The Williamson County Board of Commissioners will vote on whether to endorse a draft of Williamson 2040, the county’s comprehensive land-use plan for unincorporated areas, at its March 9 meeting.
The county released a draft of the plan in February and plans to hold a public hearing for the community in the auditorium of the Williamson County Administrative Complex at 1320 W. Main St., Franklin, on March 12 at 5:30 p.m. after the commission votes on the endorsement of the plan.
The plan’s draft was developed based on input from the community and presents long-term planning and strategies for dealing with a number of trends in Williamson County, including the increase of sprawling development, pressures from growth, keeping up with transportation needs, changes to density in unincorporated areas and maintaining fiscal responsibility.
According to the draft, the plan’s key themes include rural preservation; natural and historic preservation; strong public services and facilities; and efficient, strategic and high-quality growth.
At the commission’s February meeting, Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson said planning for the future of the county was critical; that planning, he said, must include managing and preparing for growth in a responsible way.
“The intent is not to stop growth,” Anderson said. “The intent is to plan it out more systematically and look at what it’s going to cost counties because we have to build school buildings. ... A lot of coordination is going to have to occur here for all of us to survive and be able to continue to live here.”