Plan Commission hears public input, moves to recommend draft 20-year comprehensive plan with parks additions

The Central Pacolet Plan Commission opened a public hearing on the town's draft 20-year comprehensive plan and heard a presentation from Jeff Gilbo of the regional planning agency. The hearing, required by state law, allowed the public to comment on the draft before the commission considers a recommendation to Town Council.

Jeff Gilbo, introduced as the regional council representative, summarized the plan's purpose and scope, saying the comprehensive plan provides a long-range vision for growth and development and must be reviewed every five years and rewritten every 10 under state law. He outlined the plan's statutory sections and noted the project has involved a steering committee, six steering-committee meetings, public meetings, and surveys that received over 200 responses.

Commissioners questioned infrastructure needs and how the plan's long time horizon would translate into shorter-term projects. One commissioner told the commission she wanted village amenities reflected in the plan, saying she had heard from residents that “we want to remain a small town,” and asking whether the draft's future land-use map — which shows increased residential and some industrial areas — preserves room for institutional growth such as the library or schools.

Gilbo and staff responded that zoning is the next step to implement the plan and that lot sizes, setbacks and the board of zoning appeals will govern future subdivision and density decisions. He also noted the steering committee and Benchmark Planning had helped craft five focus areas and a future land-use map included in the draft.

A commissioner asked for recreational amenities to be explicitly included in the plan so infrastructure could be sized and sited if the town later decides to build them. On the record, a commissioner moved “to approve this with the inclusion of a dog park and a possible splash pad.” The motion appears in the meeting record; the transcript does not report a roll-call or voice vote tally for that motion.

Next steps discussed at the meeting include commission review and redlines of the draft, monthly commission meetings to examine zoning and implementation items, and a formal recommendation to Town Council followed by the council's two readings. The presenter said the council's two readings would be the final step for the document to become the official comprehensive plan.

The commission also approved the meeting minutes from March 4, 2024 earlier in the session. The commission set expectations for the upcoming zoning rewrite, which staff said will produce new districts, permitted and conditional uses, lot sizes and a new map to implement the comprehensive plan.