Comprehensive Plan Draft Participation Plan available

The Comprehensive Plan Committee will be meeting next Monday, September 14th at 6:00 PM.  Up for discussion is the just-released Draft Participation Plan (see below for download link).

The goal of the Participation Plan is to create a framework to solicit public input to create a new Comprehensive Plan for Austin. This new plan should give clear direction for future policies, be rooted in Austin’s broad common ground, and incorporate, where possible, novel reconciliations of diverse interests.

The process of developing the City Plan is still in its early stages.  The plan itself isn’t yet being crafted, but the methodology that will be used to do so is.  I intend to pay close attention to the process because I believe very strongly that the new City Plan should have a Noise Element.

Although there is currently no noise element planned for the City Plan, there are a number of  noise-related items scattered throughout the 2008 Austin Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan Interim Update, which will provide the basic framework for the beginning of the Comprehensive Plan (I counted 15 policy goals dealing with noise when I skimmed through it last).  It makes sense to consolidate these policies into a single body for consistency and clarity.

The idea of a noise element isn’t new.  In 2001, CAMPO recommended that cities in the CAMPO area, including Austin, develop noise elements for their city plans.  In California, all cities are required to incorporate noise elements in their city plans.  There are plenty of examples to work with.

Relevant Documents:

Draft Participation Plan

Recommendations for Action by CAMPO, City of Austin, Capital Metro and Others

Austin Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan Interim Update

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