Legal basis for the comprehensive plan
The West Virginia Code, Chapter 8A, Land Use Planning, authorizes the preparation of comprehensive plans and further establishes the vital role that comprehensive plans play in ensuring a sustainable future for communities across the state. This plan follows those principles as stated in West Virginia Code §8A-3-1. Purpose and Goals of a comprehensive plan. (d) The purpose of a comprehensive plan is to:
- Set goals and objectives for land development, uses and suitability for a governing body, so a governing body can make an informed decision;
- Ensure that the elements in the comprehensive plan are consistent;
- Coordinate all governing bodies, units of government and other planning commissions to ensure that all comprehensive plans and future development are compatible;
- Create conditions favorable to health, safety, mobility, transportation, prosperity, civic activities, recreational, educational, cultural opportunities and historic resources;
- Reduce the wastes of physical, financial, natural or human resources which result from haphazard development, congestion or scattering of population;
- Reduce the destruction or demolition of historic sites and other resources by reusing land and buildings and revitalizing areas;
- Promote a sense of community, character and identity;
- Promote the efficient utilization of natural resources, rural land, agricultural land and sce-nic areas;
- Focus development in existing developed areas and fill in vacant or underused land near existing developed areas to create well designed and coordinated communities; Promote cost-effective development of community facilities and services.