Ballard residents who want a say in how their neighborhood grows over the next two decades have a narrow window to weigh in.

Seattle's Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) will host a free community workshop on the Ballard Regional Center Plan on Tuesday, Sept. 22, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Ballard Branch of the Seattle Public Library, 5614 22nd Ave NW. An online survey closes Wednesday, Sept. 30.

The workshop is the first announced public meeting for the plan since the city opened the survey in early September. The OPCD confirmed the event on its Facebook page, describing it as a chance to share input with the Ballard project team.

The plan will shape Ballard for 20 years. It covers affordable housing, small business support, transit connections and the relationship between residential areas and the adjacent Ballard Interbay Northend Manufacturing and Industrial Center (BINMIC).

BINMIC is a 1,458-acre industrial zone stretching from Terminal 91 and Interbay to Salmon Bay and the Lake Washington Ship Canal. It includes maritime businesses, manufacturers, warehouses, breweries and food processors.

Ballard is the newest of seven regional centers in Seattle's Comprehensive Plan. That designation means the neighborhood is expected to absorb significant new housing and jobs. OPCD Director Rico Quirindongo said in an Aug. 25 city release that Seattle has managed its population growth by concentrating density within regional and urban centers for 30 years.

District 6 Councilmember Dan Strauss, who represents Ballard, called the designation significant in July when discussing a transit funding measure headed to November voters. Ballard's regional center status "means it is expected to accommodate significant housing and job growth, making improved transit service an important part of that planning," Strauss told My Ballard.

Sound Transit announced July 31 that light rail could reach Market Street in Ballard by 2042 if it closes a funding gap by 2033. Without that funding, service to Smith Cove, Interbay and Ballard could be delayed until around 2060.

Strauss has noted that bus trips between Ballard and downtown can take 45 minutes to an hour.

The Sept. 22 workshop is open to all ages. Food and activities for kids will be available. Interpreters can be requested by emailing [email protected].

The online survey is available in English, Spanish and Chinese. It includes a map-based tool that lets participants drop pins on specific locations, flag favorite destinations and mark areas that need improvement.

Survey responses are due by Sept. 30 at bit.ly/BallardPlanSurvey. More details are available at sustainableballard.org.