Reinventing the bedroom community in Baldwin

Dale Norby is asking how you change the nature of a bedroom community while working with other members of Baldwin Township's Initiative Foundation Core Team to plan an upcoming visioning session, which will be held June 29.

The Core Team is knee deep in the tiny details it takes to make an event work that hopes to draw hundreds of residents -- location, food, advertising -- but they're not losing site of the lofty, over-arching goals that are the inspiration for the session.

One of the assets that drew many people to Baldwin is its commuting distance to the city. But as gas prices rise, housing equity falls and urban renewal begins back in the city, some wonder where that leaves Baldwin. How can a township adapt to become a different kind of bedroom community?

A community from which you could commute, but don't have to. A community that uses the resources it already has to build up local industry.

Perhaps home businesses are part of the answer. Buying locally, instead of from the myriad of retailers lining the commute home from the city is another piece. But before residents can buy locally, they have to know what is available locally and those services need to be competitive with services they'd get elsewhere.

This all starts with ideas. Come share yours June 29.

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