Commission set to transmit draft Albany–Dougherty comprehensive plan for 45-day review

City planning staff, assisted by consultant GMC, briefed the commission on progress toward the 10‑year Albany–Dougherty comprehensive plan update and asked permission to transmit the draft to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and the regional planning commission for the mandatory 45‑day review. Staff said the plan remains open for public comment through adoption scheduled for June and reiterated the transmission is a procedural step to allow state and regional review.

The presenters summarized public engagement: four CPAC meetings, multiple steering-committee meetings, three rounds of public open houses (142 attendees), about 373 survey respondents and roughly 571 community contacts from virtual and in‑person outreach. They said community priorities that shaped goals and objectives include jobs and economic development, housing, community resilience, public safety, community services, downtown revitalization and quality-of-life/preservation efforts. Staff described the plan’s structure (existing conditions, community engagement, goals/objectives/character areas, data appendices) and the community work program (95 objectives and roughly 311 action items organized by short-, intermediate- and long-term timing and responsible parties).

Commissioners asked for executive summaries and chapter synopses to help nontechnical readers; staff agreed to prepare condensed summaries and to accept comments through the DCA review period. Staff said transmission does not end public comment and that final adoption remains targeted for June.