A series of four one-hour listening sessions were held in Magnolia May 9 to gather information on what residents feel needs to be addressed in the comprehensive plan update the city is working on.

A total of about 50 participants were broken up into four different groups: civic leaders, neighborhood advocates, business owners and realtors. Also participating in the sessions were city officials and two representatives from Kendig Keast Collaborative, the consulting firm the city hired to help devise the plan. The firm's president, Brett Keast, was there, as well as associate planner, Liz Probst.

"I think there was a really great turnout with representation from a lot of the community members," Probst said. "We're going to follow up with additional research, but this starts us in the right direction."

Common themes across the sessions included a strong focus on mobility and infrastructure, according to Magnolia's economic development coordinator Deborah Rose Miller.

"Everybody wants to make sure Magnolia doesn't look like FM 1960," she said. "Folks want to make sure that, in the process of growing, we don't lose the charm of Magnolia."

Other concerns included establishing an identity for the part of Magnolia within the city limits and coming up with ways to better define that area, Miller said.

Following the sessions, the steering committee—a group of 13 representatives from the Magnolia community—held its first meeting to do some initial brainstorming into various goals and obstacles.

"For the first meeting, it went really well," Miller said. "All but one member was able to make it, and there was great synergy and great information."

A full report is due back from Kendig Keast on their takeaways from the sessions June 7. The next steering committee meeting is July 16. Members will begin discussing the first section of the plan, which covers land use and character. While steering committee meetings are closed off to the public, the city is planning an open house for public review of the plan for February, 2013.