O.C.G.A.
50-8-1 et seq. gives the Department
authority to establish standards and procedures for comprehensive planning by
all local governments in Georgia. Those standards and procedures, embodied
herein, emphasize preparation of plans that help each local government address
its immediate needs and opportunities while moving toward realization of its
long-term goals for the future. In order to maintain qualified local government
certification, and thereby remain eligible for selected state funding and
permitting programs, each local government must prepare, adopt, maintain, and
implement a comprehensive plan as specified in these standards.
(1)
Required and Optional Plan
Elements. Each community's comprehensive plan must include the required
plan elements specified in the "Required for" column below. Each community is
encouraged to go beyond these minimum required elements and supplement its
comprehensive plan with other plan elements (refer to the list of optional plan
elements in the Supplemental Planning Recommendations for suggestions) to make
the overall plan a good fit for the community.
|
Plan Element
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Required for
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Recommended for
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Specifics at
|
|
Community Goals
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All local governments
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110-12-1-.03(1)
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Needs and Opportunities
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All local governments
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110-12-1-.03(2)
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Community Work Program
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All local governments
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110-12-1-.03(3)
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Broadband Services Element
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All local governments
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110-12-1-.03(4)
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Capital Improvements Element
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Governments that charge impact fees
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110-12-1-.03(5)
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Economic Development Element
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Communities included in Georgia Job Tax Credit Tier
1
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Communities seeking improved economic opportunities
for their citizens
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110-12-1-.03(6)
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Land Use Element
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Communities with zoning or equivalent land
development regulations that are subject to the Zoning Procedures Law
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Communities that:
· Are considering new land development
regulations
· Include Target Areas in their comprehensive
plan
· Wish to improve aesthetics of specific areas or
protect the character of specific parts of their community
|
110-12-1-.03(7)
|
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Transportation Element
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Local governments that have territory included in a
Metropolitan Planning Organization
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Communities:
· With automobile congestion problems in selected
areas
· Interested in adding alternative transportation
facilities for bicyclists, pedestrians, public transportation users
· That may have too much or too little parking in
specific areas
|
110-12-1-.03(8)
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Housing Element
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HUD CDBG
Entitlement Communities
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Communities with:
· Concentrations of low-quality or dilapidated
housing
· Relatively high housing costs compared to
individual/family incomes
· A jobs-housing imbalance
|
110-12-1-.03(9)
|
(2)
Community Involvement. Each element of the comprehensive plan must
be prepared with opportunity for involvement and input from stakeholders and
the general public, in order to ensure that the plan reflects the full range of
community needs and values. The three steps for involving stakeholders and the
general public in developing the comprehensive plan are listed below.
(a)
Identification of
Stakeholders. Compile a list of stakeholders who need to have a voice in
the development of the plan. Refer to the list of suggested stakeholders
provided in the Supplemental Planning Recommendations for suggestions. Members
of the governing authority must be included among the selected stakeholders and
be actively involved in plan preparation, such as serving on the steering
committee that guides development of the plan. This will help ensure that the
plan will be implemented, because leadership that is involved in plan
development is likely to become committed to seeing it through.
(b)
Identification of Participation
Techniques. Review each of the recommended community participation
techniques identified in the Supplemental Planning Recommendations to select
those to be used locally for involving the selected stakeholders in the process
of developing the plan. At minimum, your community must form a steering
committee to oversee and participate in development of the plan that includes
some of the stakeholders identified in section (a) above, members of the
governing authority, local economic development practitioners, and local
government staff.
(c)
Conduct
Participation Program. Invite each of the stakeholders identified in
section (a) above to participate in the activities and events identified in
section (b). Use these participation events to solicit specific input on the
content of the plan. Hold regular meetings of the steering committee to provide
input and feedback to the plan preparers as the plan is developed.
