City Government - City of Westminster, Maryland

Adminstrative Services

Community Development

Historic Preservation

Comprehensive Plan

What is the purpose of the Comprehensive Plan?
The Comprehensive Plan is a master long-range plan intended to guide the growth and development of Westminster. The plan includes inventory and analytic sections leading to recommendations for the community's land use, economic development, housing, transportation, community facilities, water resources, urban design and resource allocation: all related to the community's goals and objectives.

What is the 2009 Comprehensive Plan?

The 2009 Comprehensive Plan is a document that can be used as an everyday tool for the City of Westminster administration. The public, local officials and City staff can refer to the 2009 Comprehensive Plan to not only better understand the community vision for the future but to also understand how planning can facilitate creating that vision.

The 2009 Comprehensive Plan embraces the principles of Smart Growth, and the State of Maryland’s 12 State planning visions, to serve as guidelines for future growth and development. The plan also gives recognition to Westminster’s partners in State, County and local organizations and agencies. As a small city, Westminster depends on these partnerships to build a sustainable and vibrant community.

Why did we update the Comprehensive Plan?
The State of Maryland requires comprehensive plans to be updated every six years. The 2009 Comprehensive Plan Update began in October 2007 followed by the coordination of the first Westminster resident survey in the summer of 2008. The City hosted a series of community workshops in the fall of 2008 that offered residents the opportunity to voice their ideas about the future of their community. In the winter of 2009, the planning staff combined the results of the survey and the feedback from the workshops, to create the 2008 Community Vision Report. This report served as the base of the Comprehensive Plan Update process. Each element in the 2009 Comprehensive Plan begins with a description from the 2008 Community Vision Report.

The City of Westminster 2009 Comprehensive Plan was adopted on September 28, 2009.

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2009 Comprehensive Plan Credits, Table of Contents & Summary

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Public Participation & Neighborhood Planning