The Advancement Foundation received an additional $110,000 through the Industrial Revitalization Fund (IRF) program to support the ongoing renovation of the Virginia Innovation Accelerator (VIA). The funding will be used install an eight-inch interior sewer line and an exterior sewer main. This funding will supplement a $985,000 IRF grant and a $700,000 ARC grant The Advancement Foundation received earlier this year to convert the former Mundet building in downtown Buena Vista into space for small-scale manufacturing, commercial kitchen use, business acceleration, and product development. CSPDC staff are providing grant administration assistance for the project.

In October, Summit Design and Engineering Services, the consulting firm hired by the City of Lexington, conducted a survey of the city’s housing to assess local needs. Summit’s team performed a city-wide windshield survey, driving through every neighborhood to evaluate the condition of buildings using a standardized methodology.

The survey results are one piece of a forthcoming report that will document the current state of the City’s housing stock, assess both present and future needs, and propose potential recommendations and strategies for improvement. The report will also incorporate data from existing plans and studies, interviews with local stakeholders, and spatially-mapped Census data.

The windshield survey follows the award of a $50,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Planning Grant by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to the City of Lexington. The grant, awarded last year, supports the completion of a comprehensive housing and infrastructure survey as well as a needs assessment. It aims to provide critical data for the City, build on the CSPDC’s Regional Housing Study, and assist local actors like the Threshold Housing Commission in developing and implementing effective housing strategies.

In late October, BARC Connects received a $4.4 million grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Community Connect Program to install a fiber-to-the-premises system in Rockbridge County. The project will provide high-speed internet access to 816 residents and four businesses, focusing on the Collierstown/Effinger area.

Subscribers will enjoy symmetrical internet speeds of up to 1000 Mbps. Additionally, two public computer workstations will be installed at the Lake Robertson recreation area, offering free internet access to the community for at least two years.

According to the USDA, the Community Connect Program “helps bring high-speed internet service to areas where it is least likely to be commercially available but can make a tremendous difference in quality of life. The projects funded by these grants help rural residents tap into the enormous potential of the internet for individual and community development.”

This funding builds on $2 million in grants awarded in July through the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative (VATI) to Rockbridge County. The VATI projects include collaborative efforts involving BARC Connects and Brightspeed. The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission will serve as the grant administrator for both projects.

These investments highlight ongoing efforts to bridge the digital divide in rural areas, ensuring residents and businesses in Rockbridge County have access to reliable, high-speed internet.

The CSPDC is currently working on an update to the Town of Grottoes Comprehensive Plan. One focus for the update will be increasing civic engagement in the Grottoes community. This objective was originally identified in the 2023 Town of Grottoes Strategic Plan update, along with goals of establishing stronger connections and a sense of community in Grottoes. Research for the community facilities inventory portion of the Comprehensive Plan update confirmed that encouraging civic engagement would be a helpful priority for town officials.

Civic engagement refers to the actions taken by individuals and communities to address issues of public concern.[i] It can include partnering of different organizations such as government, businesses, non-profits, and faith-based organizations to create specific positive outcomes for the community. When citizens and organizations actively work together to contribute to the wellbeing of their towns, the results are greatly improved.

Civic engagement is seldom discussed, and some surveys show that it is declining, especially in the local sector.[ii] The decline could be because of a lack of knowledge about what civic engagement is, not enough emphasis in schools on the importance of community action, limited resources, or a belief that civic duty and changemaking are reserved for specific individuals in the community.

The Town of Grottoes historically has provided a variety of civic engagement opportunities for citizens. In addition to fundraising events for the volunteer fire department, police department, and rescue squad, Grottoes recently partnered with the local chapter of the Ruritan club to host an inaugural “Meet the Candidates” event so citizens could meet mayoral candidates and learn about their vision for the town. Other options for getting involved have included curating a fire department museum, joining efforts to keep the community pool open, and reading to elementary-age students.

The development process for the Comprehensive Plan update will include exploring ideas for increasing civic engagement. In addition to helping citizens understand that civic engagement is not always political but can include non-political activities that benefit the community, some of the following actions could be considered:

• Create a community garden to produce food the community can share or give to a food pantry.
• Landscape a local spot in need of beautification.
• Host a community dinner at Town Hall before a Planning Commission or Town Council meeting.
• Hold a stewardship day to clean up a street or a lot.
• Conduct round table discussions about local issues in an informal setting like a coffee shop.
• Create a public art installation.
• Provide volunteer opportunities at a local museum.
• Encourage random acts of kindness.
• Add a civic engagement “spotlight” to local government communications like newsletter, blog, or social media that highlights engaged citizens and volunteer opportunities.

Regardless of the type of program, the key to civic engagement success is for organizers to remain intentional and consistent. Even in the absence of planned events, civic engagement can be encouraged by expanding access to local news, inviting citizens to share local information with others, and simply asking them to plan to attend a meeting or vote in elections.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead

[i] “Civic Engagement,” American Psychological Association, 2009, https://www.apa.org/education-career/undergrad/civic-engagement#:~:text=One%20useful%20definition%20of%20civic,organizational%20involvement%20to%20electoral%20participation.

[ii] Philip M. Alberti, Carla S. Alvarado, and Heather Pierce, “Civic Engagement: A Vital Sign of Health and Democracy,” AAMC Center for Health Justice, published September 26, 2022. https://www.aamchealthjustice.org/news/polling/civic-engagement.

The Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (SAWMPO) has completed the first phase of public engagement for the 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), gathering valuable insights from residents about their vision for the region’s transportation future.

The SAWMPO, staffed by the CSPDC, collected feedback from 284 community members through an online survey, community consultation sessions, and pop-up events across the region. The survey revealed strong community interest in expanding the options for transportation in the SAW area, particularly for walking, biking, and public transit. Other key findings from the public engagement survey include:

• Missing sidewalks and crosswalks ranked as the top transportation concern, followed by safety issues and distracted driving
• Residents noted other concerns about traffic safety and speed controls, particularly around interstate interchanges and impacts on local roads near residential areas during I-81 incidents
• Respondents expressed strong interest in protected bike lanes and family-friendly trails connecting neighborhoods to services
• Expanded public transit service was highlighted as a priority, especially in rural Augusta County areas

The SAWMPO also conducted targeted outreach through five community consultation sessions with 20 organizations with the goal of reaching traditionally underrepresented populations and establishing new partnerships for future engagement. SAWMPO hopes these consultations will help better refine efforts to reach all populations in SAW as the planning process moves into project development and prioritization phases in 2025.

These findings will directly inform Phase Two of the LRTP process, beginning in February 2025, when residents will have the opportunity to weigh in on specific proposed projects.

Visit sawmpo.org/long-range-planning to view the complete Public Engagement Summary Report and learn about upcoming opportunities to participate in Phase Two of the LRTP update.