MONTGOMERY— A $22,400 grant announced by Gov. Robert Bentley will help the town of Reform chart a course for future development.
The grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission will enable the Pickens County town to create a Comprehensive Community Master Plan. The plan will assess Reform’s current economic, social and environmental conditions and provide recommendations to guide future decisions.
“Planning for the future requires a clear understanding of current conditions,” Bentley said. “This plan will help Reform map out a path to a brighter future.”
The planning process will include a review of town policies and documents and an inventory of the town’s resources. Officials will conduct workshops to get the input of residents, business owners, contractors and other groups.
Once completed, the plan will recommend future land use based on current resources, public input and current development trends. The town’s planning commission, mayor and council will work with residents and other stakeholders to make sure the components of the plan are sustainable for the community well into the future.
Congress established the ARC in 1965 as a supplemental grant program to raise the standard of living, improve the quality of life and promote economic development in the Appalachian mountain region. The region includes 37 Alabama counties.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs administers the ARC program in Alabama along with a wide range of other programs that support law enforcement, economic development, workforce development, recreation, energy conservation and water resource management.
Local matching funds of $5,600 will supplement the grant.
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Contact: Russell Sellers, Mike Presley