County Launches Comp Plan Public Engagement Efforts

St. Johns County residents can help shape the area’s future by participating in public engagement efforts as the county officials update the comprehensive plan.

The county’s Growth Management Department recently announced public engagement plans to give residents a chance to weigh in through a new online survey, available at sjcplanupdate.com, as well as extending the deadline to participate in a Listening and Learning Opportunity on broader topics at www.surveymonkey.com/r/SJCListenAndLearn through Dec. 15, according to a county media release.

The county also plans to have kiosks set up at many locations throughout the area with paper copies of the survey for the public to complete and submit. The sites will include county libraries and other public facilities.

A comprehensive plan is a document designed to guide the future actions of a jurisdiction. It presents a vision for a community’s future with long-range goals, objectives, and policies. The plan also helps residents identify their vision for the community’s future, coordinates local decision-making efforts, and provides guidance to landowners and developers. The plan elements include Land Use, Transportation, Housing, Infrastructure, Coastal/Conservation Management, Recreation Open Space, Intergovernmental Coordination, Capital Improvement, Property Rights, and Economic Development, according to the release.

“The opportunity for the public to have their voices heard in the Comprehensive Plan Update begins now and will continue well into 2024,” said St. Johns County Growth Management Director Mike Roberson, in the release. “The county will keep the sjcplanupdate.com survey open for a long time, plan to set up a series of town halls in each County Commissioner’s district, and host public workshops and open houses. This public engagement process will be a comprehensive and collaborative effort with our community.”

The Listening and Learning Opportuity is a broad approach to gathering community feedback on eight questions that will help in both the comprehensive plan update and the county’s inaugural strategic plan efforts in 2024. While the comprehensive plan helps develop a long-range vision, the strategic plan helps develop internal operational and budgeting decisions, the release states.

“The Comprehensive Plan Update public engagement efforts will be an ongoing journey during 2024, and we look forward to traveling on that journey with our community to arrive at a destination of a new vision for St. Johns County’s future,” Roberson said in the release.