Gardiner groups to host public input meeting on Heart of Gardiner plan
People who live or work in Gardiner, as well as visitors, are invited to share their ideas for a vibrant downtown area at a July 14 meeting — part of an effort to draft a downtown master plan for the next decade.
BY JESSICA LOWELL, KENNEBEC JOURNAL
Anyone who lives or works in Gardiner, or visits the town, is invited to a visioning session that will likely contribute to the city’s new downtown master plan.
The meeting will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. on July 14, at the Johnson Hall Performing Arts Center on Water Street.
“People have a lot of things to say and [a number of] complaints,” Melissa Lindley, executive director of Gardiner Main Street, said. “This is their chance to be heard and stress what’s important to them.” Gardiner Main Street seeks to promote the downtown area by encouraging both economic and cultural activities.
The group is joining the city of Gardiner, the Kennebec Valley Council of Governments and the Gardiner Library Association to craft the plan with the help of an outside consultant. It’s being funded by a Coastal Community Grant awarded last year, and by revenue from the city’s Downtown Tax Increment Financing District. The goal is a program that will support a resilient and vibrant downtown community.
