Wilmington residents are taking part in a hands-on planning workshop Wednesday afternoon and evening.  

City planners and designers have turned a room in the Halyburton Park community center into Feedback Central, inviting the public to stop by, learn more about the status of the city’s comprehensive planning process and respond to the ideas on growth alternatives generated from resident input thus far.

Displayed on the center’s walls are six large maps, each tied to one of six so-called alternative future visions for growth within the Wilmington city limits. The border of each map shows possible strategies for growth that are aligned with that vision.

Using green (good idea) and red (bad idea) sticky dots, people can flag strategies they favor or dislike. Sticky notes are available as well, so that residents can post specific comments on relevant places on a map.

“Each of the alternative future visions is a different approach to growth, although some of them are not mutually exclusive,” said city associate planner Brian Chambers.

Chambers said that on each vision map, specific strategies are proposed for specific locations, such as the idea of allowing small versions of big box stores in mixed-use buildings downtown. Less than one hour into the planning workshop, that strategy box was littered with red dots.

According to the U.S. Census, Wilmington is projected to grow by 52 percent by 2040, swelling to a population of 166,000. According to local officials, only about 13 percent of the land within city limits is vacant and buildable. The comprehensive plan – of which the alternative visions input will be a part – will help guide future planning policy, determining whether future building patterns concentrate that growth into urban centers or planned neighborhoods, along public transportation corridors, or just wherever it happens, planners said.

Wednesday’s workshop continues until 8 p.m. at Halyburton Park, 4099 S. 17th St., with a brief presentation by planning staff at 6 p.m. Staff members will be on hand throughout the workshop.