Comprehensive Plan

Status:    The plan was approved July 17.    It still needs a Land Use Map.  A Land Use Map is the key part of a Comprehensive Plan, since that's what Virginia code says you use to write zoning ordinances.  A consultant has been hired, and the consultant is gathering citizen input from key stakeholders.  If you haven't been invited, call your Supervisor and say you want to be involved.   Also, you can learn about the consultant's activity on their website set up specifically for Page County's work.

 

 Key Issues:
The Comprehensive Plan was originally prepared in 2001 by a large committee of citizens.  In 2007, it was updated, but by a very small group.  The issue is that the goals were changed, and the data on which the plan was based was not updated.  It's still year 2000 data  The specific changes of consequence were:

  1. Community Vision Statement:

Old Language, p. 9, Page County’s vision is to promote an environment that is conducive to maintaining a rural quality of life, which enhances tourism and agriculture while encouraging compatible business growth resulting in a higher standard of living for our citizens.

New Language, p. 9,   Page County’s vision is to promote an environment conducive to maintaining a rural quality of life, which enhances tourism and agriculture and protects natural and cultural assets while encouraging compatible business and residential growth to provide a higher standard of living for its  citizens.

2.  Community Goal Statement

 

Goal #5, p. 9,  was changed from:

 

Old goal statement:

5.  Promote initiatives to upgrade the quality of life and standard of living for residents.

 

New goal statement:

5.  Promote initiatives to upgrade the quality of life and standard of living for residents, including adequate and affordable housing.

 

3.  Goal 2, Objective 1, p. 10

 

Old goal:  Preserve the natural beauty and protect the ecology of forested areas to ensure that development in those areas is in conformance with their environmental features and limitations.

 

Old policies for old goal:

1.  Promote multiple uses of forested land that are non-intensive and compatible, such as outdoor recreation, wildlife habitats, watershed protection, and timber harvesting. 

            a.  Ensure that development on forestland is compatible with the environmental features of that land and does not diminish natural and scenic values.

 

2.  Encourage the voluntary placement of conservation easements on lands adjoining the Skyline Drive, Shenandoah 

National Park and Shenandoah River to protect the integrity of the park and other natural scenic attractions.

 

3.  Promote buffer zones around national and historic areas.

 

4.  Encourage raising minimum acreage of residential dwellings to limit an adverse impact on ground water and to protect land values.

 

New Policies for new goal Changed to:  Preserve the natural beauty and protect the ecology of the county to ensure that development in the county protects its environmental features. 

The new policies for the new goal are somewhat expanded, however.  Let’s take a look at those:

 

1.  Promote multiple uses of forested land that are non-intensive and compatible, such as outdoor recreation, wildlife habitats, watershed protection, and timber harvesting. 

            a.  Ensure that development on forestland is compatible with the environmental features of that land and does not diminish natural and scenic values.

            b.  NEW Encourage better forest management.

 

2.  Encourage the voluntary placement of conservation easements or the sale of development rights through tax incentives and other measures.

 

3.  Promote buffer zones around natural  and historic areas such as land adjoining Shenandoah National Park and the Shenandoah River to protect the integrity of the park and other natural scenic attractions.

 

4. NEW  Promote the preservation and protection of views from Skyline Drive and George Washington National Forest.

 

5.  Encourage raising minimum acreage of residential dwellings to limit an adverse impact on ground water and to protect land values.

 

6.  Establish protected zones, designated as Critical Environmental Areas, and develop standards for controlling development in those areas. 

 

7.  Encourage the rezoning of non-buildable lots in subdivisions to provide for lower density development. 

 

 

The goal statement and policy changes continue in this vein.  In fact, an entirely NEW Objective is added to this environmental goal.  The new objective, which did not appear in the 2001 plan says:

 

4.  Goal 3, Objective Three, p. 16

 

NEW:

Educate and involve citizens in promoting environmental stewardship of natural resources and watershed protection.

 

Policy 1.  Work with school districts to incorporate environmental education activities into the curriculum in order to encourage student environmental awareness and education.

