What is the Neighborhood Plan?
Many of the issues that Islanders face as a community may be proactively avoided in the future by coming together to produce a neighborhood plan. Here’s how the County defines a Neighborhood Plan.
“Neighborhood Plans. A community-based planning process that is designed to address the community character issues of a specific neighborhood and is focused on the establishment of community goals, the identification of neighborhood issues of concern, and development of specific strategies to resolve the issues and achieve the goals.”
What it can do and what it can’t do.
While a Neighborhood Plan does not provide self-governance, it is a vehicle by which the County will formally recognize, support and reinforce the uniqueness of the Island community.
Why is it important?
This adoption of the neighborhood plan will provide a foundation to maintain the characteristics of the Island that we all value.
Who gets to participate?
All Island residents and property owners will be welcome to participate in the planning process.
What’s the difference between the Neighborhood Plan and the previous Community Plan?
Community Plans were originally created to amend the County’s Comprehensive Plan to address the specific needs of the community. The County no longer does this. The process now called “Neighborhood Planning” does not promote the mandatory writing of code and ordinances to implement solutions for local issues. However, the neighborhood plan provides detailed guidelines for the future actions of the County. Essentially, we will be updating the original Community Plan but referring to it as a Neighborhood Plan.
What’s coming next?
Commissioner Truex is working to arrange for County staff from Community Development to assist us with this project. PIE Action is preparing sections of the Plan to send to you. We are NOT writing the Plan. We will simply summarize the chapters of the old Plan, add updated issues and recommendations and ask for your feedback through surveys.
This is intended to be a starting point for all to provide productive input and form a basis for our collaborative efforts in creating our new Neighborhood Plan. It does not matter if you are a PIE member or not, all constructive input is welcome. We are seeking island-wide feedback and will make our best efforts to ensure all parties are heard from.
Each household will get a survey opportunity. Please participate!! It’s important. Everyone will also be able to provide input through public meetings.
If the full Board of County Commissioners agrees to release staff time for our Neighborhood Plan, Commissioner Truex would like to begin town hall meetings in January so they can be accomplished during season. Not much time to prepare!
