As Tempe looks forward to the year 2030, University and city officials are trying to figure out how the growing main campus will fit into the city's future.
The Tempe General Plan 2030 is a vision of how the city will develop and expand by 2030. Tempe planners have worked with citizens and ASU officials to create a plan for community expansion and coordination between the city, the University and the neighborhoods, said Tempe Planner Eric Hansen.
The City Council is scheduled to vote on the final draft of the plan at its Nov. 13 meeting.
While ASU's campus planning is not under Tempe's jurisdiction, the University is working with Tempe to coordinate planning and expansion.
With limited space and student enrollment expected to keep rising, the success of the 2030 project and the future of the community will depend on a close relationship between ASU and Tempe, Hansen said.
"When you think about ASU expanding as much as it's planning to, those partnerships are going to be critical," he said.
Tempe and ASU would like to coordinate "all aspects of land use planning," with a special focus on transportation and housing issues, said ASU Director of Campus Planning Steve Nielsen.
For example, ASU and the city hope to plan student housing structures built adjacent to the city's new light rail system, the first phase of which is scheduled to open in December 2006.
"That's the type of redevelopment and student housing we can use," Nielsen said.
Some neighbors are concerned with ASU's commitment to the community's opinions on expansion, specifically related to the development of Tempe Town Center.
Original plans for the Center did not address the community's concerns, said Jenny Lucier, a member of the Maple Ash Neighborhood Association. ASU originally planned to add entertainment venues to the area, extending downtown Tempe into the Town Center area.
While Lucier said she enjoys downtown Tempe, she and her neighbors did not want the noise that would come with the addition of a "downtown experience" in place of the goods and services-oriented businesses that used to be there. When neighbors tried to raise those issues with ASU, they said they were ignored.
"ASU was pretty much unwilling to address our needs and concerns," Lucier said.
According to Nielsen, plans for the area have changed and will include service-oriented businesses. However, no definite plans have been drawn up yet.
Lucier said she knew plans for the area were changing, but she has not yet seen evidence that ASU is committed to gathering community opinions on development.
"I am aware the whole concept has changed, but they haven't asked for our input," she said.
Nielsen acknowledged that the University has not actively sought community opinions on the project yet, but she said ASU was hoping to schedule an initial meeting with neighbors on Nov. 17.
Still, Lucier commended Tempe on its attention to citizen input.
"Lots of letters were written and they changed what was being proposed," she said.
Reach the reporter at amanda.keim@asu.edu.