Neighborhood ready to improve

West Lafayette, Ind. (WLFI) - The New Chauncey neighborhood near Purdue in West Lafayette is working to develop a plan for the future.

Residents, rental property owners and business owners gathered in the West Lafayette High School cafeteria to review the New Chauncey neighborhood plan and revise it.

"I think it's great to revisit and look where we're headed or we might find ourselves moving backwards," said New Chauncey Resident Ginger Erickson, who has lived in the neighborhood 32 years.

"I think the communication is not as good as it should be and the suggestions from the first plan were never implemented," said rental New Chauncey property owner Pattie Weida.

About a dozen recommendations for the neighborhood were developed 12 years ago. New Chauncey residents asked the Area Plan Commission to formally incorporate their neighborhood plan into Tippecanoe County's Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

"We hope to gather enough info to help cast a vision for the future of the neighborhood," said Tippecanoe County Area Plan Commission Executive Director Sallie Fahey.

A formal plan will guide city and county leaders in making decisions about the neighborhood.

"Putting it into the comprehensive plan makes it official policy. When someone wants to rezone property, for example, there will be a firm adopted policy for making zoning decisions," added Fayhey.

Around 50 people connected with the neighborhood marked priorities for housing, codes, image and parking by color coding recommendations with red, yellow and green stickers. They also used sticky notes to make suggestions about what other items to include in the plan but it's not just adults who will have a say.

"Kids have a lot to say. Kids know things about their neighborhood that parents frequently don't," said Fahey.

The Area Plan Commission hopes to hold a special session for children to get their feedback on what changes are needed. The neighborhood plan will take about a year to develop. The Area Plan Commission and West Lafayette City Council must both approve it.