Purcellville planners map chapter-by-chapter approach for comprehensive plan update

Vice Chair (presiding) walked commissioners through a staff-prepared spreadsheet intended to guide a chapter-by-chapter review of Purcellville's comprehensive plan and to incorporate 21 previously documented amendments. The spreadsheet uses tabs for each amendment and a navigation structure staff described as a "choose your own adventure" for commissioners to find supporting text and references.

"We have 21 amendments that came from the previous cohort of planning commissioners that have been collected and documented," Vice Chair (presiding) said, describing how items are renumbered for pacing and how each tab contains problem statements and proposed solutions. He asked commissioners to review the document between meetings and to suggest additional items.

Staff and commissioners discussed schedule and scope. A staff member said the timeline would be fleshed out before the March meeting and gave an initial estimate: "At least 9 to 12 months," depending on scope and the degree of public engagement; the full comprehensive-plan rewrite in the prior cycle took five years. Commissioners encouraged prioritizing items by urgency and phasing public engagement rather than waiting until every item is reviewed.

Vice Chair (presiding) said the commission will return at the March 5 meeting with more structure on chapter sequencing and assignments. Staff asked commissioners to read the spreadsheet and prepare input; public meetings and outreach will be scheduled as the commission sequences chapters.