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Planning Process
Most of the projects undertaken by the Comprehensive Planning staff
are requested by the City of Chattanooga City Council, the Hamilton
County Commission, or any of the other municipalities that the RPA
serves. The division also assists various governments departments and
agencies with land use-related projects.
Outline:
General Process
Public Input
No planning process begins without first asking for input from the very
stakeholders who will be affected by the resulting plan. Public meetings
are held to find out what residents, property owners, and business
owners would like to change or keep unchanged in their community.
Various department representatives are on hand at these meetings to help
answer questions regarding housing, businesses, the environment, public
spaces and recreation, civic services and facilities, and
transportation.
Draft Plan
Staff creates a draft plan taking into consideration all of the public
input as well as good planning principles. This may take a couple of
weeks or a couple of months depending on the complexity and scale of the
project.
Public Review
The Draft Plan is taken back and presented to the public in another
public meeting. Input is again solicited from participants to find out
what parts of the plan are satisfactory and which parts need to be
removed or altered.
Preliminary Plan
A Preliminary Plan is developed based on the public comments. A plan
document is prepared and sent to the Planning Commission to begin the
plan adoption process.
Planning Commission Approval
The Planning Commission reviews the Preliminary Plan at its monthly
public hearing. The Planning Commission may approve the Plan recommend
that certain alterations be made and delay action on the approval. If
changes are requested to made to the plan, the Plan will be brought back
to the Planning Commission the next month. Once approved by the Planning
Commission, the Plan moves on to the appropriate legislative body for
final action.
City and/or County Adoption
The Plan goes to the appropriate municipal council or the Hamilton
County Commission for approval, depending on which one has jurisdiction
over the Plan.
Plan Implementation
Once the Plan is adopted, a Final Plan document is prepared by staff for
distribution in hard-copy format or digital format and placed on the RPA
website. Various departments, agencies, task forces, or other
responsible entities may begin work on specific tasks to bring the goals
of the Plan to fruition. Often times, implementation takes the form of
zoning changes, capital items, focus projects, special studies, or new
ordinances.
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Planning Approach
The RPA encourages wise planning of our region's physical development by
recommending policy that integrates land use, transportation, and
resource management. Our approach involves making assessments,
generating ideas, and creating implementation tools to be used by
elected officials and community stakeholders.
Making Assessments
Planners are required to look at the "big picture." We make an
assessment of existing conditions for local communities and the region
to help determine what impacts a proposed development may have. Careful
attention is given to neighborhoods, community facilities and services,
parks, commercial and industrial centers, the natural environment,
streets, land development patterns, and demographics.
Generating Ideas
Planners generate ideas. Planners use public input and staff input
combined with traditional and innovative planning techniques to provide
possible land use solutions and recommendations. Planners explore
options and often help to facilitate discussion between elected
officials, property owners, and developers to help reach those
solutions.
Creating Tools
Planners help to implement land use solutions by developing "planning
tools." These tools take the shape of land use plans, studies, policies,
and regulations. The effectiveness of the tools is part of a continual
monitoring and evaluation process. It has been the experience of the RPA
that developers do not want to invest in an area that does not have a
plan or regulations that will help to protect their investments.
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RPA Planning Principles
Good planning expresses certain qualities or principles of excellence.
Any planning activity should be conducted with these principles in mind.
The following principles of good planning help guide the work of the
Planning Commission and the RPA staff. Most of these principles were
part of the 1996 RPA Strategic Plan. Some are new to the list.
- Planning should provide for the health, safety, and welfare of the
community.
- Planning should be proactive and visionary.
- Planning should reflect the integration of comprehensive economic,
social, and environmental factors.
- Planning should promote the wise use of existing resources without
compromising our options for the future.
- Planning should recognize the importance of diversity in our community,
including its people, cultures, values, places and natural resources.
- Citizen involvement in the planning process is essential.
- Planning should reflect a high ethical standard, free from conflicts of
interest.
- Planning should seek to find a balance between what is good for the
community as a whole and the rights of citizens as individuals.
- Planning should incorporate realistic and flexible implementation
components that define specific areas of responsibility.
- Planning should recognize the importance of the urban, suburban, and
rural areas to the economic and cultural vitality of the entire
community.
- Planning should facilitate new growth while protecting neighborhoods,
infrastructure, and the environment.
- Planning should be an ongoing process in which previously developed
plans are reviewed periodically and updated or modified as needed if
conditions or preferences have changed.
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