Richland County opens comprehensive plan for public comment; public hearing set for Jan. 14

Richland County staff told the board the county’s draft comprehensive plan is open for public comment and that a public hearing will be held Jan. 14 before the county’s Executive Committee.

The planner said staff completed engagement with local leaders across villages, towns and cities, and the plan was posted the day before the meeting. Physical copies were mailed to NR135 operators in the county and provided to the Brewer Public Library; the clerk’s office also has a printed copy and the plan is available on the Richland County website. Staff asked that comments be directed to the planner by phone or email.

Staff said the plan is organized into an existing-conditions section and three main sections driven by outreach: economic development, intergovernmental cooperation and land use. Local townships were invited to review and, in many cases, retain their existing future land-use maps; the GIS team is processing follow-up map changes requested by some towns.

Supervisor Steve Carroll noted he was able to view the notice but initially could not find the full plan on the county website; staff said they would confirm the online posting. Supervisor Glass Brenner flagged a misspelling of his name on page two; staff apologized and said they would correct it. The planner also agreed to clarify the acronym “ADU” as “accessory dwelling unit” in the document.

The planner said he will attend the Jan. 14 Executive Committee meeting in person to present the plan and accept public testimony.