Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Comprehensive Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Oak Ridge hires Friese and Nichols for 18‑month comprehensive plan update
Summary
The Oak Ridge City Council approved a $215,000 professional services agreement with Friese and Nichols, partnered with Pillars Development Group, to update the city’s comprehensive plan. Consultants outlined an 18‑month timeline emphasizing community engagement, implementation goals and coordination with the city’s existing blueprint and DOE land-use concerns.
Oak Ridge City Council on July 8 approved a $215,000 contract with Friese and Nichols, working with partner Pillars Development Group, to prepare an updated comprehensive plan for the city.
Consultant Danny Wilson told council the firm will tailor the plan to Oak Ridge’s distinct history and assets, use a community‑first engagement approach and deliver measurable implementation goals. He said the firm’s typical timeline for such projects is about 18 months and emphasized that the plan will be designed so the city can implement priorities after adoption.
Wayne Blaisius and other members of the planning commission and steering committee described a competitive selection process that produced multiple proposals and led to unanimous committee support for Friese and Nichols. Council members asked whether the consultant would provide post‑adoption implementation support; Wilson said that support was not included in the current scope but that the firm often remains available for follow‑up work.
Council members also discussed how the new plan will relate to the city’s existing five‑year blueprint. Planning commission members said the blueprint’s vision remains valid and that the comprehensive plan will flesh out details, propose zoning ordinance updates and provide a basis for future implementation actions. Several speakers urged that the plan open a dialogue with the Department of Energy about the city’s roughly 20,000 acres of DOE‑owned open space and explore options to preserve open space where residents requested it.
The council voted to authorize the professional services agreement without amendment. The project manager for the consultant said the process will include repeated public engagement, draft review periods and focus on measurable steps the city can track annually.
