PEC focuses on nine counties and one city in the northern Piedmont of Virginia: Albemarle, Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock.
We also team with local organizations to promote thriving communities and healthy natural resources in a much larger region, including the Shenandoah Valley, the central Piedmont, and the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Corridor. In addition, we are proud to serve as fiscal sponsor of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, an organization that focuses on land use and policy in the greater Washington D.C. area.
It’s been 18 months since the official start of the Loudoun Comprehensive Plan review and it’s been an interesting journey. Hopefully you were able to read my blog post from this past November, or caught the incredible editorial by the Loudoun Times Mirror in December: Current comprehensive plan draft would sacrifice our quality of life.
Read below for some important upcoming community meeting dates and opportunities to take action!
We are now 16 days into the 45 day (short) session of the 2019 Virginia General Assembly. Bills are currently being debated and amended in committee until we hit ‘crossover’ on February 6 – the deadline for the House to finish working on its own bills before considering legislation passed by the Senate (and vice versa).
On Wednesday, members of the Virginia House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources voted to make wedding events a protected activity under the definition of “agritourism.”…The net result? The bill would essentially make wedding events a by-right activity on any farm or winery. It would allow for weddings of any size on farms to become a 365-day a year activity. This would prevent reasonable regulation and protection from impacts (traffic, noise, lighting, runoff, etc.) to neighbors and the broader community.
It’s that time of year. While most are consumed with thoughts about gifts for that impossible relative or honing survival skills for holiday parties, I find my mind preoccupied with Richmond and a new General Assembly session.
Over 60 percent of Loudoun residents, live in a Homeowners Association-controlled community. How these communities manage their landscapes can have a profound effect on the health of our local ecosystems, wildlife, streams and drinking water sources.
PEC was recently awarded a $15,600 grant from the Virginia Environmental Endowment to further our work identifying and prioritizing opportunities to implement agricultural best management practices (BMPs) and strengthen efforts on land protected by conservation easements in the Goose Creek watershed.
Updates from the around the PEC region, organized by county. Albemarle: Strengthening growth management in Albemarle. Clarke: Promoting and celebrating Conservation. Culpeper: A Finger on the Scale for Solar. Fauquier: Updated Plans, Remington Walks and Vint Hill’s Future. Greene: Greene at a crossroads. Loudoun: Choosing our future. Madison: Trout Stream Restoration Continues. Orange: Two Farms Conserved along the Rapidan River. Rappahannock: Community-wide Conservation Success!.
In 2017, PEC was able to retain Land Planning & Design Associates to develop a concept design for a revamped Verling Park. The plan incorporated input from local residents in Gordonsville who want to see a more functional park that serves the whole community. We are currently working to enable the Town to bring the plan to reality.
Progress report: we were able to secure funds to help the town purchase 112 Linney Street to expand Verling Park (on Market Street, between Main and Baker) to an entire town block.
Counting down the days…No, I’m not talking about Tuesday’s national elections! Next Wednesday, November 7, is also an important opportunity for civic participation, because the Loudoun Planning Commission is holding a public hearing on the draft Comprehensive Plan.
The second Homeowners Association (HOA) forum, “Common Space for the Greater Good,” was held on October 11, 2018 and attended by nearly 100 guests representing 33 HOA communities.
“Practical Steps for Healthier Landscapes” was the second installment of Loudoun HOA programs organized by The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) and partners. This forum was co-hosted by Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy (LWC), the Northern Virginia Partnership for Invasive Species Management (NoVA PRISM), and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ Habitat Partners© Program (VDGIF).