By Diane Glidewell
dglidewell@jacksonprogress-argus.com

On February 15 the City of Flovilla held a public hearing for the partial update of its comprehensive plan. The information was presented by Planner Aronda Smith of the Three Rivers Regional Commission from the prepared report.

The report is an update of the 20-year plan adopted in 2005 as required to comply with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) standards and procedures for local comprehensive planning and is essesntial in maintaining Flovilla’s status as a Qualified Local Government.

The demographics show Flovilla’s population had grown from 340 in 1980 to 652 in 2005. In 2010, the population is estimated at 888, and is expected to continue to increase at the same rate unless a subdivision is built within the city limits or an industry locates nearby.

The household size is 3.17, which is greater than the state average. There has been rapid growth in the school-age population (ages 5-17), and the segment aged 0-17 comprises almost 32 percent of the population in Flovilla. Therefore, Flovilla is seen to have a familly-oriented character and should tailor services and amenities to meet the needs of this population.

A strength of Flovilla is the affordable cost of living. Issues to be addressed include the lack of job opportunities locally and the declining downtown area. Another issue is the lake polluted with debris and destroyed vegetation. The report from the Three Rivers Regional Commission encouraged restoration of the lake as a critical water resource as well as a recreational amenity, especially for passive activities such as fishing and picnicking. Other opportunities exist in the historic buildings and sites of Flovilla, which hold the potential of attracting tourism and the ambiance of the community.

Large tracts of land are available near Whitehead and Beatty Circle which hold potential for residential development. The Highway 23 corridor should change to commercial and retail businesses.

Since the Comprehensive Plan was first adopted in 2005, a sewerage engineering study and a study of new water sources was completed, new land was purchased for greenspace, there was an annual review of transportation issues, and there have been continued efforts toward construction of a new community center. Proposals in the short term are a new warehouse for equipment and materials, a new well, a new wastewater treatment plant, a new park, and a bike trail.

Council member Letha Kinard asked where the bike trail would be located, and Smith said a feasibility study was being done. Council member Thomas Douglas asked if there was grant money available for the bike trail and the study, and Mayor Harvey Norris replied there were Georgia Department of Transportation funds available for such purposes.

Council member Lillian Cowell asked whether the demographics reported were confined to within the Flovilla city limits; Smith said demographics did not include adjacent or nearby residents, land, or businesses.

The council voted unanimously to approve a resolution to transmit the draft of the update of the Comprehensive Plan as submitted to the Three Rivers Regional Commission and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.