Lieutenant Governor Eric Holcomb announced Tuesday that the Town of Culver was named as one of three finalists for the state’s Stellar Communities Designation Program for communities with populations under 6,000.
The Stellar Communities Designation Program is a planning program managed by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs designed to reward small communities that adopt best practices and address issues related to attracting population growth and economic improvement in rural communities.
The Culver Town Council formed a steering committee made up of community leaders in early 2016 to create a Stellar Community Plan for the Town of Culver. The group built upon the success of and recommendations in the town’s recently completed Comprehensive Plan to create a prioritized list of projects that have broad community support and will positively impact the Culver community in terms of population growth, increasing K-12 school enrollment, increasing area median income, and stimulating additional private investment in the community.
Potential projects in Culver’s Stellar Project List include: a new entry-level housing development on West Jefferson Street, including single family housing and apartments; a Lake Maxinkuckee Bike and Pedestrian Trail; renovating Culver Park’s Beach Lodge; creating a western gateway to town (West Jefferson Street); new sidewalks along SR 10; developing a pocket park near the Culver Community School’s Administration Building; and technical assistance from DNR on improving Lake Maxinkuckee Accessibility.
As a finalist in the state Stellar Community Designation Program, Culver’s next step is completing a Strategic Investment Plan for state review by July 1st, and hosting a site visit from state officials in late July or early August. The designee will be announced at the state fair in August.
