Peach County, Fort Valley gather feedback on future growth in land development meeting

FORT VALLEY, Ga. — The Middle Georgia Regional Commission (MGRC), Peach County Board of Commissioners, and the City of Fort Valley held a land-development meeting at the Peach County Courthouse to gather feedback from Fort Valley residents on future developments in the city and county.

On Tuesday, Aug. 18, government officials, residents, and community members met to discuss their ideas on future growth, development patterns, housing, commercial and industrial areas, preservation efforts, and other land use priorities. The community feedback is planned to help shape Peach County’s Joint Comprehensive Plan.

The MGRC had countywide maps for residents to mark where traffic congestion has been a persistent issue, as well as where they would like to see housing developments, new businesses, and green spaces.

During the open discussion, many residents agreed that they wanted to see more jobs and economic opportunities. Residents also voiced concerns regarding long-term housing opportunities, as most recent developments have been apartment complexes. Many residents echoed that the apartment complexes being brought in are advertised as available only to college students.

While residents want new developments to come in, they want them properly planned and designed to include green spaces. Another point made during the discussion was walkability, with Peach County Commissioner Roy Lewis stating that many residents are asking that sidewalks be part of planned developments, especially in neighborhoods.

“Definitely want to make sure that it is planned, which is why we’re here today. This is an important part of that process,” Greg Boike, Director of Planning and Public Administration with the MGRC, said. “I think one thing we’ve already recognized as we’ve been going through the plan so far is that there is room for improvement in the ordinances and policies that are already out there. We’re actually already working with Peach County on some of those to help get that updated. We’re doing it in alignment with this planning process so that we can make sure that the ordinances actually go in line with what we want the plan to be also.”

A third meeting between the Peach County Board of Commissioners and the City of Byron will be held next month on Wednesday, Sept. 9, starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Byron Municipal Complex.

Peach County is asking residents to take part in the Peach County 2026 Joint Comprehensive Plan Update Community Survey. The feedback gathered will be used to shape the future development of Peach County. The survey can be found in the pinned post on the Peach County Government Facebook page or directly at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Peach_Comprehensive_Plan.