A Strategic Plan for Implementing Driving Miss Maggie

 

 

 

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Technical Assistance Provided By

 

 

A Strategic Plan for Implementing Driving Miss Maggie

 

 

Adopted August 2004

 

 

 

Board of Aldermen   • Jo Pinter, Mayor • Linda Taylor, Mayor Pro-tem • Phil Aldridge • Mark Demeola • Jim Higel

Planning Board   • Patricia Tilley, Chair • Joann Lyons • Richard Pierce • Torry Pinter • Jurgen Zerbock

Town Manager   • Scott Buffkin

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

 

 

List of Figures..................................................... 1

About This Plan.................................................... 2

Strategic Planning Process Steps and Results................ 2

The Next Step.................................................... 6

Reflective Thoughts............................................... 9

Appendix............................................................ 11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

List of Graphics

 

 

Figure 1.    Strategic Planning Process Steps

Figure 2.    A Shared Community Vision for Maggie Valley, NC

Figure 3.    Underlying Contradictions

Figure 4.    Strategic Directions

Figure 5.    Initiation of Systematic Actions by Fiscal Year (FY)

Figure 6.    Building a Sense of Community

Figure 7.    The Maggie Valley Participatory Planning Quilt

                 
The Maggie Valley strategic plan began as an idea discussed by a group of concerned individuals to address important community issues relating to the maintenance of sustainable growth and community character. It evolved to include development of a comprehensive plan and implementation actions. The purpose of this strategic plan is to document implementation actions relating to the comprehensive plan entitled Driving Miss Maggie. Specific plan sections include information about the plan, the strategic planning process steps and results, the next step, and reflective thoughts.

 

About This Plan

Whereas the comprehensive plan identifies what should be done over the next 5-10 (or more) years, this strategic plan focuses on how to make specific elements of the comprehensive plan happen. Like the comprehensive plan, this plan is a guide for decision-makers.

 

Strategic Planning Process Steps and Results

The strategic planning process was both participatory and bottom-up in design. It consisted of four workshops, and each workshop related to a specific planning process step: vision, underlying contradictions, strategic directions, and implementation (i.e., systematic actions with a schedule) (Figure 1).

 

Figure 1. Strategic Planning Process Steps

 

Step 1 – Visioning

 

Visioning is a technique whereby a community determines what it wants to become...in a broad context. Creating a community vision draws from where the community is now (existing conditions) and where it is going (trends). It is a resident-driven procedure that brings together people within the community who ideally reflect cross-sectional values.

 

Participants developed their vision in relation to a focus question…what can we do (as residents of Maggie Valley) to create/maintain an involved, caring, and healthy community over the next 5-10 years?

 

The resultant Maggie Valley vision consists of five component parts. In addition, each component has sub-components that relate to policy initiatives (Figure 2).

 

Step 2 – Underlying Contradictions

 

This was a difficult step for all of the participants because there is very little positive about contradictions. However, it provided an important reality check. Whereas the vision identifies where one wants to be (i.e., as a community), underlying contradictions identify the way things are…no excuses, no explanations, and no illusions. Underlying contradictions are the obstacles or blocks that can prevent or hinder community residents from realizing their shared vision.

 

Participants identified five underlying contradictions that might keep them from moving toward their shared vision: insufficient planning and resources, lack of trust, lack of focus, poor teamwork, and supply-demand-competing interests. Each underlying contradiction additionally has multiple sub-components that are roots to the contradiction. Figure 3 graphically portrays both the underlying contradictions and the sub-components that are part of each contradiction.

 

Step 3 – Strategic Directions

 

Strategic directions are analogous to goals. They generally are not specific or systematic actions (i.e., things one can do). Rather, they are directions for action. Strategic directions serve as a bridge and allow a community to move from ideas to action. Their effectiveness depends on how well they strategically position the community to become a positive agent of change. Like underlying contradictions, strategic directions typically have subcomponents.
Figure 2. A Shared Community Vision for Maggie Valley, NC

 

 

As Maggie Valley grows and changes over the coming years, the community must…

 

 

Provide for Housing Needs

• Expand multi-family housing (e.g., apartments and condominiums)          

• Increase affordable housing opportunities

 

Promote Economic Development                   

• Better support year-round business activities

• Capture a greater percentage of destination tourists…increase weekly tourist events

• Construct a grocery store with pharmacy

• Construct a new municipal office complex

• Construct a state-of-the-art fitness/recreation/swimming complex

• Develop limited commercial businesses on US 276…to include an outlet mall

• Either re-open or re-think Ghost Town

• Encourage more quiet activities at the festival grounds (e.g., music and art)

