News

Celebrations Ensue for the Maury River’s Scenic River Designation

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Rockbridge Outdoors along with Rockbridge County, The City of Lexington, and The City of Buena Vista will commemorate the Maury River’s designation as a Virginia Scenic River this October. The local jurisdictions are throwing a community ceremony and reception at Jordan’s Point Park on October 16th at 2:00 pm. In early April, legislation passed to designate the remaining portion of the Maury River as a Virginia Scenic River. Now the entirety of the Maury, which flows through Rockbridge, Lexington, Buena Vista, and Glasgow, is part of the statewide program. Virginia’s Scenic Rivers Program intends to help protect rivers that possess outstanding scenic, recreational, and natural characteristics. To be awarded this designation, the local governing body asks DCR to conduct an eligibility study and then requests their state legislator to sponsor a bill.

Bath-Highland Network Authority Public Meeting

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The Bath-Highland Network Authority will hold a meeting on October 17, 2022, at 1:00 p.m., at the Bolar Ruritan Club, 38 Bolar Ln Monterey, VA 24465. For more information about the meeting, please contact Ms. Hunter Moore at 540-885-5174, ext. 118 or hunter@cspdc.org.

CSPDC Releases RFP for Lewis Street Hub Project (Staunton)

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Work to renovate the Lewis Street Transit Hub located at 240 N. Lewis Street in Downtown Staunton is moving forward. The CSPDC received a 5339 Bus and Bus Facilities Grant from the Federal Transit Administration to rehabilitate the lot that is used for BRITE Transit, and City of Staunton free parking. Currently, BRITE Transit buses and trolleys hub at the lot throughout the day, providing a central boarding and transfer location for public transit riders. The City of Staunton also utilizes parking spaces in the lot for free city parking. This federal grant funding will allow the CSPDC to improve lot conditions, create a designated bus boarding area, and improve the overall experience of those using the lot for transit and parking needs.

A Request for Proposals is being issued to solicit qualifications from firms for Architectural and Engineering Design services. The RFP and necessary documents were published to this page on September 19, 2022 and are available below. Any addenda to the RFP will be posted here if/when necessary. Proposals should be submitted through DemandStar. Instructions are included in Attachment E. The deadline to submit proposals is 5:00 pm (EST) on October 21, 2022.

Click the links below to download the RFP Document:

RFP Cover Sheet and Certificates
RFP Document
Attachment A – GSA Form SF330
Attachment B – KH Memo
Attachment C – FSA Provisions
Attachment D – Virginia Procurement Clauses
Attachment E – DemandStar Instructions

Addendum #1 – Questions and Answers, Recording of Pre-Proposal Conference  (posted 10.07.22)

Addendum #2 – Clarification to Addendum Regarding SF330 Form Instructions (posted 10.11.22)

CSPDC Staff to Attend Fall Conferences

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Rural Planning Caucus Conference
The Rural Planning Caucus of Virginia (RPC) is an organization focusing on the specific planning needs of small towns and rural areas across the Commonwealth.
The annual RPC Conference provides a forum for professionals to gather and share planning information affecting rural areas, and the 2022 RPC Conference will be held on October 19 – 21 at Mountain Lake Lodge in Pembroke, Virginia.
The conference agenda includes sessions on planning for modular homes, broadband mapping, agritourism, and casino land use impacts.

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Virginia Governor’s Transportation Conference

CSPDC staff will be attending the 2022 Virginia Governor’s Transportation Conference at the Virginia Beach Convention Center from October 26 – 28, 2022. The conference attracts hundreds of industry and transportation leaders to come together to network, exchange ideas, and discuss key transportation issues.

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Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference

CSPDC staff will attend the Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference this year, which will be held November 16th through the 18th in Arlington. The 3-day conference invites public, private, and non-profit housing partners across the state to discuss important housing issues affecting all Virginians.
The conference will cover topics such as housing policy, development, innovation, and equity. The keynote speaker is Dr. Elliot Eisenberg, who will speak to the connections between housing and economic development.

Shenandoah Rail Trail Update

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While communities along the Shenandoah Rail Trail, a proposed 48.5-mile recreational trail between Broadway and Front Royal, await news on acquisition of the property from Norfolk Southern with funding in the Commonwealth’s FY 2023 budget, they continue to plan for the economic boost the trail will bring their way. The Harrisonburg Daily News Record reported on September 9th that business owners at the Trail’s southern terminus in Broadway are preparing to host visitors with new AirBnBs, restaurants, and expanded parking in Heritage Park. Additional visitor spending once the trail is complete is estimated at $32.3 million per year throughout the region, according to an economic impact analysis prepared for the Shenandoah Rail Trail Exploratory Partnership, an unincorporated coalition of public, private and non-profit organizations championing the project.
CSPDC is a member of the Shenandoah Rail Trail Partnership, and in 2021 assisted the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation with a feasibility study that evaluated the condition of the corridor, refined projected economic impacts of the trail, and developed cost estimates to construct and maintain the trail. For more information on the Trail, and to sign up for updates, visit https://shenandoahalliance.org/project/shenandoah-rail-trail-partnership/ .