Hauser plans for town center

HAUSER - A future "town center" along Highway 53 with supporting commercial in the corridor is destined for Hauser, according to the city's draft comprehensive plan.

A public hearing will be held on the draft plan and future land-use map tonight at 6:30 at Hauser City Hall, 11837 N. Hauser Lake Road.

"It's proposing a future downtown center where there will be commercial," said Cheri Howell, Hauser's planner.

A copy of the 68-page plan and future land-use map can be viewed at www.cityofhauser.org. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended in October that the plan be approved.

"I haven't heard of anyone who is up in arms about (the plan), but we'll see at the hearing," Howell said. "I'm hoping that a lot of people attend."

The plan, which will guide the next 10 years, was last updated in 1993.

Howell said she believes the biggest change is that the new draft plan is more business friendly than the status quo.

Much of the property along Highway 53 is in the city limits.

"The plan is to annex more into the city and make it a bigger commercial area," Howell said.

Howell said the plan also calls for a sewer system - the city currently doesn't have one - so that the aquifer can be better protected from future development and it allows property owners to subdivide their lots, making businesses more feasible.

"Right now you're limited by the health district on what you can and can't do with commercial businesses," Howell said. "You have to have 5 acres, and 5 acres for one business is cost-prohibitive. With sewer, the lot sizes can be smaller."

Howell said existing homeowners would not be required to tap into the sewer system.

The future land-use map calls for most of the property around the lake to be kept as residential or public reserve.

The plan update has been in the works for nearly two years. Public input meetings have been held and community survey was taken in 2009 and 2010.

The majority of the respondents wanted to encourage development along Highway 53 and not around the lake. They'd also like to see more trails around the lake. The respondents were split on whether they want to see more annexations into the city.