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The highly debated 2045 Comprehensive Plan is set to head to public hearing. The city council voted on July 17 to set an Aug. 21 date for the hearing and vote on the plan.

During his update at council’s Wednesday, July 17 work session, Suffolk Comprehensive Planning Manager Keith Cannady announced the date for the hearing as Aug. 21. This follows the Planning Commission’s July 16 meeting, which saw a recommendation vote of 7 to 1. 

“…we had a public hearing with the Planning Commission yesterday and they have voted to send this on with a recommendation for approval to City Council and we are working towards your August date, August 21, for a public hearing for action by this body,” Cannady said. 

The work session saw Cannady join alongside Suffolk department leaders Robert E. Lewis of Public Works, Paul Retel of Public Utilities, Mark Furlo of Parks and Recreation, Gerry L. Jones of Capital Programs and Buildings and Deputy City Manager Kevin Hughes to discuss responses to the May 1 joint planning/council work session, differences between both 2035 and 2045 plans and goals to move forward with plan implementation.

Cannady discussed updated in language to the village area plan, noting page 67 where it reads: “Updated village plans can identify appropriately scaled traditional neighborhood focused commercial uses and recommend zoning changes and other strategies to protect existing neighborhood commercial uses and promote new investment consistent with market trends and community goals.”

Other updates included language on page 100 to “Prepare a master transportation plan to help the city compete for limited State and Federal funding for transportation projects” in their response to transportation. Likewise, for employment centers, language was included for Secondary Use: “Compatible adaptive reuse of existing employment center buildings,” and Intent: “Allow for the adaptive reuse of existing vacant buildings to non-employment center uses that are compatible with adjacent uses, building characteristics, site design and facility location. Such uses may include but are not limited to: indoor or outdoor recreation, public gathering and places of assembly,” on page 50.

Staunch opponents of the comprehensive plan, Care4Suffolk is circulating a petition urging council to vote no on the plan. A link to the petition can be found on the groups website and outlines the various issues it has with the plan such as ignoring citizens’ input, emphasizing building warehouses and suburban sprawl, containing huge increases to Suffolk’s growth areas, and more.