HICKORY - Do you have an opinion on how Hickory should grow and develop over the next 20 years? If so, you will not want to miss an opportunity to share your opinions at an upcoming community workshop. The February 9 community workshop will give residents the opportunity to discuss different types of residential development and how they relate to one another.

The City of Hickory Planning and Development Department and consultants Studio Cascade, Inc. encourage the community to participate in the fifth "Hickory by Choice" plan update meeting, entitled "Policy Options Workshop," on Tuesday February 9  beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room at the Highland Recreation Center, 1451 8th Street Drive NE, Hickory.

Hickory by Choice is the City of Hickory's existing comprehensive land use and transportation plan that guides future development in the City of Hickory.  First adopted in 1999, the plan and the associated regulations known as the Land Development Code (LDC) are presently being updated and revised to meet current and anticipated community challenges. Hickory by Choice and the LDC assist Hickory City Council, Hickory Regional Planning Commission and city staff when making decisions about how land is developed in the City of Hickory. 

"One of the goals of the original Hickory by Choice plan was to create mixed use neighborhood centers where residents live within walking or biking distance of neighborhood services and cultural opportunities," said City of Hickory Planning and Development Director Brian Frazier.  "The workshop will discuss how the city's residential areas relate to other land uses and how different types of residential development will help the city achieve its planning vision. There will be an exercise which will allow citizens to explore various alternatives to determine densities in residential and mixed use areas in the City of Hickory."   

Additional community meetings will be held during the HBC/LDC update process. Draft versions of updates to both documents are expected to be available in the coming months. For more information, contact City of Hickory Planning and Development Director Brian Frazier at (828) 323-7422, or visit the project website at http://hickory.studiocascade.com/.

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