Survey Helps Plot Downtown Cartersville's Future

Cartersville's Downtown Development Authority wants to know how you would plan the Downtown Business District, and they've posted a survey online to help you share your ideas.

Downtown Development Authority Manager Tara Currier said the board of directors will work with the city planner to analyze the information and determine strengths and weaknesses of downtown. They'll write a master plan for the Downtown Business District, outlining items to be addressed in the immediate and distant future. That master plan will be presented to Cartersville City Council for approval.

You can complete the survey online, or download the PDF from the city's website. The DDA asks that all surveys be completed by April 30.

"We hope to learn what the community feels about downtown – both the strengths and the weaknesses. In conjunction with having a written Master Plan, DDA board will also incorporate items into our yearly Work Plan," she said.

The survey will be used to compile a comprehensive downtown plan with short-term goals, and other, possibly more costly remedies or additions, necessarily becoming long-term goals. The surveys are part of the second phase in creating a Downtown Master Plan; the first was doing an inventory of all the businesses and residences in the downtown business district.

The survey will be used to compile a comprehensive downtown plan with short-term goals, and other, possibly more costly remedies or additions, necessarily becoming long-term goals. The surveys are part of the second phase in creating a Downtown Master Plan; the first was doing an inventory of all the businesses and residences in the downtown business district.

Currier said the Downtown Development Authority will work closely with Cartersville's city planner, Richard Osborne, for the open meetings. These will take place after they've had time to review the surveys and establish follow up questions. Those meeting will be highly interactive in a mostly Q&A format, with staff asking questions.

Currier hopes many people take time to complete the short survey.

"I often hear in passing that downtown is great because of “X” or that downtown would be a bigger draw if it had 'Z'. This survey will allow the community, downtown business and property owners, and city and county leaders to tell us exactly what they like or think is missing in downtown and help the DDA and City of Cartersville establish some proactive goals to meet the needs that are outlined," she said. "We greatly appreciate any and all feedback and hope to get a great response on the survey and participation at our open meetings."

Two public meetings will take place in May to discuss the survey results and the Downtown Master Plan:

• Wednesday, May 8, at 8:30 a.m,
• Thursday, May 9, at 6 p.m.

The meetings will be held in Council Chambers, located on the third floor of City Hall.