Augusta County adopts 20-year comprehensive plan, with planning commission amendments

The Augusta County Board of Supervisors voted 7-0 Wednesday to adopt Guiding Augusta: Pathways to 2045, a full update to the county's comprehensive plan that will guide land use, transportation, environmental protection and growth policy for the next 20 years.

County planner Ms. Hensley presented the draft plan and told the board it is a long-range guide required by the Code of Virginia, covering topics including agriculture, economy, schools, housing, public safety and transportation. "All localities within the Commonwealth of Virginia are required by the Code of Virginia to have a comprehensive plan," Ms. Hensley said during the presentation.

The adopted plan, referred to in staff materials as Draft 4, lays out five priorities, 20 goals, 64 objectives and about 350 strategies, and changes the county's future land use map and planning policy areas (PPAs). Staff told the board the red and orange growth-area designations on the PPA map are intended to absorb roughly 90% of development over the plan's 20-year horizon. The plan also includes an implementation matrix that pairs strategies with suggested timelines and responsible stakeholders.

Why it matters

The comprehensive plan is the county's policy guide for future zoning, public infrastructure investments and small-area planning. Adopting the plan does not itself rezone property or authorize construction, but it sets the framework that county staff, the planning commission and property owners will use when evaluating rezoning requests, VDOT projects and utility extensions.

What the board adopted and the changes

Board members supported three specific amendments recommended by the Planning Commission (adopted in a 10/14/2025 resolution) that removed a proposed roadway parallel to U.S. 250 in Fishersville from the Fishersville sub-area recommendations, reversed a proposed future land use change on Tinkling Springs Road (removing a change from medium-density residential to community mixed use), and removed a proposed planning-policy-area change on Cold Springs Road (the Planning Commission recommended retaining the Rural Conservation designation). The board's motion to adopt the plan directed staff to proceed with the plan as amended.

Public comment and recurring concerns

Dozens of residents and local stakeholders spoke during the public hearing portion. Wendell Coleman, representing the session of Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church, asked the board to retain a medium-density residential designation near the church to avoid higher-intensity uses "that would negatively impact noise, dust, and increased traffic," he said. David Ferguson and neighbors from Cold Springs Road also urged the board to reject a PPA change that would extend county water service into their rural area; Ferguson said residents delivered a petition of more than 40 names opposing the change and described the proposal as likely to spur denser development.

Other speakers praised the plan and its outreach process. Diane Corte, a retired land-use planner, said she was "really impressed by the document" and urged stronger water-quality performance standards in agricultural and forested areas. The Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley, represented by Nancy Sorrells, offered partnership to implement farm-transition and conservation actions included in the draft. The Augusta Home Builders Association's Scott Williams voiced support for the plan and called for staff and industry collaboration on housing affordability.

Staff summary and next steps

Planning staff summarized a multi-stage public engagement process that began in September 2023 and included community meetings, focus groups, pop-up events, surveys and joint sessions with the Planning Commission. Staff said draft 4 incorporated public feedback and that supporting documents and the draft map are available on the county website. The plan is now adopted as the county's comprehensive plan; subsequent rezoning or subdivision applications will be considered against it. Staff and board members noted small-area plans (for Greenville, Weyers Cave and Verona) and implementation actions remain to be developed and funded.

Votes at a glance: - Adopt Guiding Augusta: Pathways to 2045 (with three Planning Commission amendments): approved 7-0. - (Other actions taken at the same meeting are listed separately by the board and include contract awards and tax refunds; see the board's official minutes for the full docket.)

Ending

Board members repeatedly thanked planning staff for extensive outreach and revisions during the two-year update. Supervisors emphasized the plan is a policy guide, not zoning, and said future specific land-use changes will proceed through the normal rezoning and public hearing processes.