St. Johns County is asking for the community’s input through a public engagement path to help develop plans and strategies to energize the economic development opportunities in the Hastings community and surrounding areas.
The public is invited to participate in two meetings at the Hastings Branch Public Library, 6195 S. Main St., Hastings. The first is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, and the second is 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26.
“We are excited to offer a robust program of opportunities for attendees to actively participate in telling us their opinions through interactive activities with county staff,” Community Redevelopment Agency Coordinator John Mitchell said. “The plans for each meeting include visual displays of Hastings and economic development topics for attendees to vote on and to share with county staff their ideas and visions for Hastings and the surrounding area. We hope this collaborative effort will shape the community’s desired future of Hastings.”
The public’s input is requested to help the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners better understand how people who live in Hastings and nearby areas feel about economic development.
The board wants to know how residents prioritize economic development relative to other community issues and would like to know what general direction residents believe potential economic development should take.
On Sept. 25, St. Johns County announced a new website, sjchastings.com, with an online survey as part of its efforts to engage the public to better understand its preferences on potential economic development opportunities in the Hastings community and nearby areas. The online survey is available there until Nov. 19.
The 19-question survey allows the public to provide specific details on the types of economic development it prefers. Also, there is the opportunity to provide open-ended input through a written comment portal. The website has area maps and data for the Hastings census designated place, the statistical area that best represents the former town of Hastings.
