Kannapolis adopts comprehensive plan

Listen to this article

The Kannapolis City Council has adopted the city’s first ever comprehensive plan – Move Kannapolis Forward: the 2030 Comprehensive Plan.

Over the last 16 months, hundreds of Kannapolis residents and stakeholders expressed their ideas and aspirations to help shape the future of our city. Ideas were shared by residents at meetings, at events and festivals, shopping centers, churches and other areas where city staff and Clarion Associates, who assisted the City with the process, gathered to receive input.

This community-driven process established a renewed vision that will serve as a blueprint for the shared future of the community. Three key themes came out of input by the community. These themes include the aim for Kannapolis to be vibrant and connected, fiscally and economically balanced, and healthy and active. The themes are used in the plan as a guide for future actions and investments by the city. The plan focuses on improving the framework for guiding land development and related transportation system improvements to create a more walkable and livable city.

This plan establishes the city’s broadest public policy document, setting forth the long-range vision, goals, and policies and actions for transportation, housing, development, the environment, the economy, and public services. Move Kannapolis Forward is especially important, now more than ever, because of the numerous initiatives currently moving forward in downtown and throughout the larger community. The plan will serve to coordinate the many existing, ongoing, and future plans and projects.

The Move Kannapolis Forward planning process implored the community to dream big, while respecting and cherishing the resources and cultural heritage that make Kannapolis great.

According to Zac Gordon, Director of Planning for the City of Kannapolis, “Adoption of the Move Kannapolis Forward 2030 Comprehensive Plan is a major achievement and represents the consensus of community stakeholders, property owners and elected officials for development of Kannapolis over the next 10 -15 years.  The 2030 Plan is the City’s first true comprehensive plan since its incorporation in 1984 and will  provide elected officials, property owners and those who want to develop in Kannapolis, with clear direction on what, where, when and how development may occur.”

The public is welcome to view the final plan.