Whitehall’s Growth Policy Process Is Underway
The Whitehall Town Council has entered into an agreement with Great West Engineering to assist the Town in the drafting of an appropriate Growth Policy. A public meeting was held on June 17 for the purposes of gathering comment from the public on issues, concerns and desires. If you missed the June 17 meeting, more opportunities will be available in the future for the public to offer comments. But there is no need to wait for the next public meeting to offer comments, ask questions or to identify what is important to you.
Dialogue can, and should, be ongoing throughout the process. More people participating in the process will lead to the adoption of a Growth Policy that truly reflects the desires of the community.
The Whitehall Community Blog is a great forum for dialogue and it can be a useful and easy tool to use. Just log on and start talking. To comment, simply go to the bottom of this post, find the small gray text that says comment and click on the link. You will have an opportunity to sign up and quickly type in your comments. Let’s get the conversation going and get some ideas and thoughts out there.
If you would like to know a bit more about Growth Policies, what they are, why they are important, or have other questions, I have provided a short primer below.
Let’s Start Talking!!!
WHAT IS A GROWTH POLICY?
A Growth Policy is an official public document that guides policy decisions related to the physical, social, and economic growth of a city or county and provides a framework for future growth, development, and public decision-making. The Policy provides direction for how an area will grow and evolve over time and establishes the goals, objectives, and policies that should be pursued to improve its quality of life, preserve and promote the community’s assets, and ensure that a community or county is an attractive, safe and prosperous place to live and work now and into the future. The Growth Policy assesses the opportunities and challenges facing the area and sets priorities for implementing the recommended actions of the Policy. A Growth Policy is not a regulatory document. Rather, it is a guiding document which includes the goals, objectives and policies that are then implemented through development regulations.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A GROWTH POLICY?
A Growth Policy is beneficial because it provides a road map for how an area will grow. Planning helps produce better communities and stronger economies. It incorporates goals and policies, provides the opportunity for community-defined direction, and provides greater predictability to property owners.
EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT TOOL
For the Growth Policy to be an effective management tool, an area must plan for the future by analyzing today’s growth and development patterns and determining priorities for future capital improvements and investments. The Policy is a tool for elected officials to make informed choices about future land use. Informed land use decisions will ideally result in more orderly and predictable growth and cost-effective delivery of services to areas residents. Most Growth Policies typically have a 20-year planning horizon and provides continuity for future decision-making, despite fluctuations in the local economy or changes in elected officials. Growth Policies are a living document and are reviewed at least every 5 years so that changes can be incorporated to reflect patterns and priorities for the future.
COMMUNITY DEFINED DIRECTION
A Growth Policy allows residents to take control over their destiny, as opposed to responding to changes around them and reacting to that change. The Policy provides opportunity to identify, consolidate, and synthesize the major themes and issues present by creating a venue for the public to contribute and provide guidance on future direction, including preserving the characteristics that make our communities and counties unique.
GREATER PREDICTABILITY
A Growth Policy provides greater predictability to private property owners, businesses, and developers in making long-term decisions about the future use and enjoyment of their property. The plan can inform land investments by defining the general location, direction, type, and extent of residential, commercial, and industrial development into the future.