Over the course of three days, a team of James City County citizens tasked with gathering citizen input on the county’s future growth hosted information sessions and invited citizens to respond to a questionnaire.
Complete data from the three sessions — hosted June 9 through 11 at Toano Middle School, King of Glory Lutheran Church and Little Zion Baptist Church — was presented to the Comprehensive Plan Community Participation Team on Thursday.
During the sessions, citizens were given information about the three topics – economic development, transportation and land use – being looked at as part of a state-mandated five-year review of the county’s Comprehensive Plan, which is used to guide future development.
The three sessions were spread out over the county to allow people living in the upper, middle and lower sections to attend a session close to their homes.
Toano Middle School Session
The session held June 9 at Toano Middle School was attended by a mix of upper county residents and employees, 59 percent, and those who lived in another part of the county or somewhere else, 41 percent.
Nearly 60 percent of the nearly 30 attendees have lived in James City County for 20 years or more, and about 78 percent of citizens at the meeting were 55 years old or older.
When asked to rate the county’s overall transportation system, traffic flow and traffic safety, the majority of citizens chose good or excellent; the overall condition of roads was primarily ranked good or fair. Conversely, citizens ranked the county’s walking and biking pathways as fair or poor.
As far as business is concerned, citizens believed “fiscal contribution” and “quality jobs” were the two most important attributes of county businesses. Falling in third place was “community values.” Creating incentives for redevelopment and promoting areas for redevelopment were most important to citizens, but 20 percent of attendees said the county should not promote redevelopment.
Citizens were invited to provide additional comments through a written survey. As the county looks at possibly extending Mooretown Road, citizens were asked to provide input on what that area should look like.
One citizen said the open space should be retained through agricultural business, a share-farm with a petting zoo or a “tourist complex for outdoor sports – hiking trails [and] rock climbing.” Another suggestion for the area was an office park to attract businesses in the information technology sector.
King of Glory Lutheran Church Session
More than 90 percent of the roughly 20 citizens who turned out at King of Glory Lutheran Church on June 10 live in the central county, and more than 60 percent of citizens have lived in the county for 11 or more years.
Like the citizens who turned out at Toano Middle School, these citizens also ranked the county’s overall transportation system, traffic flow and traffic safety as good or excellent, with the most citizens choosing “good.”
The county’s walking paths received split reviews, with 34 percent ranking them good or excellent, 30 percent choosing fair, and 35 percent choosing poor. The county’s bike paths were primarily ranked good and excellent.
Focusing on business, nearly 60 percent of citizens said offering quality jobs is the most important attribute of county businesses. Like the Toano Middle School respondents, these citizens believed promoting areas and creating incentives for redevelopment were important.
A few citizens who provided written survey responses said they did not want to see the Mooretown Road area developed. Two citizens asked for a mixed development including retail stores and housing – similar to New Town – in Mooretown area.
Little Zion Baptist Church Session
About 70 percent of the about 30 citizens who attended the Little Zion workshop lived in the lower county, and roughly half of the attendees have lived in the county for 20 or more years.
The majority of citizens ranked the county’s overall transportation system as good or fair, with about 21 percent ranking the system as poor. The condition of roads was primarily rated fair, as was the overall traffic flow. Traffic safety garnered rankings of good and fair. More than half of these citizens rated the county’s walking and biking paths as poor.
Taking a look at business, citizens said businesses offering quality jobs is the most important attribute. Similarly to respondents at the other two meetings, citizens said creating incentives and promoting areas for redevelopment are important.
Providing Input
The three community workshops were the only scheduled as part of the community team’s role in reviewing the Comprehensive Plan. A virtual workshop is available on the county’s website, where citizens may watch a short presentation before providing input on the plan. For more information about the virtual workshop, read a WYDaily story on it here.