Plans to update with 2020 census 

STANFORD — With a new census expected in 2020, the Stanford Planning and Zoning Commission is leaving the “goals and objectives” portion of the comprehensive plan unchanged, for now.

The decision will save the city about $15,000 on a complete update to the plan, according to Ward Hart, chairman of the Stanford Planning and Zoning Commission.

By law, the comprehensive plan, which is built around census statistics, is supposed to be updated every five years. With the 2020 census only two years away, Hart said the city could save the money now and re-adopt the plan as it is, then update it using the new census data.

“Everything will change then anyway, so what we’re needing to do is just almost an adoption of our comprehensive plan that we’ve got now,” he said.

Hart said Stanford’s total population hasn’t changed much in the last eight to 10 years.

“Our population has grown a little bit, probably through annexation more than anything. We haven’t had that much new industry come in that you could call earth-shaking. We haven’t had a new factory — we’ve lost factories, unfortunately,” he said. “There’s a lot of little things, maybe, but we haven’t had any great, earth-shaking stuff happen that’s going to change the comprehensive plan until the next census. We might need to adjust at that point.”

The “goals and objectives” document is broken down into six categories: land use, transportation, community facilities, environment, historic resources and economic development.

Jim Jarrett, who serves on the Planning and Zoning Commission, said they haven’t changed since 1994 because Stanford hasn’t changed much since that time.

Jarrett cited Census data that shows the total population for Stanford in 2000 was 3,430 and in 2010, it was 3,487.

“We gained 57 people. Housing units, there were 1,522 in 2000. There’s 1,543 today, so we gained 21 housing units,” Jarrett said. “So it’s foolish to spend $15,000 to do this.”

Demographics have seen little change, as well, Jarrett added.

Jarrett said the “goals and objectives” haven’t changed because they are still in line with today’s community priorities.

“It’s not a goal that you actually reach, it’s a continuing goal,” Jarrett said. “The land use plan, there’s not much land left in Stanford that hasn’t been developed in the city limits … The best thing that can happen to Stanford, and the only thing that will probably change some of this, is once they four-lane (U.S.) 27 all the way to Lexington.”

City Councilman Ronnie Deatherage said even without updating it, the “goals and objectives” address some priorities he would like the city to focus on in the future.

A public hearing still has to be held, Hart said, to re-adopt the “goals and objectives” as they are written.

City council members voted unanimously to approve the comprehensive plan as it is and set a date for the public hearing — 6 p.m. Jan. 25 at the L&N Depot in Stanford.

SO YOU KNOW

A public hearing on the “goals and objectives” of the comprehensive plan will be held at 6 p.m., prior to the regular Jan. 25 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, at the L&N Depot in Stanford.