Comprehensive land use plan up for review – Washington Daily News

The City of Washington rolled out theirs Comprehensive land management plan, last week. The plan guides the city for the next 25 years, showing how residents would like to see the city change and grow, and address current and future challenges. According to the Washington Mayor’s Office, the plan aims to balance responsible growth and conservation of natural resources.

The Washington City Planning Board, City Council members, City staff, representatives from several agencies, and input from residents, business owners, and the general public were used in writing the Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

The overall vision for the future of the City of Washington, according to the plan, is that “The City of Washington will be a resilient, sustainable, family-friendly, coastal community that values ​​its cultural and natural heritage and will be a desirable destination for businesses and tourists. . Washington will strive for an equitable and inclusive high quality of life where residents can live, work and play for their best years.”

To realize this vision, there are ten goals the city hopes to achieve over the next 25 years. These goals include: economic growth and revitalization, increased parks and recreation opportunities, promoting the city’s history, inclusive and equitable public services, facilities and participatory governance, adding more diverse housing options, fiscally responsible growth, more accessible transportation , increasing protection of the natural environment and investment in new and existing infrastructure.

This guidance will help the City decide when and where to make development permit decisions, especially when considering rezoning requests and where to expand public infrastructure and services. It doesn’t corner those who make land use decisions, but it does show what’s meant for chunks of land across the city. Each rezoning request will be reviewed for its impact on residents’ quality of life, public safety, transportation, infrastructure and the environment. It will not automatically reconfigure to reflect the future land use plan.

The comprehensive land management plan is still being edited, but it is planned to be adopted in the spring. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend the third public meeting on Wednesday, March 8 at 5:30 pm at the Washington Community Center (110 Gladden Street).