Frequently Asked Questions about the Comprehensive Plan
Why should the City do a comprehensive plan?
Updating the comprehensive plan is a process used to determine community goals and aspirations in the long term (20 years out). The Maryland Department of Planning requires each jurisdiction to adopt a new plan every ten years.
What is the goal of the comprehensive plan?
A comprehensive plan sets public policy on topics such as land use, transportation, public facilities, housing, recreation, and the environment.
How detailed is the comprehensive plan?
The plan encompass the entire City, and does not zoom in to particular neighborhoods with a lot of detail.
What information is used as data in a comprehensive plan?
To gather data for the plan, planners look at previous studies and national trends. They also use Census information (population, household size, commuting habits, and economic conditions). There is also a lot of public input, gathered from meetings and on-line interaction.
Who will guide the project?
The City’s Planning Commission will guide the process of creating the plan, which will start by looking at the most recent plan and updating it with new data. The Planning Staff will spearhead this coordination, as well as seek input from the public.
How does the plan become official?
The plan will need to be adopted by the City Council to become official. After that, the Department of Planning and Zoning will begin working on zoning map and text amendments that would be needed to implement the plan.