Over the next few months City of Oak Ridge North government officials are working to put into action a comprehensive plan they hope will improve the 33 year-old community.

Described as a "blueprint" for the future of the city, the comprehensive plan will help identify Oak Ridge North's goals and its vision for how it handles growth and development, and how these issues will affect residents in the future.

The city has hired a team of consultants from Halff Associates, Inc. and The Retail Coach to develop the plan and to work alongside city staff and residents. The consultants are charged with creating a plan that consists of using public spaces, a freeway commercial strategy and economic development efforts.

Economic Development Coordinator Susan Cates said the city budgeted $124,500 for the work done by the consultants, as well as for the plan itself.

Cates said the city's plan is to know what goals residents have for the city and to be able to accomplish those goals in a financially feasible way.

"Our ultimate goal is to have a framework of what goals we know residents are supportive of," Cates said. "We don't want to make changes and spend money if that's not what our residents want. We just want to know how our city staff can operate within this framework to meet the needs of our citizens."

Cates is part of the Comprehensive Plan Action Committee, or CPAC, formed to guide the consultants, Oak Ridge North staff, and the planning process by serving as a sounding board for issues and recommendations.

The CPAC is comprised of 12 members from the City Council, city staff, EDC, zoning commission and the Long Range Planning Committee. The CPAC will hold various open meetings to provide information and to allow the residents to address the committee. The next meeting will be Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m. at Oak Ridge North City Hall.

A survey was sent out Aug. 30 to residents and covered a range of topics up for discussion and potential changes, including housing issues, satisfaction with current conditions, use of city facilities and future transportation needs and issues.

City Manager Vicky Rudy said Robinson Road is always a "hot spot" as far as traffic concerns and future planning, but the city has many other considerations as well.

"[Robinson Road] will always have an impact on residents and businesses, but we're also concerned about our economic development and stability, our infrastructure—as there are some things we need to rehab—beautification, maintenance of aging housing and potentially modernizing or redeveloping some of those homes that are deteriorating," Rudy said.

Cates said only 12 percent of the hundreds of surveys sent out to city residents were returned, so the city extended the survey's due date later into October, hoping for more feedback.

The survey has also been made available online at www.oakridgenorth.com.

The city also included a survey for children that largely concerned their use of and feelings toward the city's many parks.

"That's who we're really planning for, after all," Rudy said. "We want to know what would make them want to stay here and live in this city eventually, too."