The path to the future is still being paved in James City County.
The county’s Community Participation Team recently met — its second meeting — to discuss, among other items, how to engage locals and learn about their ideas for the future, according to documents from the county.
The Community Participation Team was created in March to help the county’s commissioners review the Comprehensive Plan, which guides development in the county, according to the county’s website.
Related story: Community Participation Team Formed to Help JCC Review Comprehensive Plan
The 2035 Comprehensive Plan, which will aim to lay out where certain types of development should occur, is expected to undergo a review process. The plan is required by state law to be reviewed every five years.
At the recent meeting, team members discussed how to start soliciting input and build a branding campaign for the project, said Christy Parrish, the county’s zoning administrator.
“The [Community Participation Team] basically is charged with going out into the community in all different avenues to receive feedback,” she said. “When the plan is updated, the community input is vital for those that are making the decisions.”
Parrish said the team is essential in forming the 2040 Comprehensive Plan Update because it will provide administrators with feedback regarding the growth of the county in areas including water and land developments.
To move forward with the plan, the team has to first garner public engagement in order to provide feedback.
Part of that will be done through a series of public input meetings, Parrish said. The dates for the meetings have not yet been set.
In addition, the team considered social media engagement, personalized messages and recruitment efforts to build engagement with the community.
“No decisions have been made,” she said. “The point of the meeting was to brainstorm so we dove in and went back through what had taken place during [previous] meetings.”
Related story: Here’s an update on James City County’s Comprehensive Plan
Consultants are currently working with the county to develop a communication and public engagement plan. This plan will help the team define the key messages they want to put into the community as well as plan the most effective way to convey those messages, said Tammy Rosario, principal planner for the county.
The communication and public engagement plan which will be presented for review by the team at 4 p.m. on Sept. 17 at James City County Government Complex at 101 Mounts Bay Road.
For more information, visit James City County online.
