"Devoted to Your Community"

Home
Services
Projects
Contact Us
Recent Awards
City of Arcade

hall_logo.jpg

Comprehensive Planning

Hall Consulting Inc. has extensive experience preparing Comprehensive Plans in the State of Georgia.  We are currently working on the Comprehensive Plans for The Cities of Jefferson, Talmo, and Arcade located in Jackson County and the Plans for Waycross and Ware County.  Last year (2006) Hall Consulting completed the Comprehensive Plans for the City of Moreland and the City of Sharpsburg in Coweta County.  Additionally, Hall Consulting is working on the Plans for the City of Buford and Columbus-Muscogee County under a sub-contract with a larger firm.  Also under contract with the larger firm, Hall Consulting worked on the Comprehensive Plans for Henry and Newton Counties and the Cities of Covington and Snellville.  

 

Featured Hall Consulting, Inc. projects are described in more detail below:

jeffersonsign.jpg

2008-2029 Comprehensive Plans – Quad Cities Planning Commission, Jackson County, GA

Hall Consulting recently completed the Partial Updates to the Comprehensive Plans for the Cities of Jefferson, Talmo, and Arcade.  The purpose of these Partial Updates was to provide a document for use as a policy guide in the interim period between Comprehensive Plan updates resulting from a shift in the statewide Comprehensive Plan recertification schedule. 

 

Hall Consulting presented the final draft of each City’s Partial Update in June, 2007.  The purpose of the presentations was to brief the community on the identified issues and opportunities that will be addressed through the updated Implementation Program, allow residents an opportunity to comment, and to notify the community of when these plan components will be transmitted to the Northeast Georgia Regional Development Center. 

 

The Partial Updates were transmitted to DCA for review for compliance to the new planning standards in June of 2007. Upon acceptance by DCA, they will then be adopted by their respective City Councils by resolution. This process was completed in September of 2007.  The Hall Consulting Planning Team is working on the Full Update to each City’s Comprehensive Plan at the advanced planning level which will be adopted in the Spring of 2009.

 

talmosign.jpg

waycrossairport.jpg

2008-2030 Comprehensive Plans  Waycross-Ware County Georgia

Ware County and The City of Waycross have hired Hall Consulting, Inc. to complete the Update of their Joint Comprehensive Plan.  The Plan must comply with the requirements of Chapter 110-12-1: Standards and Procedures for Local Comprehensive Planning, “Local Planning Requirements,” as updated in May 2005 at the Intermediate Planning Level.  The guidelines require the completion of three major elements, the Community Assessment, Community Participation Plan, and Community Agenda as part of the Comprehensive Plan.

 

The Community Assessment summarizes the local government’s evaluation of its development patterns, issues and opportunities, and level of compliance with the Department of Community Affairs’ Quality Community Objectives. It includes a detailed analysis of eight planning elements:  Population and Demographics, Housing, Intergovernmental Coordination, Transportation, Community Facilities, Natural and Cultural Resources, and Economic Development 

 

The Community Participation Plan is a proposal for a community involvement program that will offer a wide range of opportunities to local citizens interested in participation in the Comprehensive Planning process. Lastly, the Community Agenda includes an update of the material in the Assessment based on public input, a short and long term work program, and a list of policies for future decision making.  Waycross and Ware County are required to complete, gain approval from the Southeast Georgia RDC and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, and adopt the Comprehensive Plan updates by June 30, 2011.  However, in order to maximize efficiency by building on the efforts of the Partial Update the City and County desire to complete their Joint Plan well in advance of this deadline.

sharpsburg01.jpg

Comprehensive Plan, Capital Improvements, and Impact Fees

Sharpsburg, Georgia

In the summer of 2006 the Hall Consulting completed the Comprehensive Plan, Capital Improvements Element, and Capital Improvements Program for the Town of Sharpsburg, Georgia.  The Comprehensive Plan provides a vision of the town’s future that extends its pedestrian oriented small town character to areas surrounding the existing town limits. Several areas were identified for possible annexation, including a 750 unit sub-division located to the northeast of the incorporated area. A major road improvement project was also planned that connects these areas with Peachtree City.  There is tremendous growth pressure on Sharpsburg and the surrounding undeveloped land.

 

The Comprehensive Plan was developed at the Advanced Planning Level in accordance with the Rules of the Georgia DCA, Chapter 110-12-1, Standards and Procedures for Local Comprehensive Planning, “Local Planning Requirements,” effective May 1, 2005.  The Local Planning Requirements establish a framework for an objective Community Assessment, a Community Participation Program, and a Community Agenda, establishing the vision for the future and the strategy for implementation. 

