2020 NewportFORWARD Comprehensive Plan

After more than a year of research, outreach and committee work, the City of Newport Planning and Zoning Commission and the NewportFORWARD Steering Committee is pleased to announce the adoption of the 2020 NewportFORWARD Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan is Newport’s most important document regarding growth, development, and change. It establishes government policies to help guide public and private activities as they relate to land use, transportation, economic development and resource conservation. The Comprehensive Plan is the basis for land development regulations and decisions (rezonings, conditional use permits), capital improvements (parks, infrastructure), transportation, environmental and historic resource protection initiatives.

Final NewportFORWARD Comprehensive Plan

Public Engagement

Every step of this process relied on participation from Newport’s diverse community in order to ensure that their needs, desires, and values were reflected in the Plan. While typically we would hold open houses, public meetings and group town hall gatherings, restrictions on public gatherings somewhat limited our ability to hold in person public engagement events. Nevertheless, the City provided multiple ways for the public to be engaged throughout the process.

Public Hearing

The Newport Planning and Zoning Commission held a special public hearing on November 16, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. to hear comments and questions on the proposed 2020 NewportFORWARD Comprehensive Plan. The meeting was held in the first-floor multi-purpose room at City Hall, 998 Monmouth Street, Newport, Kentucky. Public comments and questions were received and addressed during the public hearing portion of the meeting. The Public Hearing Draft is below.

Draft NewportFORWARD Comprehensive Plan (Full Document)

View the Special Meeting here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuZZYpayO6Q

October 26, 2021, Open House

After over a year of research, outreach, and committee work, the NewportFORWARD Steering Committee held an open house on October 26^th for members of the community to review the results of the Comprehensive Planning Process.

Meeting Material

Presentation

Land Use Summary Handout

Implementation Matrix Handout

Focus Groups

Based on the feedback from the NewportFORWARD Virtual Public Forum and the Steering Committee, three areas were chosen to focus on in more detail: Newport’s Riverfront, the Central Business District, and the Route 9 Corridor / West Side Neighborhood.

Riverfront Focus Group

Agenda
PowerPoint Presentation
You Tube Link: https://youtu.be/g_AmNedytIk

Central Business District Focus Group

Agenda
PowerPoint Presentation
You Tube Link: https://youtu.be/HzY6ivKecOc

Route 9 / Westside Focus Group

Agenda
PowerPoint Presentation
You Tube Link:https://youtu.be/E0dLpiRTYNo

The NewportFORWARD Public Forum

The NewportFORWARD Virtual Public Forum was held June 18, 2020 and was open for public comment through July 5^th.

To review the Public Forum Materials, go here: https://stories.opengov.com/newportky/published/5JEDK2NSE

Or you can review a bullet list of the goals and objectives here.

The forum included an overview presentation of the planning process, with the initial discovery findings and the draft goals for the City’s future. The virtual platform lead participants through a series of topics including strong vibrant neighborhoods, economic prosperity, environmental sustainability and others, allowing them to provide thoughts, concerns, and ideas about how the City can successfully move forward in the next ten years.