What is the Comprehensive Plan?

Franklin County's guide for development, land use, economic progress and the preservation of the quality of life over the long-term. It is not a regulatory document, but is intended to provide recommendations and guidance for growth and development. The overall goal is to foster positive growth while maintaining the rich heritage and rural character of Franklin County.

Why do we need a Comprehensive Plan?

· Provide guidance to municipalities, authorities and other agencies;
· Promote cooperation and coordination across municipal borders and between agencies;
· Recommend the best methods of land development to property owners and developers;
· Plan for needed transportation improvements and coordinate transportation with development;
· Provide a logical program for the community that will assist in obtaining Federal and State grants; and
· Guide investments in public infrastructure.

Goals of the Comprehensive Plan

Agriculture & Natural Resources
· Encourage the preservation of large, contiguous parcels of prime farmland.
· Ensure that development respects the natural features of the land, especially creek valleys, wetlands, and steeply sloped land.
· Protect the quality of groundwater and surface water with particular attention to public water supplies.

Community Facilities & Services
· Provide adequate community facilities with capacity to serve future growth.
· Provide a well-distributed system of public recreation facilities that are coordinated with public schools, residential development patterns, and open space preservation efforts.
· Encourage full coordination of community services across municipal borders with an emphasis on public water, public sewage, police, fire, and emergency medical services.

Economic Development
· Attract new business development and expansion in appropriate areas to provide tax revenue and wider employment opportunities.
· Emphasize redevelopment of older business areas.
· Seek a diversity of jobs to meet the varied skills of County residents.

Land Use & Housing
· Provide for land uses that are compatible between uses and across municipal borders.
· Protect the livability of residential areas with an emphasis on strengthening older neighborhoods.
· Direct most residential development to locations where public water and sewage services can be provided.
· Minimize the conflicts between agriculture and other land uses.
· Accommodate development in a manner that minimizes the amount of land that is consumed.
· Discourage "strip" commercial development along major roads by directing commercial uses to downtown and existing commercial areas with coordinated traffic patterns.
· Emphasize the preservation and rehabilitation of historically significant architecture.

Transportation
· Ensure that the transportation system is safe and efficient.
· Work aggressively to obtain funding to complete road improvements.
· Identify road links that will be needed in the future to provide alternative routes around existing problem areas.
· Manage and coordinate vehicle access onto major roads to avoid conflicts with through-traffic.
· Make sure that developers improve adjoining roads that provide access to their developments.
· Promote pedestrian and bicycle travel, use of public transit, and carpooling.

Call 717-261-3855 or email us with your mailing address to receive a FREE copy of the Comprehensive Plan Summary. Complete copies of the Comprehensive Plan are available for $25.