1990 Comprehensive Plan
MID-COUNTY GROWTH AREA
Introduction
Goals, Policies, and Strategies
Transportation
Selected Plan: Mid-County Growth Area
INTRODUCTION:
The Mid-County Growth Area is at the heart
of Montgomery County. It includes approximately 8,500 acres along Route 460
from South Main Street in Blacksburg to North Franklin Street in Christiansburg
and along Route 114 from Christiansburg westward into the county. New commercial
development around the 460/114 intersection has led to its unofficial designation
as the new "regional downtown".
The Mid-County Growth Area is anticipated
to be the geographic location of most of the total county’s commercial development
and a large share of the total county’s residential development and industrial
development over the next 5-10 years. Therefore, its orderly development is
very important to the economic well being of the entire county.
The Route 460 corridor finds two increasing
but conflicting demands being placed upon it. One demand is to safely and
efficiently carry increasing volumes of through-traffic. The other demand
is to provide safe and convenient access to a growing number of commercial
businesses. In June, 1988, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)
began a Route 460 Corridor Study to consider (1) improvements to the Route
460 corridor between Blacksburg and Christiansburg; and (2) a more direct
connection to Interstate-81 from Blacksburg and Christiansburg. The VDOT Corridor
Study was originally anticipated to be completed in the summer or fall of
1989. Its recommendations to resolve mounting traffic problems are eagerly
awaited.
The designation of the Mid-County Growth
Area evolved from the 1987 Annexation Settlement Agreement between Christiansburg
and Montgomery County (May, 1987). In this settlement, both parties agreed
to participate with Blacksburg in an Advisory Planning Council for the defined
460/114 Corridor. Several months later, all three parties (Blacksburg, Christiansburg,
and Montgomery County), entered into a Corridor Planning and Advisory Planning
Council Agreement (September, 1987) which called for the preparation of a
Corridor Plan that would analyze current land use within the corridor area,
provide standards for future development, and provide recommendations for
implementation of local land use regulations.
After a concentrated twelve months of work,
the Corridor Plan was completed in October, 1988. It encompassed the larger,
Mid-County Growth Area. In particular, the Corridor Plan states:
"In developing an approach to planning
for the Corridor, the [Advisory Planning] Council determined that the Corridor
area as defined was of sufficient scope to truly allow the [Advisory Planning]
Council to address the issues it was charged to consider.
Responding to this difficulty, the [Advisory
Planning] Council expanded its analysis to encompass the 'Mid-County Growth
Area' by considering the:
- Existing land uses;
- Physical environment;
- Population projections;
- Future land use; and,
- Future public facilities.
With this information, the [Advisory Planning]
Council was better able to address the development concerns within the defined
Corridor.
Beyond facilitating planning for the Corridor,
the expanded analysis proved to the [Advisory Planning] Council the great
degree to which management of the Route 460/114 Corridor and planning for
the Mid-County Growth Area are inter-related and dependent upon each other."
After review of the Corridor Plan, Montgomery
County in January, 1989, adopted pages 50-53 (Goals and Objectives) and pages
64-67 (Selected Plan) of the Corridor Plan and added them as a formal amendment
to the Montgomery County Comprehensive Plan (1983). Pages 68-71 (Transportation
Improvements) were not adopted.
For the purposes of this Comprehensive Plan,
three sections are included for the Mid-County Growth Area. The first section
includes Goals/Policies/Strategies. It takes the Goals and Objectives (pages
50-51) of the Corridor Plan and puts them into the format of this Comprehensive
Plan. The second section contains the Selected Plan (pages 64-67) directly
from the Corridor Plan. The third section addresses Transportation. Its purpose
is to fill the void left by the non-adoption of Transportation Improvements
(pages 68-71) from the Corridor Plan.
It is envisioned that the Advisory Planning
Council will review and revise the Corridor Plan in the future. When this
is done, Montgomery County will review and revise the mid-County Growth Area
portion of this Comprehensive Plan accordingly.
GOALS, POLICIES, & STRATEGIES:
GOAL MC 1.0.0
Provide for the orderly and efficient flow of
traffic along Routes 460 and 114.
POLICY MC 1.1.0
Limit the number of access points on arterial
highways.
STRATEGY MC 1.1.1
Encourage combined access i.e. a single commercial
entrance serving two or more activities.
STRATEGY MC 1.1.2
Require that high volume/high turnover commercial
establishments (drive-thru restaurants and convenience stores, for example)
locate within other commercial developments where access to the facility
is from the development, not directly from the arterial highway.
STRATEGY MC 1.1.3
Limit the number of residential driveways
onto arterial highways.
POLICY MC 1.2.0
As development occurs, require the construction
of streets designated to eventually be an arterial system of roads parallel
and perpendicular to Routes 460 and 114 to enable lot depth to be utilized.
