Comprehensive Plans
Erie County Comprenhensive Plan
View the Erie County Comprehensive Plan (PDF, 495KB)
Erie County is one of eight coastal counties situated on the eastern border of the Northwest Ohio region. Due to the presence of the nationally renowned amusement park, Cedar Point, this community of 77,000 is recognized as the premier tourist destination for Ohioans and adjacent states. Between May and September, approximately three to five million people visit the County, the nearby Lake Erie Islands and the many commercial/recreational attractions associated with Lake Erie.
In addition to tourism, the area is characterized by a well-diversified local economy with two regional shopping malls, a strong industrial base oriented toward the auto business and a healthy agri-business environment. Our transportation network consisting of 585 road miles, two shipping ports, several airports and miles of rail line make the County accessible to the interstate, national and international markets.
While Erie County stands apart from other communities in the region in terms of its natural setting, accessibility and complex mixture of industry, business and agriculture, like many communities, it has its share of issues and needs. Some of these, ironically, are the result of the popularity of the area. The influx of seasonal visitors has compounded traffic related problems and has generated significant concentrations of commercial development along the state route 250 corridor. Other problems are similar to those faced by many counties such as how to accommodate new growth concurrent with available sewer and water services and how to sustain the positive qualities of the County.
The Erie County Comprehensive Plan attempts to address both the positive qualities we possess and our needs. The plan intends to guide future growth and development of the region and provide direction needed to achieve community goals. It is designed to be a useable planning tool to serve and support public policy decisions throughout Erie County.
The plan consists of a series of studies and contains four functional elements. The report cap nearly a year and a half of study that included analyzing data from County departments, brainstorming with local officials, formulating general goals and policies and making specific suggestions on future land uses. It should be used regularly for zoning decisions, prioritizing public improvements and as a guide for residential, commercial and industrial development within the planning area. Adherence to the plan is recommended, although as conditions change over time, the document should be responsive to that change. If changes are needed, they should be made to keep the document current for effective land management. The Comprehensive Plan should be reviewed and updated every five years to ensue the viability of the document.
Sustaining a liveable community is the primary focus of the Comprehensive Plan. Strategies for the economy, housing, environment and recreation all propose means of attaining community objectives and preserving the quality of life. Other related factors such as regulatory issues, utilities, historic preservation and land use policies have been examined to obtain a clearer picture of the needs of the County. Effective implementation of the plan will ultimately lead Erie County into the future while securing our standard of living.
City of Sandusky Comprenhensive Plan
Erie Regional Planning and the Sandusky Community Development staff have partnered together to begin work on a City of Sandusky Comprehensive Plan. A comprehensive plan is a long-term land use plan that attempts to balance current needs and demands with those projected in the future. The land use plan guides the community in an attempt to balance the consequences of future change. Moreover, it acts as a blueprint for a community to attempt to strike a balance between the competing claims of the present and future; between the public and private interests in land use; and between the costs and benefits of changes in land use management and development.
The City of Sandusky Planning commission will act as the Steering Committee and guide staff each step of the way during the estimated eighteen (18) month process. Public outreach will include interviewing a number of community stakeholders and distributing a survey in the Meigs Street Messenger and on the World Wide Web. In addition, public meetings will be conducted to inform and gather comments from citizens throughout the community. All of the information will then be used to develop a long-term vision for the future of Sandusky based on citizen comments and expectations.
Plan elements will include land use, housing, economic development, commercial development, recreation/park facilities, transportation, infrastructure/utilities, environmental/natural resources and community facilities and services. The completed Comprehensive Plan will establish a framework for making land use decisions relative to development in the City of Sandusky. In addition, the finished plan will also contain a number of identified issues with corresponding action steps that will provide strategies for a number of elements related to growth.
Plan completion is scheduled for sometime in 2009.
