- Nephi City's consultant and the planning commission have been working to update the general plan for future community development
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By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Nephi has had a general plan in place since the 1980s.
That plan was updated in the 1990s and is now being updated again.
"In 2008, you may recall, a BYU class came and helped with a survey," said Randy McKnight, city administrator.
In 1991, the Utah State Legislature mandated that each city and each county "shall prepare and adopt a comprehensive general plan" to deal with the growth occurring within its boundaries. The role of a "general plan" or "comprehensive plan" is to plan for the physical development of the community.
Typically, a general plan is future-oriented because it projects the development of a community to a future point in time or future point in the community's growth. Such a plan is comprehensive geographically and functionally in that it covers all of the jurisdiction's geographic area and all of the physical elements that determine future community development.
The entire concept of local land use planning is intended to move from the general to the specific and to make decisions in light of general community goals.
The past several months, said McKnight, the city's consultant and the planning commission have been working to update the general plan.
CRSA, Salt Lake City, has been working with the planning commission and the city staff and government as consultants on the document.
There is a specific process that must be followed to adopt a general plan, and it must involve the planning commission. In dealing in land use issues, the planning commission's role cannot be ignored. Only the planning commission can propose a general plan, and the city council cannot approve one without the recommendation of the planning commission.
"The planning commission will hold a public hearing on the draft general plan," said McKnight. "Then, when they are comfortable with the draft, they will recommend it to the city council for action."
The city council may, at that point, adopt the general plan.
"The city council does not need to hold another public hearing," said McKnight, "though, if the council chooses to hold one they may."
The council may adopt the general plan as they receive it from the planning commission or they may make changes before they adopt the plan.
After the final review by the council, the motion may be made to adopt the draft and make it the final document.
The recreation facility master plan will be added to the general plan as an addendum. The master plan itself will have just a small section dealing with recreation.
Aside from being mandated to do so by the Legislature, every city that has land use controls needs to have a general plan if it intends to control land uses.
A general plan establishes zones for different types of development, uses, traffic patterns, and future development and is a scientifically based long-range plan for urban development.
After it is approved by the council, it is the chief city-building document on the basis of which specific projects are drawn up.
State staute mandates that each municipality will prepare and adopt a comprehensive, long-range general plan for present and future needs and growth and development of the land within the municipality.
Utah State law requires general plans to include eight basic elements: Growth and Land Use; Transportation; Environment; Public Services and Facilities; Rehabilitation, Redevelopment, and Conservation; Economic; Moderate Income Housing; and Implementation
"The planning commission public hearing will be held when the commission is ready to present the draft for comment," said McKnight. "The public will then have an opportunity to give input concerning the proposals being recommended by the planning commission."
The final draft will then be prepared, taking into consideration the comments made at the public hearing.
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