The Bryan County Comprehensive Plan Committee continues to make headway, and has almost completed the process of going over the county’s issues and objectives.
"It went well, we were continuing on with the issues, goals and objectives," County Administrator Phil Jones said. "We got through most of them; I think we’re down to maybe the last one or two."
The committee has been having a continued discussion and the CGRDC has been taking what they’re talking about and putting those concerns and suggestions into a plan of policies for the county. CGRDC Director Tricia Reynolds said they hope to finalize the issues and objectives during the next meeting.
"We got through economic development, housing, and natural and cultural resources. Next time we need to talk about community facilities and services, inter-jurisdictional coordination and transportation," Reynolds explained.
On the topic of affordable housing, Reynolds said the big question is how it is defined.
"What’s affordable in Pembroke isn’t necessarily affordable in Richmond Hill," she said. "It’s something to deal with. Some were saying, ‘does the government really need to be involved in this.’ It will continue to be an issue until someone deals with it. The committee wanted to know the steps to starting a Habitat for Humanity here; those are great questions. The need is there, the need is recognized, and we’re working to help execute that."
Reynolds said the topics discussed at the meeting are in the drafting process to become policies for Bryan County to follow in the future. Soon, the committee will start planning new growth areas, or future development, on county maps. That will happen in December or January, Reynolds said. Next year, there will also be open hearings for public input on the comp plan."It was a great crowd," she said, noting there was only one committee member missing. "For us facilitators and planners, we’re pleased with the discussion we’re hearing, it’s a really good group and we are just having a ball working with the county on this."