[Imc-radio] Fwd: Ward 4 News: New Park, Envisioning Urbana, Public Access TV

[Clint Popetz]

There are some great news oppurtunities here, if anyone is interested
in covering them.

				-Clint

----- Forwarded message from Danielle Chynoweth <chyn at ojctech.com> -----

Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2003 13:05:43 -0500 (CDT)
From: Danielle Chynoweth <chyn at ojctech.com>
Subject: Ward 4 News: New Park, Envisioning Urbana, Public Access TV
To: danielle at ojctech.com

- this is a monthly or so newsletter on Urbana issues. If you no longer
wish to receive these, simply e-mail me and I will remove you from the 
list -

Ward Four News
July 2003

In this issue:
1) New Urbana Park on the Way: Tour the Big Grove Site - 
   Wed. July 9 6 PM
2) Help Shape the Future of Urbana: Participate in Urbana's Comprehensive 
   Plan Update
3) What do you want on YOUR TV Station? Public Access Forum - 
   Wed. July 9 4:30 PM


NEW URBANA PARK ON THE WAY
Park District offers tours of new land for conservation and recreation
Guided tour, Wednesday July 9 at 6 PM.

The 60-acre tract of land in east Urbana recently acquired by the Urbana
Park District (UPD) is a hidden jewel of local natural history.  Located
between East Main Street and Prairie Elementary School, the site is
currently a mixture of trees, corn and soybeans.  While it may not look
like much to the casual observer, the site contains one of the largest
remnants of the "Big Grove," the woods that bordered the Grand Prairie and
covered most of East Central Illinois prior to White settlement.  While
plans for site development are still being formed, the UPD has identified
the Big Grove remnant and other native vegetation for protection.
Residents are invited to a guided tour of the site on July 9 at 6 pm to
learn more about the Park District's plans and envision the site's future.

Purchased with assistance from a grant from the Illinois Department of
Natural Resources, the land features native Red Oak, Chinaquapin Oak, Pin
Oak, Hackberry, Hawthorn, Paw Paw, Dogwood, and Elderberry.  Some of the
oaks in the Big Grove remnant are "witness trees" that existed prior to
White settlement and are as much as 200 years old.  This wooded area and
an intact hedgerow are in line for protection from development or
degradation, and trails and viewing areas are planned for public education
about the natural and cultural significance of the site.

While plans for the park's development are ongoing, the Urbana Park
District will offer a tour to residents who are interested in learning
more about and envisioning the future for this hidden jewel. On Wednesday,
July 9 at 6 p.m., Tim Bartlett, the Urbana Park District's park planner,
will further explain the district's plans. Please RSVP to 344-9583 ASAP!
Please park in the Prairie School parking lot and meet at the new
playground equipment on the north side of the school.  Prairie School is
located at 2102 E. Washington.


HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE: participate in Urbana's Comprehensive Plan

Since 2000, planners and community members have been hard at work updating
Urbana's 20-year old comprehensive plan, a blueprint for the development
of the city.  Believing that people should have a say in determining the
future of their community, the city designed a process for integrating
public participation into the comprehensive planning process that won a
2003 Honorable Mention award from the Illinois Chapter of the American
Planning Association.  Beginning in the Fall, a new round of opportunities
for citizen involvement in the ongoing project of updating Urbana's
20-year old comprehensive plan will begin.  The comprehensive plan is a
community vision document, a roadmap that helps the community know where
it's been, decide where it wants to go in the future, and figure out how
to get there.  Public participation is essential to guarantee that our
city's growth and development reflects our desires, needs and interests

Last updated completely in 1982, the Urbana Comprehensive Plan articulates
the overall policy vision that is implemented by legislative tools like
the zoning ordinance, capital improvements plan, and subdivision and
development ordinance.  Since the last comprehensive update, the Plan has
been supplemented by various neighborhood plans and other documents.  The
current Comprehensive Plan Update effort will pull together all of
Urbana's plans into one document, provide an updated vision, new policy
statements, and new maps depicting future land uses, development concepts
for subareas, roadway designations, and locations for future community
services, such as park and recreation resources.

Because Urbana is, after all, your city, public participation continues to
be the most critical component of the Plan and allows you to weigh in on
such topics as land use, transportation, economic development,
environment, community services, social services, utilities, urban design,
and historic preservation.  Without the meaningful participation of all
stakeholders, the plan will ultimately fail to create the community in
which we want to live.  Urbana's award-winning public participation
process has included an appointed steering committee with private sector
and citizen representation;  workshops in six different neighborhoods;
surveys and youth input sessions; and focus groups on specific areas such
as transportation that included broad governmental, social service,
non-profit, and community participation.  Results from the first phase of
public participation in the comprehensive plan is available on the city of
Urbana's website (www.city.urbana.il.us) under "community development:
planning:  comprehensive plan."

Additional neighborhood workshops will be offered in the Fall after the
city has developed a draft land use plan map and policies.  A complete
draft plan will be prepared using input from these workshops, and the
community will be able to comment on the draft in a series of formal
hearings.  For updates on the planning process, check the city's website
(www.city.urbana.il.us), watch for announcements on UPTV (Channel 6), and
check for postcards in the mail and articles in the news media.  Also,
make sure to get your neighbors involved by spreading the word and
bringing a friend along to your next neighborhood workshop!


WHAT DO YOU WANT ON YOUR TV STATION?
Public Access Forum July 9

Did you know that the people of Champaign-Urbana have our OWN television
stations?  Paid for in part by taxes on your cable bill (about $0.50-$1.50
per person per year), the four P-E-G (Public, Education, Government)
stations are publicly owned and operated and ultimately accountable to
you.  On July 9 at 4:30 pm, the Telecommunications Commission will host a
forum to get your input on how you want "public access" to operate on your
stations.

You may have watched a City Council or School Board meeting on channel 5
(City of Champaign) or channel 6 (Urbana Public TV), tuned into a foreign
language news cast through SCOLA on channel 7 (U of I), or an educational
seminar on channel 9 (Parkland).  But did you know that these channels are
"public access," meaning that you can have input on the programming?
Depending on the channel, you can make your own programs with equipment at
the station or your own equipment, submit pre-produced programming, or
make requests, as audience members, about what programming you would like
to see.

The July 9th Public Access forum is sponsored by the C-U
Telecommunications Commission, an appointed body made up of City Council
and community members.  The Commission, in a large part, determines the
funding and direction of PEG Channels.  The Commission needs to hear from
you, as audience members, distributors, and producers of Public Access
programming.  Please join us on July 9th at 4:30 pm in the Champaign City
Council Chambers (NE corner of University and Neil) as we discuss the
present and future of Public Access T.V.

For a complete list of commission members, go to:
http://www.city.champaign.il.us/government/gvbc.html. For more
information, or to receive e-mail updates on public access in C-U, e-mail:
Danielle Chynoweth, C-U Telecommunications Commissioner and Urbana City
Council Member at danielle at ojctech.com or 344-0183.



-- 
| Danielle Chynoweth
|
| Art Director * OJC Technologies * ojctech.com
| City Council Member * Urbana City Council * city.urbana.il.us



----- End forwarded message -----

-- 
Clint Popetz                   Home:  217-398-3831
  Urbana-Champaign             IMC:   217-344-8820
    Independent Media Center   Email: clint at ucimc.org
      Radio News Coordinator   USPS:  502 W. Washington Champaign, IL 61820