 

The Capital Improvements Program includes a description of the planned projects, construction schedule, estimated costs, and projected sources of funds.  The Hall Team worked with Town leadership and administration to develop a list of potential projects and provided a method to prioritize these projects.  Sources of funds were developed including potential grants, impact fees, additional general fund revenues and other sources as appropriate. These funds were projected and a schedule was developed using the prioritized list of projects. A Capital Improvements Element was developed for projects that are impact fee eligible and is included in the Comprehensive Plan. 

morelandvisioning.jpg

2006-2026 Comprehensive Plan - Town of Moreland, Georgia

The Hall Planning Team has completed the Comprehensive Plan for the Town of Moreland, Georgia.  Moreland is located within Coweta County and has a population of approximately 450 persons.  The Town is facing significant development pressure.  The western half of the Town is largely vacant and a large “mega site” of 1,500 acres to the west of the town is likely to be developed over the next several years.  Moreland desires to maintain its existing small town character and will use the Comprehensive Plan as a tool for guiding future development and protecting their quality of life.

 

Ms. Hall developed the Community Participation Program and led all public workshops, meetings, and hearings.  The plan includes an updated Vision and updated Short Term Work Program.  The Comprehensive Planning Team worked with community leaders and other stakeholders to develop a vision for the Town of Moreland.  This vision served as a guide for the development of the Short Term Work Program.  In addition, Moreland desires to strengthen its development regulations.  Hall Consulting, Inc. is currently reviewing the Town’s existing development regulations and will provide a preliminary analysis of their consistency with the Town’s vision.  

vps1.jpg

Outreach and Public Involvement

 

Client:  Broad River Watershed Association, Danielsville, Georgia

As manager of the Broad River Community Watershed Project, Marilyn Hall, AICP, was responsible for all aspects of this community outreach program.  Ms. Hall took an active role in developing the strategy and was responsible for producing all presentations and associated deliverables. 

 

Ms. Hall led two training sessions for volunteers.  Then she and her team of volunteers presented to 22 civic, religious, business, agriculture, and education organizations.  The purpose of the presentations was to raise awareness and get feedback about the Broad River and its watershed.  The format of each meeting was tailored to meet the needs and expectations of the organization.  The meetings ranged in style from small group workshops to slide slow presentations for large audiences.  No matter what the style, all participants were encouraged to have their opinions and feedback recorded.

 

After the meetings with community organizations, six drop-in meetings were held throughout the watershed.  The input received from the community meetings was displayed, and the Drop-In participants were invited to contribute their input.  At the Drop-Ins, participants viewed related videos, studied maps, and offered valuable input as to their views on land-use, water quality, and other related issues. 

 

After the community input was collected and reviewed, Ms. Hall helped facilitate a meeting of the project Advisory Committee.  The committee was comprised of community residents, leaders, and policy makers.  The information gathered in the public involvement effort was reviewed.  The Committee evaluated the preferred watershed management tools and identified priorities for implementation.  The diverse members of the Committee engaged in a lively discussion during the evaluation phase.  However, by the end of the meeting there were several management tools that everyone agreed would be the highest priority for implementation.

 

The BRCWP Project has become a model of watershed protection planning.

By the end of the project, approximately 200 community groups and agencies, 60 community leaders and businesspersons, and 1,200 riverfront landowners were contacted. 

The Community Watershed Project attained its goals of identifying local priorities for conservation, encouraging the implementation of conservation methods that local communities preferred, and providing a successful model of community-developed watershed protection planning for use throughout the state.   

 

This project was sponsored by a grant from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, and Ms. Hall worked on this project through the Institute of Community and Area Development at the University of Georgia in Athens.

Utilities

 

Revenue Sufficiency Analysis

 

A Revenue Sufficiency Analysis examines the utility’s ability to cover its projected operational and capital expenses.   This analysis allows for examination of different capital improvement, rate increase alternatives, and other financing options.  The following is an example of a Revenue Sufficiency Analysis performed by Marilyn Hall, AICP.

 

Client:  Board of Lights and Water, City of Marietta, Georgia

Marilyn Hall, AICP, completed a Revenue Sufficiency Analysis for the Marietta Board of Lights and Water in Marietta, Georgia (BLW). Ms. Hall reviewed historical water and sewer system expenses and revenues then projected them into the future using demographic analysis and input from BLW staff.

 

Ms. Hall developed a financial model in Excel that included projected operational and capital expenses and revenues.  This allowed for analysis of different capital improvement program and rate increase alternatives. Together with historic income and expense, the model incorporated a five-year capital improvements program, budget information, growth projections, cost allocation assumptions, and fund balances to determine needed revenue adjustments for a five-year period.   This work was completed under contract with Jordan, Jones and Goulding Inc.