Staff of the West Piedmont Planning District Commission (WPPDC) was busy in 2022 updating comprehensive plans for two localities in our region, the Towns of Boones Mill and Stuart. Work on Boones Mill’s comprehensive plan update began early this year and the draft is complete; this plan is on track to be adopted by the Town Council in January. This iteration of the plan replaces Boone’s Mill’s existing comprehensive plan, adopted in 2015. WPPDC staff began work on Stuart’s comprehensive plan update in late summer, and that effort is scheduled to be complete by late spring of 2023. Stuart’s existing comprehensive plan was prepared in 2007.
Some of you may be asking what a comprehensive plan is. A comprehensive plan can be thought of as a blueprint for how a community wishes to develop over a significant amount of time – typically a 20-year period. As the adjective “comprehensive” suggests, the plan is an all-encompassing document incorporating multiple chapters, also known as “elements,” that sets out a long-range vision for each element in a community. The core elements are typically land use, transportation, housing, community or economic development, and public facilities. The comprehensive plan is a legal, regulatory document that can also serve as the basis for a locality’s zoning ordinance and zoning districts.
Town of Boones Mill
As far as localities go in terms of size, the Town of Boones Mill is exceptionally small, consisting of less than one square mile in size and home to just 259 people, according to the 2020 Census. Some of Boones Mills’ major goals include attracting a greater number of businesses; improving the safety of the U.S. Route 220 corridor, which is a major arterial thoroughfare through the Town; encouraging the development of a greater variety of housing types; and preserving historic structures.
Downtown Boones Mill
By encompassing business development with historic preservation, the Town is working on a separate initiative with Hill Studios, of Roanoke, to redevelop its downtown as both a destination for visitors as well as for residents. The Town would also like to promote business development along U.S. Route 220 along its length throughout the locality.
U.S. Route 220 corridor safety
Safety along the U.S. Route 220 corridor has been identified by the Town, as well as by residents, as an important need for Boones Mill. There are three main safety issues that have been identified, along with strategies to address these issues. The most significant of these issues is a safety deficiency involving left-turning vehicles from Boones Mill Road onto U.S. Route 220 South. Conditions are ripe for a serious collision to occur at this intersection due to lack of meaningful traffic control, such as a traffic signal. A proposed solution is to install a traffic signal, which would be time-coordinated with an existing signal just to the north, at Bethlehem Road. Another identified safety issue is the lack of adequate sight distance from the perspective of vehicles traveling along U.S. Route 220 to departing or arriving emergency vehicles at the fire station due to roadway curvature. The proposed solution is one or more signals to be installed in advance of the firehouse requiring drivers to stop when emergency vehicles are leaving or arriving the facility. Third, a high number of angle and rear-end collisions have occurred in Boones Mill, and the prevalence of intersecting commercial driveways and roads is partially to blame. To address this issue, access management strategies are proposed. Access management refers to managing access of vehicles at commercial establishments by eliminating numerous or redundant access points and instead combining them, serving multiple establishments with one access point, and/or providing vehicular access between multiple parcels. Reconstructing access points further away from intersections is yet another access management strategy because it reduces conflicts between vehicles turning into and out of businesses and nearby intersections.
Housing
In terms of Boones Mill’s housing stock, nearly all of it consists of detached single-family units, and most of it is aging, as few units have been constructed in recent decades. The Town would like to see not only new single-family housing developed, but other arrangements such as apartments and townhouses, which would appeal to a variety of preferences and price points. A more diverse housing stock would, for example, help to establish Boones Mill as a bedroom community of Roanoke, which is located just minutes to the north.
Town Property
A very unique asset Boones Mill possesses is an approximately 55-acre property located on the eastern end of the locality. This parcel of land shows promise for development, and a feasibility study for its development is planned. It is envisioned that new housing stock could be developed on this property, along with possibly some commercial development. In fact, it is possible that development on this land could serve as an extension of downtown Boones Mill, given the property’s adjacency to the Town’s business district.
Challenges and overcoming them
As the Boones Mill Comprehensive Plan was developed, unique challenges presented themselves with regard to future development efforts. One of the most recognizable of these was the topography of the Town itself. Much of the Town’s area consists of hilly terrain unsuitable for development, with the exception of downtown and areas immediately adjacent, as well as land along much of the U.S. Route 220 corridor; here, too, topography will preclude development in some areas. Parts of the Town-owned land are relatively level, although other sections are hilly, necessitating grading or lower-density development in these areas of that land.
Another challenge to overcome is the separation, both physically and psychologically, of the U.S. Route 220 corridor and downtown Boones Mill. Downtown had always been the commercial hub of the community, but after U.S. Route 220 was upgraded to four lanes, the commercial “center” shifted from downtown to the corridor, largely in the form of strip development. Furthermore, Maggodee Creek flows between the corridor and downtown, creating a physical rift between the two, and adding to the psychological separation due to the need for and presence of bridges. As mentioned, the U.S. Route 220 corridor is now widely recognized as the Town’s commercial center, while downtown is often regarded as an afterthought, given that a number of its structures are underutilized. The challenge is, given the way the U.S. Route 220 corridor was developed near, but not directly adjacent to, downtown, and the fact that the two are divided by Maggodee Creek, downtown has become nearly “invisible” from the perspective of the passerby who is not familiar with Boones Mill.
