Regional Recycling Infographic Fact Sheet Available

Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission:

“The TJPDC has produced an infographic fact sheet title “What We Recycle”. This sheet presents statistics from the Thomas Jefferson Solid Waste Planning Unit’s Recycling Rate Report for 2013. The recycling rate of 39.9% was approved by Virginia Department of Environmental Quality on June 5, 2014. The Thomas Jefferson Solid Waste Planning Unit includes Albemarle County, Fluvanna County, Greene County and the City of Charlottesville.”

For more information, click here.

~TJPDC

USDOT's Proposed Rulemaking on Statewide, Nonmetropolitan, and Metropolitan Planning

National News:

“On June 2, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) published the 'Statewide and Nonmetropolitan Transportation Planning; Metropolitan Planning' Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). The NPRM is a joint effort by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) included several new provisions for statewide, nonmetropolitan, and metropolitan planning. It establishes, for the first time in statute, a formal definition and scope of work for Regional Transportation Planning Organizations (RTPOs) to serve outside the boundaries of Metropolitan Planning Organizations. MAP-21 also elevates the level of participation of nonmetropolitan from 'consultation' to 'cooperation' in the statewide transportation planning process."

~NADO, National Association of Development Organizations

Click here to NADO's website

Annual Recycling Report Submitted to DEQ

Central Shenandoah PDC:

“The CSPDC submitted the 2013 recycling rate report for the Augusta County Service Authority on April 30th, 2014 to the Virginia Department of Environment Quality (DEQ). DEQ has recently concluded their review of the submitted report and has approved the region's recycling rate of 38.9%, a 5.6% increase from last year's rate of 33.3%. The Augusta County region is comprised of Augusta County, the cities of Staunton and Waynesboro, and the Town of Craigsville. The region is required to have a recycling rate of at least 25%.The recycle rate increase can be attributed to a 68% rise in reported recycled metals and a slight increase in most other categories.”

~CSPDC

Rail, bus ridership up across Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads:

“During the past decade, Hampton Roads has seen a bump in rail and bus ridership, while airports have seen fewer flights and passengers, according to a draft state of transportation report presented to the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization board at its Thursday monthly meeting.

The region also has more people, more licensed drivers and more vehicles than in 2013, and it ranks among the nation's worse in terms of traffic congestion and commuter delays, said Keith Nichols, HRTPO senior transportation engineer.

The report covers air, rail, transit and road travel in the region's cities and counties. It also reviews the condition of roads, the cost of travel and congestion, safety and fuel prices.

Nichols said the greatest surprise was the 80 percent increase in Amtrak ridership. In 2012 Amtrak began offering rail service from Norfolk, and analysts expected ridership to drop at the peninsula's two stations in Newport News and Williamsburg.”

~Writes Cathy Grimes of the Daily Press

Click here to read this column

Environmental Finance Center to Host Workshop

Central Shenandoah PDC:

“The CSPDC is assisting the University of Maryland's Environmental  Finance Center (EFC) in hosting a workshop in the region that will provide information and resources for financing effective stormwater management programs.  The goal of the workshop is to build capacity in the Shenandoah Valley for implementing effective programs to protect and improve the quality of water in local streams, such as Blacks Run in Harrisonburg, the South River in Waynesboro, Lewis Creek in Staunton, the Maury River in Buena Vista, and others. 

 

The workshop will cover topics relevant to both the Virginia Stormwater Management Program, which regulates post-construction stormwater runoff from construction sites, as well as financing strategies for localities that operate Municipal Separate Stormwater Sewer Systems (MS4).  EFC and other experts will speak on topics ranging from assessment tools to innovative marketing strategies.

In addition, this workshop will provide a unique opportunity for municipalities to share successes, challenges, and ideas for implementing successful stormwater programs.  The workshop is funded by the Chesapeake Funders Network.  It will be held at James Madison University's Festival Conference Center on May 22nd from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ”

~Central Shenandoah PDC

Visit the event page for registration and agenda - click HERE. 

