Union County officials are delaying the start of one plan, in hopes of getting another finished first.
Dave Gulden, director of the Logan-Union-Champaign Regional Planning Commission, recently spoke to the Union County Commissioners about updating the county’s comprehensive plan. He said comprehensive plans should be looked at about every five years.
He said the plan was last looked at in 2013 and before that in 1999. He said he wanted to get ahead of the process and make sure the plan was part of the county appropriations for 2018.
He said it should take six to nine months to complete and about 12 months to be approved and adopted.
Gulden also said the plan would have a five to 10 year outlook, rather than a 20 year outlook.
“Things are changing so fast with technology, you don’t want to look too far ahead,” said Gulden.
While it was Commissioner Charles Hall who originally approached LUC about updating the plan, the commissioners found the timeline too aggressive. Commissioner Steve Stolte said he would like to see a rural transportation plan completed before the comprehensive plan begins. In 2015, Union County became the first county to be part of Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission’s rural transportation planning organization. The group has been working on a regional rural transportation plan (RTP) since then. Stolte said officials hope to have the plan complete by the middle of next year, “but I am thinking it might not move as quickly as we would like.”
Gulden suggested the RTP would be a stand-alone document. Gulden and Commissioner Gary Lee said the MORPC transportation plan could be referenced in the comprehensive plan even if it is incomplete when the comprehensive plan is adopted.
“I don’t think it would be a good idea to make it a component of it (the comprehensive plan) if it isn’t finished yet,” Stolte said.
Gulden asked about the possibility of creating a transportation plan to include in the comprehensive plan and not using the regional plan.
“I think it needs to be a component of the plan, but I am just concerned that it’s not finished,” Stolte said. “I just don’t know that it’s a good thing to do.”
Stolte suggested waiting until midyear 2018. He added that by waiting later in the year, the cost could be spread over two years.
Gulden said the comprehensive plan update would cost “in the $50,000 range.” County Administrator Eric Richter said the cost and appropriations could be addressed “during the normal budget process.”
The director of the regional organization said he tried to time the plans so their work would not overlap and officials could give each county specific attention. He added that several townships and communities in Union County are working on comprehensive plans and the county plan will serve, “as a jumping off point … so we can have some unity.”
Commissioner Charles Hall said that in addition to hopefully having the RTP by this time next year, officials will have a better idea of what is happening with businesses and technology in the U.S. 33 corridor and in the county.
“There is so much going on right now,” Hall said. “In a year, we are going to know a lot more than we know right now.”
Gulden said the plan will include information and a proposals for demographics, land use, agriculture, transportation, economic development, utilities, housing, community services, parks and open spaces, environment, urban design, historic preservation and arts and culture. The commissioners said they would also like to see education, specifically higher education, and technology added to the plan structure.
Gulden said there are, “four themes of the moment for comprehensive plans.”
He said those four themes are resilience, health, sustainability and smart cities.
“Even without our unique thing with the fiber and Honda, smart cities are important to all communities with the internet of things, so we are ahead of the curve, but it is very important,” said Gulden.
Gulden said Union County’s plan will look different from many comprehensive plans. He explained that many plans have big sections dedicated to existing conditions.
“I want to get away from that,” said Gulden.
He said the plan will still have “broad statements about farmland preservation and targeting development” but will also have “some actions that are tied to the immediate-term strategies.”
“The plan would be a little less heavy on the data, more into proactive strategies,” Gulden said.
He stressed that approach makes sense in a rapidly growing community.
Stolte agreed.
“I think it makes the interim, from when you finish one plan to the next one, it gives you a lot more concrete direction about things that you nee to be accomplishing, you need to be working toward,” Stolte said.