• Encourage establishment of quaint shops and an upscale shopping district

• Explore feasibility of trolley transportation

• Open a 24-hour medical clinic

• Provide for demonstrations of mountain crafts

• Seek business development that will increase the tax base

 

Save Our Resources

• Control the cutting of trees…conserve the mountain scenery

• Develop stronger environmental standards

• Prepare regional plan for green space and recreational development

• Protect watersheds and ridge tops     

 

Protect and Improve Community Appearance

• Actively work with DOT to create a long-range master plan for highway improvements

• Expand greenways (to include into community/neighborhood areas)

• Improve signage…make signs smaller and aesthetically more pleasing

• Make arterial highways both functional and attractive (trees, landscaping, boulevards, benches, gazebos, and parking)          

• Provide art and sculpture works to foster community identity and uniqueness

• Review town policies on maintenance of streets and bridges

• Strive for aesthetic excellence

 

Foster Communication and Working Together

• Create community/neighborhood associations to plan for common areas and needs

• Develop greater trust between residents and government

• Document our past…preserve our cultural heritage

• Emphasize the need for action

• Improve library and media facility

• Inspire community pride

 

 

Figure 3. Underlying Contradictions

 

Participants identified two strategic directions: growing together and working together. Growing together addresses three underlying contradictions: lack of trust, lack of focus, and supply-demand-competing interests. Working together also addresses three underlying contradictions: insufficient planning and resources, poor teamwork, and supply-demand-competing interests. The Maggie Valley strategic directions additionally include four community objectives: promoting responsible development, becoming a leader, communication-cooperation-compromise, and planning for the future (Figure 4).

 

Step 4 – Implementation

 

Implementation involves action…making good ideas happen. Action additionally requires commitment…moving beyond identifying good ideas that could be done to good ideas that will be done. The purpose of this step is to identify specific, systematic actions that participants will commit to doing over the next several fiscal years.

 

Participants reviewed their shared vision, underlying contradictions, and strategic directions and then identified 19 systematic actions (i.e., events, projects, and programs) that will – in a figurative sense – place wheels under the framework of strategic directions and help to realize the shared vision (Figure 5). Several of the systematic actions will extend beyond the initial 12-month planning period. Also, several systematic actions have sequential linkages to each other (Figure 5).

 

In addition to identifying what needs to be done, participants also identified how to make their desired accomplishments happen. They prepared worksheets for each systematic action. The worksheets describe – in detail – implementation steps, who needs to be involved, required resources, and an implementation schedule. The appendix contains copies of completed worksheets for each systematic action.

 

The Next Step

Creating a shared vision and working together to realize the vision is what community-based planning is all about. Maggie Valley residents can add events, projects, and programs to this strategic plan, as desired. They need only champion an idea, complete an implementation worksheet, obtain approval of the Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen, and make a personal commitment to work with others and try to make their great ideas happen. In this way residents can build – or grow – a sense of community one systematic action at a time (Figure 6).

 

In addition, it will be necessary to track progress over time. At 90-180-day intervals systematic action participants should meet to review what they said they would do, what they actually accomplished, how conditions changed during the interim time period, and celebrate accomplishments. This tracking procedure should continue until all systematic actions are either completed or deferred.

 

Figure 4. Strategic Directions

 

Promote Responsible Development • Assist with infrastructure costs for multi-family units that are in accordance with growth plans • Provide housing-related incentives for elderly and low income residents that will help them to stay in town • Provide incentives to developers who are willing to be flexible and accommodating • Seek affordable housing help from all levels of government and non-profit organizations • Work within realistic parameters

Become a Leader • Annex when it makes financial sense, to protect the environment, and to grow in accordance with a plan • Be sensitive to needs of both residents and businesses • Be understanding and supportive of elected officials when they have to make controversial decisions • Become the example (vs. the exception) • Develop a town web-site to improve communication and keep residents informed • Hire a planner with group facilitation and event planning skills

Growing Together

 

Communicate, Cooperate, and Compromise • Act on facts…not emotions • Adhere to long-term goals…keeping long-term goals separate from short-term politics • Cultivate trust by commitment to openness and action • Emphasize teamwork…working together is healthy for the community and will increase ownership in outcomes • Encourage residents to attend town meetings…even when agenda items are not controversial • Increased community involvement will often result in greater understanding • Involve everyone…both weak and strong (to include those with diverse – and contrary – views) • Keep personal agendas out of politics…focus on community vs. individual interests • Keep residents involved…appoint lots of committees in support of community needs