Biking in the Valley Featured in Virginia Business Magazine

Central Shenandoah PDC:

“With more than 1,000 miles of scenic country roads and an extensive network of greenways and trails that cut through the nearby George Washington National Forest, the Shenandoah Valley is gaining national recognition as a premier biking destination. ‘Biking is probably the single biggest recreational asset we have,’ says Kyle Lawrence, president of the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition, a local advocacy group. Read more in Virginia Business about the Valley's terrain and scenic views that make it a truly unique recreational asset.”

~Central Shenandoah PDC

Fields of Gold Receives Chamber Tourism Award

Central Shenandoah PDC:

“On April 8th, Bonnie Riedesel and Elizabeth McCarty accepted the Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Tourism Business award for the Fields of Gold agritourism program.  The awards were given at the Chamber's Annual Business and Awards Ceremony held at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel.  The Chamber awards recognize outstanding individuals, businesses, and organizations in the community.  Awards were presented to: Outstanding Industry; Outstanding Small Business; Outstanding Community Organization; Outstanding Tourism Business; Outstanding Citizen; Outstanding Agriculture Business;Sponsor of the Year; Volunteer of the Year; and Ambassador of the Year.”

~Central Shenandoah PDC

Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission Receives NADO Innovation Award

Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission:

In 2013, The Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission was an Innovation Award “from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Research Foundation for its 2013 Regional Report Card: A Compilation of Regional Cooperative Initiatives & Activities. This marks the 6th time since 2007 that the Regional Commission has received an Innovation Award, which recognizes regional development organizations for improving the economic and community competitiveness of our nation's regions and local communities.

In addition, the Regional Commission's Executive Director, Wayne Strickland, was elected to the NADO 2013/2014 Board of Directors. The NADO Board of Directors oversees the association's budget and operations and develops policy on issues affecting regional development organizations. ‘We are honored to have Wayne Strickland serve on NADO's Board of Directors.  Wayne brings a wealth of expertise, knowledge and leadership on regional community and economic development issues to the national level,’ stated Joe McKinney, NADO Executive Director.  ‘Most importantly, Wayne is focused on helping our nation's local communities pursue comprehensive regional strategies for remaining economically competitive in today's rapidly changing global environment.’”

~ VAPDC

Click here to learn more from NADO

Click here for the Report Card Document

TJPDC Announces New Executive Director

Thomas Jefferson PDC:

“The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission is pleased to announce the appointment of Charles P. "Chip" Boyles, II, as its new Executive Director. Mr. Boyles brings over 20 years of local government management experience to the position. He most recently is serving as the Vice President of Programs and Administration for the East Baton Rouge (Louisiana) Redevelopment Authority. He also has served as Director of the Office of Community Development for the City of Baton Rouge/East Baton Rouge Parish Government, a combined city/county government in Louisiana, where he was responsible for over 100 grant/loan contracts.

Mr. Boyles began his career as a community/economic development coordinator at the Lowcountry Council of Governments in South Carolina. He has led a number of communities as both a city and town manager in Maryland and South Carolina, was Chief Operating Officer for a start-up nonprofit serving communities and universities in college towns, and worked for the state municipal association in South Carolina. He begins his duties April 15.”

~ TJPDC

Click here for the full press release

New Routes Studied for Harrisonburg Public Transit

Central Shenandoah PDC:

“The CSPDC and the Harrisonburg Department of Public Transportation, along with the consultant team from Renaissance Planning Group have been coordinating a Harrisonburg Transit Study through the Harrisonburg Rockingham Metropolitan Planning Organization (HRMPO). The purpose of the Study is to examine a new route to Rockingham Memorial Hospital and to reconfigure existing routes to improve efficiency. Harrisonburg currently has five city lines and would like to add a sixth. Route 1 is the busiest bus line in the city and serves downtown, the James Madison University (JMU) campus and the south and eastern portions of the city, including the Valley Mall and frequently experiences delays. Route 2 serves Rockingham Memorial Hospital and covers from downtown Harrisonburg and the JMU campus throughout the east and south of the city.

Harrisonburg Department of Public Transportation (HDPT) is proposing to add a new route which will be referred to as Route 0. This line will likely service both the Valley Mall and Rockingham Memorial Hospital covering downtown, JMU and along Port Republic Road. The existing Routes 1 and 2 will be reconfigured slightly, and all three lines will provide increased coverage throughout the city and surrounding neighborhoods. This spring HDPT will hold a public workshop to present the new route and take comments on the proposal. The Harrisonburg Transit Study is expected to be completed in June and approved changes to the transit system go into effect sometime in the late summer.”

