2008 Comprehensive Plan Update

The City of Cookeville is in the process of updating its Comprehensive Future Land Use Plan.  A Comprehensive Plan serves as a policy guide for the future physical development of a community.  The Cookeville 2030 Plan is intended to formulate a coordinated, long-term development program for the City of Cookeville.  It also includes the city’s Urban Growth Boundary.

The preparation of a land use development program requires gathering and analyzing a vast array of information.  Historic events affecting development, governmental structure, environmental and natural factors, and socio-economic characteristics of Cookeville are studied to determine how these have affected and will affect land uses, utility systems, community services, and transportation facilities.  Existing land uses and transportation facilities are analyzed to identify important characteristics, relationships, patterns and trends.  From these analyses, pertinent problems, needs and issues relative to land use and transportation in the Cookeville Urban Growth Boundary are identified.  An amalgamation of this information is utilized to produce a Development Plan.  The Development Plan consists of two interdependent elements: the first being the identification of development goals and objectives and the establishment of policies for achieving them, and the second being the creation of a development plan concept which visually illustrates the goals, objectives, and policies.  To achieve the goals and objectives identified in the development plan specific strategies or measures are outlined in an implementation schedule.

For the past several months the Cookeville Planning Commission and Planning Department have been gathering data and completing analyses necessary to prepare the Development Plan.  This information has been incorporated into several plan elements.  These elements are: Background for Planning, Environment and Natural Factors, Socio-Economic Factors, Existing Land Use, and Transportation.  Drafts of the elements are available for public review and comment and may be accessed here:

• Table of Contents
• Chapter 1 - Introduction
• Chapter 2 - Background for Planning
• Chapter 3 - Environment and Natural Factors
• Chapter 4 - Socio-Economic Factors Affecting Development
• Chapter 5 - Existing Land Use Analysis
• Chapter 6 - Transportation Analysis and Plan
• Chapter 7 - The Development Plan
• Chapter 8 - Implementation

Comments and suggestions from the residents of Cookeville and the Urban Growth Boundary regarding these draft elements are encouraged and may be submitted here.

Two special called meetings of the Planning Commission have been scheduled to provide an opportunity for the public to review and discuss the Cookeville 2030 Plan.  The first meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 20, 2010 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Room at City Hall.  A second meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 29, 2010 and will also be held at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Room.  The public is encouraged to attend these meetings.