By EMILY SPARACINO / Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – The process of updating Montevallo’s comprehensive plan started this month, and city residents are urged to participate by providing input.

The Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham is leading the process, which is estimated to take at least nine months to complete.

“This is our kick-off month, and we’re trying to engage people in different ways online as well as in person,” RPCGB Principal Planner Lindsay Puckett said at a Making Montevallo Comprehensive Plan open house on Thursday, Oct. 17. “The more input we can get, the better the product is going to be.”

Residents are invited to share what they think is working or not working in areas like infrastructure, economy, leadership, quality of life and community development; where they want to see future growth occur; and what amenities or services they want to see added or expanded in the coming years.

Residents can participate in the planning process by visiting Makingmontevallo.com and taking a survey, mapping ideas or concerns, and signing up for the project newsletter to stay informed on events and progress.

The Making Montevallo project timeline is as follows:

• October-December – Kickoff Phase: Vision and Issues, Existing Conditions Report, Housing Market Analysis
• January-March 2020 – Plan Production Phase: Plan Recommendations and Future Land Use Plan
• March-May 2020 – Plan Review Phase: Draft Comprehensive Plan and Public Meeting
• June-July 2020: Plan Adoption Meetings with Planning Commission and City Council

The comprehensive plan is being funded through the Building Communities Program, which is administered through the RPCGB. The RPCGB provides federal funding for 80 percent of the project cost, and the city provides the local government match of 20 percent.

The planning team will prepare a draft plan based on the community’s vision and desired goals.

Public meetings and open houses will be held throughout the process to collect input and public comments.

Once completed, the plan will be presented to Montevallo’s Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council for approval.

Montevallo’s comprehensive plan has not been updated since 2007.

Puckett, Maria Hines, Hunter Garrison and Samuel Parsons make up the RPCGB team working on the project.

For more information about the comprehensive plan, visit Makingmontevallo.com.