News
Highland Inn Receives ARC Grant
The Blue Grass Resource Center will receive a $700,000 Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Construction Grant to support the completion of The Highland Inn Revitalization Project. On August 11th, Governor Youngkin recommended the Inn as one of sixteen projects in Virginia for ARC funding. The grant will fund Phase II of the effort to renovate the historic Highland Inn. Located on Main Street in Monterey, the Highland Inn is part of Highland County’s economic development strategy to increase tourism through retreat conferences and cultural events. In 2021, Phase 1 of the revitalization effort successfully stabilized and restored the Inn’s exterior. Phase II will restore the Inn’s interior, completing the final step necessary to reopen the hotel and restaurant.
For more information see: https://dhcd.virginia.gov/2023-appalachian-regional-commission-award-recommendations
CSPDC Welcomes New Program Specialist
Allyson Finchum joins the CSPDC as their Program Support Specialist with the CSPDC team on September 5, 2023. A native Virginian, born and raised in Arlington, Allyson earned her undergraduate degree at American University and received her Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has extensive planning, code administration and management experience in counties, towns and cities throughout Virginia, most recently serving as Town Manager for the towns of Bowling Green and Port Royal. Allyson and her husband Mike currently live in Wintergreen. She uniquely understands the issues facing communities and looks forward to assisting the localities in the CSPDC region.
SAW Walk-Bike Summit Set for October 20
The 2023 Staunton, Augusta County, and Waynesboro Bike-Walk Summit will be held on Friday, October 20, 2023 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Russell Museum in Waynesboro. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.
The event will highlight the Virginia Capital Trail, Waynesboro’s South River Greenway, and the positive impacts of regional bike and pedestrian projects on health and economic development.
An optional walking tour of Sunset Park and happy hour at Basic City Beer Company will take place in the afternoon. The event is sponsored by Augusta Health, the Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley, the SAWMPO, RideShare, and other community partners.
Registration Now Open for the Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro Housing Summit
Registration for the SAW Housing Summit is open through September 28th. In partnership with the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge, Augusta Health, Valley Community Services Board, and Valley Homeless Connection, the CSPDC will be presenting the Summit on October 11th & 12th at the Holiday Inn & Conference Center in Staunton.
The SAW Housing Summit is a result of collaborative work across organizations in the SAW region since March 2020, who 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.
Topics include defining affordable housing, assessing our region’s housing landscape, the connections between housing, health, and economic development, promoting the development of affordable housing stock, and funding and success stories around the state.
For more information on the SAW Housing Summit and to register today, visit www.sawhousing.com.
VTA Announces Inaugural Class of Fellows for the Virginia Transit Leadership Institute
The CSPDC is pleased to announce that Devon Thompson, Transit Planner, has been selected to participate in Virginia Transit Association’s (VTA) inaugural year for the Virginia Transit Leadership Institute (VTLI). VTLI is a groundbreaking program aimed at fostering the next generation of public transportation leaders in Virginia.
VTLI is a program initiated by the Commonwealth’s transit systems and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DPRT), and is designed to engage, elevate, and cultivate emerging leaders in the public transportation sector. This nine-month comprehensive program is tailored to mid-level and future executives, providing them with a holistic understanding of transit from diverse perspectives across the Commonwealth. “VTLI represents a significant milestone in the advancement of Virginia’s public transportation sector, providing a platform for emerging leaders to cultivate their skills, collaborate with industry experts, and drive innovation. We look forward to witnessing the positive impact these fellows will make on our state’s transit landscape and the communities we serve,” said Danny Plaugher, Executive Director of VTA.
The VTLI planning committee meticulously chose 16 individuals among dozens of qualified candidates to participate in the program. Other agencies represented in the cohort include: Charlottesville Area Transit, Blacksburg Transit, Bay Transit, RVA Rapid Transit, Alexandria Transit Company, City of Fairfax, Hampton Roads Transit, Fredericksburg Regional Transit, Virginia Railway Express, Williamsburg Area Transit Authority, Ride Source, Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, DRPT, Greater Lynchburg Transit Company, and Mountain Empire Older Citizens.
About VTA – The Virginia Transit Association (VTA) is dedicated to enhancing public transportation in Virginia. With over 125 members, including transit agencies, businesses, regional entities, and nonprofit organizations, VTA works tirelessly to advocate for a more efficient and sustainable public transportation network, fostering economic prosperity, environmental responsibility, and community livability.