On of the things I've noticed in reading the Transportation Section of the Town of
Christiansburg's Comprehensive Plan is any real dedication to the
MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) criteria. In any review of the Comprehensive Plan several things should be done. A few of these are:
- Changes in State Codes should be evaluated to make sure the Comp Plan is in compliance with the State Code.
- If the area is part of a Metropolitan Planning Organization, the transportation part of the code should be evaluated for compliance with the guidelines from the MPO.
- The Zoning Ordinance should be reviewed to make sure it is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan AND with changes in the State Code.
I have yet to find in the Town Council Meeting Minutes for 2007 and 2008 where a full review of the 2003 Comprehensive Plan was completed and voted on by the Town Council at its 5 year anniversary as required by State Code. I have found no minutes where the above 3 items have been completed. Of course, I'm still waiting for many of the Planning Commission Minutes I requested over 6 months ago, but all of the Town Council Minutes are up-to-date. Either the review was done by Planning Commission and it was decided the plan was perfect as it was, needing no revision. Or, it was determined that nobody wanted VDOT to review the plan (as is now required) if they should make any changes. Or, it just hasn't been done. I don't think that I find any of those as acceptable options or as being in good service to the citizens of the town.
The Comprehensive Plan is not a static document. It must be adjusted and modified as changes occur within the jurisdiction it is designed for. That is precisely why it is required to be reviewed. Given the rapid growth in Christiansburg since 2003, it is clearly time to make some serious adjustments in order to accomodate changing traffic patterns. The State Codes make this review manadatory, not optional and it must occur AT LEAST ONCE EVERY 5 YEARS!
§ 15.2-2230. Plan to be reviewed at least once every five years.
At least once every five years the comprehensive plan shall be reviewed by
the local planning commission to determine whether it is advisable to amend
the plan.
(Code 1950, § 15-964.8; 1962, c. 407, § 15.1-454; 1975, c. 641; 1997, c. 587.)
It is now a requirement that
VDOT must review any new or revised comprehensive plan specifically to evaluate how the proposed changes/projects in one jurisdiction will impact adjacent jurisdictions and the State Highway system overall.
Take some time and read the transportation section of the Town of
Christiansburg's Comprehensive Plan and see how well you think this applies to Christiansburg today. Take a little more time and go to the
MPO site and see what the multi-jurisdictional mandates are. I think you'll see an opportunity for Christiansburg to improve its comprehensive plan and allow government to better serve citizens.
For some REAL insight check out State Codes:
Legal Status of the Plan as it identifies what constraints the plan places on the town and:
§ 15.2-2223.1. Comprehensive plan to include urban development areas; new
urbanism.
(One of those changes to state law that isn't addressed in the existing comprehensive plan but will have to be addressed with population growth. Might be a good idea to start the process now rather than wait 5 or so years before getting around to dealing with these issues. It is a lot harder to catch up than it is to keep up when it comes to these things!)