Route 3 Strategic Visioning Initiative

About the Initiative

Following a joint meeting on May 9, 2013, between the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Economic Development Authority, and Planning Commission, a consensus was reached that the expansion of the County's economy must be a priority.

It is the desire of all three bodies that this economic development visioning initiative bring lasting prosperity to Orange County residents and businesses.

To view the meeting materials and presentation document from the May 9, 2013, meeting, please click here.
To view the May 9, 2013, meeting minutes, please click here.

Community Meetings - June 27, 2013

Community meetings were held on June 27, 2013, at the Lake of the Woods Clubhouse at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. The first community meeting was held with Board of Director members of the Lake of the Woods Association, Somerset Community Association, and Wilderness Shores Homeowners and Property Owners Associations. The Orange County Chamber of Commerce co-hosted the second community meeting for businesses on the eastern end of the County.

These groups were invited to hear a presentation given by District Two Board Member, James K. White. The meetings were open to the public and public comment periods were offered.

To view the presentation given by Supervisor White, please click here.
To view the video of the first community meeting, please click here.

Economic Development Presentation - July 11, 2013

Christopher Lloyd, Site Selection Consultant from McGuire Woods Consulting, gave a presentation to the Board of Supervisors, Economic Development Authority, and Planning Commission on July 11, 2013. The public was invited to attend and Mr. Lloyd offered a question and answer session at the conclusion of his presentation.

To view the PowerPoint presentation, please click here.
To view the video of his presentation, please click here.

Joint Retreat - July 27 - 28, 2013

On July 27 - 28, 2013, the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Economic Development Authority, and Planning Commission convened at the Orange County Airport to hold a retreat, facilitated by A. Tyler St. Clair, to start planning for the Route 3 Corridor. This historic gathering was the first of its kind in Orange and challenged the three bodies to work together to create a joint Vision for the future of Route 3 and Orange County. The result was consensus for a path towards the future to realize a greater economic engine for Orange County on the Route 3 corridor.

To read the full Press Release about the Joint Retreat, please click here.
To view the Board of Supervisors' minutes of the Joint Retreat, please click here.
To view the Retreat Report prepared by the Facilitator, please click here.

Joint Retreat Rack Card and Poster

At their meetings in September 2013, the Board of Supervisors, Economic Development Authority, and Planning Commission all approved the language for the Joint Retreat Rack Card. The graphic design was completed and the Rack Card was distributed to stakeholders and made available to the public in a variety of ways.

To view the adopted Joint Retreat Rack Card, please click here.
To view the final Joint Retreat Poster, please click here.

Visioning Tour - August 20, 2013

Members of the Board of Supervisors, Economic Development Authority, and Planning Commission participated in a Visioning Tour on August 20, 2013. The Visioning Tour consisted of a scenic visit to four different sites throughout Central Virginia:

  • West Creek in Goochland County;
  • Innsbrook in Henrico County;
  • City Center in Newport News; and
  • New Town in James City County.

As part of the tour, the Board of Supervisors, Economic Development Authority, and Planning Commission, as well as staff members and stakeholders, were able to meet several developers and staff members from the site localities and hear stories behind their developments.

To view the informational packet provided to the Visioning Tour participants, please click here.
To view information regarding City Center, please click here.
To view zoning information regarding New Town, please click here.

Water Infrastructure Presentation - September 25, 2013

Fred Pribble, Local Government Program Manager with Draper Aden Associates, gave a presentation to the Board of Supervisors, Economic Development Authority, and Planning Commission on September 25, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. in the Board Meeting Room at the Gordon Building. The public was invited to attend and Mr. Pribble offered a question and answer session at the conclusion of his presentation.

To view the PowerPoint presentation, please click here.
To view the video of his presentation, please click here.

Route 3 Strategic Visioning Initiative Steering Committee

In September 2013, the Board of Supervisors, Economic Development Authority, and Planning Commission acted to create the Route 3 Strategic Visioning Initiative Steering Committee, now known as the Germanna-Wilderness Area Plan Steering Committee, and appointed two of their members to serve as the Steering Committee's representatives. The inaugural meeting of the Route 3 Steering Committee was held on Thursday, October 24, 2013.

