Chattahoochee County issues 2025 comprehensive plan update, prioritizes water, sewer and economic growth

The Unified Government of Cusseta–Chattahoochee County submitted its 2025 Comprehensive Plan update, outlining priorities to address aging water infrastructure, extend sewer service where feasible, support broadband deployment and promote modest commercial and housing growth near SR 520/US 280, US 27 and SR 26.

The plan, prepared with assistance from the River Valley Regional Commission, frames a vision of measured growth that preserves rural character while leveraging proximity to Fort Benning and Columbus. It lists actionable goals for workforce training, affordable housing, roadway and sidewalk improvements, lighting and streetscape work in the Cusseta town center, and coordinated land-use policies for development near the military installation.

County officials documented demographic trends showing long-term population decline in the county’s non–Fort Benning area, and they used those trends to justify targeted infrastructure investments rather than broad expansion. The document says water distribution has “six to ten years of life” without improvements and that a sewer system will be required to support additional growth; the plan notes an agreement framework with Fort Benning and the City of Columbus for a future sewer tie-in but says external funding is still needed.

The update packages a work program for 2026–2031 that lists projects, estimated costs and funding sources. Items identified as underway or planned include water distribution upgrades, a Broad Street redevelopment/streetscape project, sewer updates in the Broad Street area (engineering/planning underway and grant applications submitted), multi-use trails connecting recreation assets, pad-ready site preparation and remediation of brownfield sites. Cost estimates in the work program range from small local-cost items (website updates) to larger capital requests (sewer and trail projects listed at roughly $1,000,000 each).

The plan cites state planning requirements (O.C.G.A. 110-12-1) and references state and federal grant programs — including CDBG, USDA telecom grants, BEAD and other broadband funding streams — as likely funding pathways. It also records public outreach efforts and an initial/final public hearing schedule tied to DCA submission milestones.

Next steps in the process include finalizing the adopted comprehensive plan and pursuing the identified grant and capital funding opportunities; some projects require external approvals or grant awards before construction can begin. For contact and technical questions, the plan lists Allison Slocum of the River Valley Regional Commission as the outreach contact.