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 comprehensi…