Planning board approves land guide

By Jimmy LaRoue

Published: April 22, 2008

The Waynesboro Planning Commission heard from the public Tuesday on its land-use guide to the draft comprehensive plan before voting unanimously in favor of it. It now goes to the City Council for approval.
The guide, and its corresponding land-use map, received favorable reviews back in March from a majority of the City Council – Mayor Tom Reynolds, Vice Mayor Nancy Dowdy and Lorie Smith.
Smith said most of the discussion among commissioners
centered on transportation issues.
Highlights of the plan, according to City Planner Jim Shaw, include implementing the guide, reviewing the city’s zoning ordinance and updating the guide every five years.
Shaw said the process of creating the land-use guide “has played out pretty well,” though he says he hasn’t received many calls about it.
“By and large, it’s a pretty complete product,” Shaw said.
Shaw and Smith said they believe the process of putting together the guide and map came off better because it involved residents early on in the process.
Smith, the council’s representative on the commission, said the council has confidence in Shaw and the city’s planning staff. She doesn’t foresee any hurdles to the council adopting the guide and map.
“I don’t anticipate a problem,” Smith said.
The city has interviewed four applicants to rewrite the city’s zoning ordinance. Shaw said he hopes by Friday to name a firm, or a combination of firms, to rewrite the ordinance. Smith said he told the commission that it could take as long as six weeks.
“I think we’re about ready to make that decision,” Shaw said.
Shaw said he is in the process of looking at references and zoning ordinances the firms have worked on. The money is already in the budget and does not need either the commission’s or the council’s approval.
“My hope is that we’re going to be digging in in earnest in the next month or so,” Shaw said.
He expects the process to draft a new zoning ordinance for the city to take a year to 18 months to complete. While not a part of the comprehensive plan, the zoning ordinance “is supposed to support the objectives of the comprehensive plan,” Shaw said, “so they’re linked that way.”

Previous Stories:
Land use guide gets positive reviews (March 4, 2008): http://www.newsvirginian.com/wnv/news/local/article/3_408_land_use_guide_gets_positive_reviews_wnv/19993/
Council revisits land use planning (Feb. 20, 2008): http://www.newsvirginian.com/wnv/news/local/article/2_20_08_council_revisits_land_use_planning_wnv/19875/
Waynesboro Planning Commission meets tonight (Feb. 19, 2008): http://www.newsvirginian.com/wnv/news/local/article/waynesboro_planning_commission_meets_tonight_02_19_08_wnv/19864/
Land of opportunity (Feb. 8, 2008): http://www.newsvirginian.com/wnv/news/local/article/2_8_08_land_of_opportunity_wnv/19792/
Opening the door (Feb. 6, 2008): http://www.newsvirginian.com/wnv/news/local/article/2_7_08_opening_the_door_wnv/19789/