The City of Bristol, Tennessee, will hold it’s initial Community Workshop input session to kick-start the City’s first comprehensive plan project. This session will be held on Thursday, July 27th at 6 p.m. at the Slater Community Center, 325 McDowell Street. Community input will largely shape the project, so residents are encouraged to attend. This includes local businesses, residents, charities, civic groups, children, and others.
The Comprehensive Plan is a high-level tool that will be used to guide Bristol’s policy-making decisions over the coming decades. This comprehensive planning process will allow the entire Bristol, Tennessee community to look past current concerns, evaluate options for how best to proceed, and move towards a better future. Bristol’s new plan will be a visionary framework document to guide future development. The plan will include strategies related to land use, transportation, economic development, infrastructure, housing open space, art, culture, etc.
The City has retained the services of Design Workshop, Inc., from Asheville, North Carolina, to lead the effort. The project will take approximately 18 months to complete, and the adoption of the final plan is anticipated for the fall of 2018. “The Comprehensive Plan is a tool that will help Bristol reach its full potential. It is important for residents to engage in the process as the plan will have a direct impact on the future quality of life in our community,” said City Manager Bill Sorah.
The City will offer several opportunities for public input throughout the year. The first Community Workshop, on July 27th, will focus on introducing the comprehensive plan and obtaining input from the community. Additional workshops will be held throughout the project, and online surveys will be conducted to engage the public and allow everyone to be a part of the conversation. A “Plan on a Page” community engagement tool will be offered to neighborhoods and community groups. This tool is designed to help neighborhood groups organize themselves to build community and develop consensus around neighborhood priorities.
Additional information may be found at www.bristoltn.org/compplan; via email at [email protected]; or by phone at 423-989-5518.
