03-20-12 Special Called Meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission

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impossible to alter later on in anyway, thereby becoming a nuisance or great inconvenience in after years. We should certainly be broad enough to plan for the next as well as our own generation. For only a little forethought now may save untold expense later, besides adding greatly to the comfort of the present." These words, written to the McKinney (Texas) Courier -Gazette newspaper by Miss Bessie Heard in 1916 concerning the need for a "definite city plan" for McKinney, Texas, are as true today as the day they were written. Cities may have developed sound planning documents in the past. These plans may have served those cities well, directing the growth and development of the community. However, times and physical, social, economic and environmental conditions change. What was a sound and rational decision concerning future development five or ten years ago, based on available information at the time, may not be a desirable solution today. A fundamental purpose, therefore, of the comprehensive plan is to re-evaluate past planning efforts based on current conditions in the community and its environs, and to project a desirable direction for future growth and development of the city: its vision, if you will. A comprehensive plan is a valuable growth -management and development tool for communities regardless of their size -- whether a four -hundred population village or an eight million population metropolis. The Purpose and Use of a Comprehensive Plan Purpose of the Plan - The comprehensive plan should be used as a guide for public decisions which affect the physical development and maintenance of the municipality. For example, the plan may be used as a basis for: 1. Development of detailed physical plans for sub -areas of the municipality; 2. Analysis of subdivision regulations, zoning standards and maps, and other implementation tools; 3. The location and design of thoroughfares and implementation of other major transportation facilities and programs; 4. Identification of areas to be served with utility development or extensions; 5. The acquisition and development of sites for community facilities; 6. The acquisition and protection of major open space;