The Comprehensive Plan is a municipality’s road map for the future. This official, living, city-wide public document provides long range policy direction for land use, transportation, economic development, housing, public facilities, intergovernmental agreements along with its natural and cultural resources. It serves as a guide for elected and public officials by providing the framework for evaluating development proposals. Included in the Comprehensive Plan are strategies for program funding for all city departments.
The Comprehensive Plan process allows residents and local decision makers to identify and respond to changing community needs and desires in a thoughtful rather than reactive way. The new process requires representation from all the citizens and outlines implementation mechanisms.
All local governments in the State of Georgia are required to adopt a Comprehensive Plan for their locality. While Georgia does not require strict adherence to them, once adopted the plan becomes policy guides for the future growth.
The Comprehensive Plan guides decisions regarding growth and development. It establishes policies pertaining to various elements as required by the State of Georgia. The Zoning Ordinance is part of the city’s code and regulates the use, scale, and intensity of development that are allowed in various districts.
At a minimum, a plan update must be completed every 10 years, in accordance with the Local Comprehensive Plan Recertification Schedule maintained by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. However, after five years, community leaders may determine that the comprehensive plan needs to be updated, based upon the degree of change in the community. If only minor changes have taken place, then revisions to the plan may be sufficient, in the form of plan amendments. If significant changes have occurred in community conditions (i.e., if the data upon which the plan is based has become significantly outdated, or the community’s vision has changed), an update of the comprehensive plan or a major plan amendment may be needed. Public hearings and a vote by the Mayor and City Council are required for any changes to the Plan.
The environmental element of the plan provides guidance for achieving a balance between protecting the environment and planning for the orderly development of the city.
A Comprehensive Plan is the basis for many other planning activities, such as creation of development regulations, transportation planning, park and open space planning, and economic development strategies. It provides a general framework for other, more specific planning.
There will be recommendations and implementation strategies contained within the plan which will outline short-term, mid-term, and long-term strategies. These strategies will constantly be reviewed and executed by the City and many other individuals and groups involved with growth and development in the future.