Efforts to update Bowling Green’s 27-year-old Future Land Use section of the Master Plan will be reported
to Bowling Green City Council Feb. 18.
BG Planning Director Heather Sayler Friday morning told directors of the Bowling Green Chamber of
Commerce about that report. She encouraged directors and others to share their ideas with her office or
by attending meetings of the 18-member steering committee. The next session is Wednesday at 3 p.m. in
the City Administrative Services Building.
A full-fledged public meeting will be announced later. The proposed update will eventually go to the City
Planning Commission and then to council for review, hearings and approval.
"The steering committee has had some tough discussions. Things are very much in the preliminary
stages. We have held some informal conversations with small groups. We are very excited about this. It
is very overdue," Sayler said.
She noted that "some very conflicting views" have been offered. For example, some people want
to see a Costco and restaurants like an Olive Garden, but at the same time do not want to have the city
congested with the traffic those might bring. "Others want to preserve the unique downtown. The
question becomes, how do we do all of that?"
Another issue has focused on aging housing stock in the city and how to preserve that or redesign areas
of the city. "Some have told us there is not enough quality housing near Bowling Green State
University. Too many homes are small, or cut up into apartments. We are hearing this sends people to
other communities for housing."
Sayler said in the end not everybody will agree with everything in the plan but the discussion will be
wide-ranging.
Sandy Milligan, vice president of the chamber and a member of the steering committee, said the effort is
similar to a business developing a strategic plan. "These are huge questions we are asking. This
will not be done overnight."
Much of the rest of the monthly chamber meeting was spent with planning for the year, talking about
chamber services, and hearing reports of upcoming activities.
Among the activities:
• The annual dinner and awards meeting is tonight at BGSU.
• A special event Wednesday will mark the first anniversary of the new focus for the BGSU Visitor’s
Center. All are welcome to attend the day-long event.
• Winterfest is Feb. 14-16 with activities all over the community. A schedule of events was published in
Thursday’s Sentinel-Tribune (page 10) and a story is planned Wednesday. The schedule of events will be
repeated in next Thursday’s paper.
• Red Cross Fire and Ice, Feb. 15 at the Cla-Zel. Tickets remain available from the Red Cross. The event
raised $36,000 last year. Half of the tips from the boots of firefighters who work the event as
volunteer bartenders are earmarked for Toledo Fire Station 3.
• For those looking for any sign of Spring, Downtown BG Executive Director Barb Ruland reported the first
day for the Farmers Market is May 21.