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Montgomery Matters Part 5: staff propose simplified future land-use map, UDA expansions and village-tier approach
Summary
Planning staff presented Part 5 of the county’s comprehensive plan, proposing simplified future land-use designations, expansion of two urban development areas (mid-county and the Route 177/Bethel corridor), a four-tier village approach, and a schedule for public hearings in June leading to a possible July 1 adoption.
Planning staff presented Part 5 of the Montgomery Matters comprehensive plan — labeled “Places Matter” — during the board’s May 26 work session, outlining a simplified future land-use map, recommended growth-area expansions and a village-based tiering system designed to guide future zoning and investment decisions.
“Before we dive into the Recommendations in part 5, I did want to go over ... the purposes of the future land use map,” Justin told supervisors, saying the map guides rezoning decisions and helps coordinate investments such as roads and utilities. Justin described the staff goal of simplifying map categories so residents and developers can more easily understand where growth is intended to occur.
Staff emphasized constraints considered in the redesign: planned public infrastructure, transportation and emergency response capacity, steep slopes and floodplains, conservation easements, and prime farmland designations. Public input across mapping exercises and village meetings showed concentrated support for growth in the mid-county area between Blacksburg and Christiansburg and along the Route 177 corridor toward Radford.
To capture growth while protecting villages, staff recommended expanding existing urban development areas (UDAs) in mid-county (referred to in the presentation as the Merrimack/Meramec growth area) and the Bethel Corridor on Route 177. The plan also moves from six villages to four that staff judged able to sustain additional development and creates a “rural village” designation that allows lower-intensity, corridor-focused development in communities with limited identity or infrastructure.
Justin said the emphasis for villages will be revitalization, adaptive reuse and infill, and that the plan’s “periodic table” graphic will reduce dense textual descriptions while showing relative land-use balance and intensity. Staff described settlement communities (historic crossroads) as primarily residential areas not intended for public water and sewer, and preservation areas designated for conservation and agriculture.
Staff outlined next steps: distribute four village plans to supervisors and the planning commission this week; a planning commission public hearing is scheduled for June 17; the board’s public hearing on Part 5 is scheduled for June 22; and staff anticipates adopting Part 5 and the village plans with an effective date of July 1 if no substantive issues arise.
Supervisors asked targeted questions about response times, road capacity on corridors such as Peppers Ferry (Route 114) and Radford Road, and the role of VDOT funding and subdivision/zoning tools in coordinating infrastructure and development. Justin and staff said some roadway improvements are in pre-application with VDOT and that implementation and zoning changes will follow adoption.
The board did not vote on Plan Part 5 at the work session; staff will return for the June hearings and zoning ordinance work tied to implementation.
