Draft Comprehensive Plan Changes Continue

Members of the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee will be reviewing changes to their draft comprehensive plan. During their last meeting it was generally agreed the draft plan would benefit from some rewriting. Reached on Friday, Village Manager Don Holycross indicated that in part the revisions are designed to incorporate the "principles of smart growth." 

The initial version of the plan, created by Poggemeyer Design Group, included significant increases in residential density in many areas of the township and recommended certain developers’ property for more intense development. The Poggemeyer draft met with significant public opposition when the township trustees considered approving the draft. 

Poggemeyer’s work has been plagued by potential conflicts of interest. Questions were raised due to Poggemeyer both helping to draft the updated comprehensive plan and representing a developer which would benefit from certain comprehensive plan changes. Poggemeyer’s involvement with the developer was extensive. Additional public concerns were raised when the township considered extending Pataskala sewer service to the developer’s project. 

The revisions under review can be found at Draft Comprehensive Plan Revisions. Manager Holycross noted that "New language is in blue or red text and is generally underlined. The red text represents recommendations that have been brought over from the 2001 plan. The blue text represents new language that has been added to provide more clarification or substance to the draft plan." 

The Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee will be discussing the revisions on Monday, August 24, 2009, at 5:30 pm in the village council chambers. The public is welcome to attend.