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    Regional Visioning

Culpeper County Meeting Summary

This is a summary of a meeting held on Saturday February 24 at the Culpeper Middle School attended by approximately 30 participants. This meeting is an early part of a larger Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Partnership/PDC project to develop a regional vision statement for the area. Future meetings are at Culpeper Middle School on April 28 and May 19. This summary has been prepared by the Institute for Environmental Negotiation at the University of Virginia (804-924-1970).

 

BASIC FACTS
Population:
• 1980: 22,620
• 1990: 27,791
• 2000: 34,262

RRPDC Regional Comparisons:
• Fastest growth rate 1990-2000 (23%)
• Largest number of new residents (6,471)
• Captured 36% of RRPDC growth 1990-2000
• Highest retail sales gain 1993-1998 (69%)

OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Culpeper County residents participating in the meeting give the area very high marks. One describes it as offering "the best of several worlds" - a beautiful setting of farms and mountains, a town that serves as a regional center for shopping, services and facilities, and people that are open and friendly. The 2000 Census figures show the area to be growing significantly and that is putting pressure on the community to do more to protect its special character and to serve its citizens. Town and county governments, as well as the State, are being asked to rise to the challenge with participants favoring a cooperative attitude and approach wherever possible.

STRENGTHS
The greatest strengths of Culpeper County that emerged from the discussions are its natural beauty and countryside, the friendly and talented people, and the town that anchors and provides a central focal point for the area. Enthusiasm for the area is immediately evident even when there are differences of opinion about priorities. Other points include:

• Scenic beauty: the land, the mountains, the farms and forests, the streams

• Heritage and history: Indian history, colonial and civil war connections, historic churches, examples of historic preservation

• The people: warm, friendly, forward looking, involved, diverse mix (longterm and newcomers), generous, giving of themselves, great place for families, safe, 4th of July spirit

• Planning: a blend of new development and countryside/agriculture, reasonable zoning, a permitting system in place

• Town: shopping, restaurants, medical care, library, revitalized and Main Street, community college

• Location: not far from more urban centers, Charlottesville/Northern Virginia

• Economy: is adapting to new technologies, is attractive to new industry, great potential for eco-businesses and firms linked to agriculture

ISSUES
As positive as participants are about the area, they are not blind to the issues that face the community. Growth and its consequences characterize much of the discussion. Expanded services, taxes, visual pollution, and transportation top the list of issues along with preserving the features that citizens so value about the area. Thus far, many feel that a balance of old and new has been maintained but are concerned about the future. Issues include:

• Growth: signs of sprawl, maintaining urban/rural edge, pressure on ag lands, lack of incentives to maintain farms, expectations of newcomers, rights of long term residents, decisions based on tax $ rather than impact, NIMBY (not in my backyard), increased bureaucracy, lack tools like purchase of development rights

• Infrastructure needs: water supply, utilities and schools to support a village concept of development, public transportation, traffic bottlenecks, state funding inadequate, secondary road issues, rail or other alternatives needed

• Environmental degradation: light pollution, cell phone towers, Dillon Rule limitation, state not always sensitive to local concerns

• Government: focused on present challenges more than future needs,town/county cooperation not always in evidence, need for leadership, enforcement frequently lacking, tax fairness, teacher salaries

• Economy: tourism not fully exploited, lack high paying jobs, entertainment sector is weak, some areas lack economic development

• Human services: need activities for youth/ elderly/poor kids/at-risk kids, park/recreation/swimming facilities are deficient, retraining needed for hi-tech jobs, affordable day care, an end to racial bias, overcome tax resistance

OPPORTUNITIES
Without underestimating the challenge, participants are optimistic that many of the issues facing the area can be successfully addressed. Smart growth and greater cooperation are two recurrent themes. Some of the specific ideas include:

• Greater cooperation: build consensus through visioning processes, build awareness, empower citizens, develop many partnerships, negotiate

• Smart growth: keep the focus of the county on downtown, employ the village concept, use architectural controls, protect watersheds, obtain state authorization for TDR

• Public services: make centralized public services available, establish career academies, develop rail and alternative transportation, serve the youth and the elderly to a greater degree

• Environmental: make Culpeper an example, value quality of life, make open space more a public resource, be a green laboratory, conduct
agri-tours

• Economy: exploit tourism, attract people with quality salary and security who become a community resources and leaders, expand local foundation capacity, tap non-tax sources of funding, promote a technology center, see agriculture as economic base, innovate in agricultural marketing, use the media to publicize successes