Comprehensive Plan

The City of Carlisle worked closely with the planning firm Confluence to help plan for future growth and expansion of our city.  Comprehensive plans are a guiding document for growth in a community. They lay out a vision for how and where the City wants to expand, what we need to improve, what needs to be protected, and where we can make changes. Comprehensive Plans contain goals, policies, and action items for city initiatives and provide guidance for infrastructure investments. Confluence worked closely with a steering committee, the Planning and Zoning Commission, and Council to incorporate their feedback along with feedback from the public for this plan. With a plan horizon year of 2040, the Grow Carlisle 2040 Comprehensive Plan will guide the City of Carlisle for approximately the next 20 years.

Items contained in the Comprehensive Plan include:

1. Community Profile
2. Community Vision
3. Community Plan

Part of this is a series of key objectives and goals. The goals laid out in Grow Carlisle 2040 include:

• Keep Being a Great Place For People of All Ages to Live and Grow
• Continue to Invest in Quality of Life Improvements
• Preserve Small-town Feel As Carlisle Grows
• Provide A Safe and Efficient Transportation and Mobility System
• Expand Park and Recreation Facility Access to Complement the Trail System
• Support a Strong Economic Base That Reflects the City's Strategic Location
• Foster Growth and Development of Commercial and Business Centers
• Focus on the Long-term Success of the Downtown as a Retail Attraction and Heart of Carlisle
• Plan for Thoughtful and Cohesive Neighborhood Growth
• Protect Natural Environmental Features In the Community and Ensure Growth Occurs in a Sustainable and Manageable Manner

In addition to these goals and objectives, the Comprehensive Plan also lays out Carlisle's Future Land Use Plan. This important portion of the Comprehensive Plan is consulted when reviewing rezoning requests and development proposals to determine if they are consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. 

In 2022, Carlisle City Council set up a Comprehensive Plan Review Committee consisting of the Mayor, a rotating Councilmember, the City Administrator, and other stakeholders as needed. This group meets monthly to discuss focus, projects, and progress on the Comprehensive Plan's goals and objectives.