New Hanover County is looking for residents who would like to help facilitate development of the county’s comprehensive plan.

Officials announced Monday that the county is accepting applications from people interested in serving on the Comprehensive Plan Policy Recommendation Committee, a body that reviews draft policies and recommendations that result from residents-led theme committees. The committee is charged with identifying policy conflicts and finalizing recommendations that will be forwarded to the county planning board as part of implementation of the comprehensive plan.

“The New Hanover County Comprehensive Plan is a document, used as a guide that addresses our community’s current development trends, determines a vision for how the county should develop over the next 25 years, and determines a plan for how to achieve this vision,” according to a Monday news release from the county.

The plan’s six themes are: livable built environment, harmony with nature, resilient economy, interwoven equity, health community and responsible regionalism, the release stated. The policy recommendation committee will review policy recommendations coming from the resident committee in each of those areas. One representative from each theme committee will also serve on the policy recommendation committee.

The release stated that the policy recommendation committee is expected to meet three times for about two hours each. Those meetings will take place in August, September and October, after which time the committee will remain available for support through the remainder of the planning process. When the comprehensive plan is competed – probably by summer of 2015, the release stated – the committee will be dissolved.

Applications can be obtained at the board of commissioners office: New Hanover County Government Center, 230 Government Center Drive, Suite 175, or by calling 798-7149, or accessed on the county’s website at www.nhcgov.com/Commissioners.

Applications must be received by March 10 for the board to consider at its March 24 meeting. Applicants must live in New Hanover County.