This Topic: Freeland Mission-Vision

[Bill Frederick]

This entry is in response to Mike Dolan's request for comments on Freeland Vision.

These statements were developed by the Freeland Subarea Planning Committee over 4 years, and submitted to the Board of Island County Commissioners in May 2004. Using these as a base of discussion, your thoughts are welcome in light of the passage of 3 years and the vicissitudes of the incorporation effort to date. I am working with Steve Shapiro and Robert Gilman to get these posted under their own topic so that you can focus you comments in those two areas. The County has yet to post these in the online FSAP along with several other items in the Appendices. Meanwhile, let's see how these statements format copy below:

Freeland’s Vision-Mission Statements

Submitted to the Board of Island County Commissioners (BICC), May 2004, by the Freeland Subarea Planning Committee composed of 9 Freeland area citizens selected by the BICC.


Freeland’s MISSION* is creating a healthy, vibrant, safe place where people love to visit, learn, walk, bike, work and live.


Freeland’s 19 VISION** Statements

http://www.islandcounty.net/planning/pdf/freeland/Freeland_Plan_Draft%2008-06-04-singleside.pdf, pp. 1, 126 of 137

1. Small Town Character and Community Identity

We see Freeland as a distinct urban enclave, bordered in several directions by farms,
open fields, and woodlands. As we approach the Freeland outskirts, we note the
dramatic change in character from the rural countryside to the urban streetscape
(landscaped central median, overarching street trees, attractive streetlights) of Freeland.
We appreciate the architecture that is unique to Freeland, free of the plastic, fast food
franchise architecture prevalent in so many other communities.

2. Getting Around

We see a community with "full-service streets" in which cars and pedestrians,
bicyclists and buses are equally at home. We see streets with ample sidewalks and paths, large
trees reaching over the street, and attractive pedestrian-scaled streetlights. We see
well-planned neighborhoods, designed to encourage walking from home to work, from
home to the corner store, from home to the transit stop, and from home to parks..

3. Environmental Quality

We see a community with clean air, made possible by less dependence upon the
automobile, and the recruitment of environmentally compatible industry. Compared to
other communities, we see more people walking and biking or taking public transportation.
Our Freeland area is designed to cause less traffic congestion and require shorter commutes.
We have less storm water runoff and pollution in our streams due to our smaller, landscaped parking areas and compact two and three story commercial areas.

4. Community Appearance

We see a community of clean, tree-lined streets, subtle commercial signage, with residential and commercial buildings of architectural distinction nestled amidst well cared for landscaping. We see adequate, shared parking areas with vehicles tucked behind landscaped walls and hedges or parked to the rear of buildings, avoiding unsightly, large, unbroken impervious, un-landscaped surfaces.
Main Street has been transformed into a grand, landscaped boulevard from the SR 525 intersection to the downtown.
Scott Avenue has been developed in similar grand fashion. Businesses and homeowners have installed lighting which respects their neighbors and protects the view of the night sky.

5. Historic Preservation

We see the entire community, from school-aged children to senior citizens, with a keen appreciation for
Freeland's rich, seaside, island, nautical and boat-building history. There is constant attention and energy being poured into the city's Freeland’s historic buildings and other natural historic resources. We see Freeland as a model for the state and nation, drawing visitors from far and wide to experience a living, growing community immersed in a seaside historic setting.

6. Downtown Freeland

We see a healthy, vibrant downtown with attractive streets and well-maintained sidewalks filled with people and activity. We see a diverse array of shopping, dining, working, and cultural amenities. We see a downtown which is the social and cultural center of the community, and the first place where we want to take visitors to Freeland. We see meeting facilities for business and other-entity visitors utilizing the latest world-wide communication technologies in supporting their meeting needs at attractive, multi-use facilities. At night, we see the lights on in upper story apartment residential windows throughout the downtown area.

7. Neighborhoods

We see safe, secure, peaceful, and well cared for neighborhoods in every part of part of Freeland, with streets free of litter, manicured lawns, lush garden and maintained with attractive landscaping and yards. We see freshly painted homes with neighbors greeting neighbors on sidewalks and front porch swings. We see families pushing baby carriages to nearby parks. We see children riding their bikes to the neighborhood corner store for a loaf of bread or a Saturday afternoon ice cream.

