On Common Ground - Summer 2016: Housing For All

R E A LT O R S ® Take Action
Making Smart Growth Happen

REALTORS® in central Virginia like to say that they take a “panoramic view of the landscape, and a long view of the future.” So when Culpeper County was required to review its comprehensive land use plan, the Greater Piedmont Area Association of REALTORS® (GPAAR) realized the best way to help county leaders bring the area’s housing long view into focus was to work together. And thanks to a unique collaboration; county planners, local REALTORS® and area research and policy experts have a clear understanding of the current housing picture and what that landscape will look like in 25 years.

Comprehensive plans provide local leaders with essential vision, examination and guidance and Virginia law requires their review every five years. Plans include detailed data for infrastructure areas such as public facilities, public services, utilities, parks and transportation and essential community data concerning demographics, economics, housing, agriculture and historic resources. A plan also makes recommendations for existing and future land use, but doesn’t specify development time-lines or initiatives.

Culpeper County’s first comprehensive plan was cre-
ated in 1964 and was scheduled for review in 2015.
The county has always been rural, but since it’s located
near the metropolitan area of Washington D.C., some
local leaders were concerned it could be on the verge of
becoming a bedroom community. With unprecedented
population growth during the last decade, county officials
needed sound data to inform zoning and municipal plans
that would not only meet the county’s growing needs
but still maintain its desired rural character. GPAAR
leadership knew what data was necessary for an under-
standing of local housing and recognized that county
leaders might welcome an expert, independent analysis.