to talk about topics that haven’t been discussed in detail but have been raised in previous roundtables.

Each roundtable will be asked to choose any three of the following six topics for discussion. We have provided background material for each topic to help guide the discussion. If you are not participating in the roundtables, we encourage you to download the background materials and leave your comments at the bottom of this post.

Parks and Recreation:
> Striking a balance between development and open space emerged as a frequent topic in the roundtable sessions to date. The City has an established approach to Parks and Recreation, which is provided. Are the City’s priorities with regard to parks and recreation consistent with the values of this roundtable? Are there other ways in which we can become a greener, more environmentally sustainable City? If so, what role should the City play in this regard?

Background materials provided:
A description of the City’s current approach to Parks and Recreation.

Community Aesthetics:
> Many roundtables discussed the need to address community aesthetics and safety along major roads, in particular Suwanee Gateway. The City has a plan for Suwanee Gateway developed a few years ago and it is also addressed in the Comprehensive Plan. Does this plan reflect your hopes for the Gateway? Given that the economy has changed significantly, what should be the priorities for improving the Gateway today?

Background materials provided:
A description of the City’s current approach to community aesthetics.
I-85 Competitive Assessment and Development Strategy Report
Suwanee Gateway Character Area

Arts & Culture:
> The City has placed an emphasis on staging events, festivals and, recently, public art to build community in Suwanee. Are you happy with the City’s current approach to arts and culture? How should the City expand or limit these activities in the future?

Background materials provided:
A description of the City’s current approach to arts and culture.
2012 SculpTour Sponsor Brochure

Public Safety:
> Suwanee’s approach to policing is something many have expressed support of in prior 2020 Vision events. Is the City’s current approach to Police services in line with your aspirations of how public safety should be addressed in Suwanee?

Background materials provided:
A description of the City’s current approach to public safety.

Communications:
> Some residents have demonstrated an acute awareness of prior planning in Suwanee and of the activities of City government. Other residents are not as plugged in to City activities nor the recent history of governance, planning and development. Overall, is the City’s current approach to communication effective? How can we improve communication between the City and Suwanee’s residents and businesses? How can we foster better connections with residents, schools, civic organizations, homeowner associations, etc?

Background materials provided:
A description of the City’s current approach to communications and outreach.

Public Works:
> The City has an established approach to Public Works. Is the City’s current approach to Public Works consistent with the values of this roundtable? What changes would you like to see considered with regards to these services moving forward?

Background materials provided:
A description of the City’s current approach to public works.

Many thanks to all of those that have volunteered their time and effort to participate in the roundtable discussions! In this second session of roundtables, it’s time to start discussing some of the issues you have raised in both the Open House and the Session 1 Roundtables.

There are three main topics for discussion in this 2nd session of roundtables: Economic Development; Youth and; Transportation. We have provided background material for each topic to help guide the discussion. If you are not participating in the roundtables, we encourage you to download the background materials and leave your comments at the bottom of this post.

Economic Development:
The open house revealed that economic development is something many residents value highly in Suwanee. The City’s current approach to economic development is summarized and provided in this session’s background materials. Are the City’s priorities with regard to economic development activities consistent with the values of this roundtable? To help answer this question, please discuss the following: What does economic development mean to you? How can Suwanee better compete with nearby towns and cities for jobs? How can we better support local businesses?

To download the background materials on economic development, please click on the following links:

Suwanee’s Current Approach to Economic Development >
Summary of Economic Development Results from Town Center Open House >

Youth:
Activities for youth are currently spearheaded by local schools and a number of non-profit and civic organizations. Are there enough activities for youth in Suwanee? How can we better engage our youth and welcome them into local civic life? What should be the role of the City in providing activities / programming for local youth?

To download the background materials on youth activities, please click on the following link:

Summary of Youth Activities Results from Round Tables >

Transportation:
Transportation and traffic were frequently cited as an issue to be discussed in these roundtable sessions. The City has a previously completed plan for transportation and an approach toward transportation enhancements in place (provided in this session’s background materials). Is the City’s current approach toward transportation consistent with the values of this roundtable? What additional measures, not included in the City’s current approach, should be taken to improve local transportation?

To download the background materials on Transportation, please click on the following links:

Current Approach to Transportation >
Summary of Transportation Results from Round Tables >

We’ll post here the agenda for each roundtable session. September’s roundtable discussions included two exercises:

Exercise 1:
As this is a neighbor to neighbor discussion, let’s start talking with that goal in mind. Please pair up in groups of two. If there is an odd number of participants please create one group of three.

Next, please prepare to introduce one another by asking the following questions: 1. What is your name? 2. Where do you live? 3. How long have you lived in Suwanee? 4. What do you like best about your neighborhood? 5. Why have you agreed to participate in the roundtable discussions?

No one should be introducing themselves. This is an exercise to encourage active listening.

Exercise 2:
The remainder of the session is focused on discussing the following questions:
> What are Suwanee’s unique strengths to build upon for the future?
> What are the challenges that you believe Suwanee faces over the coming decade?
> The open house identified a number of issues from economic development to transportation and youth programs / activities. What are some of the key aspects of Suwanee that you feel should be discussed in detail in future roundtable sessions?

Once all the roundtables are complete, we’ll review the notes and pull together a draft vision that reflects your ideas. Not a part of the roundtable discussions? Not to worry as there’s still plenty of opportunities to share your ideas on the Vision 2020 website – www.suwanee2020.com. Stay tuned for more on the roundtable topics and discussions!

Here’s a short video featuring Mayor Dave and Scott Page of Interface Studio to tell you all about why they’re a critical part of the strategic planning process and integral to creating a shared vision for the future of Suwanee.

Suwanee’s 20/20 Vision strategic planning process has shifted gears. Some 435 people offered their input and ideas at the open house over a five-week period throughout July. Now, just under 300 people are ready to begin a series of facilitated roundtable discussions through which, it is hoped, information gleaned from the open house can be fleshed out and ideas explored more thoroughly as the community works to create a vision for the Suwanee of 2020.

The first roundtable will meet on September 6th, with 25 different roundtable groups meeting for the first time over the following two weeks in mid-September. If you signed up to participate in a roundtable, you have been mailed a confirmations with details on the time, date, and location of your first session. If you haven’t received this, please contact Jessica Roth at 770.945.8996 or jroth@suwanee.com

Each group includes 8-12 people and will meet once a month in September, October, November, and December. Groups are meeting in homes, restaurants, and community locations, meeting 7 days a week, with some beginning in early morning and going throughout the day into late evening. Each session will last approximately 1.5-2 hours. All of the groups will discuss the same topics and are facilitated by a community member.

Registration for the roundtables is now closed. Please use this website to share your ideas and to check in on the progress of the roundtables.

Have you checked out the looping video installation in the Suwanee 2020 Open House storefront at night? You can also view the animation below—feel free to share with your friends and neighbors!