At its May 16 meeting, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the Buncombe 2043 Comprehensive Plan, an endeavor that has been years in the making.
Remind me, what is a comprehensive plan?
To cut a long story short, a comprehensive plan is a long-term planning document used to guide the goals and actions of the county government. The plan takes direction from the community, which it sourced over the course of 200+ input sessions, and also incorporates the collective history of Buncombe County projects.
What does the plan cover?
The plan is broken down into nine chapters
that focus on:
- Growth, equity, and conservation
- Transportation and connectivity
- Farms, forests, and environmental conservation
- Economic development, education, and jobs
- Health and recreation
- Hazards and resilience
- Infrastructure and energy
- Implementation of the plan
All of these topics are evaluated with three key themes in mind: equity, sustainability, and regional planning.
What can we expect to change?
Growth, equity, and conservation - An increased number of ownership units and rental units affordable to households earning less than 80% Average Median Income.
Transportation and connectivity - An increase in sidewalks, bike paths, and greenways.
Farms, forests, and environmental conservation - Increased acreage with permanent conservation status.
Economic development, education, and jobs - An increase of new jobs with earnings above $50,000.
Health and recreation - An increased percentage of the population living within three miles of recreation, greenways, trails, or parks.
Hazards and resilience - An increase of structural integrity on newly developed lots.
Infrastructure and energy - An increased number of renewable energy projects.
Want to dive even deeper into the comprehensive plan? You can find the full plan on Buncombe County’s website . Plus, to stay up to date with the plan’s developments via this newsletter .