Cusseta–Chattahoochee County releases comprehensive plan update highlighting water, sewer and broadband priorities

Cusseta–Chattahoochee County officials and planning staff released an updated Comprehensive Plan that frames the county as a small rural community adjacent to Fort Benning while prioritizing infrastructure upgrades, broadband expansion and modest economic growth. The plan was prepared with assistance from the River Valley Regional Commission and documents an initial public hearing held June 24, 2025, with a final public hearing scheduled for Dec. 11, 2025.

The plan’s central argument is that the county can leverage its proximity to Fort Benning and Columbus while preserving its rural character. It lays out goals across economic development, housing, transportation and natural-resource protection, and identifies specific implementation measures such as applying for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, pursuing a sewer tie‑in with Fort Benning/City of Columbus when funding is secured, and continuing roadside and sidewalk improvements.

Officials and staff flagged several urgent infrastructure issues. The plan states that the county’s water distribution has “six to ten years of life” given current distribution problems and that the area lacks a countywide sewer system needed to support more growth. The work program includes line items such as an update to Broad Street sewer ($1,000,000 listed as UGOCCC/CDBG/grant funding) and phased water distribution improvements (estimated $100,000 in program listing). A county document also lists pavement and intersection projects and ongoing street improvements as multi-year priorities.

Broadband deployment is another explicit priority. The plan references Georgia’s Achieving Connectivity Everywhere (ACE) Act (SB 402) and the state Broadband Deployment Initiative, reporting that 1,174 locations have fixed service, 1,011 locations are encumbered by grant commitments, and 118 locations remain unserved. The county intends to use the broadband element of the plan to position itself for federal and state funding programs (BEAD, USDA, ARPA-related grants) and to encourage providers to target remaining unserved addresses.

On housing and land use, the plan recommends encouraging infill and protecting agricultural and conservation areas while permitting higher-density development where public sewer and water can be made available. It calls out a high share of manufactured homes in the Non‑Fort Benning Area (NFBA) and the tax implications of homes classified as personal property. Employment and income data in the plan show a declining local population and a 2025 unemployment rate reported at 3.8% (Georgia 3.1%).

The document includes a work program (2026–2031) with specific projects and estimated costs—examples include Phase 2 of remodeling the old city hall into a museum/welcome center ($100,000), multi‑use trails ($1,000,000), and Broad Street sewer updates ($1,000,000)—many items marked as 'Underway' and tied to UGOCCC, CDBG, GDOT or other grants. The plan notes that funding dependencies will determine timing and implementation.

The county will accept public comment through the scheduled meetings; the plan lists outreach activities, prior public work sessions and an online survey. Next procedural steps are the remaining scheduled public meetings and the final public hearing on Dec. 11, 2025, as listed in the plan.