LOXLEY, Ala. — Sustainable growth was the subject discussed during the graduation session for the latest Leadership Baldwin County class, held at Steelwood Country Club on Thursday, May 15. Professionals from across the county listened as County Planning Director Wayne Dyess, Dawn Sonneborn, associate vice president of the Genesis Group, and Steve Seibert, executive director of the Century Commission for a Sustainable Florida, talked about ways communities can control development without stifling growth.

Dyess and Sonneborn also discussed the proposed county comprehensive plan, which if adopted by elected officials, will address residents’ concerns in a number of areas, including conservation, housing, schools and infrastructure, parks and recreation, community design and historic resource preservation.

Dyess noted most counties in Alabama don’t have full local control of their development destiny, but an act of the state Legislature gave residents in unincorporated areas of Baldwin County the power to enact zoning, as well as determine the layout of each district.

The comprehensive plan will help officials guide growth in those areas, in hopes of preserving the quality of life that made Baldwin County so attractive to those moving here.

“This is your plan,” Sonneborn said. “This is not the Genesis plan. The comprehensive plan is more general as a guide, and your zoning is more detailed. This is a plan where everyone has to come together.

The plan is expected to remain relevant through 2020, she said. Genesis Group worked with county planners to help develop the plan, which was funded primarily through grants.

Sonneborn said her organization faced special challenges because of the county’s linear map, with so many demographic groups and types of terrain represented.

“It’s very different on the coast than it is way up in the county,” she said. “You need different regulations.”

The need for cooperation between county and municipal governments and agencies is also important, Sonneborn added, noting the plan contains an element about that as well.

Seibert said, “Intergovernmental coordination is hard — getting your governments to work together.” He went on to caution leaders, “Don’t let your comprehensive plan become ministerial. Don’t let it become checklist planning.”

Basing it on the needs of the community is important, he said, adding, “I like the notion of continuous improvement. It celebrates the American character. You make the pledge not to undermine quality of life. This is not some feel-good exercise in my mind. This is survival.”

Seibert said it is vital to use critical indicators in determining growth — benchmark data that indicates where a community was and where it is, so decisions can be made related to where it needs to be.

“Planning is one of the most important things we’re going to face in the next 25 years,” Dyess said. “We’re excited we’re going to have a long-term comprehensive plan we can work with for the next 25 years. We’ll have a plan that will be a livable document, which will be updated periodically. Right now, it’s somewhat piecemeal. People don’t know what to expect from their (planners).”

Public workshops to design the plan began last September, and residents provided input regarding growth issues most important to them. Much of the plan was developed using that input, she said.

Dyess said planning officials are tweaking the draft of the plan, and their work will take several months to complete. He hopes to present it to the County Commission as early as November for consideration.

Leadership Baldwin County is a program that identifies potential leaders and enhances leadership, according to organizers. It unites people from various areas of the county and addresses issues from a countywide perspective. The program offers its members a broad range of experiences and insights about the county — its people, its needs, its services, its challenges and opportunities.

The program was established in 1989 by the University of South Alabama Baldwin County and Baldwin County United. Both continue to sponsor the program and members from both organizations are represented on an administrative steering committee.

For more information about Leadership Baldwin County, or to apply, visit www.leadershipbaldwincounty.com.