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Both Troup County and the City of LaGrange have begun their process of updating their respective Comprehensive Plans. The plans are useful for having an idea of what we want the places where we live to look like down the road, but they are also required to maintain a qualified status.

On Tuesday, Troup County Community Development Director Jenny Parmer gave the Board of Commissioners an overview of the process to update the plan and why it’s needed.

Parmer explained that the first thing to understand is that the Comprehensive Plan is more of a guide than a regulation. 

“We’ve already been getting this question from the public. Once we start rolling out the comp plan, they start viewing it as a zoning ordinance, as a regulation. One thing that we really stress is that the comprehensive plan is not a regulation. It is a policy guide that reflects the community’s vision for the future,” Parmer said.

“The plan is a reference tool to help inform zoning and land use decisions, ensuring that the decisions align with the long-term goals and priorities. The comprehensive plan doesn’t change the rules. It provides guidance for them. It’s not a law, it’s not an ordinance, but it’s a road map for the future,” Parmer said.

One of the key components of the comprehensive plan is the Character Area Map, which illustrates how different areas of the county may evolve over the next 20 years. It’s not a zoning map, Parmer stressed, but it gives an idea of what people want now for potential zoning changes in the future.

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs mandates that all communities produce a five-year Comprehensive Plan update to maintain their Qualified Local Government (QLG) status, which allows the communities to be eligible for grants and other funding.

“An approved Comprehensive Plan that’s been approved by the state makes Troup County eligible for certain funding opportunities from the State of Georgia. Communities with a current Comprehensive Plan are designated as QLGs, which recognizes a commitment to responsible planning and opens doors to state-funded programs and grants,” Parmer said.

The Comprehensive Plan elements include community goals, needs and opportunities, a community work program, broadband service plans, and land use plans.

The Community Work Program is a five-year action plan listing specific projects, policies and programs that the county intends to implement. They can be operational initiatives like updating the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) or conducting a transportation study. The plan also includes capital projects like road improvements, facility upgrades or new infrastructure.

“The list helps prioritize spending, identify funding sources and align public investments with community goals,” Parmer said.

The county is seeking public input to update the Comprehensive Plan through the steering committee, public meetings, a community survey, social media and stakeholder interviews.

The next public meeting will be held May 13 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the  William J Griggs Recreation Center on Glenn Robertson Drive in LaGrange.

Additional meetings are planned on May 22 at the Gray Hill Community Center on Bartley Road in West Point and June 5 at the LaGrange Troup County Chamber of Commerce on Bull Street in LaGrange. An Online Meeting is also planned on June 10. All of the meetings are set for 5 p.m.