Fairburn council members voted Nov. 14 to submit the Community Assessment and Public Participation portions of the Fairburn Comprehensive Plan to Georgia Dept. of Community Affairs (DCA) for approval. Public involvement in follow beginning in January.

Integrated Science & Engineering, the city’s consultant for the project, headed the project team that completed the initial work on the first phase of the plan. The project team included representatives from ISE, city staff, planning commission and the development authority, said ISE’s Courtney Powers.

Powers told council members that DCA had recently updated comprehensive plan requirements. Those changes will result in a more integrated and user-friendly plan, she said.

The Community Assessment components included a Development Pattern Assessment, Census Data Assessment drawn from a variety of available sources, Community Issues and Opportunities and Quality Community Objectives that include 15 objectives proposed by DCA.

Powers said the Development Pattern Assessment relied on the city’s current Land Use Plan, on identified Community Character Areas, a new requirement by DCA, and identification of areas requiring special attention. Community Character Areas were categorized under headings such as historic downtown, traditional neighborhood, mixed use, industrial, downtown commercial, openspace and smart growth. Smart growth is defined as an area set aside for residential or mixed use development that is masterplanned to incorporate New Urbanist or Conservation Development standards. Areas requiring special attention was defined as those where current land use patterns and trends necessitate special attention. DCA requirements for those designated areas include consideration of natural or cultural resources, areas where rapid development is likely to occur, areas where the pace of development has or may outpace available public facilities and services, redevelopment areas, large abandoned structures or sites, infill development opportunities and areas of significant disinvestment and/or under-utilized area.

The Community Issues and Opportunities portion of the Community Assessment included a variety of areas such as population growth, economic development, natural and cultural resources, facilities and services, housing, transportation and land use.

Fairburn’s population continues to show rapid growth since the 2000 census. With an April 2000 population of 5,464, the city grew steadily to a population of 10,002 in January 2005, with a current population estimated at 10,705. Powers said the family household size in Fairburn is also growing. Though households today are statistically based on 2.7 person per residence, Powers said Fairburn’s households average 2.83 people.

In terms of economic development, the project team concluded that Fairburn’s downtown historic district could be more of a focal point for the community. They also determined the existence of disinvestment in key areas that contribute to neighborhood decline and a reduced quality of life for residents. Additionally, the team found that available activities and points of interest were not sufficient to meet residents’ needs.

In the area of transportation issues and opportunities, the project team said the existing transportation network needs improvement to provide a useful network of roadways, connectivity and alternative uses. Most residents rely solely on automobile transport that increases congestion and commute times. Within the land use section, three issues and opportunities were identified. The team said there is a need for small pockets of neighborhood commercial development to serve the expanding suburban areas. Fairburn’s development patterns, they said, should promote safe and pedestrian-friendly environments and those patterns should be reflective of the community’s vision.

A final component of the Community Assessment included a series of 15 DCA-proposed Quality Community Objectives. The objectives function as guidelines for future development patterns and policies to encourage sustainable, livable and vital communities. The proposed objectives include transportation alternatives, growth preparedness, infill development, resource conservation, traditional neighborhoods, regional identity, environmental protection, open space preservation, appropriate businesses, housing choices, education opportunities, regional cooperation, local self-determination, employment options and a sense of place.

The second portion of the submission to DCA, the Community Participation component, lays out a methodology that will make the public aware of the various aspects of the plan and provide a venue for residents to offer their input. Included in the Community Participation portion is the commitment to work with citizen stakeholders to identify issues, challenges and opportunities unique to the Fairburn community and to evaluate the current strengths and weaknesses of the area to develop a future plan and vision to guide future growth and development in a well-planned manner. Combined with the Community Assessment, the methodology of the Public Participation program will lead to the last phase of the comprehensive plan, the Community Agenda, to begin in January, Powers said.

The Community Agenda constitutes the public process of the comprehensive plan, said Powers. The Community Agenda portion of the project will begin with an open house to present the plan and solicit input from all stakeholders, said Powers. The strategy for soliciting input will come in the form of public venues such as the open house along with community surveys, stakeholder committee functions, public meetings, handouts and through information posted on the city’s website.

The deadline for submission of the completed plan is Oct. 31, 2006.

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