~ Central Shenandoah PDC

Bath-Highland Select Broadband Consultant

Central Shenandoah PDC:

“In January 2014, the Bath-Highland Telecommunications Management Team (TMT) led by CSPDC Regional Planner Robert Huff, solicited proposals for professional broadband telecommunications planning services. A selection committee made up of several TMT members reviewed eight proposals and invited three firms to interview. Consulting Gateway Corporation (CGC), in association with Dewberry Engineers, Inc., was selected to develop the plan. CGC has provided multiple options that the TMT reviewed at their March meeting in order to make service contract recommendations to local officials. 

The TMT is a group of about 30 individuals that have been tasked with improving Bath-Highland broadband services. The TMT acquired state funding  for the preparation of a comprehensive Community Telecommunications Plan, which will include a needs assessment analysis, broadband education and application development, last mile connectivity solutions, preliminary engineering and cost estimates, organizational and operational recommendations, and funding strategies for future implementation projects. The plan is expected to be completed in late summer 2014.”

~ Central Shenandoah PDC

Stormwater Projects Funded for Central Shenandoah Localities

Central Shenandoah PDC:

“The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality recently announced the first recipients of the Stormwater Local Assistance Fund. The Fund was established in 2013 to provide matching grants to local governments for the planning, design, and implementation of stormwater best management practices that cost effectively reduce pollutant loads to local waterbodies. The cities of Waynesboro and Lexington were awarded funds to construct stormwater treatment facilities with the goal of improving local water quality and meeting Chesapeake Bay pollution reduction goals. Waynesboro will receive $850K for a constructed wetland, and Lexington will receive $225K to construct stormwater management practices at a new school.  For additional information on these projects, please contact the locality's stormwater program division.”

~ Central Shenandoah PDC

Job Posting: Transit Program Coordinator/Transportation Planner.

Central Shenandoah PDC:

“As a professional member of a regional planning staff this position would primarily be responsible for the planning and administration of a regional transit service program and performing transit planning work for the rural transportation program and two metropolitan planning organizations within the district. Duties include writing and administering grants through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transit (DRPT) and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), providing oversight and project management of a contracted regional transit provider, developing and managing budgets for the public transit programs, conducting various planning studies related to transit, and managing a transportation demand management program for the region.  Effective knowledge of TDM strategies, FTA/DRPT operations, and MPO planning is desirable. Employee will also be required to provide staff support to advisory boards, councils, and committees.  Duties may include preparing reports and making presentations to elected officials, boards, committees, and outside organizations, including outreach and coordination to transit funding partners.  Applicants must possess the ability to carry out planning projects independently and to work well with local, state, and federal staff and the general public. Strong oral and written communication skills and proficiency with Microsoft Office - Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc. is required.  Master’s degree in planning or related field preferred, equivalent combination of education and work experience accepted. Local and/or regional planning experience and knowledge of FTA and DRPT grant programs a plus.  Salary:  $48,000-56,500 depending on qualifications.

To apply, send a resume with references to Bonnie S. Riedesel, Executive Director, Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission, 112 MacTanly Place, Staunton, Virginia  24401 or bonnie@cspdc.org.  Position opened until filled.”

~ Central Shenandoah PDC

Commission Approves FY15 Rural Work Program

Thomas Jefferson PDC:

“On Thursday, March 6, the TJPDC formally approved its Rural Transportation Planning Work Program for FY15, which starts on July 1. This work program is renewed every year, with funding from VDOT ($58,000) and match from the TJPDC ($14,500). In FY15, TJPDC staff will conduct several activities, such as running the region’s Rural Technical Committee, helping member governments with transportation grants, and assisting VDOT with updates to plans.”

~ Thomas Jefferson PDC

Click here to learn more

Job Opening at Accomack-Northampton PDC

Accomack-Northampton PDC:

“The Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission (A-NPDC), a regional non-profit organization based in Accomac, Virginia, seeks a motivated person to provide project management for various state and federal planning activities and technical assistance to local jurisdictions. With the A-NPDC’s fast growing diversity of programs, this is an exciting opportunity for a creative and driven professional to gain experience and have their efforts make a positive impact on the communities of the Eastern Shore of Virginia.”

