The planning for Meriam Park has involved a series of public charrettes, or workshops, over a 2-3 year period. A charrette is a collaborative design workshop with public input cycles over multiple, consecutive days. Through this process, everyone becomes aware of the complexities of design and development issues, and works together to arrive at the best possible solution.
There have been 4 charrettes during the planning process for Meriam Park, beginning with a 7-day workshop in December 2003 in Downtown Chico attended by over 300 local citizens. Other charrettes have been smaller and have focused on discrete elements of the plan such as the Meriam Commercial Center, Little Chico Creek Greenway, and a plans for a church in Meriam Center.
In addition, there have been numerous meetings with nearby neighbors and interested citizens to discuss the plan and answer questions about Meriam Park. Beginning in 2006, we began to make formal presentations of the plan to civic and service groups in the community.
The release of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIR) begins another phase of public discussion about Meriam Park. Over the next several months, there will be public workshops and hearings at City Hall to evaluate the project's merits. Over the next several months we invite questions and comments through this website, and are prepared to visit with nearby neighbors and community groups to present and discuss the plan in greater detail. |
