2nd public meeting for Ekalaka Community Plan scheduled for April 5th

Area residents are encouraged to attend a second public meeting for the Ekalaka Community Plan on April 5th, beginning at 5 p.m. The meeting, hosted by High Plains Architects of Billings, will take place at Carter County Event Center as part of an Ekalaka town council meeting.

An initial draft of the Ekalaka Community Plan was shared with the community in January at the museum. Around forty members of the community attended the first meeting where Randy Hafer, High Plains Architects president, gave a presentation that included preliminary ideas of what the community might look like in the future. The presentation mostly included possible uses for vacant county-owned and privately owned properties in addition to general street scape and facade improvements on Main Street.

A master community plan is an actionable document and policy guide designed to help communities envision what they want to look like. The focus is community wide with special attention on housing, the downtown core, tourism and community identity.

The goal of the plan is to preserve community character, guide community partnerships, activate under-utilized resources, produce positive economic development, and direct future growth.

Master plans can inform and guide revitalization and preservation efforts, future zoning, infrastructure improvements, and even marketing efforts for tourism. All of the above benefit and positively impact the community as a whole. Community involvement and collaboration are key to any successful plan.

After receiving public input at the first meeting, High Plains Architects is inviting community members to provide input, ask questions, and bring ideas to the meeting on April 5th.