<br />19 <br /> <br />Planning Process Phases <br />The sections below summarize the six phases of the neighborhood planning process: Reaching Out, <br />Neighborhood Visioning, Neighborhood Priorities, Policy Development, Action Planning, and Adoption. <br />Each includes a summary of key stakeholder input and opportunities for public involvement. <br />Reaching Out Phase <br />In the summer of 2017, RRCO, SCCO, and staff began the ‘Reaching Out’ phase with three objectives: <br />1. Raise awareness about the project <br />2. Promote the fall communitywide kick-off event <br />3. Create opportunities for people to provide input on the future of their community <br /> <br />The project team began raising awareness about the project by meeting with neighbors throughout the <br />community, attending more than 20 events in advance of the fall kick-off event. Nearly 400 people <br />attended the kick-off event and participated in activities to identify what residents value about the area, <br />as well as sharing their future hopes for the neighborhood. The project team made an effort to engage <br />fresh voices, with outreach events specific to high school students, affordable housing residents, Spanish <br />speakers, and rural residents in Santa Clara, in partnership with local community organizations. The <br />project team also visited with over 300 neighborhood businesses. <br />Neighborhood Visioning and Neighborhood Priorities Phases <br />The Visioning and Priorities phases continued focusing on raising awareness of the project and asking <br />the community what they valued in their neighborhoods as well as their hopes for the future. The CAC <br />and the Topic Area Working Groups met monthly to compile and review the feedback received during <br />the Reaching Out phase, recognizing the priorities and values heard during this process, as well as the <br />many years of engagement done in the community by SCRROL and SCRRIPT. Different themes emerged <br />from the community feedback and the Neighborhood Plan began to develop around five main Topic <br />Areas: Economic Development, Transportation, Parks and Natural Resources, Land Use, and Community. <br />A vision for the future of the River Road and Santa Clara communities started to appear. <br />The CAC and Working Groups continued public outreach, including questionnaires, community forums, <br />an online survey, and several targeted outreach events. Using this widespread input from the <br />community, the CAC and Working Groups moved into the Policy Development phase and started <br />crafting the vision statements, goals, and policies of the Neighborhood Plan. <br />Policy Development Phase <br />In this phase, work focused on drafting policies related to the vision and neighborhood priorities <br />developed from community input. Throughout the Policy Development phase, Working Group meetings <br />were held periodically and interested community members were welcome to attend. Policy writing was <br />led by the CAC and supported by staff on the Technical Advisory Committee as well as Working Group <br />members. The CAC hosted a “Policy Round-Up” and a “Planning in Action Open House” to engage the <br />public in reviewing and prioritizing draft policies.