Comprehensive Planning A New Approach

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Comprehensive PlanningA New Approach

• Presented by
• Stafford Citizens for a Sustainable Future
• (SCSF)

Jim McMath
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About SCSF

• Who are we?
• A group of Stafford citizens concerned about our
  communitys future
• What do we want to do?
• Help preserve and enhance the quality of our
  community life through the planning process

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A New Approach to Planning

• For that purpose, we offer you a New Approach to
  planning designed to
• Leave the county in a sound fiscal condition
• Protect and preserve the countys ecology
• Make possible an efficient traffic system
• Promote beneficial social and economic change

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The Purpose of Planning

• To prepare for change
• To make conscious choices about how to shape
  change for the communitys benefit

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The Planning Activator

• What will cause the changes?
• Growth
• Growth will impact the quality of community life

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The Planning Goal

• Must be specific
• Cannot be vague, undefined, open-ended trend
• Cant plan for growth
• Must plan for an amount of growth

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Basic Premise

• Effective planning does not react to events
  determined by market forces
• Effective planning does make preordained choices
  to shape how much and what kind of growth takes
  place for the benefit of the community

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A Citizens Guide to Planning Zoning in Virginia

• State law allows localities to determine
  population growth through the comprehensive
  planning process.
• A comprehensive plan is a budget that deals with
  land, population and infrastructure rather than
  finance. A comprehensive plan can target a future
  population level and recommend annual rates of
  population growth or decline.

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A Citizens Guide to Planning Zoning in
Virginia (Contd)

• A locality may, through its comprehensive plan,
  determine the amount of land available for
  various types of uses and the location of those
  uses. By limiting the amount of land for
  development in the plan and then following the
  plan in its zoning and infrastructure decisions,
  localities can effectively manage growth.

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Our Growth Target

• How much growth do we plan for?
• What can Stafford absorb and remain a viable
  community?
• What is a sustainable level of population?

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A Sustainable Population

• How to recognize
• Fiscally sound condition
• Protected and preserved ecology
• Efficient traffic systems
• Beneficial social and economic effects

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Fiscally Sustainable

• A population growth rate that pays for itself
• That is, a growth rate that does not leave the
  county more dependent on its residential tax base
• A growth rate that can be funded without major
  tax increases on residential property

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Build-out Analysis

• Reference Point
• Current planning buildout
• Housing
• Population
• Students
• Commercial and industrial
• Employees
• Costs
• Infrastructure/facilities requirements
• Service needs
• Revenues
• Expanded tax base

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Fiscally Sustainable Results

• Revenues gt Total Cost Sustainable
• Revenues lt Total Cost Unsustainable
• Adjust build-out variables
• Housing
• Population
• Students
• Commercial/industrial
• Employees

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A Preserved Ecology

• How much growth vs. where growth takes place
• Impact on soil and water
• Impervious cover
• Watershed systems cover entire county
• Monitor development impact
• Meet environmental standards

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Traffic Systems

• Major problem automobile dependence
• Must address
• Two planning tasks
• Reduce current congestion
• Alleviate traffic impact of future development

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Current Congestion

• Cant pave our way out of it
• Must have more mass transit for commuters
• Rail alone not enough
• Must make more efficient use of highway systems
• Regional bus service

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New DevelopmentAdditional Traffic

• By-right development with inadequate roads
• Coordinate timing of new development with
  provision of adequate public facilities
• Requires tight linkage between
• Comprehensive Plan
• Zoning Ordinance
• Capital Improvement Program

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Social Benefits

• Two important project types
• Town centers
• Proposed hospital

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Town Centers

• Advantages
• Cluster design pedestrian friendly
• Combine housing, shopping, working opportunities
  in close proximity
• Effective near mass transit
• Caveat
• Need to be offset by undeveloped areas to keep
  growth within sustainable limit
• Purchase Development Rights (PDR)
• Transfer Development Rights (TDR)

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Hospital

• Large footprint
• Huge traffic impact
• Major additions to infrastructure/facilities
• Incorporate into future land use decisions

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Economy

• A more diversified economy helps pay costs of
  future growth
• Not all investments serve this purpose
• Business that depends on a high influx of labor
  and/or intense auto usage will likely cost the
  county more than it contributes in tax revenues
• The most productive businesses for the county
  make maximum use of local resources and labor to
  produce goods and services for export
• Warehouse/distribution centers using airport as
  terminal
• Light manufacturing or assembly operations that
  can air freight to other markets

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Airport

• Potentially major contributor to local economy
• Serious environmental issues
• Noise in flight path
• Need operational mode to minimize adverse impact
  on surrounding residents

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Conclusion

• The new approach of comprehensive planning
  directed to specific growth target
• Leaves county in financial sound condition
• Protects our soil and water ecology
• Promotes efficient traffic system
• Provides social and economic benefits

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Comprehensive PlanningA New Approach

• Leads Stafford County to a sustainable future