Future Vision #3

Well folk, I know a lot of you are waiting for the third "Future" of Branson.  I really don't know if I have that one in me gang.  Future #3 is,  ,  ,  , well,  ,  ,I think Kumbaya might be appropriate.  everyone together now....

OK, the deal is, this is the version that focuses on social equity, community partnerships and regional systems.  This is the Boulder Colorado of Missouri.  Another example is Vail and Breckenridge....  

Signs are all uniform, buildings fit into "the mold" with color pallets of soft hues.  

Alternative Future #3 - Community Branson

Community Branson places a significant emphasis on the social fabric of the community and on providing the services and the jobs the City needs to be a balanced community. The balance includes economic, environmental and social sustainability. Branson is a community for young and old to live, work, visit, raise a family and enjoy outdoor recreation. 

The economic drivers of the City will look at businesses that are complementary to Branson’s current strengths and will grow beyond the entertainment industry. The well-established health care industry will be expanded and Branson will be a destination for specialty health care. A variety of education opportunities for area residents will be offered (including OTC in Hollister, a branch campus of a college such as Drury University and Missouri State University, high tech and information technology jobs will build upon the foundation of the Mountain, and the City will attract professional services jobs and light industrial companies to Branson for additional year-round employment opportunities.

 Who could complain about this vision? other than the ones that will have to pay for it.  Obviously we all want the high tech and medical jobs.  Sure, those of us who love this town all believe those companies should pull up stakes in San Jose and Seattle or shift their focus from the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina and come here.  We have a much nicer city.  AND after all we have a few hundred thousand square foot of super conductive office space sitting around waiting for HP or Cisco to gobble up.  If we need more the city will just let the word out that we will clear a few acres of milk and honey and sprinkle star dust to make one appear. Never you mind about the thousands of cities with existing buildings offered at very low or even no charge for those same jobs, after all we all know how economic development minded this city administration has been.

Don't get me wrong.  We need and want entry level tech jobs and we can hope and pray for those to some day develop into a few mid level tech positions or get really lucky and see an incubated start up that flourishes and is not run out of town due to the over regulation that is promised in most of our "visions" lately.

There is a strong inter-governmental support within the region among the municipalities and counties. Each governmental entity will support one another and recognize the strengths of their respective jurisdictions and support their growth. Under this scenario, the City takes a proactive approach in establishing agreements and/or policies to influence the type of growth that occurs on the City’s edge and within the Urban Service Area. Highly visible hillsides and ridgelines will be protected from development as the City and non-profit groups purchase these visually sensitive lands.

WOW, has anyone run this past the other municipalities and counties?  From a current observation they can't seem to get along with themselves, let alone others.  I got to give them a bit of credit here.  They are planning to pay for the highly visible ridgelines and hillsides in this vision  (at least that is the public word, never know, it might be a different board by then and we all know what that means regarding promises and such).

Interestingly enough, this vision of our city does not settle with what is in our city, no, while getting along with the counties and other municipalities they instill the rule of development law unto them that do not exist with our meager and meaningless boundaries.  After all if your building Valhalla, you might as well take in a few neighbors as well.

A regional transportation system that serves the greater area will be jointly funded by the cities and counties affected to provide affordable transportation for the workforce and tourists. The system will connect key employment centers, community centers and destinations with residential areas. Vertically mixed-use districts will be concentrated around existing neighborhood and community centers. The mixed-use nodes will build upon the established concentration of land uses and will create additional synergistic opportunities for complementary uses. The infill and density focus in already urbanized areas will take advantage of the existing infrastructure, which will minimize the cost of additional community services needed to service such growth. The green building techniques and the use of renewable energy have kept municipal, business and residential energy costs from rising. The City will actively encourage residents to participate in energy conservation, recycling, etc.

 Won't Al Gore be proud.  Makes you wan to stand up straight and salute the beautiful red flag with the gold symbols on it.  BTW:  I think a vertically mixed use district is something like ,,,  uhm,  BRANSON LANDING!    These guys must have not gotten the memo.  Someone tell them, that is devil worship talk.

The community social service groups will join forces to create a unified Cooperative Partnership where funding is distributed equitably and where there is a central place for people in need to go. The new Cultural Arts Center includes a history museum, a regional serving library and a place for performing arts such as dance and theater. The new library is large enough to service a large, regional population, is publicly accessible, offers free educational programs and has a (superior) book selection There are a variety of housing choices, including affordable units for all socio-economic classes. There will be more neighborhood, community and linear parks to serve the communities active and passive recreation. Branson becomes the community of choice in which to live and is recognized for the state-wide quality of K-12 education and post-secondary educational programs.

HOLD ON!  "unified Cooperative Partnership"  There it is.  Finally some honesty.  Will every business have a union label?  If you only vote for this fine vision, you will get free libraries and living units that are affordable, history museums (anyone have any idea what version of history this will house), Cultural centers, linear parks and a central place for people in need to go.  I KNOW, we should name it RED SQUARE.

Well, I don't know about you , but I got a warm feeling running up and down my leg and goosebumps on the nape of my neck.  

In the words of Will Hunting,  "Let the healing begin"

NEXT;  

                             THE REST OF THE STORY.....

also-  If you will look to the right of the top of this page you will see a place to put your e-mail address.  Enter your e-mail address and you will be sent the upcoming entries.  Just a hint.  and it is automatic, so you don't have to wait until I get a chance to send out my spam e-mail that I hate doing because I feel so intrusive and self conscious about.