Frankfort Advances Downtown Urban Design Study, Solicits Resident Input

Village of Frankfort Meeting | March 2, 2026

Article Summary: The Village of Frankfort paid its latest installment to The Lakota Group for the ongoing Downtown Urban Design Study, as village officials urgently called on residents to participate in a newly launched online survey to shape the area’s future.

Downtown Design Study Key Points:

• Financial Investment: The Village Board approved a $7,940.95 payment to The Lakota Group for ongoing study services.

• Public Input Sought: An online survey is currently live on the village website to gather resident preferences on downtown design and improvements.

• Addressing Skepticism: Trustees assured the public that the study’s outcomes are not predetermined and genuine public input is the driving force behind the project.

The Frankfort Village Board on Monday, March 2, 2026, pushed forward with its comprehensive Downtown Urban Design Study, approving a financial disbursement for the project’s consultants while making a direct plea for public participation.

During the approval of the schedule of bills, Trustee Jessica Petrow specifically highlighted a $7,940.95 payment to The Lakota Group out of the General Corporate Fund. The Lakota Group was hired to help develop downtown design guidelines and recently hosted an open house workshop at Trail’s Edge Brewing to gather initial feedback.

With an online survey now live on the village website, Mayor Keith Ogle emphasized the critical nature of community feedback.

“There’s questions and there’s pictures of things that you might consider, and also we are looking for your input,” Ogle said. “This is a very important part of it. Our downtown is very special, and we want to make sure that as we’re adding improvements to it that they are truly improvements and we’re taking everybody’s input into consideration.”

Trustee Petrow echoed the call to action, reminding residents to sign up for email communications via the survey link to stay informed about future meetings.

“This is a big investment that we’re putting, not only a financial investment, but a time investment,” Petrow said. “We do want to hear from residents, business owners to make sure that we keep our downtown the jewel that it really is in our town and really maintain that sense of community and purpose.”

Trustee Adam Borrelli acknowledged that the study has generated debate and some skepticism on neighborhood social media pages, addressing those concerns directly during the meeting.

“I’ll tell you that there is nobody up here who knows what’s going to come out of that,” Borrelli said. “The reason we went forward with it is because there’s a lot of differing opinions, not just among the board, but among the community. This was what we thought was in the best interest of everyone to actually have their voice heard. It’s not a smoke and mirror show. We really don’t know what the outcome of it is going to be, and I’m excited to see what it is. The more that participate, the better the result will be.”