HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Comp Plan Update
MEMORANDUM
DATE: November 4, 2009
TO: Board of Commissioners
FROM Nick Lelack, Planning Director
SUBJECT: Comprehensive Plan Update Direction
On October 28, the Board conducted a work session to discuss the Comprehensive Plan
update. The Board, members of the Planning Commission, and staff discussed several key
issues. Both at the work session and since, the Board has: (a) clarified Planning Commission
and staff roles and responsibilities; (b) provided flexibility in the timeline to complete the Plan
update; and (c) directed staff to work with the Planning Commission to revise the “action items”
into policies or to remove them from the draft Plan (and maintain them separately).
The purpose of this agenda item is to further clarify Board direction on the Comprehensive Plan
update. One issue the Planning Commission and staff seek direction on is how the
Comprehensive Plan update should move forward.
The Planning Commission may discuss and vote on whether the draft Plan should be scrapped
(deemed “dead on arrival”) and re-written at its next regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday,
November 5. Three Commissioners do not believe any element of the current draft Plan can be
salvaged. If the Planning Commission votes to initiate a re-write of the draft Plan, and the
Board supports the Commission, then the publicly noticed work sessions and open houses on
the current draft Plan should be suspended and/or completely revised. A new schedule would
be established for the Planning Commission and staff to re-write the Plan update.
Key issues with this revised approach include: (a) significant public notification has been
provided on the work sessions and open houses; (b) the Planning Commission has just begun
to express its views on the substance of the current draft Plan; and (c) public comments have
indicated support for elements of the draft Plan and/or provided specific input on how it should
be revised and improved.
Alternatively, the current approach – Planning Commission work sessions and open houses to
gain input on the current draft Plan – may be continued as scheduled through January 7, 2010.
Then, the Planning Commission and staff would conduct public work sessions to edit the draft
Plan as necessary to prepare a revised Plan for consideration at public hearings. However, the
key issue with this approach is whether the Planning Commission supports it.