WHAT IS A COMPREHENSIVE
PLAN?
Comprehensive Plans are devised as blue prints, so that
leaders can better plan for social, economic, physical,
political, aesthetics, and any other issues that help
achieve the community’s goals.
WHY PLAN?
“When it comes to the future, there are three kinds of people: those who let it
happen, those who make it happen, and those who wonder what happened.”
John M. Richardson, Jr.
 People plan to make a
special event successful.
 Businesses plan so their
products and services sell.
 Farmers plan when to plant
and harvest.
 Why shouldn’t
communities plan to be
successful and sustainable?
TOWN PLANNNG HAS AN ANCIENT
TRADITION
 PEOPLE PLANNED EARLY
TOWNS TO …
 Take advantage of resources
(water, arable land, etc.),
 Defend themselves against
invaders (defensible
positioning of town or walled
cities), and
 Ensure location along trade
routes.
WHAT DOES A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
PROVIDE
 It establishes an Overall Community Vision with long term
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Goals and Strategies to achieve the goals.
Plan for public infrastructure and facilities to handle
population needs.
Protect and enhance the environment, historic structures
and special places.
Maintain and expand the commercial and economic base.
Promote development of housing to meet community
needs.
Addresses other specific community needs.
ADVANTAGES OF AN OFFICIAL
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
 Planning commission can review and approve plans for
consistency with the Comprehensive Plan
 Local ordinances must be considered for consistency with
Comprehensive Plan
 State agencies must consider the Comprehensive Plan prior
to undertaking any activity that would impact it.
COMPREHENSIVE PLANS PROVIDE FUTURE
INSIGHT
 Inventories available community assets and resources.
 Identifies deficiencies and needs.
 Identifies growth trends and locations where the
population is expected to grow.
 Determines public facility capacity needs to handle
growth in these area (roads, water, waste water
treatment, schools, etc.).
 Identifies service needs of a growing population
(education, transportation, housing, etc.).
CREATES A VISION FOR THE COMMUNITY’S
FUTURE
 Gives elected officials, appointed boards, State agencies
and community groups an agenda of steps they can work
on to achieve the future.
 Helps to allocate resources efficiently in order to achieve
the vision.
 Gives direction for expenditure of public funds on
infrastructure, services and programs.
STEERING COMMITTEE
 Duties of the Steering Committee …
 To oversee the drafting of the Comprehensive Plan.
 To help to obtain public participation in the development of the
Plan.
 To coordinate with the Parish Council and other public agencies
pertinent to Comprehensive Plan development.
 To receive periodic progress reports from SCPDC and deliver to the
Planning Commission and Parish Council.
 To present the Council with a recommended Comprehensive Plan
containing direction for implementation.
OVERVIEW OF PLANNING PROCESS
St. James Parish
Planning
Council
St. James Parish
Planning
Commission
Steering Committee
Citizen Participation Meetings
PROCESS
 Inventory parish resources in order
to assist in developing an analysis of
community strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats (SWOT).
 Form Focus Groups to look at
specific issues (infrastructure,
public facilities, housing,
aesthetics/community design, land
use).
 Develop a vision statement for the
future.
 Develop goals and objectives
necessary to achieve the vision.
PROCESS CONTINUED …
 Develop strategies and identify possible tools to
use in accomplishing the goals.
 Identify which implementation tools are appropriate
for St. James Parish.
 Draft a plan that includes all of the required and
appropriate elements.
 Hold public hearings.
 Present final recommendations to the Planning
Commission and Parish Council.
FOCUS GROUPS
 PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE
 Where do we have or need sewerage, drainage, transportation, water, etc.?
 PUBLIC FACILITIES AND SERVICES
 Where and what kind of facilities and services do we need to serve the
present and future population? (public health clinics, public safety services,
libraries, parks, educational, etc.
 HOUSING
 What is available and is it attainable for ownership or rental? What is the
quality and cost of housing?
 AESTHETICS AND COMMUNITY DESIGN
 What do we like about our community and want to preserve? What do we
want to change and improve?
 LAND USE
 Where and what kind of development is here today and what is planned?
INVENTORY: WHAT TYPE OF INFORMATION
IS NEEDED?
 Population and growth trends.
 Planned and proposed developments and public works
projects.
 Infrastructure capacity assessments.
 Maps of population densities, resources, existing land
uses and other pertinent information.
 Identify resources and assets.
 Human resource and economic needs.
SWOT ANALYSIS
 STRENGTHS
 What makes our community
work?
 WEAKNESSES
 What’s holding us back from
achieving our shared goals?
 OPPORTUNITIES
 What’s in the future that will
help us reach our community
vision?
 THREATS
 What challenges do we face in
realizing our vision?
This will be a guided process and will occur as part of the Focus
Group meetings
PLAN CONTENT
 Maps, plats, charts and descriptive matter, and
 Recommendations from Focus Group meetings for the
future development of the community. Expressed in
terms of …
 A vision statement for the future of St. James Parish
 Goals and objectives necessary to achieve the vision
 Appropriate strategies and tools to use in accomplishing
the goals
IMPLEMENTATION:
TYPICAL TOOLS
 Regulatory Codes
 Floodplain Management Code
 Subdivision Codes
 Building Codes
 Land Use Regulations
 Aesthetic, Historic And Other Codes
 Capital Planning
 Federal, State And Nonprofit Grants
 Partnerships Between Governments, Nonprofits And Private
Businesses
 Local Revenue Initiatives
 Tax and Business Incentives For Economic Development
EXISTING ST. JAMES PARISH
IMPLEMENTATION TOOLS
 Floodplain Management Code
 Various Nuisance Abatement Codes
 Land Development (Subdivision) Code
 Communication Tower Regulations
 Solid Waste and Substances
 State Building Codes
 Fair Housing and Minimum Housing Regulations
 State Tax Incentive Programs
 SCPDC Revolving Loan Program
OTHER IMPORTANT POINTS
 Steering Committee meetings are open to the public.
 Periodic updates will be available on a website, at the
Parish office and at the Parish library.
 There will be a public hearing on the draft plan.
 The plan may be published in parts by element or
geographic area.
TIME FRAME
Initial Steering Committee Meeting
March
Steering Committee meets & organizes April- May
Kick Off Meeting
June
Focus Group Meetings
July
Draft Plan
January
Public Hearings
February
Revisions of Document
March
Final Document to SC
April- May
Delivery of Document to Planning
Commission and Parish Council
June- July
CONTACT INFORMATION & RESOURCES
 SOUTH CENTRAL PLANNING AND DEVELOMENT
COMMISSION
 WWW.SCPDC.ORG
P. O. BOX 1870 GRAY LA. 70359
985-851-2900
 AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION
 WWW.PLANNING.ORG
QUESTIONS?