Chester Business Association (CBA) members last week lunched shoulder to shoulder in the downstairs meeting room of Howellet’s to hear comments, opinions and hopes for the future from those involved with Chesterfield’s countywide comprehensive plan during what was christened a “pocket forum.”

The panel lined one wall like a science project diorama, flanked by a top real estate attorney and the man who is transportation in Chesterfield. Pleasantries were exchanged by way of introductions before CBA members began to ask questions.

The CBA typically conducts monthly networking-style meetings nine months out of the year, but this year, according to board member Stacy Chisholm, members were looking for a mid-summer meeting and something a little different. What they got was a panel consisting of Bermuda District Supervisor Dorothy Jaeckle, Supervisors Chairman Dan Gecker, Planning Director Kirk Turner, Transportation Director John McCracken and three members of the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee: Ree Hart, Lisa Coffey and Carrie Coyner. CBA treasurer Scott Fisher moderated.

Now, before you get too bored with Mark’s infinite playlist, our dear panel did have some things to say that we haven’t heard before and offered some hope as to the health of Chesterfield County.

“I think we really have to be forceful when it comes to pedestrian access” on the high-speed rail coming through Chester, Jaeckle said. On the Shoosmith landfill expansion case making its way to Board of Supervisors, tipping her hand, she said, “I think we really have to work with the community and with Shoosmith, because we do want them to be a successful operation and what they want to do does not affect what people are concerned about and that is the odor.” She added that she has to “balance out what is best for the community.

“You’re never going to make everybody happy all the time.”

Much of the meeting was taken up with updates, explanations and details of the comprehensive plan process. Turner said the comprehensive plan draft should be out for public comment in “late winter or early spring next year.”

Gecker spoke positively about the state of Chesterfield’s economics, saying the worst could be over.

“After a couple of years when we had to tighten the belt and made some cuts; fortunately, citizens didn’t feel those cuts, but from what we’re seeing now I think we’ve hit bottom and we’re going to start going up,” Gecker related. “We have things [in development] that we just didn’t see last year.”

CBA member and C & F Bank Manager Allen Thompson said that during their campaigns for supervisor in 2007, several candidates advocated for adding members to the Board of Supervisors. “Where are you at in regards to that?” Thompson asked.

Jaeckle said she didn’t think additional magisterial districts were needed. She said she was able to easily keep up with constituent’s e-mails, phone calls and questions. Gecker, who had been in favor of adding board members, said the Board of Supervisors would not have to seek permission from the state to increase the size of the board, but supervisors would make a decision as to boundaries and the size of the board after the results of the 2010 Census become available.

The structure of the CBA Pocket Forum is something that should be considered for a wider audience. CBA members left the meeting with a little more understanding of where the comprehensive plan is and how at least two elected officials feel about current local issues.