City of Bryan Comprehensive Plan Survey Closes Feb. 15

The future of Bryan is in your hands! The City of Bryan continues to accept community feedback to build its next comprehensive plan, a roadmap that will guide how Bryan grows over the next 10-20 years. The survey is open through Sunday, Feb. 15.

Do you have opinions about where parks or schools should go? Or what car, bike and bus transportation should look like? Provide your input through the Bryan Comprehensive Plan Community Survey to contribute to the city’s vision for economic growth, community services, housing, parks, streets, transportation and community identity. 

“There’s 95,000 people that have thoughts about what Bryan should be,” said Development Services Director Martin Zimmermann in a recent interview for “Brazos Matters” on KAMU. “That’s who we want to hear from. How do we see ourselves? How do we see our city developing in certain areas?”

Comprehensive plans give Bryan City Council and city staff direction, helping them make small and big-picture decisions for the improvement of Bryan. The last plan, titled Blueprint 2040, was adopted in 2016 and included recommendations for Historic Downtown Bryan, Texas Avenue, South College Avenue, the RELLIS campus, gateway signs, public art and more.

Since then, Bryan has experienced changes in population growth, economic development and infrastructure needs. An updated plan will support smart land usage, future business development and jobs, and enhanced parks, mobility and quality of life.

“Everything a city can touch, we’re going to go over with this plan,” said Senior Planner Katie Williams in the KAMU interview. “We need to have end goals in mind to help us make all the little decisions [along the way.]”

Through the community survey, the city wants to hear what is working well and where improvements are needed to make Bryan a place people want to live, work and raise a family. Once the survey closes, the city’s Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee will work with consultants to incorporate feedback into the plan.

“I can assure everyone that every comment will be looked at, no matter how obscure it might be,” Zimmermann said. “The whole point is to find good ideas for things we haven’t thought about.”

The chance to share opinions doesn’t end with the survey. Once the plan’s framework takes shape, the city will announce a public meeting and review period for residents to provide comments. Announcements will come through the city's social media accounts and newsletter.

“If the entire city is responding strongly to one particular thing in the draft, that tells us and the consultant that we need to go back and review it again,” Williams said.

Public hearings will be held at Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council meetings for residents to share final feedback before the plan is adopted.

“This will be our vision for the future,” Zimmermann said. “This will be where we want to go.”

The community survey takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete. It includes questions about community vision, growth, mobility, neighborhoods, quality-of-life amenities, services, demographics and mapping. A Spanish version is also available.

Development Services is always accessible for resident feedback, even after the comprehensive plan process is complete. Call 979-209-5030, or email planning@bryantx.gov.