2030 Master Plan Analysis

As a Planning and Zoning Technician in the development of the 2030 Master Plan in 2015 for the City of Opelika, I was tasked to draft key initiatives for the Planning Department. First, I reviewed and updated the current zoning map and future land use map while considering future transportation and infrastructure needs. Second, I was assigned to create a GIS layer for the three-mile extraterritorial area called the planning jurisdiction, including creating initiatives for this area that might benefit the future growth of the city. Third, I was encouraged to add staff recommendations for future zoning ordinance updates to adopt for implementation in the 2030 Master Plan.
During my assessment of the current zoning map, I realized we had a few well-established neighborhoods that were improperly zoned. These areas had been developed to a lower density with larger lots. I recommended during the Master Plan process to correct the zones by changing the zoning from a high-density
This type of zoning principles would allow for the highest use of the downtown properties that already have started mixing uses. This came about from a conversation from several downtown property owners that expressed a desire to redevelop historic buildings with residential and commercial in the same building or neighborhood. I foresee this working in the downtown area and spreading to other historic neighborhoods along with many older mill neighborhoods that are currently deteriorating areas. The greatest challenge of this would be to integrate pedestrian accessibility and evaluate parking standards.
These are a few parts of our 2030 Master Plan that contributed to my professional growth as an advocate to make Opelika great. These initiatives are part of the 2030 Master Plan of 2015. The City Council received and supported the 2030 Master Plan on February 23,