Comprehensive Plan Amendment

Purpose

The Comprehensive Plan is the guide for long-range development of the community. The amendment process is established for the Comprehensive Plan in order to provide flexibility in response to changing circumstances, and to accommodate potential change where such change meets the intent of the plan. Final action on a comprehensive plan amendment is the responsibility of the City Council.

The criteria for approval of the plan amendment are:

• The proposed amendment promotes the health, safety, or general welfare of the City and the safe, orderly, and healthful development of the City;
• The proposed amendment is consistent with other goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan; and,
• The proposed amendment is consistent with the Future Land Use element of the Comprehensive Plan.

^{The City of Georgetown is in the process of updating the city's Comprehensive Plan. Targeted for the year 2030, the Comprehensive Plan is a long term outlook for the community consisting of the goals, values and overall vision of the citizens. The Comprehensive Plan is a statement by today's citizens to help plan and grow accordingly for tomorrow's citizens. The update will completely modernize the current comprehensive plan, called the Century Plan, which was adopted in 1988.}

Procedure

I.  Application:  Comprehensive Plan Amendments are initiated by submittal of the required application materials to the Planning & Development Department. If initiated by a property owner, the application must be submitted at least 90 days prior to the first meeting of the Planning & Zoning Commission in January, April, July or October.

II.  Completeness Review: Upon receipt of the application, Planning & Development staff will review the submitted materials for completeness. The completeness review is to ensure that all of the information necessary to make a thorough review has been provided. The Director will make the determination as to completeness within seven (7) days of application submittal.

III. Staff Review: Once the application has been determined to be complete the Planning & Development Department staff will prepare a report with a recommendation to the Planning & Zoning Commission.

IV. Planning & Zoning Commission Hearing:  A notice of the scheduled public hearing will be published (in a newspaper of general circulation) at least fifteen (15) days in advance of the Planning & Zoning Commission hearing. At the hearing, staff will present their report and recommendation, the applicant will be provided an opportunity to present the proposal, and testimony will be received from both proponents and opponents. Following the closure of the public hearing the Commission will deliberate and reach a decision which will be presented as a recommendation to the City Council.

V. City Council Consideration: The City Council is required to consider Comprehensive Plan Amendments in a public hearing forum, which requires public notification at least fifteen (15) days in advance of the hearing. Notification is provided through publication in a newspaper of general circulation. The hearing procedure is similar to the Planning & Zoning Commission with staff and applicant presentations followed by public testimony. Following deliberation the Council may take one of the following actions: approve, approve with modifications, or disapprove.

• A majority, plus one additional vote, of all members of the City Council is required to approve an amendment;
• If the Planning & Zoning Commission has recommended disapproval of the amendment a � vote