If the future growth of the county is a topic that concerns you, you will have three chances to sound off with your opinion this week.

A series of public hearings will be held by the Bedford County's Joint Economic Development Board (JEDB) on the subject of the comprehensive master plan that is to be used as an update to Bedford County's growth plan.

The hearings are scheduled for Monday at Duck River Electric Membership Corporation, Tuesday at the Cascade School Library and Thursday at Community School, with all of the meetings starting at 6 p.m.

The firm Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon (BWSC) was hired in 2006 by both Shelbyville and Bedford County to develop the comprehensive master plan and they are now ready to present these conceptual plans to the community for feedback.

The master plan is intended to be an update to the original plan drafted by the county and its municipalities to comply with Public Chapter 1101, which requires cities and counties to formulate a 20-year plan indicating how they are prepared to grow and develop as time progresses, and to identify means of providing public utilities to those growth areas.

BWSC has done a large amount of background work involving demographic data, examining the condition of the soil along with the topography of the county.

It has also looked at the issues regarding growth in Bedford County and its communities, and has consulted with community leaders, not only in Shelbyville, but in Wartrace and Bell Buckle as well. Ideas about growth management will be given to the public for consideration and discussion.

One map developed by BWSC shows regions, mostly in the southern part of Bedford County, that are not suitable for development due to topography. Areas that are more conductive for future growth are along U.S. 41-A North and U.S. 231 toward Murfreesboro.

According to BWSC, the plan provides a "road map" for the community "as it faces a future filled with strong residential growth and the commercial growth that follows."

"It must be the express goal of this plan to find and reach consensus on a shared vision for the entire area, and in our experience, only through meaningful public discourse and visioning can shared ideas and visions emerge," read the BWSC proposal.