Ortonville- The results of 587 market surveys regarding the future of the community will be revealed at a town meeting, 7 p.m., Dec. 4, at the Brandon High School Performing Arts Center, 1025 S. Ortonville Road.
The Downtown Development Authority sent out 5,000 consumer surveys in an April edition of The Citizen to village residents, as well as residents of Brandon and Groveland townships. The surveys asked questions of consumers such as how often they would frequent eating and drinking establishments if available; what kinds of dining and entertainment they would prefer to see downtown; what specific types of businesses they would patronize; and what priority they placed on various revitalization efforts.
Popular responses for what is desired for the downtown include restaurants, more entertainment and festivals, and sewers.
‘The downtown is the heart of Brandon, Groveland, and the village and will affect housing prices,? said DDA Chairman David Bonner. ‘If the downtown is brightened up, with new streets, sidewalks, a shoe store, high-end deli, and decent restaurant, it will increase the value of homes because it makes it more desirable to live here.?
The survey will be used to create a new master plan and Bonner stressed the importance of high turnout for the town meeting, which will last about an hour.
‘We want to find out if people in the community are happy with the results, or whether we should make some changes so we can continue and get the master plan done,? he said. ‘Everyone in the community is invited who wants to be part of the future of the community. This is very important.?