City of Magnolia adopts comprehensive plan

Magnolia City Council officially adopted an updated comprehensive plan, titled "Magnolia on the Move," at its April 9 meeting.

The plan, which was developed with help from consulting group Kendig Keast Collaborative, lays out a guideline for the city for the next 20–30 years. City officials, area business owners and residents played a part in shaping the plan, which covers neighborhood development, transportation and future annexation among other topics.

The city hired KKC in early 2012 to update the plan based on population growth projected around the Magnolia area. After a final public hearing March 28, the plan was sent to city council and was approved unanimously.

"As we move forward, it's important that we have a vision in mind and a guide on how to achieve that vision," said City Administrator Paul Mendes. "All of the workshopping, consulting and research has resulted in a plan that provides us with exactly that."

The council also passed a separate resolution naming the business district within Magnolia city limits the "Magnolia Town Center." The move was made in line with the goals of the comprehensive plan and will help distinguish the City of Magnolia from the parkway area from a zoning standpoint, said Deborah Rose Miller, Magnolia's economic development coordinator.

"There's never been a real consensus on what people call the Magnolia city limits," she said. "This is something we thought we needed to do early on in the process of developing our identity."

Details of the "Magnolia on the Move" comprehensive plan, including a PDF file of the entire thing, can be found on the city's website.