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Community Development Program Please send questions or comments to: Marissa Mullett, Extension Educator, Agriculture & Natural Resources/ Community Development Coshocton County
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Evaluation & Update- 2008 Professional Self Marketing Presentation Entrepreneurship I.N.C. Classes Coshocton County Land Use Reports All information below is in a .pdf format. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to be able to view. Coshocton County Comprehensive Land Use Plan Comprehensive Land Use Executive Summary Use a citizen-based approach and educational process to develop a Comprehensive Land Use Plan for Coshocton County. By encouraging the involvement of Coshocton County citizens, the plan reflects a cross-section of ideas and values. The desired outcome is to have a planning document that reflects the consensus of the participants for future land use decisions. Coshocton Land Use Committee Vision Statement Coshocton County will be comprised
of vibrant communities, productive farms, and valuable natural and
cultural resources and a well maintained land use pattern that will:
All About Community Development in Coshocton County INTRODUCTION
PURPOSE This
document is the final product from the efforts of this process and
should be viewed as a policy guide to decisions about the future
development of the community. It represents a public vision statement
of the most desirable uses of land for the next 5 to 50 years and is an
all-inclusive approach at addressing the issue of the future growth of
the community. The plan was prepared to address compatibility
issues between various uses of land, management and preservation of
natural resources, identification and preservation of historically
significant lands and structures, and takes a look at the inventory of
cultural resources. In addition, the plan address issues related to
parks, open spaces and recreation, residential housing, and potential
economic development as it relates to future land uses in the
community. The plan further explorers emergency services and law
enforcement needs as they relate
to potential growth patterns. Past, current and projected demographic
profiles of the Coshocton County were examined in detail and have
been integrated into the process. Emphasis has been placed
on the identification and preservation of agricultural land
and environmental resources. Integrated into the planning process
is a close examination of the current and projected infrastructure
needs relating to transportation, water and sewer services to include
an assessment of the current and future technology and communications
assets of the community. Lastly, as
part of the land use planning process, tourism and its historical roots
and potential growth is integrated into the overall process
as a viable attribute to the overall development of land in the
Coshocton County. It is
extremely important to maintain a clear distinction between the
Comprehensive Plan itself and implementing measures and is not to be
construed as an attempt to create a regulatory document.
Implementing measures include such regulatory controls as zoning and
subdivision codes, public land acquisition, taxation policies and
public improvements which are just some of the methods or tools to
implement land use policies. These measures are specific actions
and are the work of public policy and decision makers. The
Comprehensive Plan simply establishes a guide for future decisions
regarding land use within the community. As
described, the term community applies to all land within the Coshocton
County and encompasses the city, villages, and townships within. The
scope of the plan also recognizes the influence of external social and
economic growth patterns emanating from surroundings counties and
communities. A
primary consideration in the preparation of the Comprehensive Plan
should be its usefulness. The Coshocton County Plan is a statement of
public values, beliefs and expectations intended for coordination
purposes with other jurisdictions and in making specific decisions
about present and future land use. As stated earlier, the central
purpose of the Comprehensive Plan is to provide a guide
for the utilization of the land resources of Coshocton
County. To accomplish this, consideration must be given to all
types and categories of land use. There are many other aspects of
our society that interrelate with land use activities and all must be
considered concurrently in developing a Comprehensive Land Use
Plan. However, decisions on how to manage these other concerns
should be consistent with, and based upon, land use
considerations. This has been the approach used in developing the
Coshocton County Comprehensive Plan. The Plan recognizes the land
use impact of existing conditions and anticipates the possible impact
of future changes. Existing
economic, physical and social conditions as well as
projections of the most desirable future conditions must used to
establish balanced policy and land use allocation in the future.
The balancing process should result in a plan that provides the
greatest long-term benefit to the greatest
number of present and future citizens of Coshocton County. In the
spring of 2002, The Coshocton County Board of Coshocton County
Commissioners enlisted the aid of The Ohio State
University Extension (OSUE), Coshocton County, to shape
an educational process in an effort to enhance the local citizens
understanding of land use planning and to prepare the community to
respond to future land use decisions in an efficient and informed
manner. Viewed as an educational process, this task was undertaken by
(OSUE) in earnest by
the fall of 2002 and was charged by the Board of Commissioners to
ensure that there was a legitimate process that engaged and informed
the community during all phases and development of the plan
process. In the
planning process, where governmental policies are being established,
citizen participation is not only desirable but also essential.
Therefore, an initial public meeting of over 120 individuals was held
to ascertain the public’s desires, views and commitment to the land use
planning process. A post meeting survey instrument was used to
solicit and measure the citizen’s input and establish goals and
objectives for this undertaking. Additionally, those in
attendance were asked if they would volunteer their time to serve in
one capacity or another during the proposed 18 to 24 month endeavor.
This citizen-based approach and process encouraged the involvement of a
number of Coshocton County citizens in an effort to reflect a
cross-section of ideas and values supporting a desired outcome that
reflects the consensus of the participants. The process focused on
achieving the objective to open the planning process to any interested
citizen or group in the Coshocton County. The intent is to create a
broad base of support and "stakeholders" in the
plan. Involving
the public in all stages of the planning process helps to build
consensus and creates a plan in which the community has ownership. To
accomplish this the Coshocton County Commissioners appointed a
24-member Steering Committee to oversee this plan's development. The
membership of this committee represents a diverse background of both
private and public interests in Coshocton County. Commissioners
used selection criteria based on demographics, bipartisanship, and
leadership and
declined to appoint elected or public office holders in attempt to
create a neutral and unbiased environment. The
steering committee gained knowledge and skills through a series of
initial training sessions focused on creating an educational awareness
of comprehensive land use planning principles, procedures, and
techniques. Primary emphasis centered on recognized principles
necessary to create an effective environment for planning purposes.
Upcoming Land-Use Planning Program Information Entrepreneurship I.N.C. (Kent State Program)
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Updated: November 2008