About
Envision Ellettsville
Starting in June 2021, The Greater Ellettsville Area Chamber of Commerce and Ellettsville Main Street Inc. partnered on an initiative called Envision Ellettsville. The goal of the initiative was to create a clear identity and long-term vision for our community. The Envision Ellettsville Vision Plan was completed in May 2022. The plan is a result of a planning process that provided several opportunities for the community to pause, take inventory of how things currently are, and then define what Ellettsville wants to be in the future.
Project History
The people who call Ellettsville home are passionate about their community and are proud of the positive changes that have happened over the past few years. At the same time, we recognized that a shared vision of the future was needed for Ellettsville to take its next steps forward. As referenced in the Monroe County Quality of Place and Workforce Attraction Plan, Ellettsville does not have a brand identity and there is a lack of understanding for how the town fits into the larger Monroe County community.
In 2019, at a packed town hall meeting, residents and business owners gathered to discuss the future. Conversation in that meeting focused on areas that create a high quality of life in our community, including:
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Safe neighborhoods with housing options to meet different needs and lifestyles
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A vibrant downtown and areas where residents can gather
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Parks and outdoor amenities and aesthetically pleasing gateways into the community
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A welcoming and thriving business environment
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Planned growth that helps to ensure that we maintain the best parts of our town, while expanding to meet the needs of our growing population.
In response to this community interest, the Greater Ellettsville Area Chamber of Commerce and Ellettsville Main Street Inc. formed a volunteer committee to identify the best path forward to build a shared vision for our community that is strategic, actionable and sustainable.
Our Process
The Envision Ellettsville process will occur over a span of 9 months and, when complete, will create a shared vision for future growth and development, encompass meaningful and inclusive public engagement, identify stakeholders, establish clear guidance with a user-friendly document and establish achievable implementation plans. The process will include three key phases of work, each of which have a variety of community engagement and outreach opportunities.
Phase One
Information Gathering
June to October
This initial effort is intended to produce a snapshot of the existing conditions of the area, analyze existing infrastructure and the regulatory environment, and recognize past successes in order to begin planning for the future.
Phase Two
Idea Development
November to December
This phase of work allows us to to use data to drive decision making and to identify strategic improvements needed to support local growth, enhancements and development.
Phase Three
Actions and Resources
January to April
If a plan lacks the ability to be successfully implemented, the vision will never be realized. In this final phase of work, our goal is to create clear, concise, and fiscally responsible steps that Ellettsville and the project partners need to complete over the next twenty years.
Project Partners
Early in the summer of 2019, residents, businesses and elected officials gathered at the Ellettsville Town Hall to discuss the future of the community. While everyone brought their own perspective to the conversation, the entire room was united in excitement for the opportunity to proactively chart the course for our community’s future. Out of this early effort, a partnership formed between the Town of Ellettsville, the Ellettsville Chamber of Commerce and Ellettsville Main Street. The collaboration between the Town, the Chamber of Commerce and Ellettsville Main Street is crucial. Together these entities bring complementary perspectives to the process, which will allow the final Envision Ellettsville plan to be comprehensive in its recommendations.
Guiding Groups
A critical part of the success of this planning process is the participation of property owners, residents, business owners, and other stakeholders in the community. To ensure that the Envision Ellettsville process takes into account the ideas, concerns, and suggestions of the broader community, the planning process is being guided by different groups of community leaders and professionals. Together, these groups will meet regularly throughout the process and help drive community involvement, review key findings from the research and analysis and shape major recommendations for the final plan.
