A 'massively interactive' plan: Ravenna to start comprehensive plan

Diane Smith, Record-Courier
Updated ·2 min read
Ravenna City Council recently voted to start its comprehensive planning process to guide future decisions. Pictured is the Historic Phoenix Block on East Main Street in Ravenna.
Ravenna City Council recently voted to start its comprehensive planning process to guide future decisions. Pictured is the Historic Phoenix Block on East Main Street in Ravenna.

Ravenna City Council recently voted to start its comprehensive planning process to guide future decisions.

Here are a few things to know about it.

Who's doing the plan

Ravenna is contracting with the Portage County Regional Planning Commission, which is being paid $50,000 for the work. The process is expected to take about a year.

Todd Peetz, executive director of the commission, plans to gather significant input from the community, with many public meetings and a steering committee of about a dozen city staff members and representatives of non-profits and civic organizations.

A 'massively interactive' plan

Peetz said he envisions the document will be interactive. For instance, people might be able to view the city's business demographics, while Economic Development Director Dennis West explains on video why Ravenna is a good place to do business.

People will be able to track the plan's progress online, just as they can view the progress of the land use plan underway in Shalersville.

Your Toy Connection is among the small businesses on West Main Street in Ravenna. The city is launching a comprehensive plan that it hopes can serve as a marketing tool.
Your Toy Connection is among the small businesses on West Main Street in Ravenna. The city is launching a comprehensive plan that it hopes can serve as a marketing tool.

How does this differ from past plans?

The city has worked with Peetz on previous plans, including an asset mapping of the city. But Peetz promised that this plan will be different because it will be built on community input, and will be similar to the county comprehensive plan that was recently unveiled. Ravenna's plan, he said, will not "sit on a shelf" and be ignored.

"Now it's off the shelf," he said.

The plan, he suggested, could be used as a tool to market the city.

Residential homes in Ravenna on July 5.
Residential homes in Ravenna on July 5.

'A long time coming'

Councilwoman Cheryl Wood said she was pleased to see the city starting the comprehensive planning process.

"This is a long time coming," she said. "I'm really excited that we're getting started on the city's comprehensive plan."

Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at 330-298-1139 or dsmith@recordpub.com.

More: First countywide comprehensive plan unveiled in Portage County

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: A 'massively interactive' plan: Ravenna to start comprehensive plan