About the Plan

 

Who is Doing This Plan?

The City of Buda hired a team of planning consultants to work with City staff, the citizens of Buda, and City Council to update the city’s comprehensive plan.  The Planning Director with the City of Buda, Brian LaBorde, is working closely with the lead consultant, Halff Associates, to manage the planning process. 

Additionally, a Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC) was created to guide the consultants, Buda planning staff, and the planning process by serving as a sounding board for issues and recommendations.  More information on the CPAC, including a list of the members and meeting agendas, can be found on the Documents page.

What is a Comprehensive Plan?

A comprehensive plan is a “blue print” for the future of a city. It articulates the vision of the community of what it wants to become in the future. It identifies the community’s goals it aspires to reach as the city grows. It is a document that will guide policy decisions about growth.

A Comprehensive Plan:

• tells a community what it looks like today
• articulates the vision of how the community wants to grow in the future
• establishes goals for each element of the plan to achieve that vision
• provides a framework for policy decisions and for physical development of Buda
• covers a time frame of about 10 to 20 years
• is integrated with the city’s other planning documents and initiatives

The Comprehensive Plan is NOT a zoning law, subdivision regulation, budget, capital improvement program, or any other regulatory document. It is meant to be the basis for the preparation of these documents.

Potential Plan Elements

What makes this type of plan comprehensive is that it doesn’t focus on just one element of a community; rather, it evaluates all the components of a city and how they work together.  Potential plan elements can include:

Land Use.  The land use component brings together the other elements of the Plan and articulates how they come together to make up the entire built environment of Buda and guide decisions about the type and location of development.  The land use and community design component will evaluate the current development regulations and identify types of future development and how the development occurs so that it is consistent with the community’s vision and identity. 

Transportation.  Transportation is about mobility and accessibility.  That is, how do people get around Buda (mobility), and how do people access Buda (accessibility).  The transportation element addresses the needs of all forms of transportation – the automobile, bicyclists, pedestrians, and mass transit.  This component will also address the mobility and accessibility of truck traffic.

Housing.  Housing should support the needs and desires of the residents of Buda, and at the same time promote other citywide goals.  The housing component identifies the current housing supply, gaps in that supply or desired housing types, and establishes goals and recommendations for housing for future growth.

Parks and Recreation.  In addition to protecting natural and cultural resources, Buda’s open space and recreational resources help improve its quality of life and sustain Buda’s appeal.

Downtown.  Historical and cultural resources are important to defining a community’s character and identity.  Specifically, Buda’s historic downtown and Main Street are resources that helps define Buda.  This element will identify opportunities to enhance the economic vitality of downtown and Main Street while at the same time preserving the architecture and history of the buildings and surrounding area.

Natural Resources.  The community has a wealth of natural resources that should shape how Buda develops as it grows.  Preservation of these resources is critical to the community’s ecological integrity, visual and physical character, and appeal to residents and visitors.  This element will identify the natural resources and how they can be protected and influence the way Buda grows.

Municipal Services.  The municipal facilities element of a comprehensive plan can serve as a guide for decision-making about the public buildings, utility services, ‘hard infrastructure’ such as roads and sewers, and public services that a local government will provide.  This includes evaluating the water and wastewater systems and drainage systems and identifying needs based on the future land use plan and addressing future improvements to address public safety and civic facility needs as the population grows.

Economic Development.  Jobs are the basis for growth.  Roof tops follow jobs, and commercial services follow rooftops.  The economic development component identifies opportunities to diversify and strengthen Buda’s economic position in the greater Austin region while at the same time protecting and preserving the desired qualities of the community.