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Public input on plan wrapping up
Last opportunity to comment Thursday
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Forsyth County News

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For more information on the Forsyth County comprehensive plan update, visit compplan.forsythco.com.

The Forsyth County comprehensive plan update has reached its final stage for input.

The county commission will hold a public hearing on the community agenda portion of the plan, which serves as a guide for decisions involving future growth and land use.

The hearing will be part of the commission’s 5 p.m. Thursday meeting.

“The board [of commissioners] could extend it and have a public hearing next month, but right now, per our schedule, this would be the last opportunity before the board transmits [the update] to the state for review and approval,” said Vanessa Bernstein, Forsyth County senior long-range planner.

The public hearing will focus on the ways in which the different sections of the guide connect and express the community vision.

The formal public commenting period will be the second offered.

Several residents spoke before the planning commission in October, which Bernstein said was a “good turnout” with many points respectfully addressed.

“Hopefully, certain stakeholders will take this as another opportunity to share their views because they haven’t had a chance to do so before [the commission],” she said.

After the hearing, commissioners will have the option to make changes to the guide before it’s submitted to Georgia Mountains Regional Commission for review and approval, as required.

The regional commission will then send the document to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs for final analysis and response, Bernstein said.

Once returned, county commissioners need to approve the plan by the state-required adoption deadline of Oct. 31.

“We’re well ahead of schedule,” Bernstein said.

The Georgia Planning Act of 1989 requires a local government’s comprehensive plan be updated at least once every 10 years. This update will cover the years 2012-32.

The current document is a result of public planning processes that involve community members, and several steering committee meetings. The local workshops began in October 2010.