Public Involvement

The Public Involvement Program for the Damascus/Boring Concept Plan focused around five public involvement "touchpoints" where the project staff presented information and collected input from the general public. These occurred at key points throughout the two-year project.

Touchpoint 1: Community Forums on Core Values.

Two community forums were held in January 2004 to gather general public feedback on the draft Core Values statements. As a result of these forums, the Core Values Steering Committee was able to revise and finalize the core values statements.
January, 2004 Newsletter
Forum Summary, 1/14/04
Forum Summary, 1/24/04

Touchpoint 2: Community Forum on Existing Conditions.

One community forum was held in June 2004 to invite the general public to review materials, ask questions and comment on the draft materials that would provide the basis for ongoing concept planning work. The final Core Value Statements were presented, as well as the draft Goals and Principles for the concept plan. In addition, scenarios from a related project, the Rock Creek Industrial Area study, were presented. As a result of this forum, the Advisory Committee was able to confirm the Goals and Principles and staff finalized existing conditions data.
June, 2004 Newsletter
Forum Summary, June,04
Existing Conditions handouts

Touchpoint 3: Workshop to Develop Alternative Plan Concepts.

In October 2004 a workshop, or charrette, involving the general public, service providers, stakeholders and technical experts in plan development was held to develop concept plan alternatives. The workshop was an intensive, week-and-a-half long series of meetings including two large community forums, three evening open houses, presentations and hands-on work sessions. Activities included focus groups, special interviews and other vehicles to gather information relevant to developing alternatives. As a result of the workshops, eight alternative concept plans were created, which were later refined into four alternatives that were analyzed and became the raw material on which the recommended concept plan was based.
September, 2004 Newsletter
Design Charette Summary Report

Touchpoint 4: Analysis of Alternative Plans.

From February through September 2005, the staff and technical teams completed an extensive analysis of the alternative plans. Because this was such a technical process, the public involvement program touchpoint was made up of an ongoing written public information program and several small group meetings. Public information was provided by monthly one-page articles in the community newspaper, the Damascus/Boring Observer. The articles in the following issues of this monthly newspaper addressed the following topics:
December 2004 - October 2004 Community Forums
January 2005 - The analysis phase
April 2005 - The four alternatives to be analyzed
May 2005 - The elements of a community
June 2005 - Green Systems (Natural Resources)
July 2005 - Land Use
August 2005 - Transportation
September 2005 - Public Facilities

As a result of these articles, the general public had an opportunity to learn about the technical information that was being generated and follow the ideas being developed and leading to the Draft Concept Plan.

Touchpoint 5: Community Feedback on the Draft Concept Plan.

A community forum on October 8, 2005, presented the Draft Concept Plan for general public review and comment. Feedback was solicited in several different ways during and after the forum. Following a two-week public comment period, written comments and questionnaire responses were compiled into a public comments report. With the benefit of this public feedback, the Advisory Committee reviewed and finalized the Concept Plan.
October, 2005 Newsletter
Report and Appendices, Public Response to the Draft Concept Plan (summary of the October 8 2005 Community Forum)
Addendum to the Report on the Public Response to the Draft Concept Plan
Second Addendum to the Report on the Public Response to the Draft Concept Plan