GAINESVILLE, Ga. (Jan. 11, 2022) – Gainesville’s future is bright, and City leadership wants to have an updated roadmap to steer the community in the right direction.
That roadmap is Gainesville’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan, which the City will use to guide growth and physical development over the next 20 years. It’s an exciting time for Gainesville, and residents and stakeholders are invited to participate in the process.
All are welcome to review the City's draft plan at an upcoming open house, slated for 1-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10, on the first floor of the Gainesville Administration Building, located at 300 Henry Ward Way. Drop in any time to study recommendations for the future development of Gainesville and take advantage of opportunities to give feedback. Light refreshments will be served.
What is a comprehensive plan exactly?
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs requires each city and county in the state to create and update a comprehensive plan every five to 10 years. Gainesville completed its last comprehensive plan in 2017. The comprehensive plan update will address the community’s vision, policies and goals based on existing conditions and public input. A new community work program for the City will be established with short- and long-term goals.
Where is the City of Gainesville at in the process?
Work on Gainesville's 2040 Comprehensive Plan began in fall 2021 with a virtual kick-off workshop that 1.) Introduced the planning process, 2.) Identified the many ways you can get involved, 3.) Walked you through how to submit input and 4.) Asked your thoughts about Gainesville today and tomorrow. A series of online activities designed to gather input were also launched and completed before winter 2021. Additionally, the City and consultant team, TSW, hosted a series of visioning workshops in November 2021. Coming up, the public is invited to attend a Feb. 10 open house, where a draft of the plan will be available for review and input.
Will there be additional opportunities to participate?
Absolutely. In addition to the upcoming open house, the following surveys remain live and open to public participation through Jan. 31: Community Input Survey, Lakeshore Mall Redevelopment Visual Preference Survey, Budgetel Area Redevelopment Visual Preference Survey and Gainesville Mill Redevelopment Visual Preference Survey. Access the surveys here.
To learn more about Gainesville’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan and to access online engagement activities and documents, visit www.tinyurl.com/gainesville-comp-plan.