8. Public Safety

We see a community of neighbors and business owners committed to community- based policing. We see police officers on the beat, getting to know the neighborhood kids, and their parents. We see a sheriff's department which is committed to supporting, rather than replacing, the collective will and determination of the people to have a community free of drugs, violence and crime.

9. Housing

We see a wide range of housing choices and prices, single family homes, some with accessory/garden cottages, condominiums and townhouses, apartments and dwelling units over downtown shops. We see a multitude of housing choices, ranging from single family homes, to townhouses, to garage apartments, to apartments over downtown shops or the neighborhood corner store. We see neighborhoods with several different housing types where the elderly, young families, singles and others share experiences and help one another.

10. Economic Opportunity

We see a community of workers with good paying jobs in satisfying occupations, and a diverse local economy with employment in services, retail, professional, technical, manufacturing, and agriculture, home-based and cottage industries, among others. We see workers with pride in their work and the prospect of continual advancement as they go on to develop their skills and value.

11. Fiscal Responsibility and Better Services

We see a more compact “town” development pattern resulting in considerable cost savings to the taxpayer when compared to a sprawling development pattern. These savings have been realized through fewer miles in paved streets, shorter water and sewer lines, more efficient trash collection over shorter routes, more efficient law enforcement along with fire, marine and medical emergency services, as well as many other government services.

12. Parks, Recreation and Open Space

We see large community parks, smaller neighborhood parks, and tiny pocket parks well distributed throughout the community connected by soft-and-hard surface paths and greenbelts. Larger community parks have clusters of playing fields for organized athletic leagues. Smaller neighborhood parks have multi-purpose fields for informal athletic events as well as areas for unstructured play. We see parks convenient to neighborhoods as well as to office workers during their lunch hour.

13. Green ways

We see a system of interconnected green ways adjoining area streams, intermingled with the urban fabric of Freeland and stretching into the countryside. We see a system of short and long loops, designed for walking, running, hiking, skating and biking, which connect an array of schools, parks, nature preserves, and neighborhoods.

14. Water and Sewer Services

We see well-maintained, financially self-supporting water supply and waste water treatment facilities and service areas, designed and strategically placed to both accommodate and lead the planned, compact growth of our community.

15. Education/Schools

We see schools which are, at their foundations, under girded by community involvement and parental support. We see schools that are characterized by state-of-the-art knowledge and practices in the areas of learning behavior, psychology and pedagogy which are preparing the attendees to live successfully in their chosen endeavors. We see schools that are located in proximity to neighborhoods so as to be natural gathering places for people to come together to solve community problems.

16. The Arts, Entertainment, Sports and Culture

We see an appreciation for the arts which begins with Freeland's historic seaside roots, but extends to many other traditional and contemporary art forms and cultural events. We see Freeland as host for a variety of cultural events, including the arts, entertainment, and sports competitions. We see gathering places for young and old people alike to develop their skills and share their talents with others.

17. Culture Diversity and Acceptance

We see a community which embraces and appreciates the strengths and interests of a diverse population made greater by the common objectives of quality education, economic opportunity, public safety, and civic purpose, and supportive human nurturing.

18. Inter-governmental Cooperation and Regionalism

We see Freeland as an integral part of a much greater region. As such, we see our Freeland area residents working constructively with nearby towns and counties on a collective regional vision. In particular, we see a need for cooperation on issues such as water quality, air quality, transportation, and growth management and human development and support.

19. Human Growth Nurturing and Support

We see Freeland as a community where children, teenagers, young adults, adults and senior citizens are nurtured and encouraged in learning and applying successful living principles based on the wisdom of validated historical truths, continually being discovered, rediscovered and remembered:.

These principles apply to at least 9 key areas comprising human life dynamics:

1. Physical (body's innate wisdom, nutrition, exercise, rest, health maintenance)
2. Spiritual (infinite truths, lasting rewards: gratitude, love, forgiveness, service)
3. Mental-Volitional-Emotional (Mind-Will-Emotions)
4. Relational (self, others, earth, environment, universe, higher power)
5. Social (interactions: family, neighbors, community, state, country, other countries)
6. Work (expression of your deepest self, providing joy & satisfaction)
7. Financial (money making, management in a total integrated, healthily balanced lifestyle)
8. Life Meaning & Purpose (answer insights into life's most important root questions)
9. Personal Design Characteristics (Learning Style, Favorite Sensory System (NLP),
Temperament Type, Motivated Ability Pattern, etc.)