The purpose of the Route 3 Strategic Visioning Initiative Steering Committee was to serve as subject matter experts on the Initiative for their respective entities and community. The Committee was designed to:

  • Take on specific projects related to the Initiative;
  • Serve as a conduit for the dissemination of information on topics and/or concepts;
  • Act as a liaison to the Board of Supervisors, Economic Development Authority, and Planning Commission; and
  • Serve as leadership group to ensure continuity of effort and knowledge.

To view the Steering Committee webpage, please click here.

Quarterly Joint Meeting - November 7, 2013

The most recent Quarterly Joint Meeting between the Board of Supervisors, Economic Development Authority, and Planning Commission took place on Thursday, November 7, 2013, at 6:00 p.m. at the Orange County Airport.

Supervisor Jim White led a presentation on the overview of activities that had occured since the initial May 9, 2013, Joint Meeting, and Supervisor Lee Frame spearheaded the report from the Steering Committee. Each member of the Steering Committee also gave an individual report of work that had been completed in regard to their assigned study areas. To view the meeting materials and presentation document from the November 7, 2013, meeting, please click here.

To view the November 7, 2013, meeting minutes, please click here.

Master Planning Charette - March 30 - April 1, 2014

The Route 3 Master Planning Charette took place on Sunday, March 30, 2014 through Tuesday, April 1, 2014, at Lake of the Woods Clubhouse in Locust Grove, Virginia. The County engaged Spectrum Growth Solutions, LLC, of Richmond, Virginia to conduct and facilitate the Charette. The firm's owner and principal, Faith McClintic, coordinated the Charette's panelists, who came from a variety of backgrounds with extensive professional knowledge in the fields of transportation, commercial and industrial development, infrastructure design and construction, land use planning, and capital project funding.

The Charette was intended to bring together these experienced professionals to conduct a collaborative study and planning session. Charette panelists met amongst themselves and drew upon their experience to produce a strategic view of the highest and best land uses and development patterns for parcels within a specified study area along the Route 3 Corridor. This strategic view included an assessment of existing physical, infrastructure, market, and regulatory constraints and opportunities. When completed, the Charette panelists provided the Steering Committee with a set of findings and recommendations for the study area.

The findings and recommendations from the Charette panelists were prepared as a report and presented at public meetings in May, 2014.

To view the Media Notification regarding events on March 30, 2014, please click here.
To view the Media Notification regarding the event on April 1, 2014, please click here.

 What is a Charette?

A charette is a collaborative session of intense design and planning for solving a problem within a limited time frame, involving local knowledge, concerns and values coupled with outside expertise. In land use or urban planning, the stakeholders involved may include municipal officials, developers and residents, as well as experts.

The term evolved from a 19th-century French exercise in which architecture students were given a design problem to solve in an allotted time. Approaching their deadline, the students would rush their drawings from their studio to the school in the back of a cart (charrette, in French.) Sometimes the students would jump into the cart themselves to finish their drawings along the way, resulting in collaborative time-pressured solutions.

(definition provided by Dan McFarland of The Free-Lance Star)

Master Planning Charette Report Presentation - May 13, 2014 & May 14, 2014

Following the Route 3 Master Planning Charette, a report of findings and recommendations was given by Spectrum Growth Solutions, LLC. These presentations took place on May 13, 2014, and May 14, 2014.

To view the Final Report of Findings, please click here.
To view the PowerPoint presentation, please click here.
To view the video of the Charette Report Presentation, please click here.

Public Comment Opportunities

The following public comment periods were scheduled to provide an opportunity for the public to comment specifically on the Route 3 Strategic Visioning Initiative:

  • Tuesday, June 25, 2013
  • Tuesday, August 13, 2013
  • Tuesday, September 24, 2013
  • Tuesday, December 3, 2013 - Parks and Recreation Opportunities
  • Tuesday, January 28, 2014 - Input Related to the March, 2014 Charette
  • Tuesday, February 25, 2014 - Input Related to the March, 2014 Charette
  • Tuesday, April 8, 2014 - Feedback Regarding the March, 2014 Charette

These public comment periods were held during the Board's regularly scheduled meetings.

Additional Links and Resources

Related News Articles

For More Information

For more information on the County's visioning efforts, please contact the County Administrator's Office at (540) 672-3313.