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SMITHVILLE — Smithville is charting its course for the next 20 years with a new Resilient Communities Plan (RCP) that outlines how the city will grow, develop and adapt through 2045 — and officials want the community’s input before finalizing it.
The city’s RCP Comprehensive Plan, now available for public review on Smithville’s Community Engagement Portal, was funded through a $300,000 grant from the Texas General Land Office at no cost to the city. Final adoption is scheduled for December 2025, officials said.
“This plan focuses on strategies that promote sustainability, equity and resilience, while addressing key issues such as land use, housing, infrastructure, economic development, parks and trails, downtown revitalization, stormwater management and historical preservation,” the draft document reads.
Developed in partnership with Langford Community Management Services, the plan includes detailed projections for population and housing needs, updates to zoning ordinances and recommendations for infrastructure improvements aimed at long-term resilience. Each section focuses on preparing for different future development pressures.
In addition to the core plan, several focused studies examine critical opportunities in Smithville. The Connectivity Fusion Study looks at how rail lines and disconnected street grids have divided parts of the city, while the Parks, Trails and Open Spaces Network Study inventories the city’s green space to identify service gaps. A third study analyzes the Texas 71/95 airport corridor, which the city views as a high-potential development area, officials said. That effort evaluates infrastructure needs, land use strategies and incentive options to support future commercial and industrial growth along the strip.
“By engaging broadly and listening deeply, Smithville is building a stronger, more adaptable future. One shaped by the people who call it home,” the plan states.
The draft’s five-part foundation also includes housing and population forecasts, a land use strategy, zoning analysis and a capital improvement plan. City officials said the document is designed not only to preserve Smithville’s identity, but to ensure it can recover quickly and thrive following future disruptions — be it environmental, economic or demographic.
“Resiliency isn’t an add-on to our comprehensive plan … it’s woven into every aspect of it,” officials wrote in the overview.
Extensive community engagement has helped shape the draft, and a summary of those results — along with interactive planning tools and maps — is available through the online portal. Residents can submit comments directly, take part in visioning exercises and weigh in on citywide goals.
For more information or to participate in the review process, visit langfordplanning.com/smithville-rcp or contact City Hall at 512237-3282.
