Growth Management Plan and Reports
The City of Lawton, in partnership with several surrounding communities and
counties, is in the final stages of a regional planning effort to prepare the
southwest Oklahoma region for the growth and impacts that will occur due to the
BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) changes anticipated at Fort Sill Military
Reservation. Based on preliminary estimates, the impact of the BRAC deployment
on the Lawton area and southwest Oklahoma region will likely include: (1) an
additional of over 23,000 persons in the next 10 years; (2) the potential for an
additional 7,000 new jobs in the area; and (3) a cumulative economic impact of
over $4.4 billion over the next 10 years.
This level of growth and prosperity also presents challenges for the region. The
ability of the affected communities to accommodate this level of growth is a
concern. Preliminary research indicates that the cities of Lawton, Cache and
Elgin are particularly situated to attract new BRAC growth and households, but
there is an equally important concern that these communities lack the
infrastructure to accommodate this growth. It is critical to the future vitality
of these communities that we plan now to address these issues and develop a
coordinated strategy to implement a plan of action for needed improvements.
With support provided by the Department of Defense’s Office of Economic
Adjustment, the region’s leaders commissioned the preparation of a Growth
Management Plan (GMP) to identify the physical, social and economic
infrastructure shortcomings that may exist within the region that could impact
the community’s ability to accommodate this new growth and then develop a
coordinated, comprehensive and “actionable” Plan for dealing with these issues.
The planning process focused on identifying how much growth is anticipated;
where that growth is anticipated; and what, if any, policies or actions could
the region implement that could focus this growth and development in the most
efficient, cost-effective manner for all impacted cities.
Included below are links to the various chapters of the draft Fort Sill Regional
Growth Management Plan. The Plan's major findings and recommendations are
included, and over the next month, the Plan will be adopted by the local
communities and implementation will begin in order that the new residents to the
area can help create a stronger and more vital Lawton/Fort Sill region and usher
in a new era of growth and importance for Fort Sill. Finally, this study was prepared with financial support from the Office of Economic Adjustment, Department of Defense. The content reflects the views of the participating local government entities and stakeholders of the Lawton/Fort Sill region and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Office of Economic Adjustment.
Acknowledgements and Table of Contents
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