Comprehensive Land Use Plan

[Laila Berri]

The mission of the Planning and Development Services Department is to work with the community to achieve its desired future by providing advice and technical expertise to elected officials, appointed boards and commissions, county management, county departments, and citizens of Gaston County, by encouraging planning principles that promote rational, economical, and environmentally efficient use of land, to allow growth in a manner consistent with goals of the County Comprehensive Plan."

22 Delaware Code 702 requires Delaware municipal governments to develop and regularly update land use plans. Smaller cities and towns (those with a population under 2,000) are required to develop a municipal development strategy. Larger cities and towns are required to develop more detailed Comprehensive Land Use Plans.

OSPC's circuit-rider planners are available to help municipal governments through the planning process as is the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration. There are also private-sector planning and consulting firms available to help develop Comprehensive Plans.

The Office has prepared the Comprehensive Plan Checklist and Municipal Comprehensive Plan Guide to help municipal governments meet the requirements of state laws regarding planning. These documents have recently been revised. The checklist is now a single page and focusses on code requirements. The guide has been expanded to include even more guidance about planning strategies as well as information about other state programs and resources that can assist local governments as they craft plans that address the needs of their communities.

All local governments in Delaware (both county and municipal) are required to prepare and adopt comprehensive plans. These plans are reviewed by State Agencies through the Preliminary Land Use Service (PLUS) and certified by the Governor.

The comprehensive plan, also known as a general plan, master plan or land-use plan, is a document designed to guide the future actions of a community. It presents a vision for the future, with long-range goals and objectives for all activities that affect the local government. This includes guidance on how to make decisions on public and private land development proposals, the expenditure of public funds, availability of tax policy (tax incentives), cooperative efforts and issues of pressing concern, such as farmland preservation or the rehabilitation of older neighborhoods areas. Most plans are written to provide direction for future activities over a 10- to 20-year period after plan adoption. However, plans should receive a considered review and possible update every five years.

This work is supported in part by New Technologies for Agriculture Extension grant no. 2020-41595-30123 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

A comprehensive land use plan is an aspirational policy guide for how Belmont should manage land use change over the next twenty years. It contains a vision statement, guiding principles, a future land use map, goals, action statements and a detailed implementation element that together provide a blueprint for citizens, developers, property owners, City staff, boards and the City Council.

The 2040 Comprehensive Plan (referred to as the Plan) outlines the community's vision for the future through a framework of goals and policies that support a thriving and healthy community comprised of great neighborhoods. The Plan is meant to be a living document that is updated over time to respond to changing conditions and the evolving needs of the community.

The Plan is one of a group of long-term planning efforts to create the framework for the future of Westminster. Five partner plans were developed in association with the Plan and are integral to achieve the city's Vision: Parks, Recreation and Libraries Plan; Transportation and Mobility Plan; Sustainability Plan; Water Supply Plan; and a sixth project - Unified Development Code - to update municipal codes relative to development to ensure the goals and policies of the Westminster Forward plans are actionable relative to land development. All parts of the Plan, in conjunction with partner plans, work together towards the realization of the city's vision for the future.

The remaining land inventory in the city is dominated by smaller parcels bypassed by previous developments. New development typically begins with the initial site planning and subdivision design with cost and unit yield being critical considerations. The neighborhood unit concept provides a context for considering the appropriateness of new development within the existing neighborhood fabric. Neighborhood units are primarily low density housing with a park or similar civic space as a focal point. Certain key edge locations may also support a mix of uses in cases where neighborhood services, infrastructure, and transit is available.

The Envision Pitt County 2045 Comprehensive Land Use Plan, which was adopted by the Board of Commissioners on March 20, 2023 and became effective on May 1, 2023, serves as an integral guide for development in Pitt County. A Comprehensive Plan is a tool used for guiding the growth, redevelopment, and overall improvement of the county over the next twenty (20) years.

Development of the plan was a community-driven effort, and Pitt County staff met with stakeholders, citizens, elected officials and appointed boards to create the plan. Initial public input meetings were held in Summer of 2022 at D. H. Conley High School, Ayden-Grifton High School, Farmville Central High School, and North Pitt High School. In the Fall of 2022 additional meetings were held at the Community Schools and Recreation Building at Alice Keene District Park and at North Pitt High School. A project website was developed to provide information about the plan, and was updated regularly throughout the process. The County developed a community survey which was available in English and Spanish, and which could be completed online and via paper copy.

The Envision Pitt County 2045 Comprehensive Land Use Plan updated the previous 2030 Pitt County Comprehensive Land Use Plan (adopted in 2011). The North Carolina General Statutes recognizes the importance of long-range, comprehensive planning by requiring that all zoning map amendments (i.e. rezonings) be consistent with an adopted land use plan. Additionally, an updated Comprehensive Plan is required in order to enact and enforce zoning regulations. It is important that the plan reflect the County's current vision and priorities for development, and regular updates provide an opportunity every 5-10 years to have a conversation with the community.

Major concerns and priorities addressed by the plan include managing growth, encouraging more investment north of the Tar River, protecting farmland, managing flooding, improving transportation infrastructure, and addressing lack of affordable housing.

The plan establishes specific goals and policy recommendations for seven topic areas within the County. These recommendations are meant to guide decision-making and actions by the County and its partners. These topic areas are:

The plan also provides a Future Land Use Map (PDF), which is consistently consulted when reviewing proposed development plans, particularly rezoning proposals. The map includes eight (8) color-coded Character Areas which describe the desired types of development, density recommendations, and design characteristics.

Schertz recently completed the new Comprehensive Land Use Plan in Spring 2024. Beginning in March of 2023, City of Schertz staff along with planning consultants Freese and Nichols, Inc. worked to update the Comprehensive Plan. The goal of the project was to create a Comprehensive Plan that is streamlined and easy to use and help provide direction for the future development of the city. Within this framework, the team was able to create a new plan and future land use map for the entire City.

Schertz Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan Update

The City of Schertz is in the process of updating the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) Master Plan. The PROS Master Plan is a 10-year plan that will establish a community vision, help guide decisions, and create an action plan for Your Parks! This follows the recent adoption of the Schertz Comprehensive Plan. Go to SchertzParksPlan.com to learn more and share your feedback.

2013 Sector Plan Amendment - This document was adopted as an update to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan to address the increased growth in the northern and southern regions of the City. It includes the North Sector Plan and the South Sector Plan.

The Planning Department recently completed a multi-year planning process to create a comprehensive plan for the Town of Burgaw. The Burgaw 2030 Comprehensive Land Use Plan updates background information on the town's natural resources, demographics, and development trends and assists in directing the town's future initiatives and development.

The Florida Water Plan and the Florida Transportation Plan have been adopted. Through its review of planning activities, OIP assists with implementation of the Florida Water Plan, and the water supply plans of the five water management districts.

Growth management legislation was passed in 1985 in response to Florida's commitment to provide the facilities and services that communities need to foster economic growth and preserve natural amenities. The importance of comprehensive planning cannot be overstressed, because it results in decisions regarding long-term issues such as environmental protection and economic development. Section 163.3177, F.S., requires that local government comprehensive plans provide the policy foundation for local planning and land use decisions on capital improvements, conservation, intergovernmental coordination, recreation, open space, future land use, housing, transportation, coastal management (where applicable) and public facilities.

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