County seeking views on growth

With the partial update for Columbia County's growth management plan well under way, county planning staffers are seeking comments from residents through an online survey.

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"This is the citizens' opportunity to express the issues that concern them having to do with growth," said county Planning Manager Nayna Mistry.

An update of the comprehensive plan started in February and is expected to take a year before it's complete.

State law requires a partial update every five years. A full revision of the plan is required every 10 years.

Residents are encouraged to visit the county's Web site and fill out a short survey that will be submitted to the CSRA Regional Commission, the organization aiding in the update process.

The survey can be found at www.columbiacountyga.gov under the "County Surveys" tab at the bottom left section of the page. A survey also has been sent to residents in this month's water bill.

"We need to make updates to the current plan to fit in with the current direction the county is going in," Mistry said. "If there are issues that need resolving or improvements to be made, then we do need to know so we can consider them."

The growth management plan serves as a guide for development in the county. Commercial growth is concentrated in specific nodes to minimize urban sprawl. Each node is assigned a different tier level depending on its size.

An advisory committee focusing on the comprehensive plan update met in March, and the first public open house was held in May.

"It just helps in getting public interest," Mistry said of the survey. "Not everybody can attend the public meetings."

In order for officials to compile the information by the next public meeting July 8, the surveys should be submitted by the end of this month, Mistry said.

For details about the survey, call (706) 868-3400 or visit www.columbiacountyga.gov.