What is a Master Plan and why is one needed for Morris?
A Master Plan is an adopted policy document intended to guide decision-making over the next 5 - 15 years to assist elected officials make decisions regarding present and future needs. The plan is used to guide decisions regarding land use, development, transportation, community facilities and services, and public infrastructure. The goals and recommended actions are based on public input provided throughout the planning process.
As a city with a population of approximately 2,100 people, the City of Morris currently lacks a master plan for short-term and long-term decision making. Morris is at a crossroads of new growth and needs the Master Plan as its “roadmap” for decision making so that money and resources are used in the right way. This is especially important to the City's leadership that acknowledges the importance of a growing city while also maintaining and enhancing the small-town charm that makes current residents love living in Morris. The City's leadership also believes that both residential and business growth is at a point where planning is critical to ensuring the best decisions for the future.
The following are some additional reasons behind why a new City of Morris Master Plan is needed:
As a city with a population of approximately 2,100 people, the City of Morris currently lacks a master plan for short-term and long-term decision making. Morris is at a crossroads of new growth and needs the Master Plan as its “roadmap” for decision making so that money and resources are used in the right way. This is especially important to the City's leadership that acknowledges the importance of a growing city while also maintaining and enhancing the small-town charm that makes current residents love living in Morris. The City's leadership also believes that both residential and business growth is at a point where planning is critical to ensuring the best decisions for the future.
The following are some additional reasons behind why a new City of Morris Master Plan is needed:
- A Future Land Use Map needs to be created. A Future Land Use Map is intended to be used as a guide for future zoning decisions and it should provide a framework for the City to assess proposals for new development and/or redevelopment of existing sites.
- The City wants to ensure that its transportation infrastructure can support continued growth and traffic in the future.
- The City desires guidance on modifications needed to its Zoning Ordinance (especially the commercial districts).
- The City realizes the need for annexation strategies and desires design assistance to create revitalization concepts for the central city area.
What will be included in the Morris Master Plan document?
- A Future Land Use Map and Categories will be developed in consultation with the City's Planning and Zoning Commission. A Future Land Use Map is the community’s visual guide to future planning. It expresses the community’s long-term vision for how and where the City will grow over the next 15 years to accommodate expected population and job growth. The Future Land Use Map is intended to be used as a guidance document for zoning decisions, and is not a set of regulations. The Future Land Use Map does not replace the City's zoning regulations or Zoning Map.
- Goals and Recommended Actions will address the issues that are of considerable importance to the community. Planners will develop topical goals and recommended actions based on public input. Issues will be addressed relating to annexation strategies, code enforcement strategies, a list of new facilities needed (i.e. community center), providing more recreational amenities (i.e. inclusive playground, tennis and basketball courts, dog park), economic development strategies to increase commercial revenue and attract new businesses, strategies to ensure that the city's infrastructure can support growth, recommended improvements needed to existing community facilities and services, and the expansion of multi-modal transportation options.
- Design Revitalization Concepts and a List of Recommendations for the Central City Area will be developed to guide future growth and development and/or redevelopment of the area. The following will be analyzed: strategies to address empty buildings, areas prime for infill development / new development, ways to enhance connectivity from the surrounding neighborhoods and parks to the central city area and businesses, recommended improvements to enhance the appearance of the area and ways to use municipal land/buildings to best serve the community’s needs.
- Transportation Recommendations will provide a technical and policy framework to meet the City's future transportation needs. The recommendations may include: identifying opportunities for roadway and safety improvements, identifying and prioritizing areas for new sidewalks in order to enhance walkability and connectivity from neighborhoods to the commercial areas, identifying streets for potential bicycle facilities and defining necessary transportation priorities, policies, projects or programs.
- An Existing Conditions Document will be crafted to understand the trends and needs in Morris today. The planning team will collect and analyze data to provide a snapshot summary of existing conditions in the City. This document will analyze sociodemographic statistics, housing statistics and trends, the existing zoning map and categories, community facilities and services, environmental constraints, and transportation system components.
- A Public Involvement Summary will provide an overview of the public outreach methods that will be used during the development of the plan to engage the public, and it will summarize participation rates and will display all of the survey results and activity results from Open Houses.
Why should you stay involved in the development of the new City Master Plan?
The City Master Plan is intended to guide decision-making in the City for the next 5 - 15 years. Public input is a vital component of the planning process, and this is your opportunity to share your thoughts, concerns, and hopes about the community's future.
As a Morris resident, you may care deeply about how community services and facilities, and more sidewalk connections and park improvements can enhance your quality of life while living in the City. As a Morris business owner, you may be more interested in economic development decisions or the commercial zoning regulations.
Think about what areas of your community need to grow or change. What are some specific uses or opportunities you would like to have in your community? The planners from the Regional Planning Commission of Greater B'ham want to know what's working, what's not working, and what is needed in Morris.
The process to develop a new City Master Plan will be an open and collaborative process that will solicit input from elected officials, city staff, the public and any other interested parties.
As a Morris resident, you may care deeply about how community services and facilities, and more sidewalk connections and park improvements can enhance your quality of life while living in the City. As a Morris business owner, you may be more interested in economic development decisions or the commercial zoning regulations.
Think about what areas of your community need to grow or change. What are some specific uses or opportunities you would like to have in your community? The planners from the Regional Planning Commission of Greater B'ham want to know what's working, what's not working, and what is needed in Morris.
The process to develop a new City Master Plan will be an open and collaborative process that will solicit input from elected officials, city staff, the public and any other interested parties.
Who is developing the Master Plan and how much did the City pay for this?
The City Council voted unanimously on March 23, 2021 to hire the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPCGB) to develop the new City of Morris Master Plan.
A grant program administered through the RPCGB provided federal funding for 80% of the total project cost, and the City of Morris agreed to pay $17,999.57 for the local government match of 20% of the total project cost.
To learn more about the RPCGB and to see other plans they have developed, visit www.rpcgb.org/community-plans-studies
A grant program administered through the RPCGB provided federal funding for 80% of the total project cost, and the City of Morris agreed to pay $17,999.57 for the local government match of 20% of the total project cost.
To learn more about the RPCGB and to see other plans they have developed, visit www.rpcgb.org/community-plans-studies