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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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