Around The Region
Newsletter of the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission
Commissioners

Terry Kelley 

Augusta County

 

Marshall Pattie

Augusta County

 

Joseph Colvin

Augusta County

 

Becky Earhart

Augusta County

 

Edward Hicklin

Bath County

 

Tim Petrie 

Buena Vista

 

Abe Shearer
Harrisonburg

 

Ted Byrd 

Harrisonburg

 

Adam Fletcher
Harrisonburg

 

Kevin Wagner

Highland County

 

Frank Friedman

Lexington

 

A. W. Buster Lewis
Rockbridge County

 

Chris Slaydon

Rockbridge County

 

Ned Overton
Rockingham County

 

Rick Chandler

Rockingham County

 

Casey Armstrong  

Rockingham County

 

Kim Sandum
Rockingham County

 

Carolyn Dull

Staunton

 

Sharon Angle

Staunton

 

Jeff Freeman

Waynesboro


Rusty Johnson

   Waynesboro    
Commission Staff
Bonnie Riedesel
Executive Director
 
Rebecca Joyce
Senior Planner/Program Manager 
 
Elizabeth McCarty
Economic
Development
Planner/Program Manager     

Ann Cundy
Senior Transportation Planner

Scott Philips 
Transportation Planner  
  
Robbie Huff
GIS Manager/
Regional Planner

Nancy Gourley
Transit Manager

Hunter Joseph
GIS Specialist/ 
Planning Assistant

Devon Thompson
Planning Assistant

Cindi Johnson
Fiscal Officer

Rita Whitfield
Office Manager

Kimberly Miller
Administrative Assistant

Tracey Coltrain
Fields of Gold
Coordinator

Quick Links
October 2016
Smart Scale Applications Submitted
Twenty applications were recently submitted from the CSPDC region to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Smart Scale program.  A VDOT program used to prioritize, select and fund local and regional transportation infrastructure projects and transit needs, Smart Scale is a competitive, performance-driven evaluation focused on the areas of safety improvement, congestion reduction, accessibility, land use, economic development and the environment.
Applicants included the Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro MPO, Augusta, Rockingham and Rockbridge counties, and the cities of Staunton, Waynesboro, Harrisonburg and Lexington. The CSPDC provided localities with support in completing their applications. Applications are expected to be scored in early 2017, with project selection and final adoption of the SYIP projected to be completed by June 2017.
SAW CERT to Assist with Augusta County Smoke Alarm Program
Augusta County has received a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Fire Prevention and Safety Grant to install smoke alarms in individual mobile homes and mobile home parks throughout the County. The program will also include fire education for mobile home residents.
 
Augusta County Fire Rescue staff, volunteer firefighters, and SAW Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members hope to facilitate the installation of up to 5,000 smoke alarms. CERT members will participate in special training at the end of October, and have already begun community outreach by participating in the Augusta Fire-Rescue's "Touch A Fire/Rescue Truck" event on October 2.  In addition to distributing fire prevention materials to kids, CERT volunteers discussed the smoke alarm program with interested individuals. For more information about the program contact Rebecca Joyce, rebecca@cspdc.org.
BRITE Bus Stop Inventory Underway
CSPDC and Virginia Regional Transit staff began an inventory of all bus stop signage throughout the Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro transit system during September. Each route served will be covered, gathering data such as GPS coordinates, pictures, easily identifiable landmarks at or near the stops, amenities at stops such as benches, shelters, trash cans, and lighting, routes served by each stop, and how signs are mounted.  The goal of the inventory is to create a comprehensive database to assist with the installation of new bus stop signs featuring the BRITE Bus design.
Update of Staunton Comprehensive Plan Begins
The Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) responsible for the update of the Staunton Comprehensive Plan held their first meeting in September. Last adopted by Staunton City Council in 2012, the Staunton Comprehensive Plan will be reviewed by the CAC in relation to the city's latest data and demographics, relevant planning topics, and public input. A Public Open House will be held in the spring of 2017 to gather feedback from Staunton citizens before the Plan is finalized and presented to the Planning Commission for review and the Staunton City Council for adoption. The CSPDC is assisting the City with its Comprehensive Plan update.
GO Virginia Workgroup Established
A workgroup established to develop guidelines and procedures for the newly formed Virginia Growth and Opportunity (GO Virginia) Board and Fund held its first meeting in August. The workgroup includes representatives from economic development, workforce training, community planning and development, education, and the business community.  The workgroup's first task was to propose and recommend to the Board geographic partitioning of the Commonwealth into nine GO Virginia regions.

