Comp planning 🔭 Public Outcry: Atlanta's Comp Plan

[RandomPlanner]

I've been loosely following the Comp Plan in Atlanta and was interested to see that it was scaled back last week to get passed before DCA's deadline.

In short, the proposed Comprehensive Development Plan cited nine citywide studies, five of which have not been adopted by the Atlanta City Council, as the basis for the plan. The City got angry; the public came out in droves, and the Plan was cut down to eliminate the controversial elements. "182 of the city’s 242 neighborhoods signed a letter opposing the administration’s proposal. Other signs of public unrest include more than seven hours of recorded comments played at a CDHS public hearing Monday and the City Council’s reception of an estimated 2,500 voice mails and 1,100 emails on the subject." Public input at its height!

150 neighborhoods say Atlanta’s proposed long-range development plan is unlawful - SaportaReport

Read 150 neighborhoods say Atlanta’s proposed long-range development plan is unlawful by David Pendered for SaportaReport here.

saportareport.com

Atlanta City Council reins in proposed long-range growth plan - SaportaReport

Read Atlanta City Council reins in proposed long-range growth plan by David Pendered for SaportaReport here.

saportareport.com

 

[fringe]

...thanks for posting this. My daughter lives and works in Buckhead.

I live in a way rural county where, ironically, comp planning has become a big issue among the local governing body. Those plans have historically been like casseroles prepared and delivered by RDC.

Those recipes are never followed, but for some reason now there are too many cooks in the kitchen, and so much pepper is making everyone sneeze.

Changes in land use around here tend to crumble like cookies' edges instead of being sprinkled across the whole tray.

 

[Bubba]

...thanks for posting this. My daughter lives and works in Buckhead.

Is she for or against the City of Buckhead movement? I've been keeping an eye on that simply because my municipality of residence's southern border abuts Buckhead...

 

[fringe]

She is not convinced that wagon circling helps, so...

 

[fringe]

Our county's commission invited bids from private companies after some members declared DCA's regional staff had failed to serve well with it's typical proposed comp plan. One of the bidding consultants' name is "Southern Prosperity" (LOL, sounds to me like one of those prosperity churches)

Does the membership here think private companies can do better that govt agencies in comp plan development?

 

[mendelman]

Does the membership here think private companies can do better that govt agencies in comp plan development?

Yes for sure.

Private planning consultants do this all the time, everyday.

My previous employer hired a private planning firm to conduct the Comp Plan creation process starting in 2021.

This City also hired private consultants for the comp plan processes in 2006, 1995, 1983 and 1973.

 

[luckless pedestrian]

I think it's hilarious, unless I was the city planner - small town hijinks exploding to a city level has gotta suck

 

[SlaveToTheGrind]

Our county's commission invited bids from private companies after some members declared DCA's regional staff had failed to serve well with it's typical proposed comp plan. One of the bidding consultants' name is "Southern Prosperity" (LOL, sounds to me like one of those prosperity churches)

Does the membership here think private companies can do better that govt agencies in comp plan development?

Am I to understand cities will draft their own comp plan? Too much time and people hours around here. Hire a consultant for $125k.

 

[Whose Yur Planner]

Yes, Comp Plans should be written private or quasi public entities. Planning staff's do not have the time. Plus the outside perspective is good. Zoning Ordinances should be written by the Planning Staff. The staff has to implement it.

 

[gtpeach]

Some localities have a recurring process for updating and revising their Comp Plans or doing small area plans in between major updates. If that's the case, they have staff that is already programmed to do the updates and a private consultant isn't necessarily needed. But I think if you want to do a full revision, even with that type of organizational structure, it would be hard for existing staff to take that on in addition to their regular job duties in most cases. If they have the capacity to spend time doing all that public engagement and outreach, what are they spending their time on outside of the update cycle?

I'm doing a small public engagement process to site a bike/ped bridge and that alone is taking up a fairly significant portion of my time because the residents on one side of the river near the proposed landing sites have a lot of opinions about the process and the potential impacts.

 

[Suburb Repairman]

Does the membership here think private companies can do better that govt agencies in comp plan development?

Yes. I felt that way before I was such a consultant as well. For a few reasons:

• consultants bring broader, more recent experience from other places - and new ideas
• it can be good for staff not to drive the process in order to avoid perception that they are loading it with their ideas/biases (unfair, but you've likely seen this even with staff recommendations on zoning cases
• Consultants can deal more directly/effectively with controversies
• It gives you someone to go catch javelins
• It recognizes staff workload... you don't have time stop kidding yourself
• technical skills - can quite literally make a nicer plan with better analysis

We just completed a VERY high-profile comprehensive plan update that was made necessary because the city had always done their plans in-house, and had their last one blow up rather spectacularly following adoption. It wasn't their fault at all--a very loud minority came for them and it got ugly.

 

[Planit]

A "loud minority" disrupts many things. We've got one here & that's why I keep pushing the idea of a consultant based plan. I will not be a dartboard.