SAUNDERS COUNTY PROJECT PARTICIPANTS SAUNDERS COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS KENNETH KUNCL DEAN BUSING JAMES FAUVER RICHARD JURGENS DORIS M. KARLOFF SCOTT SUKSTORF LEROY HANSON SAUNDERS COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION CHARLES PROSKOVEC - CHAIRMAN NORMAN NELSON E. J. WAGEMAN JOHN BARRY HENRY A. JOHNSON JOHN TRUTNA DEL STARNS SAUNDERS COUNTY PATTI J LINDGREN, COUNTY CLERK SCOTT TINGELHOFF, COUNTY ATTORNEY GEORGE BORRESON , COUNTY ZONING ADMINISTRATOR PATRICIA HUNTER, COUNTY TREASURER CHUCK LACEY, COUNTY SHERIFF DON CLARK, REGISTER OF DEEDS PLANNING CONSULTANT JEO CONSULTING GROUP, INC. WAHOO, NEBRASKA SAUNDERS COUNTY, NEBRASKA COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2004 1 INTRODUCTION SAUNDERS COUNTY, NEBRASKA COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2004 2 INTRODUCTION LOCATION Saunders County is located in east central Nebraska. The Platte River forms the county’s northern and eastern borders. The county sits north and east of the most populated areas in Nebraska, the Lincoln and Omaha metropolitan areas. Cass and Lancaster Counties are south of Saunders County; while, Butler County is to the west. Saunders County embraces deep, rich, loamy soil, divided into bottom, plain and rolling lands. CLIMATE The climate of Saunders County is not unlike most of the climate in Eastern Nebraska. The climate consists of cold winters and hot summers. The average temperature during the winter months is 22 degrees Fahrenheit and the average summer temperature is 73 degrees. Precipitation for Saunders County is in the form of snowfall in the winter and rains in the spring and summer months. The average seasonal snowfall for the Saunders County area is 29 inches during the winter months. During the rest of the year precipitation in the form of rain falls in the amount of 32 inches. HISTORY OF SAUNDERS COUNTY The first human inhabitants came to Saunders County 12,000 years ago. They were prehistoric Indians who followed herds of elephants and buffalo, which provided them with food and materials for all their needs. About 2000 years ago, their descendents began settling in temporary villages. Between 700 to 1400 AD, these Indians began living in permanent villages. Remains of these villages can still be seen today in Saunders County. At the time Nebraska became a territory in 1854, Saunders County was known as Calhoun County. In 1856, the county was renamed to Saunders County in honor of Alvin Saunders, the last territorial governor of Nebraska. In 1866, Ashland became part of the County and was named the County Seat. In 1873, the county seat was moved to Wahoo, due to its central location in the county. The Homestead Act of 1862 drew farmers to Nebraska with the offer of free land. The railroads also encouraged settlement. Most early settlers to Saunders County came from the eastern United States. During the 1860s and 1870s, European immigration into Saunders County increased dramatically due to railroad advertising campaigns in Europe. By 1880, almost two-thirds of the population of Saunders County was foreign born. The largest proportion of these settlers came from Germany, Sweden and Czechoslovakia looking for farmland. Agriculture continues to be the primary industry, with crops such as corn, soybeans, milo, sorghum, winter wheat and popcorn. SAUNDERS COUNTY, NEBRASKA COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2004 3 THE PURPOSE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN The Saunders County Comprehensive Plan is intended to balance development with the existing physical and human environment, set forth a long range plan for use of land and encourage the efficient use of public expenditures and services within the rural areas of Saunders County. The Comprehensive Plan will provide policy guidelines to enable citizens and elected officials to make informed decisions about the future of the community. The Plan acts as a tool to “Develop a road map that guides the community through change” The Comprehensive Plan will provide a guideline for the location of future developments within the planning jurisdiction of Saunders County. The Comprehensive Plan is intended to encourage a strong economic base for the county, based upon county goals and the objectives and policies established to achieve those goals. The Comprehensive Plan will assist Saunders County in evaluating the impacts of development (i.e. economic, social, fiscal, service and amenity provision, health, safety and welfare) and encourage appropriate land uses throughout the jurisdictional area of the County. The objective of planning is to provide a framework for guiding the county toward orderly growth and development. The Plan assists the County in balancing the physical, social, economic, and aesthetic features as it responds to private sector interests. Planned growth will make Saunders