~ Accomack-Northampton PDC

Click here for the job description

Planners Survey Bike Route 76 for Improvements

Thomas Jefferson PDC:

“Central Virginia planners are surveying 136 miles of a cross-country bike route that runs through the region. Bike Route 76 directs riders on some of the area’s busiest, curviest roads. One trouble spot planners have identified is Route 53, which winds its way from Route 20 to Monticello. There are no shoulders, the drop-offs are steep, and it has become a busy commuter road. But a study is looking at ways to make it safer for cyclists to pedal through our part of the cross-country bike route.”

~Writes NBC29

Click here to learn more

Click here for another story from November 2013

Click here for the project website

Input on James River pollution study sought

James River:

“With 19 sections of the James River and its tributaries observed to be violating legal bacteria levels, the Department of Environmental Quality is asking for public comment in redeveloping a study on sources of pollution. The DEQ in conjunction with Region 2000, held a public meeting Tuesday night at Randolph College to present the study’s preliminary findings, which examined sections of streams and the James River from which they stem.

Violations were found in water bodies in Amherst, Bedford and Campbell counties and Lynchburg as well as the James. The total maximum daily load study, which examines the amount of bacteria a body of water can handle to meet standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency was last completed in 2007. It is being redeveloped by request from Lynchburg so the city can update its own combined sewer overflows strategy.

Jim Kern, who spoke for MapTech Inc., the company performing the study, said streams were examined as representative of general watersheds in the area. One impairment evidences pollution in another, he said. The TMDL study includes estimates of farm, domestic and wild animals, and people because fecal matter is the main source of E. coli. It also lists discharges that have been permitted.”

~Writes Alex Rohr of the News Advance

Click here for more information

Click here for the story from the Richmond Times Dispatch

Click here for more detail on the project

CSPDC's HOME Down Payment Program

Central Shenandoah PDC:

“The HOME Down Payment Assistance Program (DPA) in the Shenandoah Valley region has received $75,000 in funding for the calendar year 2014. Created to help first-time, income-eligible homebuyers to obtain decent, safe and affordable housing, this Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program has been administered in the region by the CSPDC for the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for more than a decade. It has helped 225 people grow their personal wealth and equity through homeownership.

For more information on the HOME program contact Kimberly Miller, kimberly@cspdc.org, 540.885.5174.”

~ Central Shenandoah PDC

Safe Routes to School in Rockingham County

Central Shenandoah PDC:

“Safe Routes to School (SRTS) projects have been completed at Mountain View Elementary in Rockingham County and Plains Elementary in Timberville.  At Mountain View Elementary improvements included the addition of a new sidewalk, curb & gutter, ADA curb cuts with associated crosswalks, signing and pavement markings, and the installation of pedestrian signals at the Erickson Avenue and Rawley Springs (Rt. 33) intersection.

  

In Timberville, the improvements included a five-foot concrete sidewalk, curb and gutter improvements, and a stream crossing along American Legion Drive. Other improvements included curb ramps, crosswalk pavement and sign installation, high visibility crosswalk markings, and flashing school beacons installed at the school entrance.

Safe Routes to Schools is a federally-funded program administered by the Virginia Department of Transportation designed to encourage kindergarten through 8th grade students to walk or bike to school by creating a safer and more appealing transportation alternative through biking and walking.  Other SRTS program goals are to improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution in the vicinity of schools.  CSPDC staff assisted the County and the Town with grant administration and project management for these two SRTS projects.”

~ Central Shenandoah PDC

VAPDC's Winter Conference

VAPDC:

“The Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions (VAPDC) Winter Conference was held in conjunction with Virginia Municipal League (VML) and Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) Local Government Day on February 6-7, 2014, in Richmond.  The theme of this year's conference was ‘Meeting Virginia's Challenges through Regional Solutions.’  Highlights of the conference included presentations from three of  Virginia's new cabinet secretaries: Maurice Jones, Secretary of Commerce and Trade; Molly Ward, Secretary of Natural Resources; and Aubrey Lane, Secretary of Transportation.  Also presenting was Dr. Glenn DuBois, Chancellor of Virginia Community College System.