POLICY MC 1.3.0
Improve other existing roads such as Yellow
Sulfur Rd(643), Merrimac Rd(657) , and Dominion Rd(661) and construct tie-ins
from the corridors to existing roads to better disburse traffic throughout
the corridors.
POLICY MC 1.4.0
Seek the early improvement of Peppers Ferry
Rd(114) into a four-lane road.
POLICY MC 1.5.0
Upgrade parking lot standards for non-residential
developments in order to enhance public safety by facilitating safe ingress
and egress, to provide adequate parking facilities, to promote adequate
runoff control and to promote safe and efficient internal circulation.
GOAL MC 2.0.0
Achieve high quality development in the 460 and 114 corridors
POLICY MC 2.1.0
Discourage "strip commercial" development
along the corridors.
STRATEGY MC 2.1.1
Increase required front setbacks for all
developments.
POLICY MC 2.2.0
Require landscaping for all non-residential
development.
STRATEGY MC 2.2.1
Provide a landscaped area distributed throughout
the site including the area within the parking lot.
STRATEGY MC 2.2.2
Provide a buffer strip around the perimeter
of the parking lot.
STRATEGY MC 2.2.3
Screen loading docks, trash dumpsters, outside
storage, mechanical equipment, etc. from the view of adjoining streets
and properties.
POLICY MC 2.3.0
Regulate signs so that their use is accentuated,
but does not detract from the development in size, scale, construction,
location or number.
GOAL MC 3.0.0
Achieve compatible land uses in the 460 and 114
corridors.
POLICY MC 3.1.0
Utilize the Corridor Development Plan and the
advisory recommendations of the Route 460/114 Corridor Advisory Planning
Council to evaluate requests for land use changes in the corridors.
GOAL MC 4.0.0
Provide adequate public facilities (utilities,
recreational facilities, library service, fire protection, rescue service,
and police protection) in the 460 and 114 corridors.
TRANSPORTATION:
Transportation is the central issue for the
Mid-County Growth Area. Local governments and individuals alike have commented
on the VDOT 460 Corridor Study and await the decision of the State Transportation
Board with regard to both improving the 460 corridor between Blacksburg and
Christiansburg and constructing a new Blacksburg to Interstate-81 connector.
For the purposes of this Comprehensive Plan, certain assumptions must be made.
First, it is assumed that the VDOT Study will recommend a new limited-access
"bypass-to-bypass" connector between Blacksburg and Christiansburg.
An extension of Route 114 across the Horitulcture Farm would connect to this
new highway. The bypass-to-bypass connector will be constructed by the end
of the ten-year timeframe (1990-2000) of this plan. Secondly, it is assumed
that the VDOT Study will also recommend a new limited-access Blacksburg to
Interstate-81 Connector and that this connector will also be constructed within
the ten year timeframe (1990-2000) of this plan.
Given these expectations, traffic problems
along the 460 corridor will get worse. The conflicting demands to carry higher
volumes of through-traffic while at the same time providing safe and convenient
access to more businesses will escalate. Currently planned projects will not
alleviate these problems. Blacksburg’s four laning of South Main Street is
scheduled to be completed by 1991-92. Christiansburg’s four laning of Peppers
Ferry Road is scheduled to be completed beyond 1994-95. Four laning the county
segment of Pepper’s Ferry Rd(114) has not been scheduled in VDOT’s 6-Year
Arterial Road Plan. The new 460 connector between Blacksburg and Christiansburg
has been listed in this same road plan, but to date, no construction funding
has been scheduled.
Other projects have been planned for the
secondary roads Mid-County Growth Area. The current VDOT 6-Year Secondary
Road Plan included:
Yellow Sulphur Rd(643) from Jennelle Rd(642) south for 2 miles
- Reconstruct and replace 2 drainage structures (complete in 1990)
Crab Creek Rd(660)
- Reconstruct (complete in 2001)
Merrimac Rd(657) from Christiansburg north to Prices Fork Rd*685)
- Reconstruct (complete in 2003)
In addition, Policy MC 1.3.0 calls for improvements
to Merrimac Rd(657) and Dominion Rd(661) as well as tie-ins from the 460 and
114 corridors to existing roads in order to better disburse traffic throughout
the corridors.
Policy MC 1.2.0 recommends the designation
of a future road system parallel and perpendicular to Routes 460 and 114.
As future commercial development occurs, segments would be constructed to
enable lot depths to be utilized. As more segments are
constructed, a complete road system would evolve.
Landowners would benefit from the more complete use of their interior property.
Local governments would benefit from a road system constructed at minimal
public expense. However, cooperation and coordination between VDOT and all
three jurisdictions (Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Montgomery County) would
be necessary for this approach to be successful.
SELECTED PLAN: GROWTH AREA
An evaluation of the Mid-County Growth Area
alternatives has resulted in the preparation of a selected alternative, the
Mid-County Growth Area Plan (Figure 18). The selected plan brings together
many of the major policies and functions from the alternatives. The plan envisions
patterns, which will accommodate growth while minimizing conflicts and the
costs to the larger community
It is envisioned that the development of
the Mid-County Growth Area will be done in such a way that a full range of
land uses and services will be available to users of the Area. The Route 460/411
Corridor will be at the heart of this development.
