Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission helps communities move forward while preparing for the future
When your community wants to build a new road or consider a new land use plan, they often turn to Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC) to help create a plan or support with funding. MVRPC provides planning services for member jurisdictions in the counties of Montgomery, Greene, Miami, Darke, Preble, Shelby and parts of Northern Warren. Member services include transportation planning, environmental planning, and regional planning.
Two projects that MVRPC is working on right now are impactful projects.
The first is the development of a natural disasters and hazards interactive guide and toolkit to assist communities in the wake of a disaster.
“Right now, we are in the process of developing that toolkit with consultant support. What we did was, as we were transitioning from recovery [from the tornadoes in 2019], we said, ‘OK, recovery is pretty much wrapped up. Let’s figure out in our region what we did well and what we did not do well and what we still need,’” says Elizabeth Baxter, manager of Resiliency Planning for the MVRPC.
“And that’s when that conversation of resiliency really started to surface for our communities. That’s when we heard from our communities that we need something that helps us with real time decisions, helps support the decisions and the funds that we pursue in the future to really enhance our communities and protect our communities. Because the idea of resiliency is protecting your community.”
Communities were looking for assistance, but not a traditional plan—they want flexibility and personalization. “What we will have is essentially a tool that will help them do scenario planning that says, ‘Here are the shocks and the hazards that we might face. And then here are the action items that we can do that are realistic, that will help us preserve our community, help us respond to natural threats and hazards faster, help us recover more quickly while protecting our vulnerable populations,’” says Baxter.
Another project MVRPC is working on is the Turner Road Project.
“Harrison Township and the city of Trotwood … were two of the most impacted jurisdictions from the tornadoes. Significant damage not only was sustained to homes, but also to critical business districts throughout each community making it difficult to move on and recover from the lasting effects of the disaster,” says Baxter. “As a result, the MVRPC is leading a series of redevelopment planning studies to encourage economic resiliency in both Harrison Township and Trotwood. Currently, work is being done to evaluate future development opportunities along Turner Road from North Main Street in Harrison Township to State Route 49 in Trotwood. This work will provide the communities with a set of ‘blueprints’ that will help identify joint projects for this area supported by policy recommendation, roadway and streetscape improvement recommendations, and guidance for funding and implementation of these recommended projects.”
The communities and MVRPC are seeking community input before making recommendations. Community members and local businesses can attend meetings and share their opinions during this process.
“Our region is really looking forward to the future. We are learning lessons from the past and improving from those lessons, both strengths and weaknesses, for ensuring our region remains resilient to future shocks, threats and hazards moving forward. And that includes environmental shocks, but economic shocks as well,” says Baxter.
