Around 35 Lewisburg residents attended an Open House held Tuesday evening at the Greenbrier County Visitors Center on Washington Street to learn about the city’s comprehensive plan update. Large tablets on easels were set up manned by the city’s Planning Commission members inviting attendees to add their ideas, opinions and suggestions to category lists with heading like Strengths and Opportunities as well as Weaknesses and Threats, depending on what they thought was needed in the plan. A map of the city was available for attendees to show where suggested land use could be changed or upgraded. Topics overheard ranged from stormwater issues, planned growth and land use zoning, emergency oversight preparations, and, of course, a pool.
A comprehensive plan takes into consideration all facets of a community, including land use, transportation, housing, economic development, recreation and community services. In order to correctly plan for the future, a local government should have a plan in place. Local elected officials reference the comprehensive plan whenever decisions about development proposals, capital improvement projects, or policy changes are required. Their actions should be consistent with the vision and goals detailed in the comprehensive plan.
Public input is essential for the comprehensive plan in order to reflect the community’s vision of the future in terms of quality of life for the residents living here. Lewisburg will host more opportunities in the coming months for public input for the comprehensive plan.
Plans must be updated every ten years according to the West Virginia Code, Chapter 8A: Land Use Planning. The planning process for Lewisburg began in November 2013 and is expected to be finished in the summer of 2014.
