One of the legal legs the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors will be standing on with their challenge to Norfolk Southern's proposed Intermodal Railyard in Elliston is that this project does not comply with its Comprehensive Plan.
The State of Virginia requires all localities to create and maintain Comprehensive Plans, which are to be used as the roadmaps for future growth -- what is to be encouraged or incented, and where. This is done in part to control sprawl, which has real costs as regards infrastructure and services (water/sewer access, garbage, road maintenance, fire/rescue and schools).
These Comprehensive Plans are to include citizen input -- and this is done through multiple processes such as numerous public meetings, phone surveys, presentations at other public or civic meetings, mass mailings, advertisements and internet resources.
Comprehensive Plans are to be updated at least every five years. Think of course corrections, like an airplane leaving JFK in New York and heading to Phoenix, AZ. Going from point A to point B requires many adjustments during the flight to ensure the landing doesn't occur in Toronto, Canada. So it is with updating local Comprehensive Plans -- with citizen input.
The Christiansburg Town Council and its appointed Planning Commission reference their Comprehensive Plan often. Our questions:
1. Where can citizens easily access this plan?
2. How comprehensive, or legally compliant, is Christiansburg's plan?
3. Were you a resident in the late 90s and did you have a chance to provide input?
4. Have you ever been aware of when the town's Comprehensive Plan was being revised?
5. Have you ever been asked to provide input into Christiansburg's Comprehensive Plan?
6. Who created Christiansburg's Comprehensive Plan, and who revises it?
7. When was the last time Christiansburg's Comprehensive Plan was revised?
If you can't answer any of these questions, please contact all Christiansburg Town Council members and ask them to provide you with the answers.