A good-sized group of Scranton community residents participated Saturday in the Iowa Living Roadways Community Visioning Program focus groups. Notes were kept and photos were taken to be compiled into a report that will be available later at the community visioning website: www.communityvisioning.org.
The focus groups were divided into categories: older adults, active recreationalists, parents, mobility impaired individuals and youth. They discussed the assets of Scranton as well as what they considered barriers, rating various locations and amenities in the community.
While the final results are still being tallied, the Pond Park rated high with most groups for its scenic location. The H.F. and Maude E. Marchant Library also received top marks.
Problems noted included disconnected sidewalks making circulation throughout town difficult. Some noticed the ramps that are available but lack railings which make them difficult to maneuver. The lack of trees around the ball diamond was noted as shade would be welcome during the summer. The need to update and improve the playgrounds was also mentioned.
The goal of the community vision project is to improve the quality of life for everyone: making streets more accessible and friendly to pedestrians; parking accessibility; landscaping that makes the community look more attractive.
Another meeting will be held with Department of Transportation, County and City officials to access how the transportation issues will interact with one another.
A meeting will be scheduled later in the year to explain the various assessments. Then an improvement project may be selected.
Compiling the notes and photos were a four-member team of Iowa State University students who are all interns in landscape architecture. Their hope is to work with the community to design a realistic project to better the community. ~The Scranton Journal
