Bellevue completed its 2022 comprehensive plan update, which will give the city a chance for a thorough self-assessment, according to Bellevue Mayor Charlie Cleves.
The research component of the plan includes the opinions of residents, business owners, and elected and appointed city leaders.
According to the research, Bellevue has had gains in household incomes, levels of education, and business investment. It also shows the city’s small businesses are doing well because residents like that they can walk to dining and entertainment, and that Bellevue’s stock of historic homes attracts the Millennial homebuyers.
It also shows the city’s long-term strategy of emphasizing historic preservation and small-business development, particularly in the Fairfield Avenue corridor, has been justified, Cleves said.
The research also identifies some opportunities for improvement for the city, such as poverty and environmental matters like floods and landslides that demand city resources, and the building stock that requires continuous upgrades and regular maintenance.
“Just past its 150th birthday, Bellevue is more prosperous, better educated, and more confident about its future than at any time in its history,” Cleves said.
The Kentucky League of Cities and city staff, including Bellevue City Administrator Frank Warnock, conducted the comprehensive plan. Campbell County Planning and Zoning Director Cindy Minter and Campbell County Planning and Zoning Secretary Emily Woodward gave it further definition.
By state law, the comprehensive plan must include a statement of goals and objectives about land use, transportation, community facilities, housing, development, and how Bellevue cooperates with its neighbors. That was recently approved as a stand-alone measure by the planning and zoning commission and city council.
The plan also serves as a guide for development and acts as a primary template for large-scale development proposals.