St. Joseph County officials lay framework for 2042 Comprehensive Plan at public summit

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- St. Joseph County leaders and members of the public came together on Wednesday to start cultivating the framework for the St. Joseph County 2042 Comprehensive Plan.

The plan will serve as a policy document to guide growth in development in the county, with an emphasis on the community's input.

"We have to be the people that make the change in our community," said St. Joseph County resident Steve Sass.  "Otherwise, other people are going to do it for us, and it may often not be the results that we're looking for."

The working groups created on Wednesday to cover eight areas of interest for the county will hold virtual meetings to create goals and recommendations for each pillar starting the week of August 15.

From public suggestions, the plan will come together with various policies, programs and projects.

The executive director of the county's area plan commission says the goal is to get the plan to the county council for adoption by spring or summer of 2023.

The eight areas of interest set by the St. Joseph County 2042 Comprehensive Plan are:

• Economic development
• Environmental stewardship
• Farmland preservation
• Government and policy
• Housing and neighborhoods
• Quality of life and place
• Transportation
• Utilities