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Conway planning commission kicks off 2050 comprehensive plan rewrite, seeks steering committee and wider outreach
Summary
City planning staff told commissioners the existing 2035 plan and piecemeal updates use inconsistent data, proposing a coordinated rewrite to a 2050 horizon, a 12–15 member steering committee, a 2–3 year timeline and more digital and in-person outreach including ArcGIS story maps and community events.
City of Conway planning staff on March 5 outlined a proposed coordinated rewrite of the municipality's comprehensive plan to a 2050 horizon, saying inconsistent element updates and differing data make a full rewrite the most reliable path forward.
Staff member (speaker 2) told the Planning Commission that Conway's current plan is a 2035 comprehensive plan but that individual elements were updated at different times using different population projections and land‑use assumptions. "Rather than continuing to amend individual pieces, staff believes the best approach is to complete a coordinated full rewrite of the plan," the staff presentation said. The rewrite would align land use, infrastructure, housing, mobility, resiliency and economic development around one common dataset.
Why it matters: staff said Conway has grown about 150% since 2000 and now has more than 30,000 residents, a pace the department said requires updated projections and coordinated policy to avoid mismatches between development and infrastructure capacity. Staff proposed a roughly two‑to‑three year schedule: data collection and community engagement beginning in 2026; drafting in 2027 with steering‑committee review; and public review and revision in 2028 prior to adoption.
Staff proposed appointing a 12–15 member advisory steering committee that would include city staff, planning commissioners, representatives from development and real‑estate interests, utility and county partners, a school representative or county schools, and at least one resident to bring neighborhood perspective. The steering committee would be advisory; the Planning Commission remains the primary policy review body and would ultimately recommend the plan to City Council.
Outreach plans described by assistant planners Charlotte (speaker 4) and Nancy (speaker 5) emphasize a mixture of digital and in‑person engagement. Staff said it will update an interactive ArcGIS story map where residents can view maps and draft materials and complete surveys, while also taking a presence at community events, downtown businesses and themed open‑house sessions to reach younger residents and longtime neighbors alike. Staff showed sample flyers, stickers and a timeline bookmark to help explain the process and asked commissioners to weigh in on branding and distribution.
Commissioners raised questions about committee size and structure and suggested smaller core committees with technical subgroups for specialized topics. Staff said it will present steering‑committee options and suggested membership lists to commissioners for narrowing.
The workshop also addressed related zoning text amendments and implementation details that intersect with the comp‑plan rewrite, including rules for nonconforming uses, special exceptions for sensitive uses and standards for outdoor event facilities. Staff emphasized the rewrite will inform future zoning and development regulations and that commissioners' feedback at this stage will be used to refine both the plan and associated ordinance language.
What happens next: staff said it will incorporate workshop feedback, continue data collection, present steering‑committee candidates and further outreach plans to the commission in coming months, and coordinate with City Council, which was also discussing related items at a concurrent budget retreat.
