JANUARY: Help Plan S. County's Future

Resident feedback meetings begin next month

Deschutes County Oregon -- 12/28/2011 --

Beginning in January, Deschutes County will begin initiating a South County Plan. During the 18-month process, County planners will engage residents and stakeholders to update the Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan. The goal is to create a clear 20-year plan for the area between Lava Butte and the south county boundary.

The South County Plan will address growth and development, transportation and infrastructure, natural resources, and recreation, in a unified document that will help the South County region achieve its long-term goals. The Plan will replace 10 year-old elements of the County’s Comprehensive Plan aimed at addressing similar South County issues.

County Planning Director Nick Lelack says citizen involvement will be the foundation of determining the direction for South Deschutes County and how specific issues are addressed. "Extensive community outreach will ensure that the South County Plan reflects local values consistent with Oregon’s statewide planning program," Lelack said.

Some of the ways County planners will involve the public will be to conduct community meetings, meet with homeowner associations and neighborhood groups, and engage businesses and stakeholders in focus groups. County planners encourage residents and stakeholders to contact them if interested in attending or hosting a meeting to help create the Plan.

The details of the first of three community meetings are listed below. Additional meetings are planned for March, May and July (details to be announced later).

Please open attached Word doc to see schedule of meetings.

Visit the South County Plan website. It will be updated regularly to make it easy for the public to follow the process.
http://www.deschutes.org/Community-Development/Planning/Long-Range-Planning/Current-Projects/South-County-Plan.aspx . For more information, please call Deschutes County Senior Planner Peter Russell at (541) 383-6718 or send email to peter.russell@deschutes.org.