Assessment Team Outlines Recommendations

      By Marilee Johnson
News Editor, South Platte Sentinel

 There were  no new revelations made by an outside assessment team looking at Sterling’s economic development situation, but the group did offer some valuable recommendations for realistic and strategic planning.

“You have so many options, so many opportunities here,” said Darlene Scott, assessment program coordinator for the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT). “You just need to pull it all together.”

The economic development assessment program is sponsored by the OEDIT, the Economic Devel-oper’s Council of Colorado and the Colorado Rural Development Council.

Along with Scott, the assessment team included Kelly Barbello, industry relations and welcome center program manager with the Colorado Tourism Office; Greg Etl, regional manager, Colorado Department of Local Affairs; Don Marostica, executive director, OEDIT; Marcia Morgan, creative industries division business development, OEDIT; and Cheryl Scofield, northeast area director, USDA/Rural Development.

The goal of the assessment programs is to provide the community with resources and contact information so that it may plan, execute and complete a locally conceived and driven economic development strategic plan. During earlier planning sessions prior to the actual assessment, a local committee identified two areas for appraisal: downtown retail development and tourism development.

The committee and assessment team made a tour of the area last Thursday, then held two public forums, before presenting their Community Economic Development report Friday afternoon.

“You have a lot going on, but you will want to see the study and move it forward to a community action plan,” Scott advised.

For downtown retail development, the team identified strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Their recommendations included:

• Engage the community in the downtown and entrance beautification study and implement the recommendations.
  
• Continue to support economic development through creating state, county and city incentives to generate new businesses.
  
• Update the comprehensive plan and implement.
  
• Research Colorado Downtown Inc. for the downtown revitalization Main Street Program.
  
• Define downtown (geography) and brand it, map it, market it and make a social meet up destination and restaurant and what is needed to make it thrive. Look at Colorado-based businesses to expand into the downtown area.
  
• Develop cross marketing with other shopping areas.

For tourism development, the team identified 33 strengths or assets within the county, ranging from the Overland Trail Museum and North Sterling Reservoir to being a friendly town and the availability for tee times and boat docks. Weaknesses noted in tourism development include no dedicated voice, lack of signage, no marketing efforts and no designated organization for events.

Threatening the situation, the team resolved, are that local residents don’t perceive the area as a tourist destination and “keep doing what you are doing and you will get the same.”

The recommendations for tourism development were numerous:

• Regular scheduled joint meetings for City, County and citizens.
  
• Signage on I-76 and I-80.
  
• A coordinated community calendar.
  
• Painting signs on buildings.
  
• Research purchasing empty existing buildings that could be purchased by the City to be turned into public/private partnerships with developers.
  
• Review the North Sterling State Park 2009-2019 management plan. Form a citizen committee to work with state park.
  
• Work with CDOT to designate two exits for Sterling and more signage to Sterling.
  
• Develop a marketing plan/billboards.
  
• Beautification for entrance points inviting into downtown.
  
• Build a walking bridge from visitor’s center to museum with a lit “Welcome to Sterling” sign.
  
• Identify who Sterling is and who you want to be.
  
• Develop a citywide signage program and incorporate the whimsical theme into signage.
  
• Develop a Wisdom Industry amusement park ride in downtown to serve as the center piece and icon for the town. For a private/public partnership.
  
• Develop a bike/rollerblade/walking path on the South Platte River.
  
• Engage the Northeastern Junior College (NJC) marketing programs into the promotion of the community.
  
• Develop a position to serve as a community development director.

The team will return to Sterling in two months to help develop a Community Action Plan to assist the community in prioritizing the recommendations with action steps, responsibilities, timelines and resources needed to accomplish the top one or two recommendations in each focus area.

According to Rich O’Connell, executive director of the Logan County Economic Development Corporation (LCEDC), “The community team which organized the Community Economic Development Assessment was gratified to see a large turn-out at the public meetings. We want to thank Commissioner Debbie Zwirn and Alex Wright, Rocky Joy and Kim Sellers with the Logan County Chamber of Commerce for introducing the Colorado OEDIT project to our community.”

O’Connell said the next step is to develop a Community Action Plan which will be handled by the local committee which includes Zwirn, Wright, Joy, Sellers, Joanne Jefferies, Larry Fetzer, Loretta Davidson and Tara Barlean.

Anyone with ideas on the two focus topics – downtown revitalization and tourism development – can contact any of the committee members or call O’Connell or his assistant, Brad Barton, 521-7196.
     

Filed under: In The News by LCEDC