New Kent County’s (NKC) current Comprehensive Plan is outdated, and NKC local government issued a solicitation for an independent contractor to update the Comprehensive Plan, which will also include Codes and Zoning Ordinances. It is widely accepted as a best practice, the Zoning Ordinance should be the successor of the Comprehensive Plan, which should be based on the county’s Strategic Plan.

Unfortunately, NKC county officials have stated NKC does not have a Strategic Plan.

The concern . . . . how can NKC create a Comprehensive Plan for 2030, including updated Code and Zoning Ordinances, without a Strategic Plan that considers managing the accelerating growth over the next 11 years? We (PNK2030) are proposing a citizen-centric process for developing a Strategic Plan, and, updating the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinances.

The current NKC Comprehensive Plan was adopted on October 9, 2012, however the actual development began in 2009. The process included several public information sessions and hearings. Ultimately, it took three years to complete this aged Comprehensive Plan. Today, New Kent County citizens cannot afford a three-year development process: NKC population will increase by another 2500 to 3000 citizens; new unplanned businesses will stress county resources; and I-64 corridor traffic and business development will increase. These and other county issues create an urgency and need for use of best practices borrowed from other Virginia counties to shorten this development phase.

PNK2030 members have created a streamlined pathway for developing a Strategic Plan for New Kent County. A shortened summary of that work can be viewed on the PNK website.