Growth Strategy

Goshen Growth Strategy—Growing with Purpose

The City of Goshen and the Goshen Growth Strategy Steering Committee would like to thank all of those who participated in the public engagement activities over the past several months. Below is a summary of the information collected and analyzed at this point. More details and information will be provided soon!

Community Listening Sessions – 4 sessions with 50 participants
Web-Based Survey – 936 completed surveys
8 Focus Groups 8 – Environmental, Builder/Developers, College Students, Industrial, Council, Youth (Goshen High School), Latino/a/x, Small Business
Press Releases, Notices, and Newsletter Articles
First Fridays in August (Promoted Survey) and September (Promote Survey and collected 50 additional Postcards)

Some preliminary results of the survey are:

Survey key findings:

Housing, transportation (traffic flow), and diversity of manufacturing seemed to be most top of mind
Diversity cuts both ways
When it comes to more “things to do,” restaurants (variety in particular) seemed to be of most interest
There’s a general appreciation for parks, nature, and, especially, trails
When growth was specifically mentioned, it was mostly in support of smart growth, infill, and density

Of those who responded that they were residents, they were asked “what is your top reason for choosing to live in Goshen?” they responded:

When asked which best describes how you think the City of Goshen’s population has changed in the past 5 years? The responses were:

When the question “What do you like about Goshen NOW” was asked the responses were:

When the question “What do you not like about Goshen NOW” was asked the responses were:

When the question “What would you like to see in Goshen” was asked the responses were:

The purpose of the City of Goshen Growth Plan is to provide local officials, residents and developers with a tool to drive development in an orderly manner that is consistent with community goals and values. To accomplish this, we will:

Access Goshen’s current situation and potential opportunities related to growth and development through a review of existing conditions and a series of community engagement activities designed to determine general attitudes and perceptions about growth and development, but also, as needed, more targeted feedback to help guide specific strategies.
Provide technical analysis that will quantify the land area required to support the continued growth and development of the city; identify priority areas for future growth and the land uses that are the best fit for these; and
Recommend policies informed by the engagement activities and analysis which will promote the physical development of the community in a coordinated and consistent manner that improves the quality-of-life of Goshen residents.

Community Engagement

A diverse and inclusive planning process will result in a more widely accepted and authentically Goshen-centered plan. Various touch points with the community will be deployed throughout the entirety of the planning process to help inform, consult involve and/or collaborate with residents. A deliberate and concentrated effort to work with community stakeholders will help facilitate understanding, gather perspectives, and built trust in the process and plan. A community engagement process will include a series of outreach tools and methods with consideration made both in English- and Spanish- speaking stakeholders, including the following:

Community input sessions
Community survey
Press releases, notices and newsletter articles, so be sure to check social media and local news for updates!
Community photo submission