Tunnell-Spangler-Walsh & Associates (TSW) was recently selected as the planning consultant for the Town Center LCI study in the City of Monroe, Georgia. TSW has extensive experience working on LCI projects. Work commenced in July and will continue on through December. For more information, see http://www.tunspan.com/monroe/. The following article appeared in The Walton Tribune, Monroe’s local newspaper.

Residents map out city’s future
By Brian Arrington
The Walton Tribune

Published August 19, 2007

MONROE — Professional planners met with local residents and officials in an effort to map out the future of the city’s downtown Thursday.

Part of the Monroe Livable Centers Initiative, residents were asked for their input on topics ranging from what to do with the abandoned Avondale Mills property to how to make the Broad Street corridor more pedestrian friendly.

The information, gathered by Atlanta-based community design and architecture firm Tunnell, Spangler, Walsh & Associates, will be reviewed and presented at a 6 p.m. meeting, Sept. 17 at the Church Street Community Center.

From there a draft presentation will take place Nov. 13 — the final plan presentation is slated for Dec. 11.

With the help of the Monroe Downtown Development Authority, residents have already been meeting regularly, giving ideas on what they’d like to see downtown.

Caleb Racicot, of Tunnell, Spangler, Walsh & Associates, said residents are passionate about eliminating truck traffic, preserving the city’s history and character as well as managing growth properly.

“You all seem to know suburban growth is coming from Atlanta, but you don’t think the typical growth (patterns) are the way you’d like to go,” Racicot said. “It is very important to you what new development looks like in Monroe. We’ve heard people want to preserve the downtown’s character.”

Daniel Dover said he has lived in Monroe for just over two months and wanted to come to the meeting to get a feel of the community. The 28-year-old said he wanted to find out if the meeting was about “raising property values or the quality of life” for residents.

“I know they are making big efforts in the arts,” Dover said. “I’m young and idealistic so basically there just needs to be cohesion in the community to achieve this common goal.”