City announces consultant for GVL2040

Tonight’s City Council meeting began with an announcement that czb, LLC, a Virginia-based urban planning and community development firm, will lead GVL2040, the City’s comprehensive planning process, over the next 20 months. To mark the announcement and official launch of the planning process, the project team presented each City Council member with a GVL2040 lapel pin.

The comprehensive plan is a long-term policy guide for the future physical development of the city that considers the input of citizens, businesses and other stakeholders. It includes recommendations for future land use, community facilities, connectivity, open space and recreation areas, cultural and natural resources and economic development. When complete, the comprehensive plan will provide a framework to guide decision-making and help shape the city’s growth and development over the next 20 years. The City’s last comprehensive plan was adopted in 2009 and to-date, most of the recommendations from the plan have been implemented.

As the firm that developed the City’s Affordable Housing Assessment and Strategy in 2016, czb is familiar with the Greenville community and the challenges faced by a city located in one of the country’s most rapidly growing areas. Throughout the process, the consultant team will work closely with the City’s Planning & Development staff and a 42-member citizen steering committee, which will provide insight, assist with community outreach and engagement efforts and advise on the plan’s substance. czb’s first meeting with the steering committee is scheduled for tomorrow and the consultant team expects to return to Greenville at least twice each quarter going forward.

The comprehensive plan is based on the vision, priorities and expectations of the community and there will be a wide variety of opportunities for the public to participate in the process over the next 20 months. The first community-wide GVL2040 meeting is expected to take place in late summer. In the meantime, citizens can visit www.gvl2040.com to learn more about the comprehensive plan and register to receive updates and information about upcoming GVL2040 meetings.