Liberty Township is set to embark on the journey of creating a new comprehensive plan. Beginning next month, the township will work in conjunction with Crossroads Community Planning to develop the Liberty 2040 Community Plan that is expected to be finished next December.
The new plan will include a series of goals, objectives, recommendations, and action steps that will help guide land use, housing, infrastructure, and policy decisions over the next few decades in the township, the township stated in a press release.
To generate as much public feedback as possible, Crossroads Community Planning has developed a public participation plan that will begin next month and will continue throughout the length of the planning process. Included in the participation plan is the formation of a community committee comprised of residents, business owners, schools, and representatives of community organizations. Two residents of each quadrant of the township will be selected to represent their area and provide feedback.
Applications to serve on the committee will be accepted through Jan. 5, at which time the township will utilize a blind-review process to select the resident members. The selected members will be announced Jan. 18.
“By having residents from each quadrant, we are able to have even geographic representation, which is important due to Liberty Township’s suburban to rural range of character,” Township Planner Hunter Rayfield told The Gazette.
A series of neighborhood-level meetings will also be held in each quadrant of the township over the duration of the planning process. According to the release, the meetings will “provide a more intimate setting to allow the consultant to garner additional community insights.” Crossroads Community Planning will also provide monthly updates to the township trustees and Zoning Commission, and it will hold two additional communitywide open houses in 2022.
Previously, an online community survey was conducted as part of the preplanning process, as well as an open house in August.
Rayfield added, “Community involvement is the most critical element in any planning process. We were able to gather information this year that culminated in an August open house at the Township Hall. We were thrilled with the number of residents that came through the open house and the feedback that was given. That feedback has been directly incorporated into the planning process that Liberty 2040 will follow next year.
“We want residents to stay involved throughout the year, which they’ll be able to do at neighborhood meetings held in each quadrant and at additional open houses to give as much feedback as possible. We want Liberty 2040 to reflect the big ideas our residents have for their community and are excited to begin.”
Holly Mattei, the owner and president of Crossroads Community Planning, said in the release, “The residents of this community are passionate about its future. The data we captured from the online survey and open house is essential and sets a foundation as we build upon this feedback with future public outreach activities.”
To learn more about the township’s planning process for the new comprehensive plan, or to access the committee application, visit www.libertytwp.org/442/Liberty-2040-Community-Plan.
