 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
ONALASKA COMMUNITY VISION AND GOALS
Community Vision Statement
The City of Onalaska is a growing, family-oriented community; amidst spectacular natural resources including the coulees, bluffs, Black River and Lake Onalaska; with a strong economy and good jobs; tremendous parks and recreation facilities; and an outstanding educational system. Our greatest assets are our residents – the people who live, work, play and contribute to aspects of our community. Over the next 20 years, we will continue to value our residents and protect and make publicly accessible our natural resources while fostering high quality, architecturally interesting development and redevelopment that fits our unique character, expanding our transportation system, and providing good housing choices.
City of Onalaska Goals
These goals were developed with consideration of existing plan goals and objectives, and through considerable input from the public from the Visioning Forum, Community Survey and Stakeholder Interviews. These goals are intended to be the overall community goals.
Onalaska will:
• Foster high quality development and redevelopment that strengthens our economy, respects the environment, is architecturally interesting, and provides a range of housing choices for our existing and new residents.
• Balance growth and development with natural resource protection and public accessibility, particularly on and along the bluffs and waterfront.
• Connect downtown to the Black River and Lake Onalaska by creating an environmentally sensitive, pedestrian friendly and aesthetically pleasing waterfront that is the defining feature and community gathering point for downtown Onalaska.
• Preserve the bluffs, and use the bluffs for recreational activities in environmentally sensitive ways.
• Improve and preserve the outstanding views of the river, lake and bluffs to the west of the City.
• Improve and enhance public access, use and enjoyment of the public waterways, especially the downtown riverfront area.
• Inform and encourage involvement of citizens in all community affairs.
• Promote Onalaska as one of the premier places to live, work and spend leisure time.
• Expand our transportation system to meet the needs of all residents, including improving cost effective transit options for people who do not drive.
• Establish safe pedestrian and bicycle circulation routes throughout the City and connect the routes with the regional systems.
• Improve the overall safety and efficiency of our transportation system; in particular, correct dangerous and confusing intersections and roadways.
• Conserve and enhance the unique historic areas and sites.
• Maintain and continue the development of a strong, diversified, and balanced economic base.
• Continue to redevelop and revitalize Onalaska’s downtown district.
• Expand our parks and recreational facilities to include a new swimming pool, riverfront activities, trails, and more.
• Maintain an outstanding mix of housing opportunities within close proximity to schools, parks, shopping and neighborhood services for people of all income levels and ages.
• Continue to work cooperatively with neighboring jurisdictions on regional issues, particularly planning and growth management, to reduce costs of services and strengthen regional relationships.
• Ensure that our educational system remains high quality.
• Keep our community safe and crime free.
• Assure a long-term future in which the City is enhanced by natural resources neighboring jurisdictions.
• Encourage mixed uses and densities where practical to more efficiently utilize available land.
• Bolster the City’s economic base by proactively fostering public/private partnerships for community development.
• Develop mechanisms and financial tools for defraying the costs of infrastructure needs so that the City remains self-sufficient.
• Develop the City’s cultural attractions and appeal.