Protecting Rutherford County’s rural character, while positioning it for the future are the main concerns facing the county’s development of a comprehensive land-use plan.
Monday night the Regional Planning Commission’s Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee met for the first time with consultants, Parsons Brinkerhoff, to discuss the process behind the plans development.
“I think in the end we’ll come up with a plan that we’ll be proud to present to the planning commission and the people of Rutherford County,” said David Hafley, Parsons Brinkerhoff’s director of the project.
The Comprehensive Plan will become the policy foundation for all future planning in the unincorporated areas of Rutherford County.
“A Comprehensive Plan is a means of establishing a long-term community vision by looking 15 to 20 years into the future, determining needs, setting goals and objectives, and formulating policies that direct future development to be consistent with that vision,” RC Planning Director Doug Demosi said.
After the plan is developed, the county will then begin reformulating its zoning code and subdivision regulations.
Parsons Brinkerhoff has been busy the last few months talking to stakeholders and researching previous area land-use plans to develop a course of action for the countywide plan.
Steering Committee members were allowed to chime in for the first time Monday night about what issues concern them most.
Overall the most important issues that surfaced were protecting the county’s water supply, farm land, and natural and cultural resources, while positioning the county to take advantage of economic development opportunities by using innovative planning techniques, keeping housing affordable and allowing small-scale green energy efforts.
Dealing with the county’s exponential growth will also be a challenge with the new plan.
The committee would also like to protect the character of small communities, like Christiana, Walter Hill and Blackman, by considering their concerns.
For those out in the Rutherford County community, Parsons Brinkerhoff will be holding a series of focus groups and a community-wide meeting, as well as setting up a blog and an online survey to gauge community concerns.
To keep up with the Comprehensive Plan’s progress, visit www.rutherfordcountytn.gov/planning.
Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com. |
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