Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan Achieves Milestone
On August 8th, the CSPDC’s Community and Economic Development team achieved a major milestone by hosting the final steering committee meeting for the new Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan. Nearly 40 representatives from local governments, regional organizations, and state agencies gathered at Augusta Community Care to collaborate on this critical planning initiative.
The steering committee finalized a set of regional goals and strategies that will guide the region’s hazard mitigation efforts over the next five years. The goals focus on six community themes:
- Economic Resilience
- Housing and Neighborhood Protection
- Environmental Stewardship
- Public Infrastructure Hardening
- Public Health and Safety Enhancement
- Regional Collaboration and Innovation
The Plan’s Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA), which evaluates the region’s vulnerability to specific natural hazards and man-made threats, informed the steering committee’s discussion. Among the 12 hazards and threats analyzed, flooding, wildfires, severe winter weather, and hazardous materials release had “high” risk ratings. Additionally, the region faces unique challenges to bolstering its infrastructure, given its karst landscape and communication restrictions under the National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ).
This fall, the CSPDC will incorporate the committee’s input and work with localities to identify specific projects that will boost community resilience. Once approved by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), these projects will become eligible for federal grant funding.
Watch CSPDC Connects for a draft plan and opportunities to provide comment and input later this fall.
$1 Million Investment Brings Affordable Housing Solutions to Central Shenandoah Region
The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC) has received $1.2 million from Virginia Housing’s Regional Housing Development Program (RHDP) to support the development of new affordable housing units in Waynesboro and Harrisonburg.
The grant award builds on Virginia Housing’s successful 2022 Planning District Commission Housing Development Program. The RHDP creates replicable models of affordable and workforce housing to meet growing demand across the Commonwealth.
The CSPDC’s recent Regional Housing Study identified a shortage of affordable rental options in the Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro and Harrisonburg Metropolitan Statistical Areas. In response, the CSPDC is supporting two projects that will bring 176 affordable rental units to the region. These homes will serve residents earning between 30% and 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI), with a focus on supporting workers in service and support roles.
The projects include the 1030 Alston Court development in Waynesboro, led by Enterprise Community Development, Inc., a nonprofit and one of the largest affordable housing developers in the Mid-Atlantic region. The second project is BJS Harrisonburg Family I in Harrisonburg, developed by the Beverly J. Searles Foundation, Inc., a Georgia-based nonprofit that has built more than 800 affordable housing units nationwide. Both projects will receive $560,000 in Regional Housing Development Funds.
These developments represent a significant step forward in addressing the region’s affordable housing shortage and will provide much-needed rental options for working families in the Central Shenandoah region.
Federal Grant Strengthens Regional Flood Preparedness Efforts
The CSPDC has received a $270,000 grant from Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) Community Flood Preparedness Fund (CFPF) program to develop a Regional Flood Resilience Plan. The CFPF program funds planning and implementation projects that reduce the impact of flooding throughout the State. The Resilience Plan will align with the strategies identified in the CSPDC’s on-going Hazard Mitigation Plan update, which identifies flooding as the region’s top natural disaster vulnerability.
The CSPDC Regional Flood Resilience Plan will identify each community’s flooding and stormwater needs, and develop a list of prioritized implementation projects with cost estimates. Additionally, upon completion of the Resilience Plan, localities will be able to apply for DCR CFPF implementation funding to construct flood mitigation projects. Currently, there are no localities in the CSPDC region that maintain a Resilience Plan, which is a prerequisite for DCR CFPF implementation funding eligibility.
The CSPDC is finalizing a contract with a consultant to guide the planning process, and staff will provide localities with the next steps after the contract is finalized. Contact Zach Beard, Program Manager, at zach@cspdc.org, or Rachel Kinzer, Regional Planner, at rachel@cspdc.org with questions. Staff anticipate the planning process to begin in August 2025.
JMU Graduate Student Joins CSPDC Team for Summer Planning Experience
Kayla Dixon, Graduate Assistant – Transit
The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission is pleased to announce that Kayla Dixon, a Master of Public Administration student at James Madison University, has joined our team as a summer intern. This partnership with JMU’s Public Administration program brings fresh perspectives and academic expertise to support our ongoing regional planning initiatives.
Kayla previously served as an intern in the City of Harrisonburg’s City Manager’s Office, where she collaborated with diverse community stakeholders and helped develop equitable engagement strategies for local government officials.
During her CSPDC summer internship, Kayla will focus on an engagement project with CSPDC’s transit team, applying her strong background in community relations and stakeholder engagement.
Looking ahead to fall 2025, Kayla will transition to a graduate assistantship role, expanding her work beyond transit to include projects with CSPDC’s community development and transportation teams. This extended partnership will allow her to contribute to a broader range of regional planning initiatives while gaining hands-on experience in public administration.
“Kayla’s academic background, combined with her practical experience in local government and community engagement, makes her an ideal addition to our team,” noted Paula Melester, Director of Transportation. “We look forward to the fresh insights she’ll bring to our transit and community development work.”
The internship and graduate assistantship represent CSPDC’s ongoing commitment to fostering the next generation of public administration professionals while enhancing our capacity to serve the Central Shenandoah region.
Boost for Afton Express Service as CSPDC Secures State Transit Funding
The CSPDC has been awarded funding through Virginia’s Transit Ridership Incentive Program (TRIP) to help reduce local match requirements for the Afton Express bus service. The grant, awarded under TRIP’s regional connectivity category, will significantly lower the financial burden on local funding partners over the next five years.
TRIP is administered by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transit (DRPT) and provides funding to transit agencies and governing bodies to create more accessible, safe, and regionally significant transit networks. The program supports four project categories: zero and reduced fare programs, regional connectivity, public safety, and passenger amenities and facilities.
The regional connectivity component specifically targets improved regional transportation and congestion mitigation in urban areas with populations exceeding 100,000. The Afton Express service, which connects Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County to Charlottesville and Albemarle County, aligns perfectly with these goals by providing essential transit connections for residents and workers.
The TRIP funding follows a step-down structure designed to encourage local sustainability. In fiscal year 2025, DRPT covered 80% of eligible costs, with the state portion decreasing to 60% in fiscal year 2026. This graduated approach allows local partners time to plan for long-term funding while immediately reducing the financial strain on participating jurisdictions. The funding will help ensure the continued operation of this vital transportation link while communities work toward sustainable long-term financing solutions.
Growing Ridership
As ridership on the Afton Express has grown significantly since its 2021 launch, the CSPDC is working with consultants to revise the bus schedule to better serve the expanding ridership base. The schedule optimization aims to make full use of all three vehicles while better aligning trip times with the start and end times of shifts at major employers along the route. With trips around the most popular times now approaching capacity, the team is exploring ways to increase frequency and reduce time gaps between trips to accommodate continued growth.
The comprehensive schedule review focuses on ensuring that as ridership increases, everyone who wants to ride the Afton Express will have a seat. A draft of the new schedule will be released to the public for comment later this summer, with hopes of implementing the revised schedule this fall. This proactive approach to service planning demonstrates the CSPDC’s commitment to meeting the evolving transportation needs of the region’s workforce and residents.