Residents show up to support the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan

Over 100 Charlotte residents signed up to speak during last night’s public hearing for the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan. We were thrilled to see the age, racial, and geographic diversity of residents from neighborhoods across Charlotte speaking in support of the plan!

City Council’s vote on the plan will be delayed by two months to allow more time for public input received so far to be incorporated into an updated draft document, which will be then shared publicly for a final round of input.

Here’s what our Executive Director shared:

Good evening, my name is Shannon Binns and I am the founder and executive director of Sustain Charlotte, a local nonprofit that advocates for smart, equitable, and sustainable growth.

Over the past two and a half years the City of Charlotte planning department has been asking Charlotteans from all over the city and all walks of life what they want our city to become with an unprecedented focus on equitable and inclusive engagement.  

Over 6,500 Charlotteans have responded and their answers are reflected in the Charlotte 2040 plan. With this plan, we have an opportunity to begin to reverse decades of exclusionary zoning practices that segregated our community. 

With this plan, we have a chance to ensure that all Charlotteans benefit from our growth and development, including those who are suffering from displacement. In fact, if any changes are made to this plan before its adoption, those changes should give representatives from vulnerable neighborhoods a seat at the development table including a commitment to creating an anti-displacement commission.

Over the past month, some have suddenly argued that the process used to create this plan was flawed because it does not reflect the interests of the development industry and our most affluent neighborhoods — and they have demanded changes.  

Because they don’t like the message, they have decided to shoot the messenger. But let’s be honest.  The vast majority of Charlotteans do not want to maintain the status quo that is working for the few but failing the many. They want diverse neighborhoods that reflect our population, they want to be able to more safely walk, bike, and ride transit instead of drive, and they want to be able to affordably live where is best for them and their families.  

We urge you to respect the democratic process that has been used and adopt the Charlotte 2040 plan without weakening any of its current goals or recommendations.

Thank you and good night.

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