Plan Process and Elements

Public Participation

Public forums and community meetings are planned (please keep checking for the dates and times for these meetings). The first public hearings are designed to brief the community on the process to be used to develop the plan, opportunities for public participation in development of the plan, and to obtain input on the proposed planning process.

We need your help in this planning process! Local Government Officials, Business Owners, School Board Members, Economic Development Members, Arts and Culture Committees, and Community Members at large are all encouraged to be a part of the process.

Needs and Opportunities

In this phase we identify where we are today; what is our current state of the Community - existing projects, finances, infrastructure, etc.; what do the current trends, economic conditions, and demographics tell us about our community and where it might be headed. A locally agreed upon list of Needs and Opportunities the community intends to address will be developed. This list is typically developed through a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis.

Land Use Element and Future Development Map

The Land Use Element provides general direction and guidance for the physical development of Mitchell County and its municipality’s. Element objectives and policies provide guidance for future decisions regarding development applications, zoning regulations, the subdivision and development of land, development fees to pay for necessary public facilities, and improvements to the city's infrastructure. The Future Land Use Map, which is included at the end of the Element, depicts the general distribution, location, and density of land uses in the city based upon the policies of the Comprehensive Plan and existing land uses. The Map does not portray the specific use of each parcel of land. Rather, it shows the planned locations of generalized activities and residential densities. The Zoning Ordinance determines specific regulations governing development of property.

Economic Development Element

Identify needs and opportunities related to economic development and vitality of the community, and Community Work Program activities for addressing these needs and opportunities, considering such factors as diversity of the economic base, quality of the local labor force, effectiveness of local economic development agencies, programs and tools. The Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the region may be substituted for this element.

Community Work Program

One important aspect of the Plan will be the Community Work Program, which will outline the specific activities the community plans to undertake during the next five years to address the priority Needs and Opportunities or to achieve Community Goals. This includes any activities, initiatives, programs, ordinances, administrative systems to be put in place to implement the plan.

Draft Comprehensive Plan

During this phase the SWGRC, with the participation of the steering committee will prepare the elements of the Comprehensive plan for review and comment.

State of Georgia Review and Final Adoption

After completing the draft and providing opportunity for public review and comment, the Draft Comprehensive Plan will be submitted to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) for review. Once the DCA has approved the Draft Comprehensive Plan, it can be formally adopted by each government as a Final Comprehensive Plan.