The second of three scheduled public workshops to help devise a comprehensive plan for the Georgia coastal region was held last Tuesday in Midway.

The workshops, hosted by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, the state’s Comprehensive Planning Advisory Committee and the Coastal Georgia Regional Development Center, bring together both community residents and local leaders to meet and discuss issues involving the six-county coastal area.

They're also trying to devise a plan for the growth of the area and protection of the natural resources.

"This effort is concentrated on those counties that are waterfront," said Adriane Wood, manager of regional planning for the state’s department of community affairs. "We decided to start with the six coastal counties but there’s no telling where it’s going to go from here."

Wood said the plan was mandated by Governor Sonny Perdue and came from his state committee for a new Georgia. She said the final goal of the project is to look at growth and to preserve the beauty of the area.

"Our goal is to evaluate growth and development in the six coastal counties without losing the natural resources that make (this area) so special," Wood said. "This is a special area and has a very special meaning to a lot of people."

Wood said part of the process is looking at current local ordinances pertaining to growth and natural areas and to either make them better or help implement those already in place.

"This issue really means a lot to the governor," she said.

The six counties being evaluated by the state are Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Glynn, Liberty and McIntosh.

Each of the workshops is held three times, once each in an area convenient to the six counties. The workshops are held in Savannah, Brunswick and Midway.

Last Tuesday’s meeting gave small groups the chance to answer a survey with questions about growth and to discuss each idea with the group.