Seeking public feedback: Locals urged to help plan Panama City Marina reconstruction
PANAMA CITY − City Manager Mark McQueen says it's vital for residents' voices to be heard, especially when it comes to the future of key public amenities.
According to McQueen, there is an ongoing comment period for residents to give feedback on how they would like to see the city redevelop the Panama City Marina, which was heavily damaged by Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm that devastated the area in October 2018.
Here's what we know about the project.
What is the goal of the comment period?
McQueen said the city has strived to keep residents involved in restoration projects since Hurricane Michael. This is just another example of that.
Though the city has proposed a handful of ideas for what the marina's redevelopment might look like, including restoring it to its original state, McQueen said there were no "distinguished plans" as of Friday, meaning public input will play a crucial role in the project's next steps.
"What we wanted to do was provide multiple options just to help stimulate ideas and input from our citizens," he said. "There is nothing that has been determined or decided as far as the final configuration of what the Panama City Marina would look like."
That said, he added the city is committed to maintaining the marina's boat ramp and making the marina accessible to all residents.
The goal of the comment period is for residents to give feedback on just the Panama City Marina, and not the Downtown Marina Civic Center. A separate workshop will be held in the near future to discuss the civic center's future.
How can residents give feedback?
Those interested in participating in the comment period can submit feedback a couple of ways. Public input forms are available on the city's website. Go to panamacity.gov and see the section under City News. Also, proposed concepts with comment cards are available at City Hall.
"We've really worked very, very hard to have a citizen-driven process," McQueen said. "We're going to recover from Hurricane Michael ... and as we (do), we're building the city for the future. This is an opportunity for all of our citizens to weigh in and help mold and shape what they would like to see in the city as we continue to rebuild."
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How long will the comment period last?
The city says residents can give feedback on the Panama City Marina until a public workshop on Aug. 3 to discuss the project. The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the Bay County Government Center, 840 W. 11th St. in Panama City.
"All of this is working toward (our) public workshop," McQueen said. "The objective is to be able to go in and (discuss) what we've heard from our citizens. ... It (will make) that workshop more productive, as opposed to a cold start."
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City opens public comment period for Panama City Marina
