Adocument available to area residents which describes Newcastle’s future has been in the works for almost 18 months. The City of Newcastle has been putting together a 2040 Comprehensive Plan and a Future Land Use Map which they would like to adopt in January 2024.
In a letter from Mayor Karl Nail to Newcastle residents, Nail explains that the City has experienced significant growth and change and the last time the City’s Comprehensive Plan was updated was 1986.
“Newcastle is ranked among the top fastest growing cities in Oklahoma and by 2040, Newcastle’s population is projected to increase significantly,” Nail writes. “Because the City is growing and quickly evolving, we need to update the City’s Comprehensive Plan to prepare the community for this anticipated growth, and to help us understand what that growth will look like and how it will affect our daily lives.”
Nail said as part of the process to develop the new Comprehensive Plan, “... hundreds of residents, business owners, and community officials contributed their time and ideas.”
He said the path was shaped by respondents to surveys, discussions with staff at community events, and comments made during a public engagement process. He added that he believes the new plan will help Newcastle grow “in the way and manner that the community has requested — balanced and responsibly.”
The Comprehensive Plan looks at several key elements including land use, infrastructure, and utilities, housing, neighborhoods, and community character, transportation and mobility, economic development, parks, recreation, and open space, and health, wellness and quality of life.
These are followed by goals, objectives and strategies that can be used to address them. An Implementation Plan is being created which helps the City and its partners to identify objectives and implement timelines and strategies for accomplishing the plan.
As this new Comprehensive Plan is presented to the community, the City continues to ask for input from area residents. A post on social media states, “As we unveil the ‘Newcastle 2040’ Comprehensive Plan, we’re not just sharing a document; we’re opening a conversation about our future — and we need your voice in it.”
They indicate that all decisions made by the City moving forward will be based on the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
For those wishing to read the Comprehensive Plan, it is available online at https://newcastleok. gov/. Look for “News and Announcements,” and click on the “read more” link that is provided. This link brings up the social media post which has a link under “How Can You Comment?” Your opportunity for comment is limited, however, as tomorrow (Friday, December 8) is noted as the end of the comment period.
The project to update the City’s Comprehensive Plan began in 2021 as the City hired Guernsey Engineers, Architects, Consultants to take on the project. Over the course of the last 18 months, they created stakeholder committees and created new branding for the City which included the City’s website and social media.
They held community meetings and workshops, and then went where the residents were, including “pop up events,” where feedback was solicited during community activities, and at Newcastle High School to meet with students.
Guernsey representatives also put together a community survey “to seek input and gain consensus on emerging themes as perceived by the community,” and conducted a visual preference survey to determine “resident’s opinions on what future development in Newcastle should look like.”
They determined what the shared values of the community are, and then a vision statement (as outlined in the boxed item on page 1 of this week’s Newcastle Pacer). They also created a land use map and determined Newcastle’s Community Goals, or items the City would like to accomplish over the next 20 years.
The City states, “This isn’t just about zoning maps and infrastructure — it’s about our lives. The plan talks about land use, sure, but it’s also about creating vibrant neighborhoods, ensuring our utilities are top-notch, and making our city more connected than ever.
“It’s about building a Newcastle that grows smartly, sustainably, and in a way that benefits all of us.
“You know your neighborhood better than anyone else. You know what works, what doesn’t, and what can make Newcastle an even better place to live.
“Whether you’re a lifelong resident or a recent arrival, a business owner or a high school student — your insights are invaluable.”
After the final comments on the 2040 Comprehensive Plan are taken, the City will then send it through the final process.
Mayor Nail said, “It will go before the Planning Commission in the December meeting. We are hopeful that they’ll approve it and send it to the City Council for the January meeting.”
