HomeMy WebLinkAboutCPPC 01-09-95 Meeting AgendaCOUNTY of FREDERICK
Department of Planning and Development
703/665-5651
Fax 703/678-0682
MEMORANDUM
TO: Comprehensive Plans and Programs Committee
FROM: Kris C. Tierney, Deputy Planning Director
RE: Meeting Date and Agenda
DATE: January 4, 1995
There will be a meeting of the Comprehensive Plans and Programs Committee on January
9, 1995 at 7:30 pm in the Conference Room of the Old County Court House.
Please let me know if you are unable to attend.
AGENDA
1) Discussion regarding policies for Rural Community Centers.
We have attached the section from the Comprehensive Plan pertaining to Rural
Community Centers. The Committee needs to determine an approach for developing
a more detailed policy for Community Centers. The statistical information on the
centers is now ten years old. We may want to start by updating the information to
see what sort of changes have occurred since this information was put together.
The Committee may chose to select one or two centers to focus on first. Given its
proximity to the Urban Development Area and past discussion concerning the
possible extension of sewer, we may want to begin with the Round Hill Community
Center.
2) Other - Possible discussion of priorities for the Capital Improvements Plan.
In Light of the School Boards recent announcement concerning the planned
replacement of Stonewall Elementary School the Committee may need to revise their
recommendation for CIP priorities. Among other things we would assume that the
replacement of Stonewall would eliminate such projects as roof replacement and air
conditioning for the school.
9 North Loudoun Street P.O. Box 601
Winchester, VA 22601 Winchester, VA 22604
Entrances to the community should be evaluated for needed improvements. Measures
aimed at increasing the appeal of the areas to both tourists and businesses need to be
developed and implemented.
Regulations governing the size, number and spacing of advertising and business signs
should be reviewed and improved.
Rural Community Centers
Rural community centers are relatively small centers of population and activity in the rural
areas of Frederick County. Following the adoption of the 1982 Plan, the Rural Community
Center Committee of the Frederick County Planning Commission was formed which
proceeded to define rural community centers and to study their characteristics. Tye
Committee held public meetings in 1984 and 1985 to solicit opinions on development
policies and developed some recommendations on policies for the rural community centers.
The following criteria were used to designate rural community centers:
1. Proximity to and access to collector or arterial routes.
2. Existing concentration of private commercial services within the center.
3. Existing concentration of public services within the center.
4. Access from concentrations of existing population.
5. Actual population growth in the area.
6. Access from concentrations of potential population (subdivided lots).
7. Proximity to other areas which could act as community centers.
8. Physical characteristics of land in the area.
9. Public perceptions.
10. Existing public facilities, churches, and civic clubs.
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0 The potential rural community centers identified, included the following:
Gore
10 Reynolds Store
Gainesboro
Round Hill
Armel
Shawneeland/North Mountain
Star Tannery
Whitacre/Cross Junction
Clearbrook/Brucetown/Stephenson
Provisions should be made in County policies to recognize the rural centers and to
accommodate the differences between each center. Many of the centers are now zoned for
agriculture, which is not necessarily appropriate in relation to the functions of some of the
centers.
The Committee recommended that Armel, North Mountain/Shawneeland, and Reynolds
Store/Whitacre/Cross Junction be treated similarly as the surrounding areas. The
recommendations for all other community centers suggest that additional commercial
development will occur in the rural community centers. Only the recommendations for
Gore suggest encouraging increased amounts and densities of housing in relation to
surrounding rural areas.
The recommendations for all rural community centers promote improved public services.
The recommendations for the Round Hill Community Center place particular emphasis on
increased road improvements and the provision of public sewer and water service. Water
and sewer issues are also important in the Clearbrook, Stephenson, and Brucetown areas.
A study designed to investigate and develop recommendations on possible methods of
treating wastewater in the Round Hill, Clearbrook and Brucetown areas has been
conducted. A report has been drafted and is expected to be finalized by October of 1993.
A Technical Advisory Committee will then submit the report with their summary
recommendations to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors. The County needs
to consider the recommendations of the report and investigate funding sources in order to
implement the most cost effective solution.
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tiJ
Because of recent development, there is a need to reconsider including Albin as a potential
rural community center.
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Table 12
Comparison of Rural Community Centers Facts and Figures
Frederick County, Virginia
1985
CATEGORY
Gainesboro
Round Hill
Gore
Clearbrook,
Stephenson,
Brucetown
Armel
HOUSING
Single Family
122
266
101
346
158
Mobile Homes
13
14
23
229
26
Total
135
280
124
575
184
LOT SIZE
[Average
13
2.75
7.5
4
6.25esidential
2.5
1.25
2.25
1.25
2 11
- (Estimated)
IF'POPULATION
466
966
427
1,948
635
LAND USE
Residential
288
338
220
545
354
Commercial
5
36
8
52
3
Mixed
5
46
4
80
7
Industrial
30
19
12
411
0
Public/Semi-Public
63
22
9
98
6
Agriculture/
Open
381
352
386
1,414
608
Vacant/Wooded
--F
808
284
549
217
473
Total
--
1,580
1,097
1,188
2,817
1,451
Source: Frederick County Department of Planning and Development
Because of recent development, there is a need to reconsider including Albin as a potential
rural community center.
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Issues.
There is a need to determine to what extent rural community centers will be the
primary location of commercial and service uses in the rural areas.
The extent to which additional commercial development should be allowed in each
rural community center needs to be determined.
There is a need to determine whether additional housing growth should be
encouraged in each center.
What density of housing development should be allowed in each center?
A method for providing public services to rural community centers needs to be
determined.
IRural Areas
In terms of land area, Frederick County, Virginia is predominantly rural in character. In
Frederick County, rural areas can be defined as all areas not within the designated Urban
Development Area of the Comprehensive Plan. In the County, the primary land uses in
rural areas are agriculture and forests. Rural areas show a population growth pattern
consisting of widely scattered, large lot residential development.
Frederick County contains 266,000 acres of land. Of this acreage, approximately 23,000 is
contained within the bounds of the Urban Development Area. The remaining 243,000 acres
is in the rural areas. Roughly 230,000 acres lie west of Interstate 81 and are intended to
remain rural into the indefinite future.
Many residents of Frederick County are attracted to the natural beauty and special lifestyle
found in rural portions of the County. Excessive or inappropriate development in these
areas can reduce their value and attractiveness. At the same time, the rural areas play an
important role in the County's economy through the income generated by agriculture.
Fruit production was the largest single category of agricultural production, in terms of dollar
value, in the County in 1982. Over one-half of the market value of agricultural production
in recent years has been fruit production. Most of the rest of the agricultural production
involved livestock.
In 1982, according to the United States Agricultural Census, there were 111,116 acres of
farmland in Frederick County. The estimates of farmland acreage show that the total
amount of farmland decreased steadily and significantly between 1950 and the early 1970's.
However, between 1974 and 1982, the acreage of farmland remained relatively constant at
about 120,000 acres. The estimated farmland acreage then fell between 1982 and 1987.
Most of the reduction in farmland acreage that occurred in the 1950's and 1960's was
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