What goes into making a Comp Plan?

Existing Plans: We’re not starting from scratch! The USVI has done a lot of planning over the years. The Comp Plan will build on this existing work and collect all the best ideas into a cohesive plan.
Facts and Data: We need to understand who lives in the USVI and where, how old we are, where we come from, where we work, and how we get from place to place to make solid decisions on housing, services, transportation needs, and other aspects of life in each island.
Needs and Desires: Beyond the numbers, we need to bring residents and business owners together to talk about the future. What do you and your family and neighbors need and want to live a happy and full life here? The Comp Plan should be designed to address these needs.

Throughout the planning process over the next year and a half, our most important task will be hearing from YOU and your neighbors!

What will the Comp Plan cover?

The Comp Plan is essentially a document describing how we will use our land and waterfront areas. To establish this framework, the plan will consider the issues the people of the USVI think are most important, including:

Community Services

Are schools, police and fire, trash collection, and other government services meeting our needs?

Housing

What types do we need now and in the future? Are they affordable to residents?

Transportation

Is it easy to get from place to place? What travel options do people have?

Economic Development

How do we help local businesses and connect residents with employment opportunities?

Parks & Open Spaces

Does everyone have access to the types of recreation that interests them?

Energy

What strategies can we pursue to become more energy efficient and produce energy from renewable sources?

Climate Change & Resiliency

How can we ensure our residents and our infrastructure can adapt to and withstand increased flooding, storms, drought, and heat?

Public Health

Do we have a community where people have access to nutritional foods, medical services, outlets for exercise, and other resources to stay physically and mentally healthy?

Governance

How can we make local government operate more efficiently, effectively, and with greater transparency?

Future Growth

Where is new development and redevelopment desired and what types? What uses are most appropriate for our coastal waters? How can we encourage development of land and use of coastal waters in an environmentally sustainable way?

Natural Resources

Are they being protected? How can we restore what has been impacted by past human/development activities?

Historic & Cultural Resources

What places and traditions represent our history and culture? How do we protect and honor that history and our cultural values?

Special Places

What strategies should we adopt to strengthen special places in our communities like town centers, waterfront areas, etc.?

How is the Comp Plan different from other plans?

The Comp Plan is about the long-term vision for our communities, and it combines and builds on other plans. The Comp Plan is a “living” document that can evolve over time, and generally includes:

Vision

This can be a global statement about what/how the USVI wants to be in the future. It can also be a series of Guiding Principles that provide a visionary framework for how we move forward. Your feedback will determine the best approach to setting a vision.

Goals

Long-term aspirations that describe what the USVI will look like when we achieve our vision. These statements should be ambitious but also set the stage for measurable outcomes.

Policies or Objectives

These provide direction to decision-makers and everyone in our communities on how to go about reaching our goals. How should the USVI handle difficult issues, prioritize investment, and work together to make progress?

Actions

These are the specific steps needed to keep us moving toward our goals. These are things we can “check off the list” each year as we implement the plan. Actions can be included in the adopted plan, or as a separate resource that is tracked and revised more frequently.