Warren County to update Comprehensive Development Plan

David Irvine, Henderson (N.C.) Daily Dispatch
·2 min read

Jan. 27—WARRENTON — Warren County is updating its Comprehensive Development Plan.

Tare Davis, chairman of the Warren County Commissioners, described the Comprehensive Development Plan as a "roadmap for economic development."

Over the next 10 months, the county will host a series of public meetings to engage residents and business owners in the revision process to obtain their thoughts and, most important of all, their participation.

In addition to the public meetings, the county will use a survey to obtain feedback from residents throughout the county.

"What our residents think is important," said County Manager Vincent Jones.

The public meetings and the survey will give them a chance to express their opinions on topics such as land use, housing, infrastructure, transportation, economic development, agriculture, recreation and use of natural resources. The findings will be compiled to provide guidance as the county develops a Comprehensive Development Plan that updates the existing plan, adopted in 2002.

Davis listed a number of issues — from broadband to infrastructure to affordable housing — that contribute to the quality of life. These factors have changed over the past 20 year, he said, and they all come into play in attracting new businesses and providing a foundation for existing businesses.

Jones said the 2002 plan is "overdue" for an update. Warren County has changed over the past 20 years, he said. Some issues described in the 2002 plan are still relevant, but expectations of the community may be different, suggesting that "we need to update how we respond."

The Comprehensive Development Plan — also described as a Land Use Plan — will serve as the official statement by Warren County of its vision, intentions, goals, objectives and strategies for future land use development. It will guide the county's efforts to implement policies and procedures to maximize growth and development of the county for the next 10 to 20 years.

Jones said updating the plan will help the county take inventory of current needs and resources, and plan for the future.

The county has launched a website — planwarrencountync.com — where the public can follow the revision process, receive updates, complete surveys and participate in community meetings.

To assist in developing the plan, the county has engaged the services of Stewart, an engineering, planning and design firm with offices in Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte and Wilmington, and in Columbia, South Carolina. They will make recommendations for revisions to the plan, Jones said.

The Comprehensive Development Plan will say a lot about the facilities and amenities Warren County offers toward a positive quality of life, Davis added.