Comprehensive Planning

  

What is Comprehensive Planning?

A Comprehensive Plan is an official document that describes and illustrates a vision for the future economic, social, and physical characteristics of the community in the years ahead and outlines policies and guidelines to implement that vision. It addresses community challenges and opportunities around critical natural resources, housing, economic development, historic preservation, transportation, recreation, and municipal operations. A Comp Plan usually includes:

  • Introduction and Plan Background
  • Community Vision
  • Community Engagement
  • Data Inventory and Analysis
  • Future Land Use
  • Regional Coordination
  • Implementation: Goals, Policies, Strategies

 

  

Why make or update a Comprehensive Plan?

The comprehensive plan serves many functions. It:

  • is an expression of the community’s vision of its future;
  • provides the opportunity for public participation and engagement;
  • provides an understanding of the existing and predicted conditions of a community;
  • guides the many public and private decisions that determine a community's future;
  • acts as a source of information about the natural resources and built environment of the community;
  • enables the community to access certain State grants and funds; and,
  • is the legal foundation of the community's land use controls.


 

  

How can SMPDC help?

SMPDC supports Comprehensive Planning processes in a variety of ways depending on the needs of the community. Comprehensive planning is a fee-for-service contract, with prices varying according to the amount of assistance needed.

 

SMPDC can help you with any or all of the following:

  • Gather and analyze data for your inventory chapters;
  • Write your inventory chapters;
  • Facilitate and lead your steering committee;
  • Assist with or lead your public engagement process (surveys, open houses, stakeholder interviews, focus groups, public meetings, etc.);
  • Train your planning boards or elected officials on the Comprehensive Planning process;
  • Create your maps;
  • Facilitate your future land use and implementation chapter discussions;
  • Write your future land use and implementation chapters; and,
  • Package everything together into a clean and professional document.