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Holly Madill from the National Charrette Institute presented the group’s proposal to the Houghton Planning Commission Tuesday night. The organization was started in Portland, Oregon before relocating to Michigan State University in the past decade. It helps facilitate a process that allows for cities to make decisions utilizing input from the community as a whole. There is also a pre-Charrette process, which is what Houghton is thinking about using for the parking deck. The price quoted is $7,000.
Madill explained how a charrette works. Three groups of people help to co-design solutions, including stakeholders, decision makers, and experts. Those proposals are then honed into their final form with help from residents.
Members Michelle Jarvie-Eggart and Dan Liebau both expressed hope that Houghton could utilize the charrette process in the future, by teaching city staff to help facilitate it when other chances present themselves.
The Planning Commission did a site review for the proposed expansion at Sleeman’s Greenhouse on Memorial Drive. Plans were accepted although members said that they hoped for more landscaping near the entrance to the facility.
