York City holds public hearing on York 2044 comprehensive plan; adoption delayed to April 1

Council President Kina Washington opened a public hearing March 18 on the City of York’s draft comprehensive plan, York 2044, and invited public testimony before the council considers adoption. Jessica Fieldhouse, a planner with CS Davidson who helped finalize the document, summarized the plan and said comments received at the hearing will be reviewed and may be incorporated prior to a planned April 1 adoption.

The hearing presented the plan as a multi‑year, community‑driven roadmap addressing nine topics — from property conditions and homelessness to transportation and reducing greenhouse gases — and explained it is intended to guide future zoning and land‑use decisions. "The purpose for this evening's hearing is to receive public testimony on the plan," Fieldhouse said. She told the council the plan began in 2019, was advanced through public outreach and a citizen advisory group of about 18 residents, and includes a future land‑use map intended to guide changes to the zoning ordinance and subdivision rules.

Why it matters: The comprehensive plan establishes long‑range priorities that city staff, elected officials and partner agencies will use to decide zoning changes, funding priorities and implementation steps. Several speakers said the plan must be a living document with measurable progress reports so residents can see results rather than a document that "sits on a shelf." The administration told the council it will incorporate comments from the hearing and bring the revised document back for council consideration on April 1, 2025.

Public commenters praised the outreach but raised concerns about implementation and accountability. Marie Roleda and other residents asked who will monitor the plan and how the city will ensure projects align with the plan’s goals. James Abrams, a downtown resident, supported strengthening property condition standards and said certain storefronts in the historic core — such as vape and alcohol shops — do not align with the neighborhood character. Diane Brown and Margie Orr, members of the York City School Board, urged closer collaboration between the city and the school district on goals to improve educational attainment and to avoid long delays in implementation.

Former city planner and resident Mike Pritchard, who participated in earlier stages of the process, stressed that adoption is the start of implementation and urged the council to develop an annual progress report, an implementation plan with responsibilities and ongoing public engagement. "A plan is only as strong as the commitment to follow through," Pritchard said.

Council members likewise emphasized tracking and transparency. Councilwoman Janescu said residents have criticized past plans for lack of follow‑through and asked for a companion strategy to demonstrate measurable results. Council members suggested an annual update showing accomplishments and adjustments.

What the plan contains and how it will be used: Fieldhouse said York 2044 contains nine chapters with two to four objectives each and tiered action strategies for staff, elected and appointed officials. The plan identifies implementation tools that follow adoption — including a zoning ordinance update, subdivision and land development ordinance revisions, and adoption of an official map — and it references potential funding sources such as the city’s CDBG program to prioritize projects.

Next steps and limits: The administration said comments will be collated and reviewed; changes will be made where appropriate. Because staff wants to incorporate hearing input and finalize language, the city postponed formal adoption and will place the revised plan on the April 1 council agenda. No formal vote on adoption occurred at the March 18 hearing. Speakers repeatedly noted that funding constraints and limited staff capacity mean many recommendations will require partnerships with county agencies, nonprofits and the private sector.

Ending: The hearing closed after about a dozen public speakers and a council comment period. Council members and members of the public urged that York 2044 be maintained as a living document with regular public updates and clear measures of progress before adoption is considered on April 1, 2025.