At the conference awards ceremony, the CSPDC received the Robert M. deVoursney Best Practices Award for its Fields of Gold agritourism program.  The award recognizes a PDC or regional organization that has initiated or heightened an innovative approach or activity of regional significance.  This award recognizes innovation, excellence, commitment and/or service to the advancement of regional planning and multijurisdictional cooperation.   Mr. George Pryde, CSPDC Commissioner representing the City of Lexington and who serves on the Fields of Gold Steering Committee, accepted the award on behalf of the CSPDC.”

~ Central Shenandoah PDC

Fields of Gold: February News Letter

Fields of Gold:

“The second edition of the Fields of Gold Insider, a quarterly newsletter created for agribusinesses participating in the Fields of Gold agritourism program was published during February. Filled with information, tips and educational opportunities, the Insider is currently distributed to more than 200 agritourism operators, tourism partners and government agencies.”

~ Central Shenandoah PDC

Click here to view the newsletter

State Funding for PDCs

General Assembly:

“The House and Senate budget conferees charged with reaching an agreement on a compromise budget for the remainder of FY14 and the next biennium are in place. Both chambers approved their version of the budget a week ago, and on Wednesday, the plans were rejected by the other chamber, setting the stage for senior budget writers to work through the weekend and early next week to attempt to reconcile differences in the spending plans…

The introduced budget included a $70,000 reduction each year in state funding to Planning District Commissions. The House includes an amendment to restore the funds; the Senate does not include such an amendment.”

~ David Blount, TJPDC Legislative Liaison

Bike Route 76 Corridor Study

Thomas Jefferson PDC:

As part of its FY14 Rural Transportation Program, the TJPDC  is conducting a Corridor Study of the Route 76 Bike Route within our region. U.S. Bicycle Route 76, also known as the TransAmerica Bike Route, is a national Bike Route that spans from the Midwest to eastern Virginia. Along this path, the route passes through five of the localities in our region - Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Louisa and Nelson. The intent of this work is to increase safety, access and awareness of the bike route. The Rural Technical Committee has conducted a scoping meeting for this project to help guide the process and deliverables.

The project scope includes three main elements:

1.    An Inventory of existing conditions;

2.    A promotional campaign to provide route information and online resources; and,

3.    Recommendations for roadway improvements that would increase bike safety.

Work during the current fiscal year will focus on Item 1, an inventory of existing conditions along the 136-mile stretch of Route 76 in our region. For additional information on this project, please visit the project website at www.tjpdc.org/route76 or contact Will Cockrell at wcockrell@tjpdc.org, 434-979-7310 x 440.

FAMPO blesses parkway proposals

Fredericksburg Area MPO:

“A boisterous overflow crowd didn’t hear what it wanted at Monday night’s Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization meeting. Several dozen residents took part in what has been a long-running battle over projects aimed at easing congestion problems along the Fredericksburg area’s Interstate 95 corridor.

Most of them spoke against a resolution to move forward with road projects estimated to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, including a pair of parkways opposed by Spotsylvania County and Stafford County residents who would be impacted by them. But after all was said and done, FAMPO’s policy committee voted to approve the resolution.

The projects include the Rappahannock River Crossing, which would add collector–distributor roads and bridges along I–95 between the U.S. 17 and State Route 3 exits.”

~ Writes Scott Shenk of The Free Lance-Star

Click here to learn more

Col. Beach will present stronger revitalization grant application

Northern Neck PDC:

“After only four meetings with Jerry Davis, Executive Director of the Northern Neck Planning District Commission, the Colonial Beach Revitalization Management Team is ready to pass the draft application on to the town council. ‘This will be the last meeting for the group before the grant application is approved,’ Davis told the group with confidence. Davis recapped the project’s final details with the group and finalized the last steps needed to complete the process of applying for an almost $1 million Community Development Block Grant.

The application will go to the council for their second and final public hearing next week. Davis and staff will present a draft application to the council at the February 13 meeting. Changes will be made as needed, and Davis hopes to have the council’s final approval to submit the application at the March meeting… Previously, Colonial Beach’s application dealt mostly with slum and blight elimination. So to make the application more competitive, the group has focused more on providing low- to moderate-income jobs. Currently, in order for businesses to take advantage of the loans provided through the grant, they must commit to creating at least one job for low- to moderate-income individuals.”

