Workshop set Thursday to help craft Land Use Plan

A workshop to help develop the City of Lawton’s new comprehensive Land Use Plan is planned Thursday.

The visioning workshop is set from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Owens Multipurpose Center, 1405 S. 11th.

City officials said the workshop will be a chance for residents to help develop a vision for Lawton’s future.

“This workshop will be about the planning team listening rather talking,” said City of Lawton Planning Director Christine James. “We want to hear from residents and stakeholders about their ideas and dreams for the future of Lawton. So far the project has focused on where Lawton is, and we are now looking at where Lawton needs to go in the future.”

Attendees will be divided into groups that will work together to identify a vision for Lawton. Planning Department team members will write down those ideas and develop a vision board on the input provided by participants. That information will provide a foundation for the plan, officials said.

Mayor Stan Booker, City Council members, and members of the City Planning Commission and Steering Committee began working on the plan in response to a need to update the city’s Land Use Plan and develop a vision for the city’s future. Neighborhood reinvestment opportunities, corridor redevelopment and desires to bolster quality of life in Lawton have highlighted the need and interest in developing new strategies, officials said.

In addition to the workshop, residents may submit feedback via https://lawton.planyourcity.com/.

The final plan, projected for completion in 2025, will outline ideas to strategically guide Lawton over the next 20 years. Information about the workshop and the plan is available on the project website: https://lawton.planyourcity.com/. The website will be updated throughout the project, city officials said.