BY MALLORIE MCCOY
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LAFAYETTE — At a non-official Planning Board Meeting on Wednesday, April 30, in the Chambers County Farmers Federation building, topics were discussed in moving forward with a comprehensive plan for the city of LaFayette. The meeting was led by the East Alabama Regional Planning Commission.
A comprehensive plan consists of a project outline that will be developed for the next couple of months with the help of the regional planning commission. This plan will not rework zoning ordinances, but the comprehensive plan must align with the zoning map in order for the plan to be approved.
A variety of vision statements were introduced at the meeting by local citizens and city officials. A vision statement provides feedback on what the community would like to be included in the comprehensive plan.
Vision statements help the regional planning commission gather a guiding framework for elements of a plan, identify purpose and core values of the community and what needs are to be targeted for bettering the community.
Furthermore, a list regarding LaFayette’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats was assembled by attendees. While strengths included LaFayette’s infrastructure, Health and Wellness Center and the LaFayette Mainstreet organization, some weaknesses included housing, accessibility and resources.
Possible opportunities for LaFayette mentioned by townspeople consisted of a sports complex or outdoor recreation center, an increase in restaurant options and an eventual development of tourism. A few potential threats brought to the commission’s attention involved continued job loss and fear of the Chambers County Courthouse being relocated to another county.
The regional planning commission said this project will have a 20-year timeline. Due to this long spanning timeline, youth of the community will be included in conversations pertaining to project details that could affect their generation, positively and negatively, in LaFayette.
Although this project could last up to two decades, there are high, medium and low goals. The largest goals are expected to be accomplished first, with other goals of less urgency to follow.
The main objective of the meeting was to outline goals and strategies for the future. Goals for the community such as good paying jobs and available, affordable housing were expressed most by townspeople.
The next Planning Board meeting will be held on Thursday, May 22, at 5:30 p.m. in the Chambers County Farmers Federation building.
