Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

A Comprehensive Plan offers long-term guidance for community growth, real estate development, and physical improvements within a municipality. The document is reflective of the local community, utilizing community outreach to identify a vision for the future supported by key stakeholders. Based on the foundational analysis, the Comprehensive Plan is able to identify tangible actions that can be enacted to achieve this vision

Planning ensures that the values and priorities of Newcastle are preserved and that future choices align and uphold them. A well-planned community provides compatibility in land use, transportation networks, public facilities and parks. By planning effectively, the City can ensure that future development will occur where, when, and how the community wants.

The Day-to-Day use of the Comprehensive Plan will be primarily as a decision-support tool for City Council, Planning and Zoning Commission, and City Staff. The document acts as a guide for private investment within the community and can be utilized to review and evaluate future development. The vision established within the Comprehensive Plan will provide direction, not only for the City itself but for the numerous stakeholders who will help to shape Newcastle in the future. In addition, the Plan will have a direct role in obtaining desired grants and funding as well as serving as a promotional tool for the community and its unique assets.

The Plan guides land use and policy and is an advisory document. The Zoning Ordinance regulates the type, scale and intensity of development which may occur in the specific zoning districts. To fully understand how a parcel of land can be used, the interested parties need to know how the land is planned in the Comprehensive Plan, and then determine how the land is zoned.

Comprehensive plans should be reviewed quarterly to track progress and maintain organization across entities and parties responsible for implementing the actions outlined in the document. The document should be recalibrated as necessary and updates should occur every 5-7 years to keep it up-to-date and continue to create progress for the community. As the community evolves, the plan must evolve with it.