The Athens-Clarke County Unified Government (ACCGov) will host a series of public input events as part of the Planning Department’s efforts to update Athens-Clarke County’s Growth Concept Plan. Scheduled events will start on September 21 and take place through the end of October 2023.
Residents will have multiple opportunities to share input through a variety of events including interactive group meetings, neighborhood walks, bus tours, and booths at various community events. A public input flyer, online calendar, and map with engagement locations are available at www.accgov.com/compplan.
At the group meetings, residents can take part in an interactive activity that allows them to envision their ideal community and literally build a vision for Athens-Clarke County’s shared future. This activity is intended for people of all ages and parents are encouraged to bring their children.
Planning Department staff will also guide a series of six neighborhood walks and two bus tours.The tours are intended to give residents the opportunity to experience the diverse character of several areas of the community in an effort to better understand current conditions and to also plan for the future. These tours will focus on a mix of traditionally developed neighborhoods along with more contemporary development in order to better understand the interaction of land uses. Residents must pre-register for bus tours, which have limited seating capacity, by visiting www.accgov.com/compplan or calling 706-613-3515. Neighborhood walks do not require pre-registration and will occur rain or shine.
The public engagement opportunities are a key first step toward focusing ACCGov’s approach to guiding community development over the next 20 years. The initial public input sessions are intended to be the beginning of a multi-step community planning process. Information received during the events in September and October will provide the basis for the second phase of community planning that will produce a new Future Land Use Plan for Athens-Clarke County. Additional community engagement will start in early 2024 based around what was heard and learned during the first fall input sessions to move towards where the community has said it wants to go.
“Public input is crucial for creating a robust plan that reflects the values of our community while properly balancing the realities of our present conditions with expectations for our shared future,” said Planning Department Director Brad Griffin.“We hope as many residents as possible will take part in this community engagement process.”
For more information and to sign up for notifications, visit the Comprehensive Plan webpage at www.accgov.com/compplan or call 706-613-3515.
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