Southside City Council OKs “Comprehensive Plan”

The City of Southside now has an official path for its development and future growth.

At last night’s Southside City Council meeting, council members approved the “City of Southside Comprehensive Plan.” According to its introduction, the Southside Planning Commission and the city council developed the 15-page document to:

• Provide a basis for making decisions concerning the future growth and development in the community and surrounding planning area;
• Coordinate and give direction to public and private development;
• Provide the public interest in a manner that will not stifle individual initiative and creativity.

The plan will also help provide “statutorily required pre-requisites” for “a land use plan component for zoning” as well as a master street plan component for controlling the subdivision of property, but it does not institute any type of zoning regulations.

“The Planning Commission and City Council…recognize that Southside cannot plan in a vacuum. It must be aware of surrounding communities’ development plans and plan and act accordingly,” the plan reads.

Major recommendations from the plan include: 

• Retaining the “relatively low-density residential nature of the community through “proper development regulations”;
• Designating areas for industrial land uses;
• Preserving lands defined as both  “agricultural” and “historically significant”;
• Protecting the community’s “natural environment and open space” through careful land use management and controls;
• Adhering to the Federal Functional Classification Guidelines.

In other business from last night’s meeting, the council approved the purchase of a truck for city use and the purchase of office equipment for city hall.

Read a copy of the City of Southside Comprehensive Plan below: