South County residents, now’s the time to be heard on draft Greater Higgins Area Plan

After more than a year of work and study, the draft of the Greater Higgins Area Plan is out for review.
And what this means for south Nevada County residents is that it’s time to make your voice heard.
The South County Municipal Advisory Group, comprised by nearly a dozen volunteer area residents, have been working together with Supervisor Ed Scofield, county staff and consultant firm PlaceWorks to update the original Higgins Area Plan to help guide the future of South County.
“This Area Plan identifies community goals related to different topics such as land use, circulation, and economic development that will be used to implement private and public projects and programs within the Plan Area to address those needs,” the draft’s introduction states.
Visit www.GreaterHigginsAreaPlan.com to read the full draft area plan, or to review the project timeline, video of prior workshops, as well as information on upcoming meetings and future workshops.
Much of what you will read in the plan is the result of collaborative work with dozens of community members participating in a series of three workshops, as well as regular meetings of South County MAC.
Among the most revisited topics by members of the public and the committee thus far have been creating a sense of place in the South County community, establishing gathering areas such as parks and a community center, connecting the community through a network of trails, paths and sidewalks, and the need of additional housing options for seniors and young families.
Now that a draft of the plan has been published, the advisory group is seeking feedback on the document, particularly with a pair of opportunities this month — the regular meeting of the MAC at 6 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Higgins Lions Community Center (22490 E. Hacienda Dr., Grass Valley), where members will discuss the draft plan, and a fourth public workshop where community members can share their views on the work in progress.
The fourth scheduled public workshop, which will focus on the draft plan, is set for 6 p.m. Sept. 28 as both a virtual and in-person hybrid community meeting. More information on the workshop, also to be hosted at the Higgins Lions Community Center, including how to register to attend, is available at www.GreaterHigginsAreaPlan.com. Those interested in offering feedback on the plan, which is welcomed throughout the planning process, may email in**@gr********************.com to share their thoughts with the committee, county staff and Supervisor Scofield.
Visit www.GreaterHigginsAreaPlan.com for more information.
Brian Hamilton, a member of the South County Municipal Advisory Committee, is a Realtor and member of the Betsy Hamilton Real Estate Team. Contact him at br***@be***********.com or 530-263-0261.