 ~Writes Linda Farneth of The Journal

Click here to learn more

Funding for PDCs

General Assembly

“Amendments have been proposed in both the House and Senate to restore $70,000 in each year to the Department of Housing and Community Development for pass-thru funding to Planning District Commissions. The introduced budget proposed this pull-back of funding from DHCD as part of an executive management savings strategy, which also affects a host of other state agency programs."

~Writes David Blount, TJPDC Legislative Liaison

Elkton focuses on Gateway plan details

Central Shenandoah PDC:

“During its Jan. 20 meeting, the Elkton Town Council received an extensive report on the progress of the Gateway project from Erin Yancey, who is a regional planner with the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission.

Yancey’s presentation made clear that the Gateway project is much more than simple landscaping at the intersection of U.S. 33 and U.S. 340 (South Stuart Avenue) – the part of the project that has been frequently mentioned at council meetings. The intersection landscaping is a peripheral part of the full project, which is focused on ‘revitalizing’ and ‘restructuring’ the downtown area of Elkton, as Yancey explained. She began her presentation by noting that the intersection is scheduled for plantings in March. Then, she explained the full project.

Comission planners have been attending Gateway Steering Committee meetings and explaining what a major downtown revitalization project could look like and how the committee could make it happen.

The first step, Yancey explained, would be an application to the state Department of Housing and Community Development for a $35,000 Business District Revitalization Planning Grant, which would provide a professional planner for discussions with town representatives on the possible projects for downtown improvements. This discussion would be expected to lead to a refined list of final project choices, which the commission calls an “economic restructuring plan.””

~ Writes Ted Hayes of The Valley Banner

Click here to learn more

Greenhouse Village Housing Project Receives CDBG Grant

Central Shenandoah PDC

“With the help of a $288,936 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), Rockbridge County has partnered with Rockbridge Area Habitat for Humanity to address a need for affordable housing in the Rockbridge area. The Greenhouse Village Housing Production Project will provide for the construction of eight homes for low- and moderate-income (LMI) families and the infrastructure required to serve them within a two-year period. The new infrastructure component of the project will not only serve the eight homes called for in the grant, but also serve 30+ future home sites in the Greenhouse Village neighborhood currently without access to public water, sewer or streets. The project also identifies a significant amount of down payment assistance available to eligible homebuyers, further reducing their cost of homeownership.

  

The CSPDC assisted Rockbridge County with the CDBG grant proposal and will provide ongoing grant administration services.  ”

~Central Shenandoah PDC

Buena Vista's Dickinson Well Project

Central Shenandoah PDC

“Construction on Buena Vista's Dickinson Well began in December 2013, thanks to a $1 million Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.  Dickinson Well, the City's largest well source, was declared to be under the influence of surface water in November 2009.  At that point, the City shut down the Dickinson Well system and began the process of obtaining professional engineering services to bring the facility in compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act.  This meant that additional treatment of the water in the form of membrane filtration would have to be provided.  The CSPDC assisted the City in applying for and receiving CDBG funding and continues to provide grant administration services to Buena Vista for the project.  Dickinson Well is expected to be back online in the fall of this year.”

~Central Shenandoah PDC

Investments in the Region: $20 Million+ in Four Years

Central Shenandoah PDC

“One of the more important services provided by the CSPDC to its member jurisdictions is writing grants and finding ways to bring additional financial resources into the Region.  Over the past 40 years, the CSPDC has worked to help find and create investments for a multitude of public projects and programs including economic and community development, flood mitigation, disaster preparedness training, broadband, water and sewer projects, water resource planning, transportation planning, affordable housing, recreational facilities, and bicycle and pedestrian planning, just to mention a few.  Over the past four fiscal years, the CSPDC efforts have paid off in a big way bringing in more than $20 million in new investments to the Region.”

~Central Shenandoah PDC

Click here for more information

CSPDC Receives VTC Grant for Fields of Gold

Central Shenandoah PDC

“The CSPDC received a $3,250 grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) for its Fields of Gold program.  CSPDC was one of 42 organizations across the state to share in grant funds awarded by VTC.

