The Gloucester County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing tonight on the long-range future of the Gloucester Court House area and how it should be developed. The meeting begins at 7:30 in the colonial courthouse, with the hearing to start at 7:45.

Planning director Anne Ducey-Ortiz said the hearing will be on the Gloucester Court House Village Sub-Area Plan. The proposed plan, she said, will be an addendum to the county’s Comprehensive Plan, which is currently being revised.

The area being discussed extends beyond the usual village boundaries, with some properties just north of Riverside Walter Reed Hospital, out Route 14 to Crab Thicket Road, and down Route 17 to Burleigh Road, all included in the proposal.

Consultant Milt Herd of Herd Planning & Design in Leesburg said during a public meeting about the plan in mid-October that the plan is not intended to dictate zoning for the county, but instead might lead to some guidelines that would make some zoning regulations more flexible.

The plan will provide direction for the business community to expand, Herd said, while also identifying new housing in that section of the county that might better address actual housing needs such as for seniors or young professionals.

Helen Haley, who resides in the village, said at the mid-October forum that the village would benefit from more cluster housing.

Since the county is growing, supervisor Ashley Chriscoe said, the plan should provide direction to help expand the economic base.

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