On Tuesday, Feb. 9, the first public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the Boykin Community Center Auditorium located at 400 Boykin St.. The purpose for this meeting will be to gather input from northwest Auburn residents. A brief presentation will be given followed by breakout groups in which citizens will be able to offer their input on Auburn’s future.

A second public meeting is taking place on Feb. 23, at the Auburn Junior High School located on 332 East Samford Ave. Results will be shared from the first public meetings and from the issues and needs assessments and surveys. Again, there will be a short presentation followed by an open house with input opportunities.

“So far we have heard from about 80 citizens with positive ideas concerning the new comprehensive plan,” said Justin Steinmann, the principal planner for the City of Auburn Planning Department.

According to the City of Auburn Web site, “CompPlan 2030” is being developed to further the City of Auburn's mission to provide economical delivery of quality services, created and designed in response to the needs of its citizens, rather than by habit or tradition.

“In general it’s a future land use and transportation plan,” Steinmann said.

“CompPlan 2030” will focus on how we use the land, now and in the future; how land use and the built environment affect the natural world, and vice-versa; schools, parks, and other facilities that form the civic foundation of the city; and the many forms of transportation that link everything together. The plan will provide guidance for the future based on public input, analysis of existing and future conditions and best practices. The plan will ultimately be considered for approval by the Auburn City Council as a policy document of the city.

Many topics have been brought up for discussion so far. Transportation options are the number one topic of concern so far seen by citizens. And the area rated second highest of concern is the “walk-ability” around the city.

People want Auburn to have “a better road network, have improved options to not take your car everywhere and have a mass transit system,” Steinmann said.

The City of Auburn Planning Department seeks to accomplish this mission by encouraging that growth be well planned and managed, so that the result is an attractive and sustainable built environment where natural resources are protected and conserved.

“We are in the closing phases of our public input and we want a plan about good growth … and we want to do that well,” said Steinmann.

The completed plan is scheduled for adoption by the city council in January of 2011. The Planning Department will make changes as necessary to fulfill Auburn’s needs as time goes on and the city continues to grow.

For more information, including the latest news, announcements, and information on the public meetings, please watch http://www.auburnalabama.org/CompPlan2030/default.asp for updates, or contact Justin Steinmann in the City of Auburn Planning Department at 334-501-3045.