One of the major goals of the comprehensive plan is to more effectively link the U.S. Route 220 corridor with downtown through a variety of means. One such strategy is to use the Town’s new designation as a Designated Growth Area (DGA) to apply for State transportation funds to make the corridor more pedestrian-friendly, and thereby promote Traditional Neighborhood Design (TND) in both downtown and along the corridor. Another strategy is to consider implementing a design ordinance along the corridor so that development more closely reflects traditional building designs in the downtown area. This strategy could have the effect of “extending” downtown out along the corridor, rather than continuing to threat them both as separate entities.
Other strategies put forth in the comprehensive plan to more effectively link downtown with the U.S. Route 220 corridor include the construction of footbridges spanning Maggodee Creek, replacing the current utilitarian-type guardrails along U.S. Route 220 with a more context-sensitive design, and implementing streetscape improvements to increase the aesthetics of the corridor.
Town of Stuart
Staff of the West Piedmont Planning District Commission (WPPDC) began work on the Town of Stuart’s comprehensive plan update in late summer. Unlike the update of the Boones Mill Comprehensive Plan, which is nearly complete, work on Stuart’s comprehensive plan update is in its early stages. Compared to Boones Mill, some priority initiatives are similar, as are the identified challenges.
The Town of Stuart is about 3 square miles in size, and according to the 2020 Census, the Town’s population stands at 1,431. Stuart is unique, in that it contains two business districts – an Uptown and a Downtown area, which are located less than 0.5-mile from each other.
Initial public input regarding priorities
To date, the Town has hosted one of three planned public input meetings, and while priority initiatives have not yet been identified, much public input that has been received points to potential initiatives. In general, support has been received for the following:
- New and reconstructed sidewalks and trail expansion;
- More restaurants and businesses;
- A hotel;
- Upgrade and expand availability of the Town’s water and sewer infrastructure;
- The need for additional recreational facilities as well as cultural/arts venues;
- Upgrades of existing housing stock, and availability of additional housing types to accommodate different preferences and incomes;
- Childcare/daycare facilities; and
- Additional cultural events such as festivals, and a greater range of activities, especially for youth and seniors
Initial priorities summary
Given this tentative stage of identification and development of the Town’s priorities, just a few of these will be summarized at this time.
A great deal of input regarding new and upgraded sidewalks and trail extensions was provided by members of the public and Town and County staff. Given the compact nature of the Town, as well as the proximity between the residential and many of the non-residential land uses, a comprehensive and high-quality active (pedestrian and bicycle) transportation system can meet the travel, health, and qualify-of-life needs of many residents and visitors. In addition to sidewalks, there are plans to expand the Mayo River Rail Trail east to the Walmart shopping center, as well as to construct a new spur to link the trail to DeHart Park.
Input by Town staff indicates a need to improve Stuart’s sewer and water infrastructure. Specifically, it has been noted that pressure zone improvements for the water system are needed on the west end of Town to serve that portion of the Stuart adequately. Another priority noted by Town staff is the extension of the gravity sewer system to underserved customers.
Input was provided by multiple members of the public stating that businesses – especially a greater number and variety of restaurants – is needed in the Town. However, input was also received favoring a greater number of businesses in general. Given that there are no meaningful lodging accommodations within or near Stuart, there is a strong desire for a hotel with a restaurant in the Town. Tourism is an industry that the Town wishes to capitalize on, however, the results of this effort will be limited in the absence of one or more hotels in the immediate area.
With upgrades to widen the Lovers Leap section of U.S. 58 west of Stuart to four lanes, coupled with the planned reopening of former Pioneer Hospital in town, additional growth is anticipated within and nearby to Stuart. Therefore, an upgraded housing stock, as well as the addition of a variety of housing options for various preferences and incomes, is another priority. Desirable housing options may include additional single-family homes – particularly those that are affordable, as well as apartments and townhomes.
Challenges that have been identified
Several challenges have been identified for the Town of Stuart that will be addressed by this comprehensive plan, though at this point in the process it is too early to advance any solutions to these challenges. One challenge that has been identified is the relative scarcity of land for residential and commercial development. A recent analysis by WPPDC staff revealed that many parcels of undeveloped land in the Town are either owned/occupied by government entities, and therefore are not able to generate local revenue through taxes. Second, topographical features such as steep slopes and flood zones occupy other undeveloped areas of the Town, limiting their potential for development. Third, much of the Town’s area is occupied by residential uses. These factors leave few parcels of land remaining for development; those having the greatest development potential are mainly located in the eastern end of Stuart or the far north end of the Town.
Pedestrian safety has emerged as another challenge for the Town of Stuart. It has been observed that pedestrians often walk along Patrick Avenue (Route 8) between Cedar Square Apartments and Downtown Stuart, Lowes Foods, or other destinations. While this route is most direct for pedestrians, it is hazardous since there is no sidewalk and because Patrick Avenue is a designated truck route. Observations also revealed that pedestrians walk along Dobyns Road between Cotton Mill Apartments and Wood Brothers Drive/South Main Street; this stretch of road is hazardous due to the absence of a sidewalk.
Town of Stuart and Patrick County staff have noted that it would be desirable to enact an ordinance that makes golf carts and similar vehicles street legal. However, the challenge to doing this has been identified as speeding of conventional vehicles, which could result in potentially dangerous conflicts between these vehicles and the smaller, more vulnerable vehicles.