FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015 CONTACT: MAYOR’S OFFICE, 932-1052 _____________________________________________________________________________________

Public Comments Sought on Jonesboro’s Land Use Plan & Master Street Plan Jonesboro, AR – Members of Mayor Harold Perrin’s administration will join with members of the Jonesboro Land Use Advisory Committee (LUAC) and Master Street Plan Committee in two (2) public input meetings to be held at the Municipal Center on Monday, February 2, 2015 and Monday, February 9, 2015, to field public comments regarding the Jonesboro’s Land Use Plan and Master Street Plan updates. The draft updates to the Land Use Plan and Master Street Plan is now complete and ready for public comment. For the last 12-16 months, both committees have been diligently studying Jonesboro, and deriving a way of enhancing conventional planning methods of the past. This has been accomplished by utilizing new innovative ways of making our city grow more responsible. The appointed Land Use Advisory Committee will continue to evaluate the adopted Land Use Map every other year, rotating with the Master Street Plan Committee updates to the Master Street Plan. This rotation will ensure that the maps will remain current, as we manage the transportation challenges and orderly development of our great city. City Planning Director Otis Spriggs stated, “The proposed Land Use Plan will offer more flexibility in land use designations in a more combined fashion. The idea is to sort land uses based on their intensity, and the availability and appropriateness of public facilities and resources in each area, to meet the intensity of impacts that result from the land use. Jonesboro Land Use Advisory Committee Chairman William Hall said, “Like any planning guide, it will be useful information that will help guide current and future leaders as they work with the private sector and other state and federal agencies, as Jonesboro strives to become the city we want to become”. Mayor Harold Perrin stated that “We want the general public to review and evaluate the Committee’s work from every angle. There are still refinements to be done before the plans are finalized. Both committees are moving towards delivering the complete package to the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission and then on to City Council for final adoption”. “The City Administration will continue to ensure that the Jonesboro Code of Ordinances are automatically updated, and will include clear and concise code standards to protect the continuity of our various neighborhoods.” “We are optimistic about our continued growth and careful planning, in that it will preserve Jonesboro’s natural beauty and industrial strength,” said Mayor Perrin. The format of the meeting will include large displays of the Committee’s work and recommendations, with time allotted for the public to speak with committee members and staff, while participating in postup style comment sessions. The proposed maps and narrative documents are available for public viewing on the city’s website: www.jonesboro.org he meetings, which will be held in the Municipal Center Lobby at the 300 S. Church St., are as follows: Monday, February 2, 2015, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM. Monday, February 9, 2015, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM. Otis Spriggs, City Planning Director said, “each member of the public that wants to share ideas or thoughts please plan to attend one of the meetings. After the comment period, the committees will make any necessary changes to the maps and forward them to the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission and City Council, who will both hold public hearings prior to final adoption.”