DALTON, Ga. -- Three key elements will define Dalton and Whitfield County as the region seeks to reshape itself: education, environment and economy.
Those items, called the Three E's, were key parts of a new vision for the county outlined Tuesday evening. The strategy comes at the end of a 10-month effort to reshape the community's future.
Faced with high unemployment brought on by a lagging floorcovering industry, the county and city want to retain current industry, attract new business and bring new, highly-educated professionals to the area.
The effort to shape the region was guided by the University of Georgia's Archway Partnership, but residents provided all the input.
Most of the plans laid out Tuesday call for improvements to quality of life: more parks, a more vibrant downtown, solid education and a diversified economy. More than 1,000 people participated in the process over 10 months, and about 300 showed up Tuesday -- amid high winds and potential tornadoes -- to hear the final product.
BIG PLANSThree core areas will be the focus of a community-led effort to reshape Dalton. A University of Georgia partnership laid out three areas of emphasis and community desires for each area.EDUCATIONDalton State College to become a premier institutionA model environment for technical educationCommunity engagement and understanding of the "birth-to-work" continuumECONOMYSuccessful, sustainable industriesDiverse, forward-thinking economyTo become a hub of knowledge-based innovationENVIRONMENTA vibrant downtown that provides entertainment and shopping options for all agesA progressive transportation infrastructureExpanded greenways, parks and trailsTransformational arts and cultural opportunitiesTo become an inviting interstate destination
"It will be a success if we start seeing some of these things come true," said Melissa Lu, the local coordinator of the Archway Partnership for UGA. "Now it's up to the community to decide what's next."
Lu and others agreed that the community may need to see immediate progress to fully get behind improving all three elements of the plan.
The first step, they say, may be the much-discussed Crawford Street entertainment and retail district project, which already has been designed, but not yet approved by city leaders.
But Dalton's plans are not focused on just small-scale projects. There were several mentions of high-speed rail and when -- not if -- Dalton State College will be elevated to university status.
"We need to think beyond today," said Don Cope, CEO and president of Dalton Utilities, who also served on the project's executive committee. "We need to think of things that are much bigger than where we are today. ... We need to not limit ourselves to the concepts of the past."
At the end of the hourlong presentation, attendees were asked to sign up to help implement portions of the plan presented Tuesday. Those who sign up will be asked to attend future meetings to implement the plans for the community.
"I came tonight because I liked the idea that it wasn't going to be just 10 people sitting around deciding the future of Dalton," said Tim Larkins, who moved to Dalton with his family eight years ago. "We like it here, but we also go to Chattanooga to enjoy a lot of what they have. We'd like to have some of that here, too."
Contact Adam Crisp at acrisp@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6323. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/adam_crisp.