In the last week, I did a series of
writings about the duties and responsibilities of Court and Town
appointed citizens that serve in the capacity of members of the BZA
(Board of Zoning Appeals) and the Planning Commission for the Town of
Christiansburg. 1) What is the Planning Commission?
http://www.depotdazed.com/depotdazed/planning-commission.aspx
2) What Training Should the Board of Zoning Appeals have?
http://www.depotdazed.com/depotdazed/training-should-board-zoning-appeals-members-have.aspx
and 3) BZA? What's That?
http://www.depotdazed.com/depotdazed/bza-whats5595.aspx
As part of my investigation into what training was provided these
citizens to empower them to perform their duties effectively, I asked
for information on their training from the Town's Planning Director,
Randy Wingfield. I received an email response and here is some of
that information.
“On the Planning Commission, Ann Carter
and Craig Moore are both certified by the Citizens Planning Education
Association of Virginia (CPEAV) as Certified Planning Commissioners.
Jim Vanhoozier, Mike Byrd, and Craig Moore (as well as Nichole
and I) attended a training class for Planning Commissioners hosted by
the New River Valley Planning District Commission and sponsored by
the localities (and taught by local attorneys Richard Chidester
(Giles County), Jim Cornwell (Floyd County/Town of Narrows), Jim
Guynn (Town of Christiansburg/Radford City) and Mickey Moore (of the
CPEAV) that was held on March 1, 2007. Nichole Hair and I
attended a similar training hosted by the New River Valley Planning
District Commission and sponsored by the localities (and taught by
Jesse Richardson from Virginia Tech (Land Use Law Professor/Urban
Affairs and Planning-Program Chair) and Montgomery County's Attorney,
Marty McMahon) that was held on March 19, 2008.
On the Board
of Zoning Appeals none of them have any certifications, though Jim
Stewart, Buck Woodyard, James Kirk, Jack Akers, and then-member Mark
Lester all attended a training class hosted by the New River Valley
Planning District Commission and sponsored by VAZO (and taught by
Mike Chandler of the CPEAV) that was held on January 29, 2002 and Jim
Stewart attended a similar training class that was hosted by the New
River Valley Planning District Commission and sponsored by the
localities (and taught by Mike Chandler of the CPEAV) that was held
on February 19, 2008. All BZA members received the training
documents that were provided at the February 19, 2008 training
session.”
A bit of further sleuthing and I got
some clarification as to the trainging sessions that were attended by
some: (MAJOR KUDOS TO COUNCILWOMAN ANN CARTER AND PLANNING
COMMISSIONER CRAIG MOORE FOR BEING CERTIFIED PLANNING
COMMISSIONERS!!!)
The following is part of a letter from
the PDC about those other sessions:
“Hello Ms. Lindstrom,
I would like to follow up on your
questions below concerning regional training sessions held at the New
River Valley Competitiveness Center coordinated by the New River
Valley Planning District Commission. The training sessions are
topical discussions focused on current issues in planning and zoning
within our region. Several of the sessions had presenters who
teach in the Certified Planning Commissioner Training Program
provided by Citizens Planning Education Association of Virginia;
however, the regional sessions do not have a direct relationship with
CPEAV programs. The purpose of the training sessions is to provide a
forum to discuss relevant issues with speakers who are well versed in
selected topics.
A typical session is three hours, from 6:00
to 9:00 pm. The agenda allows for a brief presentation followed
by open dialogue between participants and the speakers. Attached
you will find the agendas for the three training sessions (2 for
Planning Commissions and 1 for BZA). Hopefully the agendas will
provide insight to the format and content of the sessions.
In summary, very few of these
people that we are counting on to make BIG decisions have been
provided with the basic training and certification to empower them to
perform their duties in the most effective and efficient manner
possible. We (the Town of Christiansburg) need to see that these
dedicated citizens have all of the tools they need to perform their
duties. Attending these short sessions/workshops is great if you have
the foundation upon which to build.
It is very rare that you would find
someone in the community who has the necessary background and
training (and is willing/able to volunteer the time) to serve in
these positions. In truth, the community would be ill served if
everyone of these people were all planners, lawyers, or developers.
The fact that we have people with such diverse backgrounds is the
greatest strength and can be the greatest weakness. Having a variety
of perspectives brought to the table is worth its weight in gold.
Unfortunately, it also means that there needs to be a common
language/base from which they operate. The Certified Planning
Commissioner and Board of Zoning Appeals programs provide precisely
that, a common ground that will enable members to communicate
effectively. It also means they have knowledge of the terms used by
developers, planners, zoning officials, etc. and do not have to rely
upon interpretations.
Planning Commission and Board of Zoning
Appeals members are in a unique position in that they are in a place
where the legal and social requirements of the Town merge. The Town
Council relies upon recommendations by the Planning Commission to
help them make decisions. The Town Council relies upon the Board of
Zoning Appeals to serve as a buffer between the Town and possible
legal action. I sincerely believe it is in the best interest of our
Town to provide these individuals with the training they and the
citizens deserve for them to have.