TITLE
Update on the Comprehensive Plan effort including an overview of the plan goals and highlights of specific topic areas.
ABSTRACT
Action Requested:
Update on the Comprehensive Plan effort including an overview of the plan goals and highlights of specific topic areas.
Introduction & Background:
In January of this year the county contracted with LandDesign to draft a comprehensive plan. A Steering Committee of 14 members and 5 alternates was appointed to provide input and assist in the plan development. Work on the plan has been on-going and progressing on schedule with a few minor adjustments.
Discussion & Analysis:
The Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee has met 9 times throughout the year and provided valuable input into the plan process. The overall project was broken into two phases, Phase 1 was an assessment of current efforts in the county and is complete. Phase 2 is developing the Comprehensive plan framework and document. Phase 1 activities included a series of stakeholder meetings in February and the topic areas were agriculture, community and health, economic development, environment, infrastructure, and land use. A Phase 1 report was prepared by the consultants and presented to the Commissioners in April 2016.
The consultants have also prepared three technical memos for existing transportation conditions, 15-501 corridor market profile and analysis, and a community profile. A series of community input meetings was held in June that also coincided with a community survey that received over 1,600 responses. Community outreach has been on-going with presentations to community groups and participation at community events. There have also been two agricultural focus group meetings and a separate survey targeted to the agricultural community.
The County has also received additional funds that have been applied to the contract. The Health Department secured funding totaling $5,500 for meetings with the Chatham County Health Alliance and an obesity subcommittee. The funds were targeted to facilitate discussions focusing on the plan goals with a potential impact on health outcomes, such as land use, natural resources, parks and recreation, transportation, and housing. The county has also been awarded a $10,000 NC Wildlife Resources Commission Partners for Green Growth grant that focuses on developing a conceptual design of preferred development patterns in an area of the County with development pressures. The grant also includes conducting a design charrette that will be coordinated with the Chatham County Conservation Partnership.
Recommendation:
Receive the Comprehensive Plan Update.