Roswell Gains PlanFirst Designation From State

Sign up for the Roswell Patch newsletter!

---

Roswell, GA -- The city of Roswell was recognized on Thursday by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) as an official PlanFirst community, a designation given to local governments that clearly demonstrate success in implementing their local comprehensive plans.

Roswell was awarded this honor specifically for its 2030 Comprehensive Plan.

PlanFirst is an incredibly distinguished award, with only 17 jurisdictions in the state carrying the designation.

In addition to statewide recognition and use of the PlanFirst name, the designation also comes with many benefits to the city, including access to a reduced interest rate on certain Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) state loans, bonus points on applications for DCA programs – including the Employment Incentive Program, Downtown Development Revolving Loan Fund and Redevelopment Fund, and free attendance at DCA Community Planning Institute events.

“This designation is a testament to the hard work of our community members, residents, business owners, elected officials and city staff in working together to create and implement a world-class comprehensive plan,” said Mayor Jere Wood.

Creation of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan was a community-wide effort involving input from stakeholders throughout Roswell. In addition to an advisory committee for the project, the process comprised a large public participation program, which included public meetings, community workshops, open house style meetings, focus area charrettes, citizen surveys, meetings with HOAS and other special interest groups (Roswell Rotary, Kiwanis, Historic Roswell Alliance, etc.), an “Imagine Roswell” youth poster contest and the innovative “Meeting in a Box” program.

“It is quite an honor for the City to be recognized with the PlanFirst designation,” said Alice Wakefield, director of Roswell’s Community Development Department. “What this demonstrates is that the Roswell community has a strong, shared vision for our city’s future and a clear path to follow to reach our goals.”

Key components of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan implementation include creation of the Unified Development Code (UDC) and UDC Design Guidelines, Roswell Inc, Downtown Development Authority, Strategic Economic Development Plan (SEDP), and Holcomb Bridge Road Corridor Study.

The PlanFirst designation was awarded at an event honoring all seven designees for 2016, which includes Dublin, Columbus-Muscogee, Lula, Gwinnett County, Porterdale and Liberty County.

---

From left to right: Councilmember Michael Palermo, Councilmember Donald Horton, Planner III Jackie Deibel, Councilmember Nancy Diamond, Community Development Director Alice Wakefield, City Administrator Kay Love, Planning and Zoning Director Brad Townsend. Credit: city of Roswell