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A revised
draft of the plan was released on Jan. 18 at a board hearing on
Jan. 18. The 92-page document sets forth 14 strategies to
achieve "manageable growth" and maintain an acceptable quality
of life.
The plan
is scheduled for adoption by County Council in March. State law
requires that it be updated every five years.
Key
element is the projection that the county has sufficient land
available for commercial, office and industrial growth to
support a projected employment growth between now and 2030 and
to house those workers. It is anticipated the workforce will
grow from 272,000 in 2000 to 362,000 over that period.
In terms
of economic development, the plan looks for growth that is both
diversified and sustainable.
"The
issue is to manage growth. You can't stop it," said Vince Kowal,
spokesman for the Department of Land Use, which produced the
plan.
Noting
that the plan has the force of law, he added that the intent was
to provide a workable blueprint that will form the basis for
land-use and related decisions. "The people have to have
confidence in this document," he said.
To that
end, the released draft was accompanied by a compilation of
comments received after publication of the initial draft last
autumn. There are more than 500 entries from more than 40
individuals and organizations, grouped by topic and including a
specific response.
The draft is to be posted on the
county Web site before the hearing. In addition, copies of the
document can be obtained by telephoning 385-5404.
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