LEWISTON – Amid drumming and performances by Horton the Elephant and at least one clown, downtown residents unveiled a master plan for future development Saturday morning.

About 40 people gathered to see the performance, held in front of the Knox Street community gardens, and to view the People’s Downtown Master Plan, put together by local group the Visible Community, which went door-to-door downtown and held a meeting to gather ideas to improve the neighborhood.

The Master Plan booklet includes a list of residents’ hopes for infrastructure, as well as several less-concrete things: better bus service, a grocery store within walking distance of downtown, better relations with the police, an improved downtown image and high-quality affordable housing. The plan also lists several detailed goals: expanded public transportation, better and safer public housing, an accessible community center and increased job opportunities.

“There are unmet needs for stores selling the necessities of living that are in walking distance in the neighborhood,” states the plan.

“We need some stores,” area resident Nancy Gallant said Saturday. While some downtown residents own cars, she said, many – like herself – don’t, either because they can’t afford to buy a car, because gas prices are so high or because they can’t drive. “You can’t buy a lot of food,” she said. There aren’t any grocery stores within walking distance, and so getting to one requires either a bus trip or bumming a ride from a friend.

The Visible Community began putting the plan together a year ago, said Tina Bailey, who helped create it. “We wanted to let the city know we wanted more housing and more roads,” she said. “I’ve lived here all my life. There’s a real sense of neighborhood. If you need help, they’ll help you. They’re here,” she said.

Area resident Jada Dixon, 24, attended the event to see what was going on Saturday morning and was pleased with what she saw. “I think (the plan) is good for our community,” she said.

The Visible Community plans to hand the Master Plan over to the Lewiston City Council on April 1.