Optimistic that Farmington will continue to attract developers and investment, city officials toured several sites in Ohio last week in an effort to gain insight that can be used when making decisions about proposed future projects here.
The road trip, coordinated and partially funded by the city’s engineering consultants, OHM, included visits to communities near the Columbus area. Mixed-use buildings, an enclosed parking structure and a “pocket park” were among the stops during last Friday’s trek, described as a “retreat” by Farmington City Manager Vince Pastue.
It also included discussion on how other communities manage tax revenue, Pastue said, noting that in Ohio income tax plays a substantial role for cities rather than property tax — the major revenue source for Michigan municipalities.
“It was very, very informative, looking at some of the projects there and getting a sense of operational issues (for example),” Pastue said. “It does give you a different perspective when you see what’s out there, what’s worked, what (other officials) would have done differently.”
Along with Pastue, those attending the excursion were the entire city council, Assistant to the City Manager Annette Knowles, Economic and Community Development Director Kevin Christiansen.
Pastue said the retreat was the first of its kind for Farmington officials that he knows about.
According to Mayor Bill Galvin, the tour was “driven by the amount of redevelopment we have poised, to make sure we are educated and make the right decisions.”
The towns the group checked out were similar to Farmington,” he added.
“We don’t just want to fill vacancies (in Farmington). It goes beyond that — it’s about redevelopment (that follows an established vision),” Galvin explained.
Pastue agreed. “It’s important that we get it right. That’s the goal,” he said.
Council member JoAnne McShane also found the trip useful.
“These cities have transformed their downtowns with creative public and private development,” she said. “Our engagement provided us with visions of various opportunities that we feel may be possible to incorporate into our planning for a successful application for Farmington.”
