WAYNE COUNTY, OH, Nov. 2019 — The Wayne County Commissioners – Becky Foster, Sue Smail, and Ron Amstutz – voted to adopt the 2019 Comprehensive Plan Update on Wednesday, Nov. 22.
By Dan Starcher, public communications specialist for the Wayne County Government.
How to share with just friends.
Posted by Dan Starcher
WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO, Nov. 14, 2019 — Wayne County is updating its comprehensive plan. Wayne Onward is an effort to create an authentic community-driven vision for the future of the County. This vision will identify qualities of the County that should be preserved, respond to current development trends, and bring people together to address key planning issues. The plan is a tool to prepare for change and acts as both a business plan and a guidebook for decision-makers. Wayne Onward will keep the County a desirable place in which to live, work, play, and invest. Community engagement is an essential part of the comprehensive planning process, and all community members are invited to be a part of creating it.
You are invited to download a DRAFT copy of the plan – available at www.wayneonward.com – and attend one of the public hearings to give us your feedback. The meetings are scheduled for Nov. 20th at 2 p.m. and Nov. 27th at 9 a.m. Both meetings will be on the 2nd floor of the Wayne County Administration Building located at 428 West Liberty Street, Wooster, OH 44691.
By Dan Starcher, public communications specialist for the Wayne County government.
WAYNE COUNTY, OH, Aug. 2019 — 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 on 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.
By Dan Starcher, public communications specialist for the Wayne County government.