Freeland planners survey the public

"Freeland residents should peruse their mail carefully next week. Amid all the junk mail and political hit pieces will be something you may want to keep.It's a public opinion survey containing questions posed by Freeland residents and mailed by the Island County Planning Department. The answers will help plan Freeland's future growth.Phil Bakke, county planning director, said all Freeland post office box holders and everyone who owns property within the Freeland planning area can expect to find the survey in their mailboxes early next week.It's a pretty good survey, Bakke said. Hopefully we'll make some decisions based on the input. Survey results will help the Freeland Subarea Planning Committee finish the plan it's been working on for nearly two years.Questions in the survey center on a number of topics:* What would people like to see happen to the Highway 525 corridor through Freeland.* What types of housing, from mobile homes to apartments and single family homes, should be allowed.* What types of services available in the town are now utilized, and what types of new services are needed.* Transportation questions, ranging from your opinion of traffic in the business core to whether sidewalks, bike paths and more parking are needed.* What improvements are needed in neighborhoods, such as sidewalks, transit and park and ride lots.* What does Freeland need in the way of more parks, commercial places, and the arts.Completed surveys can be returned by mail or dropped of at any of a number of boxes that will be placed in popular gathering places around town. "

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