Hendersonville is putting the finishing touches on its comprehensive plan. It is not nearly as aggressive as Asheville’s Downtown Master Plan, but it seeks to pursue a lot of the same fuzzy words that mean everything and nothing. According to the news report, the city commissioned the plan to “address future opportunities and challenges, population changes and a desire to be proactive in its plan for the future.” More specifically, City Planner Sue Anderson stated, “The plan provides guidance to city officials to proactively plan for and accommodate future growth and development.”

Roles of government addressed in the plan are (1) provision of adequate quality affordable housing with appropriate neighborhood design; (2) “creation of a framework for preservation of sensitive natural areas, working lands and ecological systems in concert with future development [to] preserve the natural character that defines Hendersonville;” (3) inventory and preservation of historic and cultural resources, the arts scene, and tourism to “create an enduring identity and sense of place in Hendersonville;” (4) inventorying, policing, maintaining, and increasing the number of public spaces; (5) management of water, sewer, and stormwater services; (6) classification, analysis, and recommendations for multimodal transportation with concern for mitigating environmental impact; (7) zoning to “reflect comprehensive plan principles and strategies;” and (8) implementation.