As Gonzales continues to grow and expand beyond the vision outlined in its decade-old comprehensive plan, city officials are seeking public input to help shape the next chapter of development.
The city selected Waggoner Engineering near the end of last year to spearhead the process of updating its long-range planning document, which was adopted in August 2015.
Over the last decade, the city has seen its population increase by roughly 3,000 residents, according to the Census estimate. Another factor in the need to update the plan is the development of Conway Subdivision at the city’s southern tip, situated on 400 acres that was annexed into Gonzales before the current comprehensive plan was finalized.
The plan provides a framework to guide long-range city planning and development. It helps define shared community aspirations for the future and chart a course to achieve that vision. The updated plan will focus on several key areas, including housing, transportation, parks and recreation, economic development, infrastructure and future growth.
“Once complete, our comprehensive plan will be the roadmap to Gonzales’ future, but more than that, having recently completed the first of three phases, we could not be more pleased with Waggoner Engineering and the subconsultants we’ve employed,” Gonzales Mayor Tim Riley says. “We are confident the final product will position the city to meet the challenges that come with continued growth.”
The plan update is a project expected to take roughly 15 months, with an estimated end date of April 2027, according to city officials. A steering committee made up of representatives from government, business, education, cultural and faith-based organizations will also help guide the process. It is broken into three phases: discovery, planning and report development, with a recent public visioning workshop held at the PACE Center on May 28 as a part of phase 2. The May meeting preceded small-group and one-on-one meetings held between the project team and stakeholders in March. Looking ahead, a public open house is scheduled for February 2027 when the project team will present on the plan update and share core concepts. The open house will provide an opportunity for community members to share their feedback on the plan before it enters into final revisions.
In April 2027, a public hearing will be held where the project team will present the pre-final comprehensive plan update to the planning and zoning commission.
“Having a plan is the key to obtaining grant funding for the infrastructure projects we are committed to doing,” Riley says. “Police and fire substations situated to accommodate our developing areas south of Hwy 30, a filtration system to fix pervasive brown water issues. Our new comprehensive plan is targeting those vital infrastructure pieces with a plan on how to fund them.”
Visit the comprehensive plan page here.
