All Texas home-rule cities (most of the cities except the smaller ones) have a Comprehensive Plan. It is used to map the community's vision for itself, serving as a guide to development and sizing infrastructure needs. As an example, Dallas recently completed substantial revisions to their Comp Plan, which took well over a year and was widely reported.

Garland will soon start a similar process to revise our current Comp Plan that is now approaching 20-years-old. In the past, Garland had a relatively unique process of Plan development that was administered in five sectors: East, South, West, North, and Central. Virtually all of the vision and standards that we now know as the SH-190 Development Standards were drafted by the North Area Plan Implementation Committee. I've always felt our sector planning process stimulated involvement by a much wider group of citizens and delivered an earlier consensus than what most cities have experienced. Many Garland leaders started their community service on those committees.

The Planning staff has been laying the framework for this new Comp Plan. Here are their work plans for a process that will start in early 2008 and will take about 18 months to complete:

There is a lot of key information here. One the economic side, we have strong retail and commercial growth continuing on SH-190, strong industrial development and expansion, and a revitalized downtown breaking ground. There will be strong periods and weak periods but by 2030 the Metroplex will add 50% more people than live here now. They can move to Frisco or Anna or even further but doing so means more expense and time spent commuting and shopping and playing. Fewer and fewer people are willing to make that sacrifice; they want to live closer to where they work and play.

As a first-ring suburb, that describes opportunity for Garland. To take advantage, we must plan for our success. The Comprehensive Plan will lay the foundation upon which we will build, literally. We will also be "rebuilding" our zoning ordinances to allow Garland to grow past build-out, in ways that promote quality of life and will sustain the city.

I'm very pleased that we are developing a path to the future of which we can all be proud, and in a manner that is inclusive of the citizens.

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