SUMMARY OF THE MID-COUNTY GROWTH AREA PLAN
By way of summary, the following are general characteristics of the Mid-County
Growth Area as envisioned by the implementation of the Corridor Plan
Residential Development
- A variety of residential types are envisioned
in the Area. Projects are encouraged to be developed that provide a wide
range of housing types and densities. Developments should include commercial
activities which are related to and support the development.
- Mobile home parks and subdivisions should
be encouraged to make the most appropriate use of housing type.
- Topographically difficult lands are to be
developed under planned unit concept with specific plans for dealing with
physical limitations.
Commercial Activities
- The clustering of various commercial and business activities is encouraged.
- Developments are to locate along arterial
streets with a limited number of access points (i.e., commercial/office parks).
- Require the plan for development include
the entire site, even if the development is being considered in phases.
- No further commercial strip development in the Route 114 Corridor.
Industrial Lands
- Encourage expansion of industrial uses in areas already identified as industrial.
Land Use Controls
- Uniform development regulations.
Figure 18 illustrates the development of the
Growth Area. The plan has as its primary goal the orderly development of the
lands within the Growth Area and the effective management with the competing
uses in the Route 460/114 Corridor itself. Table 14 provides a summary of
the land devoted to various uses by the plan.
Mid-County
Growth Area Development Plan Land Use
|
Land Use
|
Acreage
|
Percentage
|
|
Planned Development
|
170
|
2%
|
|
Residential
|
5,020
|
59%
|
|
Commercial
|
1,280
|
15%
|
|
Industrial
|
800
|
9%
|
|
Public/Semi-Public
|
125
|
2%
|
|
University
|
1,090
|
13%
|
|
TOTAL
|
8,485
|
100%
|
SELECTED DEVELOPMENT GUIDE FOR THE MID-COUNTY GROWTH AREA
Residential Development
Residential development is envisioned along
the existing Route 114 Corridor. The area is currently devoted to single
family residential development with limited commercial activity. Most of
the commercial development is not related to serving the neighborhood.
Residential development is primarily envisioned
as being located from Crab Creek north through the Route 114 Corridor, and
between Merrimac and Route 460 to Price’s Fork Road. Housing is one of the
most basic human needs. At the Federal and State level there are many programs
to assist in providing housing. At the local level, the general housing
goal of decent housing and suitable living environment for all citizens
is basic. However, to achieve the goal, the local governments are looking
toward the housing industry, agencies with housing responsibilities, and
the Federal and State programs. The local role includes assuming safety
through the implementations of the Uniform Statewide Building Code and public
policy as provided by land use regulations.
The delineated residential areas include
lands in each of the three jurisdictions which are receiving pressure for
development. The portion located in the Town of Christiansburg is currently
the fastest growing. One of the major constraints on development to date
has been the availability of one or more public services; particularly,
sewer and water.
The Council strongly believes that the
residential developments should be accomplished and controlled under a set
of uniform districts having the same permitted uses. Further, the developments
envisioned by the Council is larger developments, characterized by variety
of housing types and densities. Such developments would include: adequate
access to a combined vehicular-pedestrian/bicycle transportation network,
commercial services to support the development, and recreational facilities.
The recreation commissions for each of the three jurisdictions should develop
a unified recreation plan to serve the Growth Area. Each residential development
should be characterized by adequate medical facilities, have open space
within the development, and have access to the programs being offered by
each of the localities.
Hethwood community can serve as a good
model for future residential development within the Corridor. The design
of the development is such that specific densities range from 2.5 to approximately
19 dwelling units per acre, the overall average density of the Hethwood
community is 7 units per acre. This type of development standard allows
developers the flexibility to respond to the housing market while at the
same time allowing the community design and density control to maintain
quality and convenience.
A range of residential densities should
be available within the Corridor: projects with densities from 4 to 5 units/acre,
developments of multi-family units, and mobile home developments. Within
the Corridor there is a significant demand for the utilization of the mobile
home housing alternative. Accommodation of this housing type is a goal.
Within the Corridor, the jurisdictions should encourage the development
of both mobile home parks and mobile home subdivisions which demonstrate
adherence to quality design, layout, and landscaping standards. The zoning
ordinances of each jurisdiction should be modified to include provisions
for such developments. Sites should be located where there is good access
and adequate water and sewer facilities.
Commercial Development
The existing route 460 Corridor and property
fronting on Route 114 and paralleling the railroad tracks on the west are
the primary locations for commercial expansion. The types of development
envisioned include shopping centers, grouped office and commercial developments
which can be characterized as office parks. Multi-family residential development
may also be appropriate for specific sites within the designated commercial
area.
Route 114 / U.S. 460 Corridor: Mid-County
Growth Plan Map
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