Comprehensive plan update
WAYNE COUNTY, OH — A special Wayne County Planning Commission Meeting will be held at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, September 4, 2019 inside the county administration building, located at 428 W. Liberty St., Wooster. The single-item agenda will include an update on the county comprehensive plan, Wayne Onward, by Planning NEXT consultant Sarah Kelly and Planning Director Trevor Hunt.
The process began in the fall of 2018 and consisted of three phases of public engagement and eight steering committee meetings that focused on addressing the needs, values and aspirations of the community. “This is open to the public,” Hunt said. “The consultant will present the plan to the Commission. This isn’t the final draft, there is some room for feedback if necessary.”
Updating the comprehensive plan is a lengthy process that is heavily reliant on community input. The county received 1,750 individual comments through individual workshops and online surveys. In order to provide additional opportunities for participation, a Road Show traveled throughout the county so residents could voice their ideas.
“The plan is based off of those comments that were collected,” Hunt continued. “You can’t account for each one, but throughout the process a theme emerged and that is what we were able to address. As we round third base and head for home, we want to ensure these ideas have staying power.”
One thing that stood out to Hunt was that as the world continues to change, the values of Wayne County has stood the test of time. “Many of the values that were in the 1997 plan dominate the themes and goals in 2019,” he said. “There are new items that have emerged, but, for the most part, the major items are still the same, including farmland preservation.”
For additional information about the comprehensive plan, visit www.wayneonward.com.