(d)
Documentation of Community
Involvement Activities. Include an appendix to the comprehensive plan
which assembles documentation showing that the activities discussed, above,
occurred. This documentation must include: a list of stakeholders who were
specifically identified to provide input on the plan; an overview of the
participation techniques used to gather community input; and a list of the
members of the steering committee that specifically identifies the governing
authority and economic development practitioner representatives. Additionally,
documentation of the community involvement activities and events undertaken in
preparing the plan must be provided. The breadth and types of documentation may
vary based upon community dynamics and the nature of the specific activities
the community has undertaken. Acceptable types of documentation of includes,
but is not limited to: sign-in sheets from meetings/workshops/etc.; photographs
of community involvement events; survey questions and results;
records/agendas/minutes of meetings; copies of published advertisements of
events; and/or copies of published social media posts.
(3)
Consideration of the Regional Water
Plan and the Environmental Planning Criteria.
During the process of preparing its comprehensive plan, each
community must review the Regional Water Plan(s) covering its area and the
Rules for Environmental Planning Criteria (established and administered by the
Department of Natural Resources pursuant to O.C.G.A.
12-2-8) to determine if there is
need to adapt local implementation practices or development regulations to
address protection of these important natural resources. The community must
certify via a cover letter signed by its chief elected official that it has
considered both the Regional Water Plan and the Rules for Environmental
Planning Criteria when it transmits the plan to the Regional Commission for
review.
(4)
Review of
the Comprehensive Plan. Upon completion, the comprehensive plan must be
transmitted to the Regional Commission for review. Both the Regional Commission
and the Department will review the plan and respond to the local government
with findings and recommendations. Once approved by the Department as being in
compliance with the Minimum Standards and Procedures, the local government may
adopt the plan. Specific details for this review process are covered in section
110-12-1-.04.
(5)
Official Listing of Planning
Requirements and Deadlines. The Department maintains and makes available
on its website a recertification schedule identifying the deadlines for
comprehensive plan updates, and the specific plan elements that must be
included in each update, for all counties and municipalities in
Georgia.
(6)
Alternative
Planning Requirements. Any Regional Commission may apply to the
Department for approval of alternative planning requirements for a particular
community if both the community's leadership and Regional Commission agree that
an alternative to the planning standards provided herein is more appropriate
for the community. Communities interested in pursuing alternative planning
requirements should consult with their regional commission for ideas and
guidance prior to beginning their local planning process. Specific details
about applying for this exemption are covered in section
110-12-1-.04(3).
(7)
Planning Resources and
Support.
(a) The Department's
Supplemental Planning Recommendations provide ideas and suggested best
practices to assist communities as they prepare their plans and address these
Minimum Standards and Procedures.
(b) The community's Regional Commission is
available to prepare the four core elements of the comprehensive plan (i.e.,
the Community Goals, Needs and Opportunities, Broadband Element, and Community
Work Program), or an alternative plan of similar or lesser complexity agreed
upon under the alternative planning requirements specified in section (5)
above, at no additional cost for any interested community.
(c) To help ensure the ongoing efficacy of
the comprehensive plan, the community's Regional Commission will meet with each
community's leadership regularly to:
· review the plan;
· identify any needed changes or updates;
· discuss the community's recent plan implementation
accomplishments;
· prioritize plan implementation activities for the upcoming
year; and
· offer Regional Commission assistance with plan
implementation.
Notes
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs.
R. 110-12-1-.02
O.C.G.A. §
50-8-7.1(b).
Original
Rule entitled "Definitions" adopted. F. Mar. 21,
1997; eff. May 1,
1997, as specified by the Agency.
Repealed: New Rule of same title adopted. F.
Dec. 31, 2001; eff.
Feb. 1, 2002, as
specified by the Agency.
Repealed: New Rule of same title adopted. F.
Dec. 4, 2002; eff.
Jan. 1, 2004, as
specified by the Agency.
Repealed: New Rule entitled "Overview of Planning
Requirements" adopted. F. Apr. 7, 2005;
eff. May 1, 2005, as
specified by the Agency.
Repealed: New Rule entitled "Requirements" adopted. F.
Nov. 13, 2012; eff.
Dec. 3, 2012.
Repealed: New Rule of same title adopted. F.
Feb. 6, 2014; eff.
Mar. 1, 2014, as
specified by the Agency.
Amended: F. Sep. 11,
2018; eff. Oct. 1,
2018.
