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Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Visioning Process

Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Visioning Process. Counties and Towns of Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock Bruce Dotson Tanya Denckla Institute for Environmental Negotiation University of Virginia. What is a vision?. The result of citizens putting their ideas together

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Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Visioning Process

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  1. Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Visioning Process Counties and Towns of Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock Bruce Dotson Tanya Denckla Institute for Environmental Negotiation University of Virginia

  2. What is a vision? • The result of citizens putting their ideas together • Identifying their communities’… • Strengths and resources • Issues and challenges • Possible actions and initiatives • Resulting in a written statement of values, aspirations and intentions

  3. Why a “regional” vision? • Issues affecting one jurisdiction may affect others • A neighboring jurisdiction may have good ideas • Working together, problems can sometimes be addressed more effectively • Grant funds available to the region can be spent to benefit the overall area

  4. How is a vision used? • A means to link people of similar interests in different localities • A guide for making decisions of regional importance • Basis for communicating with people outside the region • Way to measure progress

  5. What has led up to today’s meeting? • In February meetings were held in each of the five counties (Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock) • Over 180 participated and expressed their views • Summaries of discussions about the strengths, issues and future possibilities from each county meeting have been prepared and distributed

  6. What is the agenda today ? • Share what was learned from the five county meetings • Identify and discuss the top items, for example • Planning/zoning • Schools, youth, recreation • Economy/jobs/tourism • Natural resources/environment • And others… • Develop ideas for action

  7. What happens after today? • A final meeting will be held on May 19 at this same location (Culpeper Middle School) • Review a draft regional vision statement • Set priorities for follow-up action

  8. Who participated in the February meetings? • Over 180 citizens and officials attended, participated in discussions and completed questionnaires • By location, attendance was… Culpeper 27 Fauquier 53 Madison 14 Orange 45 Rappahannock 42 Total 181 • Participants included long term as well as recent residents More than 20 years 52% 11-20 years 13% 10 or fewer 35%

  9. What was learned from the meetings and questionnaires? • Participants were asked.. • What they value most in the region • What is important in determining quality of life • How they rate quality of life in the region • How quality of life has changed during the past 10 years

  10. Things most valued about the Rappahannock-Rapidan region? • The most frequently mentioned features are… • Rural character • Scenic beauty • Community spirit/friendliness • Historic resources • Open space • Location • Environmental quality More than a dozen other factors were also mentioned

  11. What most determines a community’s quality of life? • This question provides another way of looking at what is important to participants • Sense of community • Schools/youth services • Rural character • Natural resources/environmental quality • Scenic and natural beauty • Open space • Employment opportunities • Safety

  12. How is the quality of life in the Rappahannock-Rapidan region today? • On a 1 to 10 scale ( 10 is tops)… • 10 10% • 9 24% • 8 39% • 7 18% • 6 and below 9% • Quality of life today is generally quite good (8 most frequent) but… • There is also room to improve (more 9 or 10 ratings, fewer 7 or less ratings)

  13. How has quality of life in the Rappahannock-Rapidan region changed? • Opinion is somewhat divided • Gotten better 29% • Stayed the same 49% • Gotten worse 23% • For those who see it as “declining”, do they believe something needs to be done to improve quality of life? • For those who see it as “the same”, do they feel the need to do something to get the ball rolling? • For those seeing improvement, are they satisfied in every regard?

  14. What else was learned from the February meetings? • Participants were also asked about… • Their greatest concerns about the region • Their priorities for attention by leaders in the region • The issues that counties and towns making up the region should work on together

  15. What are the greatest concerns for this region? • One issue stood out among all others in all five counties • Growth, land use and development • Other frequently mentioned issues include… • Tax base/costs and revenues • Schools and youth services • Transportation • Natural resources and environmental quality • Employment opportunities • Traffic • Impact of neighboring counties • Affordable housing • and eighteen other items

  16. What should be the priorities for leaders in the region? • The list is almost identical to the list of concerns • Growth, land use and development • Schools and youth services • Tax base/costs and revenues • Transportation • Economic development • Historic preservation • Open space • Natural resources and environmental quality • Viability of agriculture and forestry • Infrastructure and utilities • and a dozen other items

  17. What issues should the counties and towns work on together? • The list is again similar • Growth, land use and development • Transportation • Tourism • Natural resources and environmental quality • Economic development • Water resources • Schools and youth services • State control over counties/towns • Infrastructure and utilities • and sixteen other items

  18. Do the counties vary on many of these questions? • Growth is the big issue no matter what the county’s actual amount of gain over the past decade • Culpeper and Fauquier counties each added over 6,000 new residents • Orange County added over 4,000 • Madison and Rappahannock counties added fewer than 600 new residents each • Each county seems to be looking for better balance, more control and maintenance/improvement of quality of life

  19. How do we use this information today? • Divide into groups to work on these key themes • Planning/zoning • Schools, youth services, recreation • Transportation • Economy/jobs/tourism • Housing • Natural resources/environment • Infrastructure/utilities • Preservation (open space, historic) • Agriculture/forestry • Regional voice in Richmond/DC

  20. What is the schedule today? • Go to assigned rooms with facilitators • Discuss the topic/issue you have chosen • Return to main area by 10:45am • Hear report back of one or two highlights

  21. What happens at the next regional meeting? • A final meeting will be held on May 19 at this same location (Culpeper Middle School) • Review a draft regional vision statement reflecting today’s discussions and conclusions • Set priorities for follow-up action

  22. Thank You! • Thank You for attending today, we hope to see you back on May 19 for the final decisions • Thanks to our facilitators • Piedmont Dispute Resolution Center (PDRC) • The Mediation Center at FOCUS (Charlottesville) • UVA graduate students in Prof. Frank Duke’s class

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