The Comprehensive Plan, mandated by the Code of Virginia, sets a vision for development and land use within the county for the next 20 years. The Comprehensive Plan guides, but does not regulate, land development to best address community goals with assessed resources through methods that best promote the health, safety and general welfare of our residents. Specifically, the plan provides data and analysis on land use, transportation, housing, natural and historic resources and public facilities and utilities. The plan covers a 20-year timeframe and is required to be reviewed and updated as necessary every five years.
The Comprehensive Plan is based on extensive public input and adopted or amended only after careful and thorough analysis of the existing conditions, growth trends, and the projected future needs of the area. It is intentionally broad to permit flexibility in land use decisions since there is no "one size fits all" solution for the best use of any given property for any given demographic.
The Comprehensive Plan addresses all aspects of our community life—including housing, health, economy, education, transportation, recreation, and the natural environment—and how land use decisions can be made to enrich these aspects equitably. Under each chapter, vision and goal statements express the county’s intentions for each community aspect. The plan should also incorporate specific actions that will implement this vision. Those actions fall under four categories:
- land use regulations: local code sections that regulate land use and development (Zoning Ordinance)
- capital investments: physical investments expressed in the capital improvement plan (CIP)
- programs: recurring efforts, funded on an annual or bi-annual basis
- initiatives: one-time efforts, such as plans, studies or a cash infusion for a specific cause