Boone County is in the middle of one of the most important planning cycles we undertake: the update to our Comprehensive Land Use Plan, titled “Our Boone County Plan 2045.”
The document is revised every five years, and it serves as the foundation for decisions about growth, transportation, infrastructure, economic development, land use, housing, and the character of our communities projected over the next 20 years.
Currently, the Boone County Planning Commission is soliciting public feedback on elements of the plan through their online portal at online.encodeplus.com/boonecounty-ky-cp.
For the last year, the Boone County Planning Commission has been working through this update and developing our long-range plan. During this cycle, I have strongly advocated for several reforms that make the plan clearer, more transparent, and more useful for both residents and policymakers. These include:
• Reducing and refining the number of goals and objectives.
• Adding quantifiable metrics and targets so progress towards goals can be measured.
•Improving staff reports to the Planning Commission to identify not just the goals a proposed project meets, but also the goals it conflicts with.
• Updating regional character areas so planning can be more targeted and specific to community needs.
Whether residents realize it or not, this is one of the most important areas for public feedback. The Comprehensive Plan is proactive, not reactive, and is the foundational guide for growth decisions that impact us every day—from the roads we drive on, to the types of development we see, to the industries we attract, to how we preserve natural and cultural resources.
The draft plan includes elements covering demographic analysis, environmental and cultural resources, transportation, public services, economic analysis, and one of the most important elements: land use. All of these components work together to create a vision for the county, where residents can see what our county is projected to look like in the future.
Public feedback on the draft is open until December 1, and every single comment submitted through the online portal is sent directly to the Planning Commission. In a county of our size, a few hundred responses represent only a tiny fraction of our population. We need as much public feedback as possible to help guide the direction of our plan.
This is the time for residents to speak up about the future of Boone County. This plan helps shape the county’s growth for future decades and community participation is essential to getting it right. I encourage everyone to review the draft plan and submit feedback through the Our Boone County 2045 Draft Plan website.
You can also email feedback to plancom@boonecountyky.org. If anyone needs help navigating the site or understanding how to provide feedback, you can reach out to the Boone County Planning Commission at 859-334-2196.
Chet Hand is a Boone County Commissioner.