Greene County holds open house for land use plan

An informational open house in Rogersville on Thursday night will allow the public to review proposed future uses of unincorporated portions of Greene County.

The county's proposed Land Use Plan will be up for review 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Logan-Rogersville High School, 4700 S. State Highway 125. The open house is being presented by the Greene County Planning and Zoning Department, in conjunction with the Greene County Planning Board and the Land Use Plan Task Force, which represents real estate agents, developers, farmers and other stakeholders.

When finalized, the plan will be used to guide the Planning Board and Greene County Commission in making future zoning decisions. It takes into consideration current land uses, existing Urban Service Areas, soils, floodplains, groundwater and surface water, as well as the availability of sewers, water, adequate roads, schools and other infrastructure, according to a county news release.

The county's last comprehensive plan, which included a land plan, was approved in 1981 and has been in constant use by the Planning Board and commission since then. The updated plan is designed to address issues related to unprecedented growth the county has experienced since the 1990s, the release said.

A draft of the new plan was presented to the public in October 2007 and has since been revised with changes recommended by the task force and county residents. The most substantive change, according to the release, was the removal of areas designated for urban reserve, which is for future high-density residential development, and for agricultural preserve, which protects land from residential development. County residents and task force members had said the designations were too restrictive and could limit future development.

"It is important to note that the plan is still a draft," Greene County Director of Planning & Zoning Kent Morris said in the release. "We would welcome public input on the revisions that have been made. Future revisions are also still possible."

A second open house will be scheduled this summer in western Greene County.[[In-content Ad]]