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Waynesboro presents draft economic development plan; resident raises damage concerns at Nature's Crossing site
Summary
City economic-development staff previewed a draft strategy focused on industrial site readiness, downtown building reuse, tourism and entrepreneur support; a nearby resident urged the city to address construction traffic and property damage tied to Nature's Crossing work.
Waynesboro officials presented a draft economic development and tourism strategic plan March 24 that sets five “transformational goals” — prepare sites for investment, support local businesses, attract new jobs and visitors, strengthen communications, and grow entrepreneurs — and highlighted the city’s Nature’s Crossing industrial site, downtown vacancy and new outreach efforts.
Cameron Kitchen, identified in the meeting as the city’s director of economic development, told council the city owns about 208 acres of industrial land that will become marketable once the Southern Corridor Road is finished later this year. Kitchen said staff are pursuing a Tier 4 site certification and preparing infrastructure and due diligence so the property is “fresh and ready” to market after road completion.
The plan calls for a mix of downtown reuse and corridor development: Kitchen said survey respondents want more usable downtown buildings and that about 32% of vacancy is concentrated in four large downtown structures. The presentation noted a recently announced state $1 million matching grant for building redevelopment; the city plans to notify downtown property owners and rejoin the Virginia Main Street program, a two-year initiative to help revitalize downtown commercial buildings.
On tourism and visitor strategy, Kitchen said the city wants to increase overnight stays by expanding visitor stops and coordinating with partners such as the Frontier Culture Museum and the proposed Virginia Museum of Natural History campus. He said marketing efforts this fiscal year included 40 paid ads, more than a million impressions across platforms, and roughly 15,000 social followers; the industrial park marketing will ramp up as sites near completion.
Economic development staff outlined entrepreneur supports as well: technical assistance drop-in hours called Grow Waynesboro Wednesdays, referrals to the Small Business Development Center and Shenandoah Community Capital Fund, and an in-house EDA grow loan program funded by a USDA Business Development Grant that has helped about 30 local businesses.
During public comment, resident David Getz said his property abuts the Nature’s Crossing site and that construction crews have been using his private driveway to access the site, driving heavy tracked equipment across a culvert not designed for the weight and leaving mud and damage. “My grandchildren can no longer play safely in their front yard,” Getz said. He told council he had sought contact with staff, had a site visit from Councilmember Wood and had discussed the issue with staff but had not yet obtained a contractor contact or a resolution.
City staff acknowledged both topics during the meeting. Kitchen described the plan’s focus on making land and buildings ready for investment and increasing the city’s outreach to property owners; staff said the Nature’s Crossing site will be market-ready following road completion and that the city is coordinating infrastructure work. Council did not take final action on the plan at this meeting; staff presented the draft for review and said tactics and budget implications will be addressed in operating and supplemental budgets later.
