Planning consultant briefs commission on comprehensive plan and Greenways/Open Space plan; commission recommends county adoption

Tim Stobbe, the project manager for Carbon County’s comprehensive plan and Greenway Trails Open Space Plan, presented an update and requested the Planning Commission recommend the draft documents to the County Commissioners for adoption.

Stobbe said both draft documents have been advertised to adjoining counties and local municipalities and posted on the county website for a required 45‑day public review period under the Municipalities Planning Code. He told the commission that the consultant team collected public input at county events including the Carbon County Fair and targeted stakeholder meetings and that the drafts reflect steering‑committee direction on key themes and implementation priorities.

“The committee helped guide these documents. This is truly your document,” Stobbe said, summarizing the committee role and the plans’ focus on housing, outdoor economy, infrastructure, and creating places. He said the comprehensive plan is a shorter, theme‑driven document (about 100 pages) with implementation tables assigning suggested ownership, potential funding sources and pilot projects; the Greenways/Open Space Plan emphasizes trail connections, conservation, farmland preservation and recreation‑driven economic development.

Stobbe noted findings from public engagement: demographic and housing pressures from regional commuters and second‑home purchases, aging infrastructure and gaps in infrastructure data, childcare cost burdens on families, and a high percentage of park and trail users who live in the county. He also described the need to reconcile local zoning with available infrastructure in some municipalities and recommended regional coordination where appropriate.

Commission members asked whether changes can be made before the deadline and Stobbe said minor edits and corrections can be submitted during the public review and that major plan changes would require re‑advertising. Commissioners discussed some inaccurate or out‑of‑date listings in the draft (for example, ambulance corps or fire companies no longer in service) and Stobbe said the team will work with county communications and local providers to update those entries.

A Planning Commission member moved to recommend the draft comprehensive plan and Greenway Trails Open Space Plan to the Board of County Commissioners for consideration. Sean Taylor seconded the motion and the commission recorded the recommendation by voice vote.

Stobbe said DCED and DCNR provided grant support for the planning work and that grant timelines mean the county aims to have the documents before the commissioners in June; he noted that if adoption is delayed the county would need to request extensions from grant agencies. The consultant also said the implementation section includes an index of grants and loans to help municipalities and the county execute the plans.

Provenance: Tim Stobbe began his presentation by introducing himself as project manager for the comprehensive plan and Greenway Trails/Open Space Plan and concluded the presentation by asking the commission for a recommendation. The commission moved and seconded a recommendation to the county commissioners.