*MISSION Description: A mission statement is centered around the PROCESS of what you (Freeland) need(s) to be doing.

Definitions:
1. a specific task that a person or group of persons is sent to perform;
2. the place of work of such persons or the territory of their responsibility;
3. military operational task, usually assigned by a higher headquarters;
4. an aerospace operation designed to carry out the goals of a specific program
5. an allotted or self-imposed duty or task; calling
(pp. XI-XII, Webster’s College Dictionary (Random House))


Having a Freeland Mission Statement will help the leadership in making decisions about its development. A Freeland Mission Statement can act as both a harness and a sword – harnessing what is true about Freeland (now and in the present-tense future) and cutting away all that is false (and undesired now and in the present-tense future). (pp. XVI-XVII)


The three simple elements of a good mission statement are:

1. A mission statement should be no more than a SINGLE SENTENCE LONG.

2. It should be easily understood by a twelve-year old.

3. It should be able to be recited by memory at gunpoint. (p. 3)
Source: The Path: Creating Your Own Mission-Vision Statements, Laurie Beth Jones, Hyperion, 1996


**VISION Description: The key elements of a compelling vision statement are these:

1. It is WRITTEN DOWN

2. It is written in PRESENT TENSE, as if it had already been accomplished.
The mind only thinks in the “now.” It does not know any other tense.

3. It covers a VARIETY of ACTIVITIES & TIME FRAMES.

4. It is filled with DESCRIPTIVE DETAILS that anchor it to reality.
The mind thinks in pictures. Colors, fragrances, and sounds help its recall. Some do 'mind maps.'"

(From Laurie Jones, The Path: Creating Your Own Mission-Vision Statements,
Laurie Beth Jones, Hyperion, 1996, pp. 73-4.)


Source References: Salisbury, NC Website at http://www.salisburync.org/lm&d/sals2020/NewMay25thvision_340_c/index.htm

Salisbury Vision 2020 Plan (Land Management & Development) at http://www.ci.salisbury.nc.us/lm&d/2020/index.htm

[Mitch Streicher]

My vision of Freeland has two aspects:

1) The future defined by the 20 year time period as required by law. See page 41 of the Freeland Sub- Area Plan, “The Growth Management Act states that the Office of Financial Management shall provide 20-year population forecasts for counties, and requires
(emphasis mine) counties and cities to create plans based on these forecasts.”

2) I have some hazy vision about what happens beyond the 20 year horizon.

It is tough enough to predict twenty years out and so I prefer to address aspect two as time progresses toward the present 20 year horizon.

With regard to aspect one my vision is colored by my personal desires and certain realities. Examples of the realities are- We are required by law, see paragraph one, to plan for a population of 4000 in 2025. Actually that number will be larger because by the time we are a city the twenty year horizon will be increased to the year 2029 or so. I don’t believe some of the visions I have read really consider the size we are obligated to plan for. Another example of reality is that Freeland is not about to have its own school in said time period. I have spoken with the school district and for the last few years they have been down sizing. I don’t see the trend reversing itself to any great extent. The people moving in to the area are mostly retired.

With regard to my personal desires I would like to see a sleepy Freeland, which is more in keeping with the projected population, but a community which is able to control its appearance and its future. When I say control its future I know that realistically there is a limit to controlling the future. But “if you build it, they will come”. For that and other obvious reasons, there are no condos or apartments in my vision. That vision may change in years ahead but not now, not yet.

Mitchell Streicher

[Jerry Hill]

Hi Mitch, I have been very involved in the past with the South Whidbey School District, and have two daughters currently enrolled. I don't see a need at this time to have Freeland look at a local school. Freeland has had small private primary schools operate her over the last 15-20 years and that has added to helping the new families have a community based local place for their preschoolers. That I think there could continue to be a need for.
As far as Freeland being a small sleepy little town with no condos or small apartments for another 20 years, I really think your dreaming. In 20 years our population of baby bommers will have aged enough that there will be a need for places closer to city services and less driving and that alone will drive the building trend towards filling that need, We will also have finished the link of mass transit to and from our local major cities like Seattle & Everret, so that more people working in those cities will be able to treat Whidbey Island like their bedroom community that will cause a population explosion like Bainbridge Island has experienced.
Just remember that it only took just over 30 years for Lynnwood to go from something similar to Freeland to what it is today. Thanks for listening, Jerry