GO Virginia is an initiative created to support regional collaboration aimed at diversifying the state's economy. Co mprised of 24 members representing House and Senate, Gubernatorial appointments, and private sector leadership, the GO Virginia Board is responsible for establishing GO Virginia regions, certifying regional councils, and ultimately determining which projects are funded.  The GO Virginia workgroup and Board is staffed by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). The Board's first meeting is scheduled for October 12.  Additional information is available on the DHCD website. 
Outdoor Recreation Entreprenurial Workshop Set
A free and open to the public event for individuals interested in entrepreneurial opportunities and resources in the outdoor recreation industry will be held November 9, 2016, at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington. 

The event will feature speakers, panel discussions, Q&As, and vendors, with topics geared towards how entrepreneurs can benefit from outdoor recreation visitors and residents. Visit HERE to register.
Virginia Outdoors Plan Workshop Held
More than 25 people from around the region attended the annual Virginia Outdoors Plan meeting on September 30 at  the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington.  Co-sponsored by the CSPDC and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), the workshop highlighted regional accomplishments and featured projects, provided a forum for discussing outdoor recreation needs within the region, and offered regional updates.  DCR is holding regional meetings across the state to gather information for the 2018 Virginia Outdoors Plan.  The  Virginia Outdoors Plan is the state's comprehensive plan for land conservation, outdoor recreation, and open-space planning, and is updated every five years. 
CSPDC Expands On-Call Consulting Services
A selection committee made up of individuals from throughout the region is currently reviewing 38 proposals received from a recent Request for Proposals issued by the CSPDC to build a list of qualified consultants for the On-Call Consulting Program (OCP). Begun in 2012, the OCP was established to provide professional and/or nonprofessional services in the areas of transportation, environmental, and general planning services.  The recent RFP and ranking process will select multiple firms meeting the required scope of services to assist the CSPDC, its member jurisdictions, the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), and the Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro MPO. The selection process will be completed by November 2016, and member localities and other regional entities will be notified of OCP opportunities and procedures at that time. Contact Robbie Huff,  robbie@cspdc.org for more information.
Fields of Gold Attends State Fair of Virginia
Fields of Gold, Shenandoah Valley's Farm Trail Coordinator Tracey Coltrain attended the State Fair of Virginia on September 30th. The goal was to share with potential visitors the many opportunities along the Fields of Gold Farm Trail, particularly during fall leaf season. Ms. Coltrain provided information about how to use fieldsofgold.org as a "one stop" resource for farm events, listings and web links to farm-to-table restaurants, wineries, breweries, orchards, pumpkin patches, "on farm" lodging, and mapping tools for step-by-step driving directions. Over 40 people signed up for the Adventure Awaits visitor's e-newsletter and more than 200 brochures were handed out. 
Meet the New Staff in the Region
Tom Roberts
Tom Roberts has been hired as the City of Buena Vista's City Planner. He started his job with the City in late August replacing Paul Stockwell.  Prior to joining the City, Mr. Roberts worked in the human resource industry for 5 years.  He recently completed an internship with Montgomery County, Maryland.   Mr. Roberts will receive his Masters in Urban & Regional Planning from Virginia Tech this December. He has a 1½ year old daughter and loves biking around Buena Vista.
 
Leslie Tate
Leslie Tate started work with Augusta County as a Planner on August 1, 2016. She received her undergraduate degree and Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Tech. Prior to her employment with Augusta County, Ms. Tate worked for Roudabush, Gale and Associates, a land surveying and engineering firm located in Charlottesville.  She also worked for the Center for Geospatial Information Technology at Virginia Tech.  Ms. Tate was born in Augusta County and currently resides in Staunton with her husband, 2½ year old daughter and Labrador Retriever.
 
Courtland Robinson
Courtland Robinson has been hired as Shenandoah Valley Partnership's (SVP) new Director of Business Development. He previously served as the Assistant Director of Economic Development in the City of Staunton. Courtland served with organizations such as the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport, Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance, James Madison University and the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission. Courtland's first day with SVP was September 26th.
Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission
112 MacTanly Place
Staunton, VA 24401
www.cspdc.org

Copyright © 20XX. All Rights Reserved.