The Cedartown City Commission gave their thumbs up to a number of projects that have been added to the countywide 10-year Comprehensive Plan, including some that have already gotten underway and been approved.

Commissioners voted unanimously after a public hearing without any comments for or against to approve the inclusion of 11 different items that are up for completion in the coming months and years. Among those projects already underway include a new Turner Street Center, and a new mini soccer pitch being built at the Boys and Girls Club in Cedartown.

Oscar Guzman explained to the commission the main goal of including the 11 projects into the Comprehensive Plan is to be able to seek grant funding for the items that were added to the list of goals for the next decade.

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Other items included improvements to lighting at Bert Wood Youth and Athletic Complex and resurfacing the basketball courts there, land acquisition for both recreation parks and industrial parks, updating some zoning rules and implementing a rural zone initiative for interest in downtown commercial development, researching special tax districts, and adding a dog park to Peek Park.

Two of the projects – the Turner Street Center construction and the mini soccer pitch – have already been approved to move forward. The city put out bids in February for a replacement for the Turner Street Center, with bids likely to be decided upon in May.

Commissioners approved receiving grant money for the mini soccer pitch in past months, with a good portion of the funding coming from an Atlanta United grant. The city will have to take up some of the cost of construction of the mini pitch.

Much of the additions are centered around either recreation park space or economic development. New special tax zones, zoning rules and regulations and creating a special overlay district within current zoning regulations for facades, signage and landscaping.

The goal with the latter being to ensure that Cedartown provides a structure for how downtown businesses can present themselves on the streetscape.

The additions did require the city to hold a public hearing for the requested changes, but no one spoke out for or against any of the proposals added to the Countywide Comprehensive Plan.

The plans are generated every 10 years, and updated regularly by the cities and county for what goals and projects they seek to complete within the timeframe. The plan is approved by all entities when first established, and forwarded onto the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission.

Various grants and funding options provided by the state and federal government require projects like these to be part of the Comprehensive Plan to gain access to the potential money to help complete the work described by officials.

Most notable among the projects is seeking the creation of a Dog Park within the confines of Peek Park. Though dog parks have previously been proposed, a publicly-funded and available park for pups and their owners to enjoy isn’t available anywhere in the county.