Newest Model Colony: Ontario of the 21st Century, The

Since the late 180Os, the City of Ontario has been driven by a vision for innovation. Today, as part of its efforts to update its General Plan (The Ontario Plan), the City of Ontario has prepared a new draft Vision, The Newest Model Colony: Ontario of the 21st Century. The Vision document describes desired future conditions, values and characteristics to be achieved or reinforced by The Ontario Plan. The draft Vision is based on recently adopted City Council goals and objectives and incorporates feedback generated from a series of Community Workshops as well as the best ideas from panels of experts in six roundtable discussions.

Four themes frame the Vision and describe the Ontario of two decades or more in the future: Dynamic Balance, Prosperous Economy, Distinctive Development and Recognized Leadership. These themes are highly interconnected and cannot stand alone. A summary of the themes and the draft Vision document are available for download on the project website at www. ontanoplan.org.

A summary of the draft Vision was presented to the Ontario City Council and Planning Commission in a special session held at the Ontario Convention Center on February 13, 2007. The purpose of the Joint Visioning Workshop was to provide a forum for the City Council Members and Planning Commissioners to confirm that the draft Vision document reflects the desired direction of the City and to provide additional ideas and feedback for subsequent revisions. The feedback from this City Council / Planning Commission Joint Visioning Workshop will be incorporated into a final, detailed Vision document that will guide and shape The Ontario Plan process and the future of the City.

The Ontario Plan - A Framework for the Future

The Ontario Plan will guide the entire community and its public enterprises for the next several decades. The Plan is distinctly ambitious because it embraces all of the City's functions of governance and provides guidance for private sector investment and development of its land resources.

The Ontario Plan will be fashioned similar to a business plan for a large corporation and will include innovative business practices. One of those innovative practices involves tying the goals of the Plan to City Council goals and the annual budget process.

The Plan will reflect the community's view of its future and serve as a blueprint for Ontario's growth and development. As required by state law, the Plan will address a wide variety of issues that characterize the City. It will cover topics such as land use, housing, economic development, community design, historic preservation, circulation, open space, parks and recreation, infrastructure, natural resources, public safety, and noise. The Plan will build upon the City's many tremendous assets, such as its strategic location in Southern California, access to major transportation facilities, the downtown and its ongoing revitalization efforts, the New Model Colony, the Convention Center, and the Airport.

Visit www.ontariopian.org for more information.

Copyright CBJ, L. P. Mar 12-Mar 18, 2007
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