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Lancaster council reviews draft 2024 comprehensive plan following public hearing
Summary
At a public hearing, a consultant summarized Lancaster's 2024 comprehensive plan, highlighting six primary goals including community revitalization, infrastructure and annexation; council members praised the plan and directed staff to post it online and tie implementation to next year's budget.
Lancaster Mayor Deini opened a public hearing on the city's draft 2024 comprehensive plan and invited consultant Mr. Effley to present the document and its development process.
Mr. Effley told the council the planning effort included roughly half a dozen meetings with the Planning Commission, three public meetings and a community survey. The draft lays out a vision statement, six overarching goals — including community revitalization, infrastructure investment and managed annexation — and approximately 18 strategies for implementation. He said the update is required by state law to support zoning and development-impact fees and noted the plan must be revisited at least every 10 years.
Council members expressed broad support for the plan as a guiding document. Council Member Harris asked whether the plan would be posted online; staff confirmed it would be available on the city website. Several members stressed the importance of translating plan goals into next year's departmental budgets so the document does not sit unused.
Mayor Deini and other council members thanked staff, the Planning Commission and Benchmark Planning (Jason Aley was named in the meeting record) for drafting the plan. Council members emphasized using the plan to guide capital investments and annexation decisions while protecting downtown legacy sites.
The hearing served as the formal public-record step required before adoption or further council action; staff indicated additional procedural readings may follow and that any required revisions would be handled before a final vote. The council also discussed holding a brief presentation from the city's accreditation team at a future meeting to align internal policies with plan goals.
The council indicated the draft will be posted online for public review and signaled intent to fold plan priorities into the FY2025 budgeting process.
