Prince Edward County adopts updated comprehensive plan; VDOT edits to be incorporated

Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors voted to adopt an updated comprehensive plan after a public hearing and a recommendation from the county planning commission, directing staff to incorporate edits requested by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).

The plan, drafted by the Berkeley Group and discussed at a joint series of work sessions, is intended as a 20-year strategic guide for land use, housing, transportation, economic development and natural-resource stewardship in Prince Edward County. Rebecca Cobb of the Berkeley Group told the boards the draft replaces the county's 2014 comprehensive plan and is meant to guide local policy, not to act as zoning or code: "The comprehensive plan is a community guided vision for the future," Cobb said.

Why it matters: The comprehensive plan sets the county's policy priorities and provides an implementation matrix linking strategies to responsible parties, time frames and rough cost estimates. County and planning officials said they will use the plan to evaluate future development applications, align capital budgets to priorities and coordinate with state agencies.

Presentation and key contents Berkeley Group consultants described a multi-year engagement that began in October 2023 and included six focus groups with roughly 30 organizations, two public open houses in March and a community survey that drew 715 responses. The draft contains nine chapters covering: plan overview; county profile; natural and historic resources; housing and livable communities; economic growth; community facilities and services; transportation; community character/land use; and implementation.

The plan's vision statement, read aloud during the hearing, says in part: "Prince Edward County is a progressive, diverse, and inclusive community committed to educational excellence, innovative economic development opportunities, quality health care, and preservation of its natural assets for high quality of life for all residents." The natural-resources chapter includes strategies such as directing development away from steep slopes and establishing an agriculture and forestry district program. The housing chapter lists strategies to expand housing types, review short-term rental policies and promote development in targeted growth areas.

VDOT requests and the future land-use map Consultants told the boards that VDOT reviewed the draft and requested two edits: inclusion of a designated growth area (shown near the town of Farmville on the future land-use map) and a change in terminology from "urban development areas" (UDA) to "designated growth boundaries" (DGB) to reduce concern about the phrase "urban." The planning commission recommendation and the board's approval both specified that VDOT's requested edits be incorporated.

Public comment and themes Public commenters generally praised the plan's thoroughness but raised several specific concerns and priorities that the planning commission and board said they would consider when finalizing the document:

- Agriculture and eminent domain: Patrick Murphy, who identified himself as a professional forester and practicing agriculturalist, urged stronger actions for agricultural preservation, requested clearer protections against eminent domain and asked for stricter limits on how utility-scale solar projects can be sited. "I would like to see solar within the county be small scale, under 50 acres of fence as a whole," Murphy said, and he asked that a line in the plan referring to contiguous parcels be removed because of a risk of fragmentation of rural land.

- Solar siting and screening: Several speakers, including Doris Rankin and David Jennings, expressed concerns about large commercial solar projects and asked the county to require screening, consider siting batteries at substations, and limit visual impacts on neighboring residential property. Jennings cited a recent Virginia Tech agricultural economics study he said showed a modest decline in neighboring residential property values near large solar farms and urged the county to preserve rural character.

- Health, housing and workforce retention: Dr. Maria Almond of the Virginia Department of Health, Piedmont Health District, urged continued coordination on health access and noted transportation, housing and nutrition as recurring priorities in community health assessments. Multiple speakers, including residents and a planning commissioner, emphasized retaining young people by expanding housing options and job opportunities.

Planning commission and board actions The planning commission voted to recommend approval of the draft comprehensive plan with the amendment to incorporate VDOT's requested edits. The board of supervisors subsequently voted to adopt the draft plan, likewise directing staff to include the VDOT changes before final publication. Both bodies described the plan as a working document that will guide future updates to zoning and subdivision ordinances and the capital improvements plan.

Votes at a glance - Planning Commission recommendation: motion to recommend approval of the draft comprehensive plan as presented with VDOT edits. Recorded votes in the planning commission meeting: Fuller, Hart, Hogan, Perry, Weiss and Prangman — recorded as yes. Outcome: recommendation approved.

- Board of Supervisors adoption: motion to approve the draft 2045 comprehensive plan, replacing the adopted Prince Edward County 2014 comprehensive plan, with the planning commission amendments (including VDOT edits). Recorded roll-call votes during the board action include recorded "yes" votes from Berlin, Harrison Jones, Rogers and Dr. Pat; the chair announced the motion carried. Outcome: adopted.

What happens next County staff and consultants said they will incorporate the specific VDOT edits on the map and language, publish the final document, and use the plan as the reference point when reviewing development applications and updating implementing ordinances. Officials also said the implementation matrix in chapter 9 will be used to align annual budgets and capital improvement planning with plan priorities.

Ending Board and planning commission members praised the document's graphics and community-engagement process and described it as a long-overdue update to a plan that will evolve over time. Staff thanked residents and stakeholders who participated in the process and said implementation work will follow the plan's adoption.