112 MacTanly Place
Staunton, VA 24401
phone: 540-885-5174
fax: 540-885-2687
Investments in the Region Report FY24
CSPDC Housing Study Report Released
View Our Regional Collaboration Video
Welcome to the CSPDC
The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC) represents and serves the local governments of Augusta, Bath, Highland, Rockbridge, and Rockingham counties and the cities of Buena Vista, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Staunton and Waynesboro as well as the 11 towns within the Central Shenandoah region.
The CSPDC works with its member jurisdictions, communities and agencies to provide high-quality planning, technical assistance, and facilitation of services that address local, regional and state needs in an innovative, timely and cooperative manner. Covering everything from land use planning, transportation, water and waste-water utilities, natural resource management, affordable housing, economic and community development, disaster mitigation and preparedness, agritourism to human services, the CSPDC is an invaluable asset to the quality of life in the Shenandoah Valley. For more information about the CSPDC, click here.
Latest News
VDOT Completes Phase 2 of Shenandoah Valley Rail with Trail Assessment
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has published its Phase 2 report for the Shenandoah Valley Rail with Trail Assessment. The report evaluates track and structure conditions in relation to requirements for the feasibility of future rail operations along the 49-mile stretch of the Norfolk Southern-owned corridor between Broadway and Front Royal.
The Phase 2 report, released in September 2025, includes five appendices: environmental desktop review, drainage and stormwater management, track rehabilitation, bridge load ratings, and public input from spring 2025 meetings in Timberville, Front Royal, and Woodstock. The assessment compares the engineering requirements and costs of restoring rail service with an adjacent trail to the previously studied rail-to-trail conversion. VDOT is conducting this as a fact-finding effort to assist the Commonwealth in determining next steps for the $35 million allocated for the corridor by the General Assembly through the 2020-2022 budget.
The final phase, Phase 3, will include cost estimates and documentation of assessment outcomes. VDOT expects to release the Phase 3 report this fall, followed by public engagement with in-person meetings and an online survey.
For more information and to view the Phase 2 report, visit the VDOT’s project page here: https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/projects/staunton-district/rockingham-shenandoah-and-warren-counties—shenandoah-valley-rail-with-trail-assessment/
VDOT I-81 Public Input Meeting at Blue Ridge Community College on October 29
VDOT is holding a public meeting at Blue Ridge Community College Plecker Center on October 29 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. to review the final prioritized list of recommended projects in the new I-81 Corridor Improvement Program (CIP). The meeting is an opportunity to learn more about the CIP process, the proposed projects identified for funding along the I-81 corridor in our region, and to provide comment on the draft prioritized project list. The current CIP builds on the 2018 CIP, which identified 65 construction projects worth approximately $3 billion that are now completed or in development.
In our region, the new CIP recommendations include over 70 lane miles of 3-lane widening along I-81 in both directions between Staunton and Harrisonburg to compliment the current and planned widening projects. After the public input review, the Commonwealth Transportation Board will finalize project selections in December. Additional information and meeting details are available at improve81.org.
Event Details:
Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Time: 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Location: Blue Ridge Community College, Robert E. Plecker Workforce Center, One College Lane, Weyers Cave, VA 24486
CSPDC Awarded $4.5 Million in SPARC Funds to Support First-Time Homebuyers
Virginia Housing’s Sponsoring Partnerships & Revitalizing Communities (SPARC) Program awarded CSPDC $4.5 million to help first-time homebuyers across the Central Shenandoah Valley. The announcement was shared with local lenders on September 8, 2025. This is the third consecutive year that CSPDC has sponsored the program, and its largest allocation to date.
Through the SPARC program, eligible buyers earning up to 120% of Area Median Income (AMI) receive a 1% reduction on Virginia Housing’s prevailing mortgage interest rates, a benefit that can save families thousands of dollars over the life of their loan. The program also complements CSPDC’s existing First-Time Homebuyer Program, which provides down payment and closing cost assistance to income-qualified households earning up to 80% of AMI.
Due to strong demand, allocations are often fully reserved in a matter of months, with the funds being offered on a first-come, first-served basis. With the previous allocation, the CSPDC was able to assist 11 households in purchasing homes: seven in Rockingham County, three in the City of Harrisonburg, and one in the City of Waynesboro. Each program participant completed a Virginia Housing Homebuyer Education course and received housing counseling from the Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project, Inc. (SERCAP).
“With this year’s allocation, the CSPDC is excited to help even more families achieve homeownership,” said Regional Planner Philippe E. Bone. “Our goal is to assist approximately sixteen buyers across the Central Shenandoah region,”
For more information about the CSPDC’s First-time homebuyer’s program and our other housing initiatives, visit the SPARC Program page on CSPDC Connects.
