The comprehensive plan process is a community wide endeavor that involves many people, organizations, and groups. While there is no one per-son or group that is responsible for the development of the comprehensive plan, there are some groups and individuals that took the lead in the development of the Town of Marlinton Comprehensive Plan.
The planning commission is tasked, by state code, with preparing a local government comprehensive plan. The planning commission is made up of volunteer citizens appointed by the governing body to serve in a largely advisory role. The Marlinton Planning Commission has met numerous times over the past couple of years to gather information, analyze data, obtain input, and develop the comprehensive plan for the town. The planning commission has held an open house, solicit-ed stakeholder surveys, invited local leaders to meetings, and made sure to discuss the comprehensive plan during open meetings for anyone to attend.
Town council is also an important part of the comprehensive plan process. They are the ones that decide whether to adopt the comprehensive plan and are the main body that is responsible for ensuring that the comprehensive plan is being implement-ed once it has been adopted.
Town staff has been vital in helping develop the comprehensive plan. They have provided information, made sure the building is open for meetings, and will help the town council to implement various parts of the comprehensive plan as well.
The town requested the assistance of the Land Use and Sustainable Development Law Clinic at the WVU College of Law. The Land Use Clinic has been assisting communities with comprehensive plans, land use ordinances, and other legal and planning related services throughout the state. The primary purpose of the land use clinic is to assist the Town with any planning and legal questions that relate to the comprehensive plan.
Finally, the citizens have been instrumental in helping develop the comprehensive plan. Throughout the process citizen involvement has been exceptional. The open house was well attended with great input, people have been attending the regular planning commission meetings and have been willing to go out of their way to provide comments and suggestions.
Plan Template
The Town of Marlinton Planning Commission wanted to develop a comprehensive plan that highlighted the best things about the town. One of the themes that kept surfacing during the initial discussions of the comprehensive plan was that Marlinton and the surrounding area is beautiful during all the different seasons of the year. It was discussed that the comprehensive plan has four chapters, each chapter could have a theme that coincides with the various seasons. One chapter for winter, spring, summer, and fall.
The comprehensive plan should not only serve as a blueprint for the community, but the plan can also serve as a marketing tool. The planning commission wanted to high-light the fact that Marlinton is a community for all seasons, not just a certain time of year.