What's Going On?

OVERVIEW

Plan It Piqua is creating a comprehensive plan for our community's future growth and development. It will describe what we want our town to look like.

All citizens and community leaders are invited to ask questions and share their ideas at future public meetings.

PROJECT UPDATES

January 2008 - Final Plan Adopted by City Commission
Plan It Piqua Comprehensive Plan Update (Final - Adopted)
Plan It Piqua Comprehensive Plan Update Appendix (Final - Adopted)
October 2007 - Presentation of Draft Plan Objectives and Strategies
May 2007 Project Report
February 2007 Project Report
January 2007 Project Report
December 2006 Project Report

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

What is a comprehensive plan?
A comprehensive plan is the adopted statement of a local government's legislative body for future development and conservation. It sets forth goals; analyzes existing conditions and trends; describes and illustrates a vision for the physical, social, and economic characteristics of the community in the years ahead; and outlines policies and guidelines intended to implement that vision.

What is the purpose of a comprehensive plan?
The most important function of a comprehensive plan is to provide valuable guidance to those in the public and private sector as decisions are made affecting the future quality of life of existing and future residents and the natural and built environments in which they live, work and play.

What areas of community interest does a comprehensive plan address?
Comprehensive plans address a broad range of interrelated topics in a unified way. A comprehensive plan identifies and analyzes the important relationships among the economy, transportation, community facilities and services, housing, the environment, land use, human services, and other community components. It does so on a community-wide basis and in the context of a wider region.

Who organizes and sponsors a comprehensive planning effort?
As a tool used mostly by local government officials to guide future policy making and land use decisions, a comprehensive planning effort is typically initiated and paid for by the local government.

Who is invited to participate in a comprehensive planning effort?
The entire community. Comprehensive plans are founded upon the premise that public participation is essential to building consensus on the recommendations to be included in the plan, and that the ideas that establish the foundation of the plan must come from a diverse group of participants representing all interests, races, classes, socio-economic groups, and technical disciplines that exist within the community.

Who determines the content of the comprehensive plan?
The entire community. The people who live, work, and play in the community and, the local officials who deal with the day in and day out issues confronting the community will have an opportunity to shape the content of the plan. A steering committee representing a wide cross-section of community interest will guide the comprehensive plan development process. Based upon the input received from the community, the Steering Committee will make recommendations to the local governments Planning Commission body concerning the final content of the plan. The recommendation is then forwarded to the local government’s legislative body for a formal adoption of the plan.

When was a comprehensive plan last prepared for our community?

The last comprehensive plan prepared for the City of Piqua dates back to 1970.

When does a comprehensive plan expire?
A comprehensive plan addresses the long-range future of a community, using a time horizon up to 20 years or more. A comprehensive plan is intended to be a dynamic document that never expires. On an ongoing basis, the Planning Commission body of the local government re-evaluates the content of the comprehensive plan to ensure the plan does not become obsolete. When a shift in the values of the community is recognized, the Planning Commission recommends to the City Commission the appropriate updates to keep the plan content current. Proposals included in the plan are typically categorized as short-term (1 to 3 years), medium-term (4 to 10 years), or long-term (11 to 20 years) actions.

When do I have an opportunity to share my ideas and concerns?
There are several opportunities throughout the comprehensive planning effort to provide input. During the visioning, technical analysis, and plan development phases of the comprehensive planning process, there will be public meetings held to share information with the citizenry and gain feedback from the community.

Why does a local government need a comprehensive plan?
A comprehensive plan provides local government with the legal basis for policy and decision making concerning land use, financing, and public improvement projects, and other matters.

How long does it take to complete a comprehensive plan?
The duration of a comprehensive planning effort varies depending on the size of the community and the scope of the project. Fifteen to eighteen months is typical for a community the size of Piqua.

How will a comprehensive plan improve the quality of life in Piqua?
A comprehensive plan allows public and private entities to view the big picture of the community. This helps to coordinate local decision making and results in more effective placement, financing, and sequencing of public and private improvement projects. A comprehensive plan allows private sector investors to better understand the needs and desires of the community and how the local government intends to invest public dollars in support of acquiring the desired amenities.

How will the actions identified by the comprehensive plan be funded?
Each action included in the comprehensive plan will include an estimated cost to implement and target a funding source for the item. The cost to implement each action will be carefully evaluated to ensure both the short-term and long-term ramifications of implementing the item are fully understood.

How will the comprehensive plan be implemented?
For any comprehensive planning effort to be successful, the constituency must be given the opportunity to participate and choose to do so. Broad citizen participation creates an informed constituency that will remain involved in the planning initiatives and will collaborate with the local government to ensure the implementation of the plan.

"TOP TWENTY" from Scenic Piqua.