Menu
Sheldon narrows in on vision of town
Nevada Daily Mail
Sheldon residents got their first taste of the future vision for Sheldon at the second vision meeting on Monday.
Four Drury University architecture students gave four initial concept presentations based on feedback from the last meeting in which they evaluated the community's thoughts on their future visions of Sheldon through a goals, objectives and methods card game.
During the game, each community member chose the most important goals, objectives and methods that they saw as priorities for the future of Sheldon.
"This meeting was extremely helpful to our visioning team by providing us with ideas, thoughts, concerns and constructive feedback from the community members," the students said in a report. "In order to create the correct future vision for Sheldon, these kinds of interactions and collaborations are vital."
Josh Ogren focused on agriculture for development; Ngoc Bic Do focused on education; Grace Lounsbury focused on technology and Tony T.A. Yue focused on specialty business. The students broke their ideas into scales of regional, city, neighborhood and building/structures.
"The idea was to dive into agriculture to provide for a self-sufficient economy," Ogren said. "The short term goal will establish sustainable knowledge and further agriculture on the home scale. Social farming looks at cooperative farms where people work together in groups to provide goods for the community. We also looked at wind farming. Wind farming would work as an icon. It's also a sustainable energy source for the community. Regional trade is more long term. There's tons of towns around Sheldon that we could supply agricultural goods to, especially developing a specialty market."
Do suggested investing in education through technical schools, international exchange programs, and an art and craft school.
"I believe improving the quality of education will be the key to sustaining growth in Sheldon," she said. "People would come to Sheldon just to learn English and experience life in America. Sheldon can use the homesteading program to bring in more talent to town to strengthen the education systems. I would move the downtown area into the area between old 71 and Highway B, closer to I-49. This area would be the square of the city with a farmer's market too."
Lounsbury said although her focus was technology, she meant more than computers and Internet. She also discussed the old school house becoming a heritage house.
"Technology is also welding, different trades, woodworking and painting. I'm also talking about heritage and overall knowledge this town possesses. Revitalizing downtown by not just removing structures but also putting different buildings and programs in those spaces will support the inside and outside of the community. One of the things added would be to put in a makerspace, a space rented out once a week for somebody to teach you how to do something -- fix your roof or run an Internet business."
Yue discussed opening Sheldon up for more green space as well as promoting specialty businesses.
"After the presentations we will divide up and go to the boards, and we'll have one-on-one time with the community so you guys can express your ideas and concerns," Ogren said. "We really want as much criticism you guys can give us. In April we will combine all of our visions into one main vision."
Residents showed favor for several of the student projects including wind turbines for image and energy, a downtown square for retail businesses, a local farmer's market, community supported agriculture, demonstration farms, a heritage house and more green space.
"Once we're gone, with the help of Extension, a group can reevaluate this work and pick not just projects but the direction and vision," Jeff Barber with Extension said. "You will become the custodians of that vision. You're going to find that you do have momentum."
The next Sheldon vision meeting will be 6:30 p.m. April 7 in the school gym.