Presenting A Master Plan To City Council: The Importance of a Thoughtful Presentation and Consideration of Perspectives
Welcome, I am Victor Menasce, your host of the Real Estate Espresso Podcast. Today, I’d like to discuss an experience I’ve had presenting a development plan to the Colorado Springs City Council. I believe there is something to learn from it about understanding different perspectives, benefiting from the opposition, and crafting a compelling and considerate plan. I’ll share how our project considered the city’s concerns, providing tips on how to address potential objections, and elaborating on how our plan aimed to connect the city with Schriver Air Force Base for mutual benefits.
Differing Perspectives and Mutual Benefits
Beyond the planning and statistics, it’s essential to remember that members of the city council – like any other people – have individual perspectives. They may have reasons, often valid ones, for objecting to your development plan. The key is not to perceive objections as opposition but to find a means to understand and address them. We adopted this approach with our plan, taking into account the concerns of existing city councilors about cost analysis and anti-development sentiments. By tying our project’s purpose to our immediate neighbor, the Schrever Space Force Base, we showed that our development would benefit a significant portion of the community and economy.
From Annexation to Amenities
Our project extended beyond constructing buildings – we aimed to create a closer connection between the city and the neighboring Air Force Base. Moreover, we showed that this would not only occur through physical proximity, but also by offering services and amenities desired by the base community. We focused on elements such as creating off-base office space, nearby food, beverage, and retail services, and building a closer hotel and daycare for the benefit of both civilian staff and service members.
Understanding Perspectives | Targeted Proposition |
---|---|
See objections as different perspectives, not opposition. Seek to understand and address them. | Align your project with the existing needs and desires of the community. |
Countering Objections
We addressed the city’s concerns by showing our project’s benefits and how we meet all 16 annexation criteria. While our presentation was not a full fiscal impact analysis, we incorporated a draft of our report indicating how existing taxpayers would not bear the brunt of growth costs.
Notes from Experience
This process provided me with insights into the nuances of presenting to a city council. It taught me the importance of considering floaters who could sway the vote and understanding the critical topic for council members. In our case, we assured council members about water sustainability. While our project meets annexation standards, we also showed how we could use the wastewater recovery system of the Space Force Base for water sustainability, a matter of concern for the city.
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