The Perkins Progress Plan: Navigating Growth 2045 is more than a blueprint—it’s our shared vision for the future of Perkins, developed through careful planning, community insight, and a commitment to maintaining our unique identity while embracing opportunities for growth. The Perkins Progress Plan will guide the city’s development over the next 20 years, ensuring that growth is aligned with the needs, priorities, and aspirations of our residents, businesses, and community organizations.

Project Purpose

Building for Today, Planning for Tomorrow

The purpose of the Perkins Progress Plan is to establish a cohesive framework that addresses immediate needs and anticipates future challenges. This update to the city’s comprehensive plan will integrate modern planning principles with our community's unique needs, focusing on a range of critical areas: housing, land use, economic development, public services, infrastructure, and transportation.

By proactively addressing these areas, the Perkins Progress Plan will:

• Support Perkins’ unique sense of community while accommodating growth.

• Foster an inclusive, accessible, and connected city.

• Create opportunities for economic and social development, while carefully balancing economic, environmental, and quality of life priorities.

This plan aims to empower Perkins to make informed, forward-looking decisions that align with a shared vision for a thriving, vibrant city.

Core Objectives

The Perkins Progress Plan is built around eight core objectives, each designed to shape a city that meets current needs while preparing for the future. These objectives reflect the input from our community, businesses, and local leaders, and focus on creating a balanced, resilient city.

Community Visioning

This plan begins and ends with the community. Through workshops, interviews, and surveys, we’re creating a shared vision that reflects the diverse aspirations of residents, business owners, and stakeholders. The result will be a community vision statement that captures our long-term goals and serves as a guiding principle for future planning.

Land Use Strategy

Land use and zoning are at the core of the city’s growth management. The plan will review and recommend zoning adjustments to accommodate future development in a way that preserves Perkins’ charm, character, and open spaces. Strategies will address density levels, zoning district changes, and preservation priorities, ensuring responsible growth that benefits all residents.

Infrastructure and Public Services

Public infrastructure—such as roads, water, and sewer systems—are essential to Perkins’ capacity for growth. This plan will identify current and future needs, proposing a roadmap for updating and expanding public services. By planning ahead, we aim to ensure Perkins remains a well-serviced, efficiently managed community.

Economic Development

A vibrant economy underpins the health of any city. The plan will explore strategies to foster job growth, attract new businesses, support existing local businesses, and create a thriving downtown. A focus on economic diversification will encourage Perkins to become a hub for opportunity, innovation, and job creation.

Environmental Stewardship

Perkins is surrounded by natural beauty, and protecting this environment is a priority for the Perkins Progress Plan. Environmental stewardship initiatives will focus on protecting natural resources, encouraging green practices, and integrating environmentally-friendly considerations into zoning, construction, and infrastructure decisions. Our aim is to ensure Perkins’ landscapes and resources are preserved for future generations.

Transportation and Mobility

An accessible and efficient transportation system is key to a well-connected city. The Perkins Progress Plan will recommend improvements for roads, public transit, and active transportation options like biking and walking paths. The focus is on enhancing connectivity within Perkins and ensuring safe, accessible mobility for all residents.

Community Engagement

Meaningful community engagement is central to the Perkins Progress Plan. The city will conduct workshops, interviews, and surveys throughout the planning process, emphasizing outreach to underrepresented groups to ensure a diversity of voices are included. The plan will grow from and reflect the community’s needs and aspirations.

Alignment with State and Regional Goals

To maximize resources and strengthen partnerships, the Perkins Progress Plan will align with relevant state and regional planning initiatives. By coordinating with larger-scale projects, Perkins can secure funding and benefit from collaborative opportunities that support its long-term goals.

Scope of Work

The Perkins Progress Plan is organized into five phases, each contributing essential insights and recommendations:

Phase 1: Project Orientation

During this initial phase, city officials, planning commission members, and project stakeholders will confirm project goals, deliverables, and roles. This phase includes a kick-off meeting, data collection, and the development of a detailed communication plan to keep the public informed.

Phase 2: Community Engagement and Visioning

Community members are essential to the plan’s success. This phase includes one-on-one interviews, public workshops, and an online survey to gather broad and inclusive input. The feedback gathered here will shape a community vision statement, which will serve as a guiding principle throughout the Perkins Progress Plan.

Phase 3: Diagnostic and Analysis

A thorough analysis of Perkins’ existing conditions, including demographics, economic indicators, and zoning regulations, will provide a foundation for understanding the city’s current status. The diagnostic phase includes a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis to identify key areas of focus.

Phase 4: Plan Development

The core of the Perkins Progress Plan, this phase includes the development of specific land use recommendations, economic strategies, transportation improvements, and a comprehensive housing plan. Each recommendation will align with Perkins’ long-term vision and address the city’s projected needs over the next two decades.

Phase 5: Review, Approval, and Implementation

In this final phase, a draft of the Perkins Progress Plan will be presented to city officials, stakeholders, and the public for feedback. Based on input received, revisions will be made, and the final plan will be presented to the City Commission for adoption. Once approved, the plan will become the guiding document for Perkins’ development and policy decisions.

Engagement and Governance

The Perkins Progress Plan is managed by CivicDynamics, led by project manager Larry R. Curtis. The city’s planning commission and other appointed individuals will form a project steering committee to provide oversight and ensure alignment with the city’s goals. Public engagement will be a continuous priority, with regular updates, workshops, and online surveys offered to keep residents informed and involved.

Key Milestones

• Project Kick-off: August 2024

• Project Charter Approval: October 2024

• Community Visioning Workshops: November 2024

• Land Use & Infrastructure Analysis: November 2024 – April 2025

• Draft Plan Presentation: June 2025

• Final Plan Approval and Adoption: August 2025

Stay Involved

Residents are encouraged to participate in workshops, share input through surveys, and attend public meetings. By staying engaged, you help shape the future of Perkins and ensure the Perkins Progress Plan reflects our community’s unique spirit and values.

Through the Perkins Progress Plan: Navigating Growth 2045, our community is setting a course for a future that builds upon our strengths and embraces change thoughtfully. Together, we’re building a Perkins that we can all be proud of for generations to come.