This text was taken from an email alert sent out on January 20, 2022. Sign up for email alerts >>
Dear Supporter,
I hope you’re having a good start to the new year and are staying safe and healthy amidst the Omicron surge and recent winter weather.
I’m writing to you today to let you know about several opportunities in the coming weeks to make your voice heard regarding the future of Culpeper County.
Every five years, each locality in the commonwealth is required to conduct a review of some part or all of its comprehensive plan. For Culpeper County, which last adopted its comprehensive plan in September 2015, that five-year review will take place over much of 2022, after a pandemic-related pause to a review process that began in 2019.
Culpeper County’s comprehensive plan is a critically important document. Representing the community’s vision for its future, the comprehensive plan sets the framework for how land is used, identifies needed improvements to transportation networks and other public facilities, and provides a useful guide for many other county programs and needs. Moreover, it affects all decisions and regulations regarding growth and development for the upcoming 5-20 years.
In this comprehensive plan update, Culpeper will be revisiting its vision for the environment, historic resources, and land use. The Piedmont Environmental Council expects to provide input on how the County can maintain existing growth areas and development around population centers and transportation corridors, increase the preservation of open space, and promote tourism and public access to nature.
The County’s public input component of the review process is already underway, with several current and upcoming opportunities for you to weigh in with county staff as to what is most important to you as Culpeper County plans for its future.
Currently, the in-person public input sessions planned for 2022 are on January 20, February 17 and February 24. PEC staff attended the first two of these sessions late last year, and found them to be a great forum to learn more about the existing comprehensive plan and recent demographic and development trends, as well as to provide direct feedback to county staff. I would also encourage you to consider filling out this short community outreach survey, which offers yet another avenue for sharing your thoughts on the future of Culpeper County.
Additional details on the comprehensive plan and opportunities to get involved can be found below:
- View the 2015 Comprehensive Plan
- Draft 2020 Comprehensive Plan
- Participate in the Community Outreach Survey
- Register for Community Engagement Events
In the months ahead, please be on the lookout for periodic updates from PEC on the status of the comprehensive plan review, including information about upcoming public hearings and ways to provide feedback to the county.
Your input will play a key role in shaping any changes that are made to the comprehensive plan, so please make your voice heard and encourage other Culpeper residents to do the same. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!
Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2022.
Sincerely yours,
Adam Gillenwater
Culpeper County Field Representative
agillenwater@pecva.org
540-347-2334 x7045
