Vision Plan Introduction

Project Introduction

Cave Springs is in the process of updating its comprehensive plan—the Cave Springs Vision Plan. This process has included public input meetings, City Planning Commission Meetings, input from stakeholders, and input from City staff. The Plan will ultimately be reviewed and adopted by the Planning Commission and City Council.

You may be wondering what the Cave Springs Vision Plan is, or what it will accomplish for your City. The Plan is a guide adopted by a city to direct future growth and development. Unlike zoning, the plan is not regulatory in nature, but rather a tool and guide used by the Planning Commission and City Council as they consider future decisions regarding zoning and development. The Plan is flexible and lays out broad goals and objectives for the City for the next 20 years.

The State of Arkansas requires cities that regulate zoning and subdivision have an adopted Future Land Use Plan and Master Street Plan. This is most commonly achieved through adopting a Comprehensive Plan that includes these components.

The Plan also includes a number of other elements, such as the written plan document, demographics of the City, active transportation, and other tools that help the Planning Commission and City Council make decisions for the future of development within the City. The Plan is generally long-range, and most frequently designed to envision the next 20 years of growth within the City.

Public input was key in the development of this plan, with the intent that the interests of all citizens were considered.

Project Process

Where are we in the vision planning process?

The Cave Springs Vision Plan is nearing the end of the process of review. Feedback has been received from citizens, the Planning Commission, and City Council members.

The City Planning Commission, City Staff, and City Planning Consultant have been working over the past months to develop these draft plan elements and have incorporated changes based on the public input received.

 The Plan is now ready for final review by the Planning Commission and City Council. The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing regarding the plan adoption. Ultimately the plan must be adopted by the Planning Commission and City Council.

Implementation of the Cave Springs Vision Plan

When complete and adopted, the Cave Springs Vision Plan will be used as a guide to help make decisions about many planning aspects within the City of Cave Springs and the Planning Area.

Examples of how this plan can be used:

• Support the update of subdivision and zoning regulations that will help the city meet goals.
• Allow the city to apply for grants and other funding contingent on long-range planning.
• Provide guidance to the City when considering future rezoning requests.
• Aid in decisions regarding capital improvement projects.
• Facilitate discussions with the Arkansas Department of Transportation for road improvements and alignments.

While the Cave Springs Vision Plan is a 20-year plan, the plan will detail short-range, mid-range and long-range elements throughout the 20-year span.