 

 

5.  Finally, Goal 3, Objective Two, policy 3, c, states:

 

3.  Manage and protect flood prone areas by:

 

NEW:  3.C.  Developing ordinances that prohibit housing and commercial buildings in the 100-year flood plain.

 

There was no corresponding goal like this in the 2001 plan.

 

Background: 

Here is the state of Virginia code for Comprehensive Plans:

§ 15.2-2223. (Effective July 1, 2007) Comprehensive plan to be prepared and adopted; scope and purpose.

The local planning commission shall prepare and recommend a comprehensive plan for the physical development of the territory within its jurisdiction and every governing body shall adopt a comprehensive plan for the territory under its jurisdiction.

In the preparation of a comprehensive plan, the commission shall make careful and comprehensive surveys and studies of the existing conditions and trends of growth, and of the probable future requirements of its territory and inhabitants. The comprehensive plan shall be made with the purpose of guiding and accomplishing a coordinated, adjusted and harmonious development of the territory which will, in accordance with present and probable future needs and resources, best promote the health, safety, morals, order, convenience, prosperity and general welfare of the inhabitants, including the elderly and persons with disabilities.

The comprehensive plan shall be general in nature, in that it shall designate the general or approximate location, character, and extent of each feature, including any road improvement and any transportation improvement, shown on the plan and shall indicate where existing lands or facilities are proposed to be extended, widened, removed, relocated, vacated, narrowed, abandoned, or changed in use as the case may be.

As part of the comprehensive plan, each locality shall develop a transportation plan that designates a system of transportation infrastructure needs and recommendations that may include the designation of new and expanded transportation facilities and that support the planned development of the territory covered by the plan and shall include, as appropriate, but not be limited to, roadways, bicycle accommodations, pedestrian accommodations, railways, bridges, waterways, airports, ports, and public transportation facilities. The plan should recognize and differentiate among a hierarchy of roads such as expressways, arterials, and collectors. The Virginia Department of Transportation shall, upon request, provide localities with technical assistance in preparing such transportation plan.

The plan, with the accompanying maps, plats, charts, and descriptive matter, shall show the locality's long-range recommendations for the general development of the territory covered by the plan. It may include, but need not be limited to:

1. The designation of areas for various types of public and private development and use, such as different kinds of residential, including age-restricted, housing; business; industrial; agricultural; mineral resources; conservation; active and passive recreation; public service; flood plain and drainage; and other areas;

2. The designation of a system of community service facilities such as parks, sports playing fields, forests, schools, playgrounds, public buildings and institutions, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, community centers, waterworks, sewage disposal or waste disposal areas, and the like;

3. The designation of historical areas and areas for urban renewal or other treatment;

4. The designation of areas for the implementation of reasonable ground water protection measures;

5. A capital improvements program, a subdivision ordinance, a zoning ordinance and zoning district maps, mineral resource district maps and agricultural and forestal district maps, where applicable;

6. The location of existing or proposed recycling centers; and

7. The location of military bases, military installations, and military airports and their adjacent safety areas.

The plan shall include: the designation of areas and implementation of measures for the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of affordable housing, which is sufficient to meet the current and future needs of residents of all levels of income in the locality while considering the current and future needs of the planning district within which the locality is situated.

The plan shall include: a map that shall show road improvements and transportation improvements, including the cost estimates of such road and transportation improvements as available from the Virginia Department of Transportation, taking into account the current and future needs of residents in the locality while considering the current and future needs of the planning district within which the locality is situated.

 

Documents:
The Comprehensive Plan is a very large document.  It can be downloaded from the County Website at http://www.PageCounty.Virginia.gov   Click on Our Government, and then Public Notices.

The marked up copy of the revisions made by the Planning Commission can be found here.

The references to Land Use can be found here.

Upcoming Meetings:
July 17, the plan was approved, with sufficient amendments so that it wasn't too scary.   There will be monthly meetings of the subcommittee of the Planning Commission, third Monday of every month.  Citizens may be involved at this level.  It's very important to be involved, because a consultant has been hired to write that Land Use Map, at a cost of about $75,000 just for the Land Use Map. 

Blog:  Talk about this issue on the  blog .