Keezletown Community Visioning

What makes Keezletown a great place to live?

What unique features and characteristics define the area?

What would you like to see more of or less of in your community?

If you were to return to Keezletown in 20 years, what would you hope to see?

We’re hosting a series of Keezletown community meetings where we’ll hear from community members what is important about the community and its character. We’ll use this input to inform the upcoming Rockingham County comprehensive plan update so that Keezletown’s future is outlined in planning documents as guided by the community’s vision. These meetings will build on one another, so we hope you will join us for as many as you can.

We’re asking that folks RSVP for each meeting so we can stay in touch with any updates or changes to our plan for weather or in consideration of COVID.

As those who live in Keezletown know best, it’s a special place with beautiful scenery and rich history. With development pressure from the fast-growing City of Harrisonburg to the west, commercial and retail development to the south, and Massanutten resort to the east, Keezletown is at an important preservation turning point. Keezletown community members have acknowledged this reality and have reached out to the Alliance to assist the community in taking action to ensure Keezletown retains its unique character.

And the timing is right—Rockingham County is beginning the process of updating its planning documents, so now is the time to ensure that the community’s vision for Keezletown is included in the updated plan.

Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley led a similar community planning process in the nearby village of Port Republic. Through a series of community meetings, residents were asked to identify what was important to them about the village and its character, what their vision for the future was, and what amenities were lacking. For Port Republic residents, mostly, they wanted their quiet village to remain much the same. But also, they needed a crosswalk across a busy pedestrian intersection and wanted to explore options for scenic river designations for their neighboring rivers. The Alliance was able to help translate what we heard from the community into language that is informing the county’s planning for Port Republic.

With guidance by members of the community, we’re excited to offer the same service in Keezletown. Our intention is an outcome similar to our Port Republic project—a community-generated plan to provide a buffer of protection against development pressure in county planning documents.

To get involved, please reach out to Kim Woodwell or Erin Burch. 

Photos by Sandy Parks, Project 367