Friday, July 19, 2013

Kenton Co commission approves draft goals of new comprehensive plan

The Kenton County Planning Commission (KCPC) unanimously approved a new statement of goals and objectives in the draft Direction 2030 comprehensive plan, and its approval now rests with the county's 20 local jurisdictions.

The jurisdictions now have 90 days to take action on the recommended language. A failure to act within 90 days will be considered approval.

Developed over an 18-month public engagement period, the plan's draft goals include the encouragement of a variety of housing types; creating and maintaining areas of diverse character to draw talent and enhance livability; attracting, creating, and maintaining jobs; celebrating each community's unique identity; encouraging healthy lifestyles; promoting a multi-modal transportation system; promoting adequate access to natural systems to encourage outdoor activity; balancing development with preservation; and encouraging cooperative governance.

The statement of goals and objectives will be used to craft more detailed recommendations on land use, transportation, and community facilities.

"Approval of this statement of goals and objectives was a huge accomplishment," Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission Executive Director Dennis Gordon said in a prepared release. "Members of the planning commission and staff have every reason to feel extremely proud. With over 80 public meetings and numerous other public engagements behind them, these individuals brought a diverse community together to discuss – and ultimately agree on – a number of critical issues facing Kenton County."

The new plan is anticipated to take six to nine months to complete.

When completed, Direction 2030 will be the county's first comprehensive plan since 1972.

"This process has been an excellent example of our community coming together to find common ground on some of today's most diverse issues," KCPC chair Paul Darpel said.

Previous reading on BC:
Final chance for input into Kenton's next 20 years (11/7/12)
Direction 2030 public meeting to focus on economic competitiveness (7/25/12)
Kenton County comprehensive plan enters second public round (6/14/12)