News
Karst Workshop Scheduled
The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will hold a Karst Workshop on September 7th & 8th.
What: Karst Workshop
When: September 7th & 8th, 9AM-4PM
Where: The Sharon Community Center (4017 Nicelytown Rd, Clifton Forge, VA 24422)
Who: Planners, resource managers, administrators, elected officials, and citizens are encouraged to attend.
The soluble limestone found in valleys and along mountain slopes in the Alleghany Highlands is home to a karst landscape with numerous sinkholes, sinking streams, springs and some of the largest caves in Virginia. These caves and the karst to which they belong are home to some of the rarest species on Earth and supply water for human and wildlife alike. At the same time, this karst landscape is sensitive to contamination and poses unique challenges for land development.
Participants will learn:
- About karst phenomena and the underground life in the Alleghany Highlands,
- The importance of these valuable yet extremely vulnerable resources,
- Sensitivity of karst landscapes to contamination,
- Development challenges that karst terrains pose, and
- How we can use existing knowledge to live with karst and protect it.
Register HERE.
Blue Ridge Rising Action Plan
The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation recently kicked off a new initiative, the Blue Ridge Rising Action Plan. The initiative views the Blue Ridge Parkway as a catalyst for promoting regional tourism and economic vitality, and aims to strengthen cross-jurisdictional relationships, foster economic development within the Blue Ridge Parkway gateway communities, and establish a unified regional voice. The Blue Ridge Parkway passes through both Augusta County and Rockbridge County in the CSPDC region.
Over the past several months, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation held county input sessions for each of the 29 counties in the Blue Ridge Parkway system, including Rockbridge and Augusta County, to gather feedback from stakeholders about the current relationship of the Parkway to economic development and tourism, and solicit input on potential improvements. Based on that feedback, the Parkway Foundation is now seeking review and feedback on the key takeaways from the county meetings, and will be holding regional input sessions.
The Blue Ridge Rising Action Plan input session for our region will be held on Tuesday, August 8 from 3-5pm at the Hampton Inn in Lexington. The meeting is drop-in style, so participants can come anytime during the two-hour window or stay for the entire time. There will also be an optional, informal social hour to meet other community leaders in our region after the 3-5pm event. For more information and to register for the upcoming session, click here.
Engineering and Design for the Lewis Street Transit Hub
Engineering and design activities are underway for the Lewis Street Transit Hub Rehabilitation Project. The Hub, pictured here, is getting a much-needed facelift! When complete, the site will feature new pavement, sidewalks, and a dedicated bus lane. The site will also feature safety improvements, such as improved lighting, and ADA-accessible walkways. CSPDC staff are working with engineering consultants from Kimley-Horn and Associates to finalize the design and construction plans for the Hub.
In June, staff reviewed the 60% design plans and participated in a Value-Engineering workshop hosted by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT). The CSPDC presented the plans to the City of Staunton’s Historic Review Commission on Tuesday, July 25 to seek a Certificate of Appropriateness. The CSPDC will seek to incorporate design elements, where feasible, that are consistent with city features in the Historic District. Once the CSPDC receives a Certificate of Appropriateness, design plans will be finalized and submitted to the City for approval.
The engineering and design phase is moving along as expected and we hope to issue a contract for construction by fall, with construction to begin soon after.
Background: In March of 2022, the CSPDC was awarded a 5339 Bus and Bus Facilities Grant from the Federal Transit Administration to rehabilitate the lot.
Our Community Place Completes Two Affordable Housing Units
On June 23, the CSPDC joined Harrisonburg-based non-profit Our Community Place (OCP) to celebrate the official ribbon-cutting of Block House Apartments. The project is one of seven projects across the region to complete construction using funds from the PDC Housing Development Program, a grant program that provides gap funds to private and nonprofit housing developers.
OCP received $118,106 in grant funds through the PDC’s housing program, and used those funds along with local low-interest loans, donations, and in-kind and volunteer support to complete the project. The development provides two units of permanent supportive housing for Harrisonburg residents that have faced chronic housing insecurity. Each efficiency unit is complete with a mini-split air conditioner and new appliances, and community members came together to furnish and decorate each unit. The development also includes a shared shaded patio and garden beds.
At the ribbon cutting, CSPDC Housing Program Manager shared information about the PDC Housing Development Program and the successful partnership with OCP to bring the project to fruition. Harrisonburg City Councilmember and CSPDC Commissioner Laura Dent was also in attendance at the ribbon cutting, and spoke to the timeliness of this development to meet Harrisonburg’s housing needs. The event was also attended by the two residents that will be moving into the new units in July, who participated in the official ribbon cutting and allowed attendees to tour their new home.
Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro Housing Summit Set
In partnership with the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge, Augusta Health, Valley Community Services Board, and Valley Homeless Connection, the CSPDC is pleased to announce the Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro (SAW) Housing Summit. The event will be held on October 11th & 12th at the Holiday Inn & Conference Center in Staunton.
The SAW Housing Summit is a result of collaborative work across numerous organizations in the SAW region since March 2020. This coalition of organizations joined together to disburse critical funding and resources to underserved communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, including those experiencing housing insecurity. As the short-term impacts of the pandemic began to lessen, the group turned their attention toward our region’s more persistent housing challenges that remained, from addressing homelessness to providing accessible housing to our local workforce. The Summit will culminate the work that has taken place and provide a forum for planning to address our regional housing issues into the future.
The Summit will take place over the course of a day and a half, and will incorporate a variety of speakers, facilitated discussions, and brainstorming sessions. It will conclude with an action-focused facilitated discussion on Day 2 to chart a path forward.
For more information on the SAW Housing Summit and to submit your e-mail for future correspondence, visit www.sawhousing.com.