New Hanover Comprehensive Plan

1. New Hanover Comprehensive Plan Maggie Dobbs, AICP

2. What is a comprehensive plan? • Long-range plan to outline the future growth and development of a place • Identifies a community vision for the future • Provides implementation recommendations to achieve this vision • MPC requires an update every 10 years • Must be: • Geographically comprehensive • Comprehensive in subject matter • Long-range time frame

3. Benefits of a CP • Community-based visioning process • Supports community-identified goals • Provides direction for implementation • Provides guidance for policy-making and decisions regarding infrastructure, zoning amendments, public investments, etc. • Can be used to support funding and grant requests

4. What can you do with a CP?

5. Plan components • Comprehensive Plan Elements Required by the MPC: • Statement of Objectives • Plan for Land Use • Plan to Meet Housing Needs • Plan for Movement of People and Goods • Plan for Community Facilities and Utilities • Plan for the Protection of Natural and Historic Resources • Plan for the Reliable Supply of Water • Discussion of Short- and Long-Range Implementation Strategies • Statement of the Interrelationships between Plan Components • Statement of Consistency with Adjacent Municipalities’ and the County’s Comprehensive Plan

6. Consistency with other plans • NHCP shall be consistent with plans from adjacent municipalities, the regional planning commission, and the county • Should recommendations be created that are inconsistent with the long-range vision identified in the regional comprehensive plan, the township may petition for an amendment to reflect the community’s goals and values

7. New Hanover Comp Plan • Transitioning community desires • Desire for a limit to development • Concern with increasing vehicular traffic • Open space preservation • Commercial development • Tailored to individual needs of the township rather than to the region as a whole • Address more unique township concerns and opportunities • Informed through research, stakeholder input, and community involvement and feedback

8. Plan Structure • Introduction and background • Discussion of component areas • Housing and population projections • Transportation • Natural and historic resources • Future land use • Community facilities and utilities • Parks and open space • Recommendations and implementation strategies • In all sections, current conditions will be explored, future needs will be identified, and strategies will be recommended that will ensure those future needs are met

9. Deliverables • 18 month process • Background research • Stakeholder interviews • Coordination with the PC • Issues identification, feedback, insight • Community outreach elements • Survey • Workshops • Open House • Advertising opportunities at community events • Draft writing and review • Final adoption

10. Timeline

11. Role of planning commission • MCPC does preliminary background research • Reliance on PC to be the voice of residents – representative democracy here to understand the needs/concerns/desires of community to help shape the initial recommendations • Provide input on who else to reach out to, history of projects, identification of needs, other research areas may have missed, what other community groups exist • Participation in upcoming community events as volunteers in various roles

12. Next Steps… • Confirm public outreach events timeline • Will need to establish feedback mechanisms and timelines for delivery of review materials • Will use review materials to discuss what goals the community has and begin to develop potential recommendations for each topic area • Options: • Background data reports • Summary of findings

13. Questions or comments? Maggie Dobbs, AICP 610 292-4917 mdobbs@montcopa.org