A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock.
Orange County
PEC’s Orange County office supports our land use and land conservation activities in the County. PEC is dedicated to promoting healthy communities and the preservation of Orange’s rural character, environment and historic resources.
Support Commonsense Subdivision Limits to Protect Farmland
Help stop the loss of farmland in Orange County by supporting this proposed zoning amendment to place limitations on subdivisions that are increasingly utilizing valuable resources.
Town of Orange Comprehensive Plan Community Meeting
This text was taken from an email alert sent out on Sept. 16, 2024. Sign up for email alerts →
Dear Supporter,
The Town of Orange is seeking input from residents on its Comprehensive Plan, next Monday, Sept. 23, at a community meeting hosted by the Town of Orange Planning Commission. The chance to update the Comprehensive Plan only comes around every five years, so if you care about making Orange an even better place to live, you should definitely attend!
The Comprehensive Plan is a critically important document that represents the community’s vision for the future of Orange. It sets the framework for how land is used, identifies needed improvements to public facilities and programs, and it guides policy priorities and decisions around growth and development for the next 5–20 years.
Town of Orange Community Meeting
Monday, Sept. 23 @ 6–8 p.m.
Town of Orange Community Room
235 Warren Street, Orange
We hope that as new land use proposals come before the town, the updated Comprehensive Plan will help steer future economic growth and residential development, including affordable housing, into the town’s existing developed areas. PEC believes a mix of redevelopment and infill, developing vacant or underutilized parcels within existing developed areas, helps to improve infrastructure and quality of life for residents while preserving a town’s architectural assets.
The Town Wants to Hear From You
As a resident, you now have the chance to weigh in on the updated Comprehensive Plan, which will shape how Orange moves forward over the next 20 years. A lot is at stake, including how we will protect natural resources, ensure a healthy and vibrant quality of life and thriving economy for everyone, address the impacts of a changing environment, and preserve the town’s rural, historic character. Review the draft updates →
The community meeting is designed to help the Town Planner and the Planning Commission better understand community needs and priorities, especially on:
- Economy
- Public Facilities/Infrastructure
- Education
- Transportation
- Architectural Assets and Aesthetics
- Environment
- Town-County Partnerships
- Public Safety/Fire and Rescue/Community Health/Government
- Arts
- Population/Demographics/Housing
- Recreation
Planning Commissioners will welcome everyone to the meeting and give a brief overview of the process before inviting attendees to move around the room and visit different tables focused on these topics. You can visit each table, hear what the Planning Commission is proposing and respond in real time to the representative at that table. They hope to collect the feedback and continue working on a draft into the winter, but this may be one of the only chances to have this level of direct engagement in the process. There will be no online or virtual component to this event.
Please share this email with friends, family and neighbors so more voices can be heard early on. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out, and I hope to see you on Sept. 23.
Sincerely,
Don McCown
Land Use Field Representative
Orange & Madison Counties
[email protected]
(434) 977-2033 x7047
Act Now to Support Common Sense Planning for Solar in Orange County
On Sept. 10, the Orange County Board of Supervisors will consider a zoning ordinance to ban any solar facility that produces power primarily for off-site users. This extreme approach is contrary to good planning practice, doesn’t allow for a balancing of community needs, and bolsters efforts at the General Assembly to initiate the drastic step of taking away local authority on solar siting.
Wilderness Lost?
Industrialization marches into Orange County, threatening historic battlefield and landscapes along Route 3.
Thinking about Solar for Your Home?
By investing in rooftop solar for your home, you can save money, protect yourself from rising utility rates and, when paired with a backup battery, create “off the grid” energy independence
Solar for Rural Businesses Workshop Resources – May 7, 2024
On May 7, 2024, PEC hosted a workshop called “Solar for Rural Businesses: Accessing Funding for Small-Scale Solar” in Albemarle County.
Wilderness Battlefield Area, Threats and the Data Center Industry
Wilderness Battlefield’s inclusion on this list underscores the inextricable link between natural, historic and cultural resources.
The Germanna Ford Boat Launch is Open!
A new public boat launch on the Rapidan River is now open to visitors at Historic Germanna in Orange County.
Imperiled by Development, Wilderness Battlefield Named One of Nation’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places
Wilderness Battlefield, site of a pivotal clash that marked a turning point in the Civil War, was named one of the nation’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places due to the threat of a massive data center development that would irrevocably destroy the historic landscapes fundamental to maintaining the area as a vital educational resource and treasured hallowed ground.