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Growth panel sets series of hearings
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Fort Stewart Growth Management Partnership Director Jeff Ricketson announced last week the four-county planning group will have a number of public meetings this month. Meetings will be in Hinesville, Ludowici, Pembroke, Richmond Hill and Glennville.
“We’re just trying to raise awareness that we’re doing this study, particularly among local business people, government and community leaders,” Ricketson said.
The partnership director said the group has 130 experts, ranging from law enforcement, to education, to the military and local governments, involved in the study.
“We have people enlisted in each of the counties to help us,” he said. “We are trying to be as inclusive as we can.”
The partnership wants public input before forming its plans to handle area growth, according to Ricketson.
“The purpose of the meetings is to present an overview of anticipated growth in Bryan, Liberty, Long and Tattnall counties,” he said. “And to receive public input on considerations that need to be made for the region to adequately manage that growth.”
Ricketson said public input will help guide the partnership’s “direction and scope” during the next several months. The partnership urges residents to participate.
The GPO was established last year in response to anticipated growth at Fort Stewart, which will likely impact the four
counties and 12 municipalities surrounding the Army post.
Although the partnership has had to reassess growth estimates for the area since the Department of Defense announced in June that
a 4,000-soldier brigade would not be coming to Fort Stewart, steady and significant growth is still expected.
Since 1970, the area’s population has increased from 46,812 residents to about 136,000, according to Ricketson. An additional 50,000 residents are expected to live in the four-county region by 2030, he said.
Such issues as health care, transportation, social services, law enforcement and provision of utilities will be discussed at the partnership’s upcoming meetings.
The meeting schedule is:
• Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 1:45 p.m. in Pembroke at the Bryan County Commission Chambers at 116 Lanier St.
• Monday, Oct. 19, at 6 p.m. at Glennville City Hall at 134 S. Main St.
• Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 4 p.m. in conjunction with the Liberty Consolidated Planning Commission at the Liberty County Courthouse Annex board room at 112 N. Main St. in Hinesville.
• Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 6 p.m. with the Long County Chamber of Commerce in the senior citizens Center at 15 Thornton Drive Northeast in Ludowici.
• Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 8 p.m. at Richmond Hill City Hall in the council chambers at 40 Richard R. Davis Drive.
For more information, call 408-2069.
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