County more effective in serving residents, more efficient in using resources, and able to meet the standard of living and quality of life every individual desires. THE PLANNING PROCESS Planning begins with the collection of data in order to provide a snapshot of the past and present county conditions. Analyses of data provide the basis for developing forecasts for future land-use demands in the County. The second phase of the comprehensive planning process is the development of general goals and policies. These are practical guidelines for improving existing conditions and guiding future growth. The Comprehensive Plan is a vision presented in text, graphics and tables that represent the desires of the community for the future. The Comprehensive Plan represents a blueprint designed to identify, assess, and develop actions and policies in the areas of population, land use, transportation, housing, economic development, community facilities, and utilities. The Comprehensive Plan contains recommendations that when implemented will be of value to the community and its residents. SAUNDERS COUNTY, NEBRASKA COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2004 4 Implementation is the final phase of the process. A broad range of development policies and programs are required to implement the Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan identifies the tools, programs, and methods necessary to carry out the recommendations. Nevertheless, the implementation of the development policies contained within the Comprehensive Plan is dependent upon the adoption of the Plan by the governing body, and the leadership exercised by the present and future elected and appointed officials of the County. The Comprehensive Plan was prepared under the direction of the Saunders County Planning Commission with the assistance and participation of the Saunders County Board of Supervisors and the Plan Review Committee and citizens of Saunders County. The planning time period for achieving goals, programs, and developments identified in the Saunders County Comprehensive Plan is twenty (20) years. However, the county should review the Comprehensive Plan annually and update the document in ten to fifteen years, or when a pressing need is identified. Updating the Comprehensive Plan will allow the county and community to incorporate ideas and developments that were not known at the time of the present comprehensive planning process. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN COMPONENTS Nebraska State Statutes require the inclusion of certain elements in a Comprehensive Plan. State Statutes prescribes a “Comprehensive Development Plan” consists of both graphic and textual material, and is designed to accommodate anticipated long-range future growth. The Comprehensive Plan is comprised of the following components: County Profile Community Facilities, Community Goals and Policies, Land Use Analysis, Transportation, and Plan Implementation. Analyzing past and existing demographic, housing, economic and social trends permit the projection of likely conditions in the future. Projections and forecasts are useful tools in planning for the future; however, these tools are not always accurate and may change due to unforeseen factors. Also, past trends may be skewed or the data may be inaccurate; creating a distorted picture of past conditions. Therefore, it is important for Saunders County to closely monitor population, housing and economic conditions that may impact the community. Through periodic monitoring, the community can adapt- and adjust-to changes at the local level. Adaptability to socio-economic change allows the community to maintain an effective Comprehensive Plan for the future; to enhance the quality of life and standard of living for all residents. The Comprehensive Plan documents where Saunders County has come from, where it is now, and the likely direction it may head in the future. The Comprehensive Plan is not a static document, but should evolve as changes in the land-use, population or local economy occur during the planning period. The Comprehensive SAUNDERS COUNTY, NEBRASKA COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2004 5 Plan is a management tool for county leaders to base their decision-making process upon when considering future developments. These decisions will assist Saunders County in achieving their physical, social, and economic goals. GOVERNMENTAL AND JURISDICTIONAL ORGANIZATION The governmental functions of Saunders County, Nebraska are provided and coordinated by the County Board of Supervisors, comprised of seven (7) elected officials. Each incorporated community in Saunders County has elected officials and officers that oversee the governing of their community. PLANNING JURISDICTION The planning and zoning jurisdiction for the incorporated communities in Saunders County that have adopted Comprehensive