Citizen-Driven Comprehensive Planning for Small Communities

Kirby Date, AICP

Melissa K. Schneider, AICP

Comprehensive Planning: the Key to Balance

• Sets development and conservation goals in an organized fashion

• Plans for long-term financial stability• Resolves tradeoffs up-front• Provides for future logical, consistent decision

making• Legal stability: logical justification of decisions• Sets a framework for implementation

Purpose of Comprehensive Planning

• To protect the public health, safety and welfare

• To ensure quality of life for future generations

• To continue biological diversity and processes

• To balance private needs with public good

Is It Time for a Comprehensive Plan or Update?

You do not have an existing comprehensive plan.

Your comprehensive plan is more than 5 years old.

Your zoning code is out of date or does not address existing and potential development demands.

A major change in development, population or funding has occurred or is planned for since the last comprehensive plan

  Your existing plan does not build on the unique strengths, capabilities, or location of your community.

Your existing plan does not have measurable goals or priorities

Your existing plan has no vision

The natural environment has been threatened or degraded.

There is a sense that your community’s needs are not being met.

Your historic resources or community image are being affected by development.

Your economic base is slipping

Components Necessary for Planning

• CONSENSUS

• COMMITMENT

• CAPACITY

• CASH

The Role of the Public

ARE YOU A GOOD

CANDIDATE FOR THE

SMALL COMMUNITIES

PLANNING INITIATIVE

PILOT PROGRAM?

Small Communities Planning Initiative

• Make comprehensive planning accessible and affordable

• Create sustainable communities that balance conservation and development

• Improve the capacity for making better planning decisions

Main Components of the Initiative

• Small Communities Planning Tool Kit

• Training Workshops

• Professional Technical Assistance

Citizens Role in Plan

Consensus Commitment Capacity Cash

Traditional

Citizen-Driven

Organization ChartPlanning

Commission or Township Trustees

Steering Committee

Citizens Committee

Working Group

Population, Economics & Housing

Agriculture, Transportation & Land

Use

Infrastructure & Natural Resources

Hist., Cultural, & Scenic Resources &

Community Facilities

Professional Assistance

Importance of Professional Assistance

• Community Facilitation• Identification of Data

Resources• Assistance with Analysis• Tools for Implementation

Steps to Creating a Comprehensive Plan

• PHASE 1: Research and Analysis of Existing Conditions – Where are we?

• PHASE 2: Creating a Community Vision and Goals – Where do we want to be?

• PHASE 3: Developing Action Strategies – How will we get there?

• PHASE 4: Plan Preparation

TimelineAdministrative Organization & Plan Kick-off Weeks 1 – 2

Phase 1: Data Collection & Analysis Weeks 3 – 9

Phase 2: Visioning & Goal Setting Weeks 10 – 13

Phase 3: Action Strategies Weeks 14 – 18

Phase 4: Plan Preparation Weeks 19 – 28

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Taking the Pulse of the Community

• Community Questionnaire

• Business Retention and Expansion Survey

• Interview with Key Stakeholders

• Community Open Houses• Specialized Studies (e.g.

Agricultural Survey)

Planning Elements• Population• Housing• Economics• Infrastructure• Land Uses• Agriculture• Transportation

• Natural Resources

• Community Facilities

• Historical, Cultural, & Scenic Resources

Pulling It All Together

• Mapping

• Writing

• Draft Review Process

• Adoption

• Publicizing Your Plan

The Countryside Programwww.countrysideprogram.org

www.urban.csuohio.edu/planningcenter

Kirby Date, AICP, Coordinator216-687-5477 k.date@csuohio.edu

Melissa Schneider, AICP, Consultant

QUESTIONS?