A Longer Commentary from one of the Workshop Participants

By Cambria Planning on April 3, 2009 7:28 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Note: Occasionally, comments are submitted that are too long for the comment box provided on the blog. These responses, like this one, are posted directly as a blog rather than as a comment. (mhd)


Another option that would ease traffic through Lewisburg besides my earlier suggestion of reworking the tunnel and bridge on 63 at Caldwell, which Commission Tuckwiller seemed to express support for (cost around $3 million and allowing for faster response times for emergency crews) is removing parallel parking on 219 in downtown Lewisburg and installing a left turn lane at the intersection of 60.

This all seems like too easy a solution. This would be inexpensive compared to building new road anywhere. No need to upset people with eminent domain issues. Building the bypass will only promote sprawl, destroy the development that is started north of Lewisburg, and make yet another scar upon our landscape. 

I am not sure expanding the planning commission is a viable solution to the county's problem. After hearing commentary on Saturday and realizing that these are the same people that approved a subdivision over not only environmentally sensitive Karst and Organ Cave with out even confirming if proper permits had been filed but also failed to follow up and remove approval for said subdivision to correct their error in judgement. I realize only one misguided planning commission member was the most vocal. However, the subdivision passed with a unanimous vote. Due to the circumstances the commission is obligated to rescind approval of the development, until such time as proper permits are applies for and approved. The fact that the developer misled the commission to believe that it had done its due dilligence and been working for 2 years without proper permits, should be taken into account by the commission.
Continue reading A Longer Commentary from one of the Workshop Participants.

Comprehensive Plan Update

By Cambria Planning on March 2, 2009 1:10 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
A number of sections have been added to the comprehensive plan and are available for review on the comprehensive plan website (click on the link on the left hand side of this page). A pdf version of the first draft of the core plan is also available on the website. A revise and amended draft will be available by the end of the first week of March (March 7th). Background materials and additional survey analysis are also available on the website. We strongly urge you to take a look at the draft and the background materials and let us know what you think.


Economic Development (revision--4 February 2009)

By Cambria Planning on February 5, 2009 12:51 AM | 5 Comments | No TrackBacks
The revised economic development chapter includes new provisions on creative capital, job training, and on technology infrastructure.


Economic Development (Draft)


(Policy) Economic Development and the 21st Century.   Develop and support a sustainable economic model for growth in Greenbrier County that emphasizes the development of local assets while building a global market.


(Policy) Economic Development and Focused Growth. Focus industrial and commercial development into designated growth areas where adequate public water and sewer and other public facilities are available to support development.


Note: Focus growth is, as the name implies, an approach to guiding growth and development in such a way to minimize the cost of public investment in infrastructure costs to the taxpayers while encouraging a more focused compact form of development in existing towns and cities and in designated growth areas. 


(Policy) Economic Development and Environmental Sustainability. Actively support a balanced approach to economic development that provides for sustainability, both in terms of economic opportunities and environmental protection, especially in areas with environmentally sensitive features, significant agricultural activity, or other environmental resources. 


(Policy) Creative Capital, Knowledge Capital, and Work Force Support. Create an economy which encourages entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation, supports significant and innovative job training at the secondary and post secondary education levels, and generates jobs which pay a living wage and offer benefits.


Indicators: Distribution of businesses, based on size, minority ownership, gender ownership, and number of employees. 

Continue reading Economic Development (revision--4 February 2009).

Planning and Government Core Plan (Draft Chapter-1/29/09)

By Cambria Planning on February 2, 2009 2:00 AM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks
The planning and government chapter address two primary issues: open government and inter-jurisdictional cooperation. The comments from the public input sessions (see the P&G entry on public input) suggested that there was a fairly high rate of dissatisfaction with local governments, although most of the dissatisfaction stemmed from communications issues. The core plan was written to address the major concerns citizens had with the government in general and to address issues surrounding inter-jurisdictional cooperation, which the State requires as a major emphasis of the plan.  

As with the other entries, read through the draft core plan and let us know what you think.


Continue reading Planning and Government Core Plan (Draft Chapter-1/29/09).

Cultural and Historic Resources--General comments.

By Cambria Planning on January 29, 2009 11:51 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
As you read through the core plan for cultural and historic resource, you may be struck by the emphasis on economics. Historic preservation and cultural facilities have to be financially viable. This is especially true for historic preservation. By encouraging preservation in conjunction with the expansion of the tourism industry, it provides property owners a way of affording the cost of renovation and upkeep (not a cheap pursuit by any means). While there are many things a jurisdiction can do to encourage preservation, they can not, on the whole, mandate preservation without passing significant design and preservation guidelines and creating an overlay district (a form of zoning). The ordinance approach works in districts; it does not work for individual properties in outlying areas. Finding economic incentives that encourage preservation work as well, if not better, in rural areas for single properties than does zoning. There are, however, exceptions. Overlay districts are effective in maintaining the integrity of a district, especially in areas deemed rural historic districts where large scale development may undermine the distinctiveness of an area.




Continue reading Cultural and Historic Resources--General comments..

