For the first time since the 1980’s, the Salt Lake City Planning Division is renewing its effort to create a master plan for the city’s future development. The public comment period for Plan Salt Lake began last fall and today the official kick-off of the campaign took place at Salt Lake City and County Building. Planning Division Director Wilf Sommerkorn says businesses and residents are an important part of this over-arching program. He says he’s found in his 32 years in city planning, people generally don’t engage in the process until after important decisions are made.
"Then all of a sudden people are like, whoa, wait a minute, now I’m really interested. "And so, Sommerkorn says, "that’s always been the challenge for planners is: ‘how do you get people engaged and involved early on in the process?’"
Sommerkorn says that’s the problem Plan Salt Lake is trying to solve. He says the Sugarhouse Streetcar controversy is a good example of the public remaining generally unconcerned until it affects them personally. Sommerkorn encourages business owners and residents to offer feedback on-line at PlanSaltLake.com or at the various festivals and events in the city through the year.