BLYTHEWOOD – Without a quorum, the Planning Commission on Aug. 3 was restricted to discussing items on the agenda without taking any votes. Four of the seven members of the Commission, Robert Cappadona, Marcus Taylor, Mike Switzer and Ernestine Middleton, did not attend the meeting.
With the final draft of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan on the table, it was expected the Commission would forward it on to Town Council with a recommendation for approval. Instead, Commission Chairman Malcolm Gordge reviewed the finalized updates to the Plan that were made by Greg Sprouse of Central Midlands Council of Governments.
The major change in the Plan made economic development a top priority for the Town, Gordge said.
“This was the principal thinking that came out of the Council’s retreat last March,” Gordge said. “Another focus, I think, is that we have essentially eliminated duplication of the previous plan, mostly concerning the environment. Environmental concerns took up a large portion of the Plan. So we cleaned this up to achieve clarity.”
Sprouse also included a map of the town’s water and sewer lines in the proposed plan and updated several text issues and demographic numbers. Gordge concluded that the changes will make the plan more readable now.
The purpose of the Plan is to provide guidance for planning and zoning. It is required by state law to be updated every 10 years and can be updated as frequently as every 5 years. It was last updated in 2010. The Plan is expected to be recommended to Council by the Planning Commission at its Sept. 6 meeting and then be discussed by Council at its September workshop.