Plan for the Future • Adopt and/or revise plans and ordinances to guide growth and development • Always try to put planning into action • Appoint qualified individuals to the planning board • First create the plan…then adopt ordinances to help implement the plan • Include both short-term and long-term goals in the planning process • Keep planning away from the back burner… either move it forward, revise it, or start over…just do it! • Periodically review growth plans, and revise when necessary • Strive for goal-oriented planning with action time-lines for execution

Working Together

 

Figure 5. Initiation of Systematic Actions by Fiscal Year (FY)

 

FY 04-05

FY 05-06

FY 06-07

FY 07-08

 

1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q
• Planning intern • Town hall web site • Soco Road architectural design	• Grocery store and pharmacy • Televised meetings	• Greenway • Outlet mall	• Town planner • Community appearance committee	• Award of merit • Farmland preservation • Upscale shopping	• Town ordinances • US 19 improvements • Fitness/ recreation/ swimming complex • Trolley transportation • Entrance signs to town	• Lighting ordinance • New municipal office complex

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 6. Building a Sense of Community

 

 

 

Reflective Thoughts

A final aspect of this strategic planning process involved reflection – about the process and the results. Participants recalled the participatory activities in their comprehensive and strategic planning journey, described feelings and experiences along the way, and identified learnings and impacts that these plans will have on the Maggie Valley community. Participants unanimously concluded that the plan does effectively address the visioning question… what can we do – as citizens of Maggie Valley – to create/maintain an involved, caring, and healthy community over the next 5-10 years?

 

In conclusion, the power of community-based planning is not dependent on a particular method. Rather it resides in the involvement and commitment that residents make to work together toward realizing a shared vision. The Maggie Valley planning process was open-ended in terms of participation and content. Those who gave their time and agreed to participate worked hard; they learned that bottom-up planning is certainly more difficult to accomplish than top-down planning; and they demonstrated that residents can develop plans and implementation actions rooted in collaboration and teamwork (Figure 7).

 

Figure 7. The Maggie Valley Participatory Planning Quilt

 

Appendix – Systematic Action Worksheets

 

(Listed in alphabetical order by Accomplishment Title)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accomplishment Title: Award of Merit

Start: 4Q FY04-05

Completion: Continuous

 

Project Intent What: Provide recognition to businesses that improve appearance (architecture and landscape) Why: Increase community pride and create competitive atmosphere for appearance improvements

 

Implementation Steps (How?)	Who will do it?	When
1. Coordinate with community appearance committee	Town manager	FY05-06
2. Establish criteria for awards and judging	Community appearance committee	FY05-06
3. Annually conduct judging	Community appearance committee	FY05-06

 

Coordinator: Chairperson, community appearance committee	Resources Needed: • Example of similar program
Team Members: Community volunteers	Where To Find: • Boone Area Chamber of Commerce

 

 

 

 

 

Accomplishment Title: Community Appearance Committee

Start: 4Q FY04-05

Completion: Continuous

 

Project Intent What: Establish a community appearance committee Why: Community appearance initiatives require more work than the planning board can support

 

Implementation Steps (How?)	Who will do it?	When
1. Establish work group	Town manager	4Q FY04-05
2. Develop concept	Work group	4Q FY04-05
3. Seek concept approval from board of alderman	Work group	4Q FY04-05
4. Identify potential members	Work group	4Q FY04-05
5. Appoint members to committee	Board of alderman	FY05-06
6. Develop by-laws	Committee	FY05-06
7. Develop community appearance standards	Committee	FY05-06

 

Coordinator: Chairperson, work group	Resources Needed: • NA
Team Members: Community volunteers	Where To Find: • NA

 

 

 

 

Accomplishment Title: Entrance Signs to Town

Start: FY06-07

Completion: FY07-08

 

Project Intent What: Develop gateway and directional signage for east and west ends of town Why: Welcome visitors, reduce sign clutter, and create positive first impressions

 

Implementation Steps (How?)	Who will do it?	When
1. Task community appearance committee	Board of alderman	Jul 04
2. Develop concept plan	Community appearance committee	FY06-07
3. Coordinate concept plan with local businesses and board of alderman	Community appearance committee	FY06-07
4. Obtain funding (public and private)	Community appearance committee	FY06-07
5. Execute plan	Community appearance committee	FY07-08

 

Coordinator: Chairperson, community appearance committee	Resources Needed: • Local business support
Team Members: NA	Where To Find: • Chamber of commerce; town will provide landscaping maintenance and lighting

 

 

 

 

Accomplishment Title: Farmland Preservation

Start: FY05-06

Completion: FY11-12

 

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