Waynesville comprehensive plan nears adoption
Waynesville's proposed comprehensive plan is available for viewing on the town's website.
Town of Waynesville photo
After more than two years of planning and public presentations the Town of Waynesville’s new comprehensive land use plan is ready for a vote by aldermen, but not before a final pair of public hearings.
Titled “Waynesville 2035: Planning with Purpose,” the 179-page document covers everything from agriculture to zoning and plots the path of future development in and around the town.
Its predecessor, “Waynesville: Our Heritage, Our Future, Town of Waynesville 2020 Land Development Plan,” had served the same role for almost two decades, as its title suggests, however such master planning documents require regular updates and revisions to maintain relevancy.
Such plans are usually a prerequisite for municipal financial transactions like grants and loans, as funders want to be sure future projects and developments are part of a well thought-out long-term plan that has significant community support, as opposed to frivolous fast-track flights of fancy.
Perhaps most importantly, the plans lay out geographical zones where the community has decided it wants growth, and where it doesn’t want growth. The 2035 plan also spells out what kind of growth the community would like to see – residential, commercial or industrial – and what density that growth should aspire to.
For more than a year, a number of public meetings and comment sessions have been conducted in all quarters of the community, from which decisions expressed in the plan originated.
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A steering committee, in conjunction with consultants Stewart, Inc., JM Teague, and Chipley Consulting, compiled the input for presentation. The town’s planning board has been reviewing that presentation for about a year.
At the regular Waynesville Board of Aldermen meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 11, the plan will be presented to the public by lead consultant Jake Petroskey of Stewart, who will discuss major concepts included in the plan and answer questions. Aldermen will also entertain public comment about the plan.
At the Tuesday, Sept. 8 regular Waynesville Board of Aldermen meeting, public comment will again be heard, and aldermen can decide to vote on adopting the plan at that time.
The 2035 plan is included in its entirety in the Aug. 11 meeting agenda, which can be found at the link below. The plan begins on page 26 of the agenda.
