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Aerial View of a Houses
About the Project

The Town of Highland, Indiana, is developing a new Comprehensive Plan that includes consideration of its social, cultural and natural resources.

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The Arsh Group has been selected to develop a plan based on requirements of the Indiana Code Comprehensive Plan Guidelines and other relevant planning and zoning provisions for the Town of Highland, IN. The plan documents will contain vision, goals and objectives, and implementation process. The plan is expected to serve as a tool that will guide future growth and sustainability of Highland.

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Strategies will be developed to address appropriate land uses along major corridors that will strengthen Highland as a great place to live, raise a family, work, and recreate. A review of the zoning code will be made to determine what modifications are needed to support the community’s vision for the future.

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During the planning process, we will prepare future land-use maps, special area plans and models of
potential development scenarios with recommendations to guide the Town and property owners towards
achieving the community’s vision, and help facilitate future changes based on, anticipated market demand.
We will identify infrastructure enhancements and landscape / streetscape improvements that will help
facilitate and improve traffic flow, bikes, and pedestrian access along major corridors. Guided by Town
leadership, we will identify implementation strategies, new policies, regulations, and incentives to support
this future vision.

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Key issues, topics, and goals to be incorporated into this new comprehensive plan include:

ï‚­ Leveraging Town resources and investments
ï‚­ Reviewing the Mixed-Use Development Zoning
ï‚­ Corridor Redevelopment
ï‚­ Quality of Life
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Networking Event
Community Engagement

Our planning process will offer a variety of options for interactive community engagement. At its core, the planning process is about developing the best solutions for Highland by working collaboratively with stakeholders and residents to guide local decision making.

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Our engagement program, in coordination with the Town, will ensure there is a balanced representation from all key constituencies. The anticipated public participation outreach includes:

 

  • Comprehensive Plan Working Group: This Committee will serve as an early responder and reviewer of the Plan and provides advice as required. Four meetings are anticipated with this committee.

  • Project Website: A simple-to-use project website will be created at the onset of the project that will be the primary resource for promoting the Plan, educating the public about the process and soliciting input on critical issues. The site will link to the Town website and the content will be updated throughout the planning process. Links to the existing Town’s website and social media outlets will also be available.

  • Online Community Survey: The Arsh Group will prepare a web-based community survey questionnaire to receive resident input. Through this process we will identify and confirm issues, opportunities and the vision for the life of the community. The Arsh Group will discuss the extent of distribution of the questionnaire with the Town to ensure maximum participation by residents.

  • Media Relations: As part of the startup meeting, the Arsh Group will discuss with the Town establishment of an effective community outreach program. Elements of this outreach include use of the Town’s web site and other social media outlets, to disseminate information and receive input from general public.

  • Community Meetings: We propose to have three community meetings. For the initial meeting we will provide general background information and get input about issues of interest. The second meeting will be in the form of a workshop where we ask residents to define the vision and establish planning goals for Highland. We will present a draft plan for input in the third community meeting.

  • Town Council Presentation: We will make one presentation to the Town Council as required during the plan adoption process.

  • Plan Commission Meeting: We anticipate to brief the Plan Commission in three separate briefing meetings during the planning process and approval of the plan.

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Meet The Team

Based on previous experience developing comprehensive plans for communities throughout the region, the Arsh Group will coordinate with leadership to shape a planning process to entail regular working meetings with Highland leadership, staff, and involvement of stakeholders throughout the process.

The Arsh Group Inc. a Merrillville based planning firm with more than
twenty-five years of experience providing planning service throughout the region and with several projects completed in the Town of Highland. 

 

Nies Engineering will be providing services for infrastructure and community facilities assessment. The firm has been providing such services for the Town for several years.

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The 1861 Group is a Chicago based economic development and market analysis firm with substantial knowledge of Northwest Indiana market and expertise in commercial and housing market analysis. 

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Fluid Communications, a Merrillville based public relations and community engagement firm. The firm will provide and coordinate all of the public engagement activities, utilizing state of art technology for a complete community engagement.


The Arsh Group team will bring our unique qualifications and talents to facilitating a community planning process and preparing a new Comprehensive Plan for the Town of Highland, that will include establishing a robust Downtown district, encouraging vital corridors, and promoting development in opportune areas.

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