by Kristen Belt and Casey Farmer, CVP Co-Chairs
On Thursday, April 23, RCPC hosted a Town Hall to release the
Rockridge Community Vision Plan.
Over 120 residents squeezed into the library's community room to learn about the plan and ask questions. The Community Vision Plan is the culmination of months of community meetings and robust resident feedback. It is a framework for initiatives led by the RCPC board, in collaboration with the broader Rockridge community.
The CVP has five focus areas: Mobility, Open Space/Green Infrastructure, Housing Opportunities, Commercial/Cultural Activities, and Resilience/Sustainability.
Each focus area identifies goals in the following four types:
• Advocacy: How should RCPC push for changes from local government?
• Partnerships: Which organizations can we collaborate with?
• Education: What do residents want information about in Rockridge News articles or Town Halls?
• Physical Improvements: What changes to the infrastructure around us help to reach our goals of enhanced connection, safety, and quality of life?
After a brief presentation of the plan, a robust Q&A session revealed strong enthusiasm for many of the initiatives—particularly those focused on sustainability and resilience. The discussion also highlighted the wide breadth of opinions and concerns surroundingneighborhood development, echoing feedback gathered throughout the engagement process. RCPC is optimistic that the CVP, which outlines protocols for reviewing development proposals, will strengthen our ability to organize and advocate as a community for projects that enhance the walkability, vitality, and connectivity of our neighborhood.
"While there are a range of perspectives on housing, the discussion at the meeting—and within CVP more broadly—highlighted a shared commitment to thoughtfully guiding growth in Rockridge in a way that preserves the exceptional quality of life we all value. Change is inevitable, and RCPC can play an important role in advocating for and engaging the community to help achieve the best possible outcomes," RCPC Secretary Jana Good said.
Implementation of the Community Vision Plan: You're invited! Residents are encouraged to sign up for one of the following Committees.
• Land Use Committee focused on Housing, Open Space, and
Commercial Activity on College Avenue - Next Meeting will be
May 20 at 7 p.m. on Zoom.
• Transportation / Mobility (next meeting in June)
• Sustainability / Resilience (next meeting in June)
Sign up and read the full plan at rockridge.org/cvp.
