About 50 local citizens attended a public hearing on Monday, Aug. 10 to review the updated Joint Development Plan for Monroe County and the Cities of Forsyth and Culloden.
The public hearing, which was held in the Monroe County Board of Commissioners’ chamber, was hosted by the Middle Georgia Regional Commission (MGRC), which drafted the updates with input from a nearly 50-member steering committee composed of local officials and local residents.
Joe Black of the MGRC said the vision statement created as part of the updated document states: “Monroe County and the Cities of Culloden and Forsyth are welcoming communities primed for managed growth. Citizens, businesses, and governments are committed to cultivating a ‘small-town feel’ where all people are safe, embrace diversity, and experience an excellent quality of life.”
Black said the goal set in the document for Economic Development is to “Pursue appropriate industrial development to maintain a healthy tax base while protecting the high quality of life of Monroe County residents.” Economic Development needs and opportunities cited in the document include: 1.) An expanded workforce is needed to support growing job opportunities in Monroe County. 2.) Interstate-75 and a central location between Atlanta and Macon/Warner Robins are opportunities to encourage commercial and industrial development. 3.) The tourism industry in Monroe County has the potential to provide increased economic impacts. 4.) As the central gathering place in Monroe County, additional investments in downtown Forsyth are needed to continue its growth.
Similar goals as well as needs and opportunities were cited in the document for additional topics. Those included Natural and Cultural Resources, Community Facilities and Services, Housing, Transportation, Public Safety and Health, and Broadband.
At the conclusion of a 10-minute presentation, Black allowed attendees to stay around for an additional 30 minutes to review the proposed future land use maps as well as ask questions of MGRC staffers and elected officials. Black noted that the future land use maps serve as a vision of future development but are not actual zoning maps. However, he noted that the maps can be used to influence future zoning decisions.
The Joint Development Plan must be updated every five years to fulfill requirements set by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA).
According to the updated document’s introduction: “The goal of this plan is to serve as the guiding document for the physical development and guide of land use in Monroe County and the incorporated cities. This plan is a living document, capable of being amended, updated, and improved to provide a flexible framework for development across the county for the next 20 years. This plan was built around and details the vision, goals, needs, and opportunities, current and future land use, and a five-year community work program that will help Monroe County and the cities of Culloden and Forsyth evaluate new development projects, direct capital improvements, guide public policy and ensure the county continues to prosper into the future.”
Citizens have through this Friday (Aug. 12) to submit comments, criticisms, or suggestions to the MGRC concerning the updated Joint Development Plan. These comments can be given by phone at 478-751-6160 or by e-mail at gboike@mg-rc.org, dlane@mg-rg.org, or jblack@mg-rc.org. Upon completion of the final draft of the document, it will be submitted to the DCA for formal review before being adopted by Monroe County and the Cities of Forsyth and Culloden.
Click on the below link to read the entire 171-page updated Joint Development Plan.
