Press release from Buncombe County:
After thousands of community members provided input to guide the development of the Buncombe County Comprehensive Plan, staff have moved to the next phase of the planning process. We are asking the public to weigh in on what we’ve heard so far and what specific policies and actions the County can take based on the community priorities gathered in the initial outreach. A virtual meeting will take place tonight from 6-7 p.m. at engage.buncombecounty.org, and will be streamed on our Facebook page.
Phase 3 of the planning process focuses on analyzing the information received so far and developing more specific policies and the community is invited to take the Phase 3 poll to tell us what policy choices the County should make for each focus area. Draft policies and actions will be created based on this phase of public input.
Community outreach will continue to take place throughout the planning process with a focus on giving everyone the chance to participate. An in-person, drop-in meeting will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 2 from 5-7 p.m. at East Asheville Library, 3 Avon Road, Asheville. Staff will also engage with the community at multiple intercept events throughout the county over the next two months. The next virtual event will be held Aug. 22.
Can’t make an event? The community can participate through an online poll: https://engage.buncombecounty.org/E1315
Next steps
With the input gathered from this phase of plan development, the 2043 Comprehensive Plan will be drafted, with opportunities for the community to weigh in before its anticipated adoption in the spring of 2023.
Background
The first public input phase wrapped up earlier this year, and several key themes around visions and goals emerged:
Equity
Housing
Governance
Infrastructure
Community Health
Environmental Protection
Transportation
Sustainable DevelopmentWhen asked what they liked most about Buncombe County, the top two answers were the natural environment and the people.
A comprehensive plan is used by local governments as a broad, long-range planning tool for the community. Buncombe’s plan will focus on the next 20-year period and will look at the relationships between land uses, infrastructure, and key community needs. Follow the plan’s progress, sign up for newsletter updates, and learn more at buncombecounty.org/plan2043.
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