Cultural and Historic Resources (Draft Core Plan)

By Cambria Planning on January 29, 2009 1:22 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Originally, education was included in this category. The emphasis from the community comments however suggested that education should be included under community resources and facilities, primarily because of the emphasis on the role of education and educational facilities in the various communities (local vs. regional schools) and the central role of secondary and post secondary schools in economic development.

This chapter deals, primarily with cultural resources, historic preservation, heritage and cultural tourism, and the public library system. Issues concerning natural heritage and history are included in the environmental chapter, although natural heritage tourism is referenced in the section on heritage and cultural tourism. Tourism is also addressed in the economic development chapter. Public libraries, a core cultural facility, also present the best opportunity for community outreach and the distribution of public information. Because of their role in the community, libraries are also cross referenced in the government and planning chapter.


Continue reading Cultural and Historic Resources (Draft Core Plan).

Comprehensive Plan Commentary From Jeff Bray

By Cambria Planning on January 13, 2009 11:46 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Editors note: Some responses are longer than the comment box will allow. When this happens, we'll post the comments as an actual entry and open the comments up for discussion. Thanks, Jeff, for taking the time to write this. (MHD)


Commenting on Government and Planning----This is long, so expect to take a few minutes....

I guess I'll list a few things I read that I liked (there are likely others too, but these points stood out).


1) First thing---I agree that the government is as strong on the people participating, and you can't have successful government when the citizen's don't feel they have a say (no matter what the actual truth is).  This process is an excellent example of how government should work and if nothing else, has pointed out that when given the opportunity, many citizens don't follow through and take part in these activities.  Government, then realizing that citizens are essential, should then work harder to embrace those not taking part, find out why, and try to entice them to be more of a part of the process.  It's up to the government to get out there and get folks to respond....still... even though the public is obviously not as concerned as they will be a year, two years, or five years down the road (like when we run out of drinking water in the center of the county). Don't alienate or ignore (even accidentally---recognize it and fix it) a group or segment of the county so much that when you call for their involvment they don't want to help out.



Continue reading Comprehensive Plan Commentary From Jeff Bray.

A Quick Reminder

By Cambria Planning on November 23, 2008 2:10 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
If you are responding to the blog, you do not need to sign in. Just type your comments and click "submit." Thank you for taking the time to participate.

Question Requiring Input (Planning and Government Chapter)

By Cambria Planning on November 23, 2008 1:09 PM | 2 Comments | No TrackBacks
It was clear, from survey responses and from comments gathered in the community meetings and the workshops, that may folks feel that there need to be changes to how the government does business. Please take a few minutes to read through the survey comments and materials from the work groups and then add suggestions about possible changes, programs, alterations, ideas and throw them into the mix. 
Continue reading Question Requiring Input (Planning and Government Chapter).

Where do we go from here?

By Cambria Planning on November 23, 2008 12:17 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks
For the next six weeks, all of the materials for the draft plan, based on a combination of the materials from the community surveys, the six community meetings, and the four workshops will be posted to this site and to the comprehensive plan website. If you have not yet had a chance to take the survey, surveys will be accepted through December 1st.

There are still a broad range of opportunities to get involved, starting with commenting on the ideas being presented on this blog. Feedback is a necessary component to plan development. Let us know what you think. Add your own ideas into the mix. If there are strategies you think might work to help the County accomplish long range goals or if you think there are goals and objectives we missed, let us know. If there are things that you think shouldn't be included or need to be revised, let us know that as well.

A comprehensive plan is a collaborative document meant to address the full range of challenges facing a jurisdiction. Many of the subjects covered in the comprehensive plan are dictated by the state statutes governing plan creation and implementation. 

Additional workshops will be scheduled at the end of January and in February to refine the plan and work through sections where there are clear differences in what people want to see and where they want the County to go.

Tentative Schedule for the remainder of the planning process:

November 25, 2008  Workshop Report Due to County Commission
December 9, 2008 County Commission Update
November 15-February 15: Rolling Workshop: Plan Draft.
January 24: Citizen Workshop (tba)
February 15-April 1, 2009: Rolling Workshop: Final Draft Plan
April, 2009: County Commission/Planning Commission Joint Public Hearing
Archives

Search

Recent Comments

  • Joan C. Browning: William Synder: Almost a decade ago, the public heartily rejected read more
  • Robert: There are limited water resources in this county. There is read more
  • Robert: Consider the following when considering Lewisburg traffic and a potential read more
  • Margaret Hambrick: We might consider adding a local high school or middle read more
  • Margaret Hambrick: In section ECD 3.2 Public Utilities Please add the Alta read more
  • Margaret Hambrick: Please add Alderson to the branch areas for business development. read more
  • William Snyder: Our plan needs to address the Lewisburg bypass issue. About read more
  • William Snyder: Public water and especially sewer is a constraining issue in read more
  • Robert Gronan: This is an excellent compendium of economic development initiatives. Of read more
  • Jeff Bray: Regarding the county government, I agree with Brit that communication read more

Recent Entries

Recent Assets

  • HCRmeanscore.png
  • Construction

Tag Cloud

Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content.