Renovations for Mount Pleasant make for a better community
The city of Mount Pleasant has begun to redesigning the downtown district, trying to make it more attractive to pedestrians and businesses. We applaud the city for renovating the downtown district and its continuing effort to create a community atmosphere.
One part of the overhaul comes from an amendment from Mount Pleasant’s Zoning Ordinances, entitled “Mission Redevelopment Overlay Zone.” According to mt-pleasant.org, the mission of this amendment is to “encourage the renewal and reinvigoration of the Mission Street corridor by allowing, without requiring, more innovative, architecturally interesting, walkable and accessible buildings and site layouts.”
Essentially, the city is giving businesses the opportunity to expand and change so they can attract new customers.
In such a tough economy, it is great to see the Planning Commission encouraging businesses to not only stay open, but to expand and grow. The new amendment shows that the city is opening up dialogue with local residents. In a world where anything can change overnight, it is important to be accepting to change.
Another project that will change downtown Mount Pleasant is the Light Emitting Diodes project. The project will bring LED lights to Pickard Street, making the city more visually appealing. These lights also will save the city money and energy.
Another project, called the Gateway project, will focus on the landscaping around Mount Pleasant. The project will not only renovate the landscaping in the city, it will also include all entrances and exits into Mount Pleasant. Union Township Supervisor John Barker said native plants and trees will be planted and new signs will be posted in certain areas.
“The landscaping will be so dramatic, people will feel like they’re coming to or leaving somewhere special,” he said.
This is the type of enthusiasm this city is in need of — that Mount Pleasant is somewhere special, with a rich history that should be reflected in its appearance. Hopefully the Gateway project will be approved soon, along with any other plans that seek to improve the area.
But it is not just the buildings and landscaping that may change for the best, too. The roundabout at Main and Mosher streets helps to keep traffic moving fluidly. It’s also better for pedistrians, since traffic is moving in one direction. Hopefully, officials will look into building more roundabouts around the city.
The new changes will hopefully emphasize a community atmosphere where Mount Pleasant residents and Central Michigan University students will want to be more involved in activities around the city. It seems as if officials are living up to the “Pleasant” end of the city name.
The city is taking the first few initial steps to work toward this view and, so far, they are heading in the right direction.
