The spreadsheet estimated the maximum population allowable by the county’s current zoning. It was developed by a former Newton County resident, who happened to be in her senior year at MIT. Her conclusion – unless Newton County’s leaders took action, the county population of 80,000 could swell as high as 292,000. Download a summary of her presentation here.
Next, the leaders formed groups to play a game of “allocate the density”. A consensus quickly appeared: without concentrating some density, all of the unique characteristics of the county would be eroded into one monotonous suburb. This gave the working groups a sense of urgency.
The Leadership Collaborative’s three, cross-agency working groups continue to meet at the Center once a month. This is where the county, cities, schools, and utilities are implementing the decisions and goals of the Leadership Collaborative.
The Comprehensive Funding Group
The funding group worked with the stakeholder agencies to align public fiscal calendars in the county. This seemingly small modification enables agencies to compete together for externally funded projects and partner more effectively on internal county projects.
The Communication Work Group
The communications group created a process that allows multiple jurisdictions to speak as a united community. When a state or regional plan conflicts with local strategic growth policies, the collective county can issue its response and recommendation.
The Comprehensive Development Group
The development group is working its way through the county’s infrastructure, finding efficiencies in collaboration and a long view. After addressing sewer and water line expansion, the group moved on to other infrastructure, such as transportation and schools. The school system legally can’t buy land for schools until the student population exists in the county. Schools need to buy land that is cheap. These conditions force school construction away from urban areas, driving development into undeveloped land and exacerbating sprawl. The School System needs support from other public agencies to identify and set aside prospective school sites in advance.
Towards a Plan
The Leadership Collaborative realized that almost any form of public infrastructure drives development. If that’s true, where should growth be directed?
Using the game boards created at the Leadership Collaborative as a starting point, the development group designed a refinement process, and the Center’s students conducted the necessary analyses. Continuously increasing the fidelity of the density maps, the development group created a final map, which the entire Leadership Collaborative resolved in early 2010 to enact.
The Plan unfolded organically. Just like everything else has since this whole adventure began in 2002. Outcomes that what make sense, like cream, rise to the top.
Kay B. Lee, Executive Director
The Center for Community Preservation and Planning
