COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The draft of a new Master Plan for the City of Coldwater was presented to the Coldwater Planning Commission on Monday night.
Julie Tschirhart from Progressive Companies of Grand Rapids said the final adoption is not scheduled to take place until October.
After it’s reviewed by the Planning Commission, it will then be forwarded to the City Council who will then decide when the 63 day public comment period will start..
The current Master Plan was put into effect back in 2017. Input for the new Master Plan was gathered from over 800 citizens through an online survey, a pair of open houses and student surveys.
Tschirhart stated Coldwater’s strengths included its downtown, recreation, diversity and arts and culture. She said respondents to surveys and community engagement sessions also cited several of the communities weaknesses
The survey results showed the construction of housing in Coldwater did not keep up with population growth or demand between 2013 and 2023. In addition, median household income was lower in Coldwater when compared the rest of Branch County and the State of Michigan.
If you rent, you don’t have to be told the median gross rent has gone up in Coldwater from $675 in 2013 to $912 in 2023. Home values have gone up by nearly 56 percent according to Zillow.
Coldwater is also getting older with the median age increasing by six years to 40-point-2 in 2023 while the over 65 population has grown to 17-and-a-half percent.
The goals for the updated Master Plan include a vibrant and thriving downtown, housing that supports the community’s needs, having a robust economy and having abundant nature and recreational opportunities.
Comments