It’s seeking public input.
Frederick, Md (KM) Frederick city residents are encouraged to offer their input as planning officials put together a Comprehensive Plan for 2020. .
Brandon Mark, Division Manager for Community Planning and Urban Design with the city’s Division of Planning, says a lot has changed since the Comp Plan was last updated in 2010, but the new document will include a lot of the feature of the current plan. “This isn’t a complete rewrite similar to Frederick County’s Livable Frederick. It won’t as detailed as that. But we’re building on the 2010 Comprehensive Plan and taking into consideration the Mayor’s strategic plan initiatives when that’s adopted,” he says.
Mark also says the city is required to update its comp plan every ten years under state law.
“State law requires that plans cover land use, transportation, sensitive areas, community facilities, water resources among others,” Mark says. “Here in the city, we also cover housing, historic preservation, community character, historic preservation and design.”
And, he says, other issues could be added under the 2020 Comp Plan. “We’re still collecting public input. Once we gather the questionnaire comments, we’ll be able to find common themes in the responses,” says Mark. “Nationally, affordable housing and sustainability are hot topics. We’ll have to see what our community believes is important.”
Citizens who want to provide input can go on line to www.cityoffrederick.com/2020compplan, and take a survey. They can use the interactive mapping tool to write out their opinions. He says it’s important for residents to offer their comments on what they want to see in the 2020 plan. “A plan that gains consensus among citizens with a lot of participation provides the Planning Commission and the Mayor and Board of Aldermen the direction to make competent decisions about the future of the city,” Mark.
He says the Planning Commission is expected to take up the 2020 Comp Plan in the fall and through spring, 2020. The Mayor and Board of Aldermen could be discussing it after that. Both bodies are expected to hold workshops and public hearings.
By Kevin McManus