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Consultant reports strong initial turnout for Imagine Pender 2050 public engagement
Summary
Consultant Leanne King presented results from the first round of community engagement for the Imagine Pender 2050 comprehensive plan, reporting more than 1,400 surveys and about 77 in-person meeting attendees and preliminary priorities including managing growth, preserving farmland and addressing stormwater.
A consultant working on the Imagine Pender 2050 comprehensive land-use plan told commissioners the first round of public engagement produced more than 1,400 survey responses and roughly 77 attendees at 10 in-person meetings held around the county.
Leanne King of Claring Associates summarized participation and key themes: residents valued rural character and agricultural lands, raised concerns about stormwater and flooding, and identified priorities such as coordinated infrastructure for growth, farmland preservation, community amenities and improved access to health services and public transportation. King said staff and the consultant will use these inputs to draft land-use alternatives and a public review draft later in the process.
King noted the engagement effort included tabling at 15 events and an online platform that ran from Sept. 17 to Oct. 29 to maximize participation. Demographic comparisons to census data showed higher participation among older age cohorts, which King said is typical for planning outreach. She also highlighted ideas for later consideration that other counties have used, such as a tiered growth map, farmland preservation planning and enhanced floodplain and stormwater standards; she emphasized that changes to development standards would require a separate regulatory process and public hearings.
King told commissioners new legislation (Senate Bill 382, she said) may affect local development regulations and the team would monitor that as they draft policy recommendations. Staff said a second engagement round will accompany release of the draft plan for public review.
What happens next: staff and the steering committee will use engagement results to develop land-use alternatives and then prepare a draft comprehensive plan for public review and adoption later in 2025.
