Comprehensive Planning

What is a Comprehensive Plan?

A Comprehensive Plan aids in policy building to ensure orderly growth and to protect the public’s best interest. There are many functions of a Comprehensive Plan, including the creation of a collective vision that reflects the intentions and will of the community to decide its future. In addition, the plan assists the city in proactively preparing for the future by guiding development in a fiscally-responsible manner and to coordinate public infrastructure investments to ensure adequate provision of public facilities and services.

The plan will lay out recommendations regarding a variety of topics that include land use, housing, economic development, parks, recreation, open space and transportation and corridor plans. The plan will contain goals, objectives, policies and guidelines for growth and redevelopment generally over a 10-20 year period.

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

1. Serves as a guide for decisions concerning the community’s physical development.
2. Takes a comprehensive approach to a wide range of community development issues (e.g., land use, major streets, parks & open space, etc.)
3. Designed to reflect community development goals and objectives.
4. Recommends location and intensity of land uses, major street improvements, parks and open space, etc.
5. Provides a rational basis for administering the zoning ordinance and other development regulations.