A future vision for the village of Northport will be discussed next week at the small gym at Northport School.

The chamber was looking for someone to take up the challenge. I decided to pick up the ball and submitted the application. - Bill Collins, chairman of Future by Design committee

Warren Rauhe, director of Michigan State University’s “Small Town Design Initiative” program, will serve as facilitator in an input session, scheduled for Wednesday, July 25 at 7 p.m. It will be preceded at 6:15 by hors d’oeuvres prepared by local chef David Chrobak.
Bill Collins, chair of the Leelanau Township Community Foundation’s Future by Design committee, submitted an application for the MSU design initiative after the idea was discussed at a meeting of the Northport-Omena Chamber of Commerce.

“The chamber was looking for someone to take up the challenge. I decided to pick up the ball and submitted the application,” he said.

Next week’s meeting will be the first in a 3-step process with the community to identify local projects that would enhance the quality of life and appearance in the village. MSU’s College of Landscape Architecture students and faculty will engage the community in a dialog about ideas, such as entrance appearance from all directions; connecting corridors to downtown; harbor, marina and waterfront; streetscape renovation; lighting and burying power lines; bikeways and pedestrian lanes along roadsides; beautification; and signage.

The second step in the process involves the professor coming back with about 20 of his landscape architecture students on Sept. 27. They will return with feedback, such as pictures and drawings, resulting from community input provided at next week’s meeting.

Students will also spend time with small groups to determine what residents want and tour the town to see first-hand what the possibilities may be. Hundreds of digital photos will also be taken to aid in design work.

The third and final step will involve Rauhe and students returning to Northport on Tuesday, Nov. 6, to explain with computer-generated pictures a number of projects they believe will satisfy visions discussed by the community.

The Leelanau Township Community Foundation (LTCF) has agreed to pay MSU for expenses. The MSU Extension has applied for a grant from the Coastal Management Program to fund projects that will result from the process and the LTCF has agreed to provide a match for any grant which may be awarded.

Collins is hopeful that people will come out and express their ideas, which is key to the process.

“I would like to see Northport freshened up a bit after all this,” he said.