St. Joseph County asking community to join them in looking towards the future

SAINT JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. -- St. Joseph County (SJC) will be hosting two open houses on Wed. August 28 to present the draft for the SJC Comprehensive Plan.

The plan is a 171 page document designed to help guide the development of St. Joseph County over the next twenty years. The open houses will mark the start of a 30-day public comment period, which will be open through Sept. 27.

The first open house will be held at the Centre Township Branch Library from 12-2 p.m. The second will be at the Francis Branch Library from 5-7 p.m., but the draft plan is already posted online for public review.

Councilwoman Amy Drake says the open houses are a chance for the public to make their voice heard before the draft is finalized.

“This is just a chance for us to all be on the same page, so that when we have to go vote on this, we feel confident that we’ve hit all the community groups. We know what everybody’s thinking before we make our final vote,” said Drake.

Plan SJC has been in the works for several years, featuring four planning phases: discovery, visioning, framework and action.

They have entered the final phase, action, and are looking for public input to guide recommendations for the county council.

The plan features 8 pillars focused on growth: Economic development, housing & neighborhoods, quality of life & place, environmental stewardship, farmland preservation, government & policy, transportation, and utilities.

Councilwoman Drake explained the current comprehensive plan is out of date, and the county has been looking forward to adopting the new plan.

She said while the plan is not legally binding, it is a game-plan for the council’s priorities. The council will vote on adopting the plan after the action phase comes to a close, that date has not yet been set.