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County begins
drafting its new
long-range development plan
Attracting new jobs
while retaining existing ones and "an increased effort to help
existing communities" were presented as primary goals as county
government began work on the quintannual revision of its
Comprehensive Development Plan. Providing in general terms the
first public glimpse into his administration's policy, newly
installed County Executive Paul Clark told about 50 civic
activists gathered for the launching of a year-long process to
write the plan, "You're not planning for just the next five
years; you're planning for the next generation." State law
requires that an updated plan be adopted every five years. David
Culver, Department of Land Use general manager, said a final
draft will be ready for County Council approval in January,
2012.
The process
outlined by April Showers, planning vice president of Johnson,
Mirmiran & Thompson, the consulting firm hired by the department
to lead the effort, includes 11 semimonthly public meetings,
starting in January, 2011, to gather 'input' for each of the
plan's chapters. Culver promised at the session on Dec. 2 that
the process will be "transparent" and open to any resident
wishing to participate. It will be reported step-by-step and in
detail on the county government website as it goes along, he
said. While saying that the drafters are open to receiving ideas
either in person or via e-mail, Culver gave as possible new
"tools in the toolbox" additional zoning classifications to
accommodate existing urban areas and to provide for permanent
open space. |