When Peachtree Corners was incorporated in 2012, one of the first projects we took on as a new city was to develop a Comprehensive Plan. This was an important step for our community because the Comprehensive Plan is the centerpiece of local planning efforts. A comprehensive plan articulates a series of goals, objectives, policies, actions and standards that are intended to guide the day-to-day decisions of elected officials and local government staff.
In Georgia, Comprehensive Plans are required to include the five topical elements of economic development, natural and historic resources, community facilities and services, housing, and land use. Additionally, Comprehensive Plans are required to be updated every 10 years.
We came together in a series of community meetings to discuss what we wanted for Peachtree Corners’ future and what we needed to do to get us there. After a nearly year-long process, the final version of the Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2013.
And then the real work began.
Since that time, we’ve seen lots of ‘upgrades’ in Peachtree Corners. Most were developed in response to the vision and goals established in the Comprehensive Plan. For example, the desire to have a downtown with a central community space produced the Town Center and Town Green. The desire to revitalize and transform Technology Park produced Curiosity Lab, a world leader in innovation. And the desire to have safe, car-free places to walk and ride bikes throughout the community produced the Corners Connector Multi-Use Trail.
Many goals established in the Comprehensive Plan have been achieved over the past decade. Now, it’s time to focus on the next decade. Where do we go from here? What improvements do we need to make and what should we prioritize?
The answers to those and similar questions will be the focus of a series of community meetings leading up to the adoption of the next Comprehensive Plan. The process is expected to take about eight months and the first community meeting is scheduled for 7 PM, on February 23, 2023. It will take place in the Community Chest room at City Hall.
Broad public participation is essential to the success of any comprehensive planning process. If a plan is intended to effectively communicate a community’s values and meet its needs, the first step in the planning process should be to define what those values and needs are. This is the goal of the community engagement process, to understand what the city’s residents and neighbors think, feel, and believe about Peachtree Corners.
Topics for this first meeting will include Housing (Apartments, Single and Multi-family Homes, Rental Properties, etc.), Trails, Transportation, and Land Uses.
Come and be part of the city’s future by letting your voice be heard… or at least come by and chat with your neighbors and enjoy some refreshments!
