At long last, it’s time to take a look at and provide input on the draft updated Rockingham County Comprehensive Plan as well as the updated Urban Development Area (UDA) Plan. County staff is hosting an open house for questions and comments on Thursday, April 4, so drop by the Community Room at the Rockingham County Administration Center anytime between 4pm and 6pm.
We’ve been reviewing the comp plan and are pleased so far to see a lot of protection for our water and rural agricultural lands and a lot of thoughtful direction for livable, walkable development that prioritizes green space and social connectivity.
Here are some examples:
- Chapter 5 “Economy” directs continued support of the Shenandoah Rail Trail project “as a transformational economic development opportunity for the region.” (page 123)
- Chapter 7 “Land Use” states that “to maintain a rural environment, infrastructure such as roads and utilities, should remain rural in character, function, and intensity. Thus, public sewer and water systems are not appropriate for this area [the Agricultural Reserve] and roads should be designed, built and expanded only in concert with the policies of the Comprehensive Plan, so as to limit the impacts on the Agricultural Reserve area.” (page 150)
- Chapter 8 “Transportation” emphasizes a data driven approach that primarily follows the Long Range Transportation Plan approved in 2023. Safety for farm vehicles and farm equipment is also prioritized in transportation planning.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Attend the Meeting
Thursday April 4
4-6PM (drop in)
Rockingham County Administration Building
20 East Gay St,
Harrisonburg
(directions)
And, importantly, the UDA Plan is still calling for targeted development in the existing planned area west of Cross Keys Road and south of U.S. Route 33–we must encourage the county to continue to hold those lines to protect the agricultural land on the other side.
So, preliminarily, it seems our early engagement via surveys and stakeholder groups worked to shape plans for a bright and beautiful future for Rockingham–bravo to everyone who participated!
Here is where you can find the whole comp plan document–it’s big, but well designed and easy to navigate. You can also find the UDA update here. I encourage you to have a look and reach out to me or stop by the open house tonight with any questions. I’ll continue my close reading and be back in touch with any concerns.
The public comment forms (comp plan here, UDA here) on the draft documents will be open until mid-April and it is important that the board of supervisors, especially the new members, hear from community members championing the plan’s protection of the county’s natural resources and agricultural and tourism economy and prioritization of livable communities.