Columbia County begins update of comprehensive plan and land development code; consultants report 176 survey responses

Columbia County officials and consultants on Wednesday opened a listening phase for a multi-month overhaul of the county's comprehensive plan and land development code, presenting public engagement results and a list of preliminary code changes that county leaders will review before formal recommendations are transmitted.

The project team from Kimley-Horn and North Florida professional services told commissioners the outreach produced 176 online survey responses and a series of stakeholder workshops, and that staff will return with specific recommendations in the coming months.

Consultant Blair Knighting of Kimley-Horn said the work is currently in a listening stage and that staff had distributed flyers, staffed booths at an Ichetucknee State Park outreach event and the July 4 celebration, and held workshops for developers and county staff. "We received 176 responses," Knighting said, adding that the team is compiling what residents and stakeholders said about housing, growth and the land-development rules.

Why it matters: Columbia County's comprehensive plan sets overarching goals and policies for growth, while the land development code implements those policies through rules on uses,…