Open Space Conservation Planning - Fluvanna County
Fluvanna County Virginia sits amidst rolling farmland and forests along the Rivanna River near fast-growing Charlottesville. In 1999, Fluvanna citizens participated in a visioning forum on heritage preservation in which they identified protecting rural character as their highest priority. Following the initial Heritage Forum, new farm and forest conservation measures were adopted and a new seven mile heritage trail was acquired and opened. Many findings of the Forum were incorporated into the county's Comprehensive Plan.
Goals
Fluvanna citizens sought to achieve the vision identified in 1999 with a more specific plan conserve important natural areas and farmland - open space. An "open space plan" could guide conservation efforts and provide input to revisions of the Fluvanna County's zoning ordinance.
Process
With the success of prior heritage forums, Fluvanna County organizations chose to once again bring citizens together. In 2002, at a county-wide "Heritage Forum on Open Space" more than 150 citizens designed a comprehensive open space plan and strategy to further preservation of the county's rural character. The Forum program was in two parts: morning presentations on open space and afternoon discussions to develop ideas and recommendations for the county. Participants discussed and set priorities and worked with maps to identify general locations of importance in for open space preservation. They also completed written questionnaires to obtain more data on preferences.
Outcome
The resulting open space conservation plan mapped out priority lands for conservation throughout the county, along with a variety of tools and approaches. It also identified areas where high growth pressures and priority conservation lands coincided, indicating a need for more stringent development standards. The Forum created further citizen interest in the planning process. This citizen involvement also created a desire to ensure that the county's newly acquired 1,000 acre Pleasant Grove tract be planned with both long range goals in mind and the relationship of government buildings to the nearby historic county seat.
More Information
Fluvanna - The Third Heritage Forum: Our Heritage, Our Future, Our Decision on Open Space, Fluvanna Heritage Forum, Palmyra VA, September 2002, 32 pp. - pdf (___mb)
Marvin F. Moss, Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors, 14054 James Madison Hwy, Palmyra, VA 22963 (434) 589-4839