Grant funding will be used to develop a marketing and advertising campaign to promote the Fields of Gold program and collectively promote the 150+ agritourism businesses participating in the Fields of Gold program. The purpose of the advertising is to direct visitors to the Fields of Gold website, and ultimately, to the region's agritourism businesses, destinations, and events.

Partners that provided matching funds for the VTC grant include: Farm Credit of the Virginias, Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce, Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce, and Bath County Tourism.”

~Central Shenandoah PDC

Valley Disaster Mitigation & Preparedness Featured

Central Shenandoah PDC

“The CSPDC was recently featured in an article in Stormwater magazine focusing on community resilience through best practices for hazard mitigation and preparedness.  The article titled, Resilience: Communities Connect the Dots to Dodge Disaster covers the many ways the CSPDC is helping to build resilient communities in the Central Shenandoah Region through the implementation of mitigation projects that lessen the impacts of disasters and preparedness awareness programs that educate the Region's citizens”

~Central Shenandoah PDC

Click here for more information

Bike-Walk Summit Selected as Model Program

Central Shenandoah PDC

“The 2013 Harrisonburg-Rockingham Bike- Walk Summit was featured in the January issue of American Bicyclist, published by the League of America Bicyclists, as a model for  bringing diverse stakeholders together for better cycling and better communities.  The article titled, ‘United Spokes: When community stakeholders come together, the result is better cycling for all’ starts on page 16 and Harrisonburg is featured on page 20.”

~Central Shenandoah PDC

Click here for more information

CSPDC Updates All Hazards Mitigation Plan

Central Shenandoah PDC

“The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC) and a committee of local government represent-atives from its 21 jurisdictions recently completed an ex- tensive update of the Central Shenandoah Valley Regional All Hazards Mitigation Plan.  Having an All Hazards Mitigation Plan in place is an eligibility requirement for certain federal hazard mitigation grant funding mandated by the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. The update has been approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) contingent upon adoption by the participating jurisdictions.

The All Hazards Mitigation Plan includes rankings of all natural hazards that impact the region, historical information about specific severe weather events, broad categories of mitigation strategies and a regional capabilities assessment. The Central Shenandoah Valley Plan was first approved and adopted in 2005, and the current update process began in 2010. Additions and revisions reflect additional weather events since the original plan was adopted, completed mitigation projects and applicable locality activity, as well as the results of public surveys and an overview of educational presentations throughout the Region.”

~Central Shenandoah PDC

Click here for more information

HRTPO Board supports a proposed commission to handle regional transportation funds

Hampton Roads

“The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization's ad hoc legislation committee met Friday to discuss proposed General Assembly bills determining who controls new local transportation funding. The committee approved a letter supporting the creation of a new commission to handle local transportation money, but asking that such an entity not duplicate HRTPO efforts and not be given power to determine what projects get funded in the region.

The state's transportation law, passed in 2013 and known as House Bill 2313, is expected to provide $5.5 billion in transportation funds for the region over the next 20 years. Part would come from a portion of state sales taxes in the Hampton Roads area and part would be from wholesale gasoline taxes. The law requires that money be spent on roads, tunnels and bridges.

Legislation introduced by Senator Frank Wagner, R-Virginia Beach, and Del. Chris Jones, R-Chesapeake, establishes an accountability commission to manage the funds, with the ability also to issue bonds for construction work. But the legislation also would vest that commission with the ability to plan and prioritize projects that would receive the new transportation funds. And that worried the HRTPO Board, said Chair and Newport News Mayor McKinley Price.”

~Writes Cathy Grimes of Daily Press

Click here to learn more

Planners look for ways to improve safety on Bedford County road

Bedford County

“There was time when 221 was a sleepy, two-lane road. Those days are long gone. ‘It has tripled in traffic!’ exclaimed Robbin Hutton, an assistant manager at M&M Cleaners who has worked along the road for 25 years. Her employer was one of a very few businesses in the neighborhood back in the early 90's.  Today, the community is packed with shopping centers, restaurants, and cars…

The Region 2000 Government Council is working with planners in Bedford County and Lynchburg, to study the road and look for ways to make it safer.”

