A deeper look at the city’s Roadmap for Success

Around Canton is dedicated to living up to its slogan: Your Community. Your Magazine. Our staff constantly is looking for ways to support our local businesses and our city officials.

One unique way we thought we could help is by creating a deeper look at the city’s Roadmap for Success, developed by Mayor Bill Grant; City Council members William Carlan, Sandy McGrew, JoEllen Wilson, Shawn Tolan, Brooke Schmidt and Dwayne Waterman; City Manager Billy Peppers and others integral to the growth and development of the Coolest Small Town in America. We created a hyperlocal, focused look at the Roadmap through a series of articles that ran in the May 2022-January 2023 issues of Around Canton magazine. For the series, we asked city officials to share, in depth, what you should expect in your community. Communications Manager Lauren Johnson dove deeper into the specifics of what’s new and what’s coming in Canton. We look forward to learning more about the exciting developments to come.

An excerpt from Mayor Bill Grant’s introduction to the Roadmap for Success. Read it in its entirety at www.cantonga.gov.

I am excited to have the opportunity to introduce you to the primary components of the city of Canton’s Roadmap for Success. Our road map is a plan, but also a call to action that organizes the steps of local leaders, private and nonprofit organizations, residents and businesses toward a shared vision for how our city operates through 2035. First and foremost, it is a community plan — one informed and guided by public input, to empower our citizens to be co-creators for their city, strengthen local connections, and generate support and enthusiasm for how we will work together to build the Coolest Small Town in America.”

“In developing this strategic plan, we integrated numerous goals and tactics into eight overall guiding principles, or tenets, for Canton’s future success. Each tenet is a commitment from the mayor and council to our residents, businesses and partners, as a platform for thoughtful review when considering new development projects, establishing budget priorities, and approving local guidelines and procedures to optimize city operations.

Celebrating the diversity of our community.

The diverse cultures and communities within Canton are vibrant and engaging. Economic, cultural and social diversity is encouraged throughout the city.

Leading with excellence. City Council, staff and citizen boards will foster civic participation and serve ethically, transparently, responsibly and efficiently.

Sustaining our natural environment. Canton residents appreciate our natural beauty, proximity to the mountains, ample green spaces and the Etowah River. Projects in the city will promote interaction with nature through sustainability, stewardship of resources and innovative design.

Enhancing historic downtown Canton. Preservation, entrepreneurship, arts and culture, and community-centric activities are cornerstones of economic development within downtown Canton. Benefiting the entire city, downtown redevelopment creates jobs, attracts investment, increases property values and generates tourism.

Improving infrastructure for future demands.

Citizens, businesses and visitors need access to the Canton infrastructural network to succeed in their goals. Transportation, power supply, gas availability, water and sewer, and digital connectivity are part of building a great network for success.

Connecting citizens to parks and recreation.

A healthy community provides access to nature. Residents should be connected with local parks through trails, sidewalks and additional transportation options. Recreational opportunities should be available to and inclusive of all.

Creating great neighborhoods. Safe, attractive, connected and inviting neighborhoods are the foundation of Canton’s hometown appeal. All residents deserve quality housing that reflects our community character through thoughtful design and responsible development practices.

Advancing

regional economic success.

Utilizing existing business strengths in industry, health care and an entrepreneurial spirit, Canton seeks to expand its economic footprint. Diverse and innovative business growth will support jobs, attract investment and create tourism opportunities.

Creating Great Neighborhoods: A Focus on Affordable Housing

BY LAUREN JOHNSON

Creating great neighborhoods is one of Canton’s eight tenets in its Roadmap for Success. While the recent Canton Housing Study indicated the need to add multiple housing types, affordable housing seems to be the most talked about topic when it comes to housing discussions. With skyrocketing home prices and rent, and increasing mortgage interest rates, there seems to be a perfect storm brewing.