City to consider demographic, resource, and facilities updates in Comprehensive Plan
By Brandi Makuski
The Stevens Point Plan Commission will take a closer look at the city’s future Tuesday when it reviews three chapters of the Comprehensive Plan.
On the table are revisions to Chapter 1, “Issues and Opportunities,” and first draft reviews of Chapter 2, “Natural, Agricultural, and Cultural Resources,” and Chapter 4, “Utilities and Community Facilities.”
Neighborhood Planner and Economic Development Specialist Chris Klesmith said the Chapter 1 changes reflect feedback from earlier meetings. Those edits restore regional context for population trends, clarify how data is collected, and expand on employment and income figures. The draft also compares Stevens Point with nearby municipalities, noting that local wage growth is catching up with Portage County’s median income.
If commissioners sign off, the chapter would be added to the current Comprehensive Plan as an appendix until the full plan or individual chapters are ready for a public hearing. A public survey on the chapter will follow Common Council review and remain open for two weeks.
Chapter 2 inventories Stevens Point’s natural, agricultural, and cultural resources. The city’s 18.43 square miles stretch across the Wisconsin and Plover rivers, with sandy soils, abundant groundwater, and terrain shaped by glaciers. Stevens Point sits in Wisconsin’s Tension Zone, where northern forests meet southern prairies, giving it a wide variety of plant life. The draft also highlights waterways like McDill Pond, the Stevens Point Dam, and Moses Creek, and pulls in findings from plans such as the Portage County Groundwater Management Plan and the Stevens Point Public Tree Inventory Report.
Chapter 4 looks at the city’s utilities and community facilities, from water and wastewater systems to parks, libraries, and emergency services. It outlines long-term maintenance needs, ways to improve efficiency, and strategies to keep services accessible as the city grows. It also points to expanding recreation options, modernizing library facilities, and ensuring police and fire departments have the space and resources they need.
Klesmith asked commissioners to keep Tuesday’s discussion focused on ideas, references, and data, and to send any grammar or wording changes in writing within a week to help keep the review process on track.
The meeting starts at 6 p.m. Aug. 12 in the Community Room at 933 Michigan Ave., Stevens Point.