~Writes Tim Saunders of WDBJ

Click here to learn more

PUBLIC OUTREACH: 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan

Thomas Jefferson PDC

“The Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is hosting a public outreach event to gather input regarding the 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan. This event will focus on developing the 2040 LRTP’s fiscally-constrained project list. All long range transportation plans are required to be fiscally-constrained, which means that a region cannot plan to spend more money than it is anticipated to receive over the 25 year life of its LRTP. This public outreach event will allow the public to provide input regarding which projects merit investment and which projects belong on the visioning list.

This event is currently scheduled for Wednesday, February 5, 2014 from 5pm to 7pm at the Water Street Center, 407 E Water Street. This will be the last 2040 LRTP Public Outreach Event. Two public hearings for the plan will be held in March and May at the MPO Policy Board meetings scheduled for those months.  The public can comment via the 2040 LRTP website or directly to MPO staff.”

~Thomas Jefferson PDC

Click here to learn more

2014 VAPDC Training Conference: February 20

Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions

The VAPDC Strategic Plan calls for increased training opportunities for Planning District Commissions.  The purpose of this conference is to provide relevant information and networking opportunities to PDCs and promote, statewide, increased capacity to address current and emerging issues in regional planning and organization administration.

VAPDC will hold a training event for PDC staff from across the state on February 20, in Charlottesville.

Click here for a summary of the event and to register

PRESS RELEASE:HRPDC Releases 2014 Economic Forecast

Hampton Roads PDC

“Each January, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission Economists release a regional economic forecast for the year ahead. The primary purpose of the forecast is to evaluate the region's current economic condition and provide an assessment of how we expect the region's economy to fare in the coming year.”

~Hampton Roads PDC

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Meadowlark Subdivision residents hopeful about getting grant for upgrades

Town of Appomattox

“Currently, the Region 2000 Local Government Council is conducting the study, which is being funded by a $25,000 planning grant that was awarded to the town last month. The study began last October and is expected to be completed in a couple of months, according to senior planner Scott Smith of Region 2000. The study incorporates the following roads: North Avenue, Patricia Anne Lane, Plant Drive as well as Stevens, Brown, Patterson, and Rose Streets.

Interim Town Manager Bill Gillespie said that funds from the planning grant will go toward hiring an inspector and interviewing people who are interested in getting repairs done to their home. Once the study is complete and it is determined that a revitalization of the neighborhood can be done, the town plans to apply for a Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development Block Grant, which is money awarded to communities to do construction housing projects. During a neighborhood committee meeting in November, Smith explained that the grant money could be used for other items such as streetlights and installing sewer.”

~Writes Stephanie A. James of the Times-Virginian

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Construction of Stanardsville Streetscape Substantially Complete

Thomas Jefferson PDC

“Work on the Stanardsville Downtown Streetscape Revitalization Project is substantially complete, with just a few minor items remaining: painting stripes at parking spaces, installing new street signs, and completing markings at the island at Celt Road. Representatives from the Town, Stanardsville Area Revitalization (*STAR*), the engineering firm of Draper Aden Associates, VDOT and TJPDC were on site with general contractor, Linco, Inc., on December 11 for the inspection.

The project includes improvements along Stanardsville's Main Street from Celt Road to Rectory Lane as well as at the entrance to Monroe Drive. Construction included sidewalks, crosswalks, curbs, landscaping and lighting. The work improves both the safety and aesthetics of downtown Stanardsville. TJPDC serves as the project sponsor.”

~Thomas Jefferson PDC

Free Bridge Area Congestion Relief Project: Second Stakeholder Meeting

Thomas Jefferson PDC

“The Charlottesville-Albemarle MPO will be hosting a stakeholder meeting for the Free Bridge Area Congestion Relief Project on January 15. This is the second stakeholder meeting in a year-long project funded by the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) which is looking to identify options that will help address vehicular congestion issues in the Free Bridge Area. The upcoming meeting will focus on applying FHWA’s Eco-Logical process to transportation infrastructure planning to the Free Bridge Area. The meeting will be focused on demonstrating the Regional Ecological Framework (REF) tool developed by TJPDC. The meeting will also include a facilitated group discussion on expanding and improving the tool.”

~Thomas Jefferson PDC

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