Rebecca Joyce, Community Program Manager, resigned from the CSPDC last month. Rebecca joined the PDC in 1997 and began working with the Town of Glasgow on one of the largest flood mitigation projects in the state at that time where 56 homes were removed from the floodplain through acquisition and elevation. Over the next few years, and following Hurricanes Isabel and Fran, Rebecca worked in Buena Vista, Rockbridge County, Waynesboro, Goshen, Port Republic, and Rockingham County on a number of flood mitigation projects again helping hundreds of families rebuild their lives and protect their properties.

From there Rebecca went on to establish the first regional disaster education and outreach program called Project Impact which has provided life-saving information to the citizens and businesses in the Shenandoah Valley for over two decades. One of the disaster educational products that Rebecca conceived and oversaw was the ever-popular Project Impact Calendar.  The calendars contain valuable information on disaster emergency preparedness pertinent to each season along with historical local photographs and humorous daily quotes.

Most recently, she worked with the City of Staunton and the Community Foundation of the Blue Ridge to provide flood relief assistance to the citizens and businesses that were severely impacted by the devasting storms that flooded the city in August of 2020.

She also started the first CERT program in the region which has trained nearly 600 ordinary citizens in what to do before, during, and after disasters.

Throughout her tenure at the CSPDC, Rebecca has worked with multiple jurisdictions in developing their Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs), flood mitigation plans, wildfire plans and hazardous materials plans.  She oversaw the region’s All Hazard Mitigation Plan and its 5-year updates.  The All Hazard Mitigation Plan, a requirement of FEMA,  identifies  and assesses the Region’s natural hazard risks and makes recommendations to mitigate these hazards.

In 2020, Rebecca received the James Madison University John B. Noftsinger Alumni Award for Public Service Excellence. The John B. Noftsinger award recognizes JMU graduates who actively engage with the community, strengthen social equality, demonstrate personal integrity, promote ethical standards of performance and stewardship, and advance professional excellence in the Shenandoah Valley.

As Stephen King, Rockingham County Administrator, so adequately stated: “High levels of ability, competence, intelligence, and commitment, combined with an always cheerful disposition = Rebecca Joyce.”

Rebecca will be missed by many and her service and work in the region will be felt for years to come.

The CSPDC is co-hosting a USDA-Rural Development Programs Showcase on April 19^th from 9am-12:30pm at the Virginia Horse Center in Rockbridge County. At the event, USDA-RD will provide an informative overview of their programs, including loans and grants, that help to improve economic prosperity for the families and businesses in the Central Shenandoah Region. USDA-RD will provide presentations and one-on-one networking with specialty experts in the fields of rural business, community facilities, water and environmental programs, single family housing, and telecommunications. Dupont Community Credit Union and the Shenandoah Community Capital Fund will also give brief presentations to share the economic development services they provide to the region, and a representative from Congressman Cline’s office will make brief remark. This event is made possible through the support of event sponsors Dupont Community Credit Union and BARC Electric Cooperative.

Local officials, planners, economic development staff, administrators, housing professionals, community service providers, farm market managers, lending professionals, and small/rural business owners are encouraged to attend this free event. Registration is required by April 17^th, and can be found here. Light breakfast, coffee and tea, and mid-morning snacks will be provided. Don’t miss this chance to talk to USDA-RD program specialist and learn how these programs can benefit your locality or organization! To view the agenda, click here.

The CSPDC Board of Commissioners adopted the BRITE Transit Development Plan (TDP) at their February 6, 2023 meeting. TDPs are required by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), and serve as a multi-year planning document that provides direction for a transit system and its community partners. The planning process identifies transit needs, develops potential improvements to meet those needs, prioritizes the potential improvements, and identifies the resources needed to implement the projects chosen for the planning period. The planning process was guided by the consultant KFH Group and CSPDC transit program staff, with input from the BRITE Transit Advisory Committee (BTAC), the Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (SAWMPO), and the public.

Plans have a ten-year outlook, and are updated every six years. In the next several years, BRITE plans to implement additional days service, microtransit pilot project, additional routes and later hours of service, consider fare-free service, install additional passenger amenities through infrastructure and technology, and consider fleet electrification.

Governor Youngkin announced last week that Highland County was one of four communities in the state to receive a Virginia Brownfield Restoration and Economic Redevelopment Assistance Fund (VBAF) grant. The $341,586 award will support the revitalization of the Highland Inn.

Located on Main Street in Monterey, the Highland Inn is part of Highland County’s economic development strategy to increase tourism through retreat conferences and cultural events. In 2021, Phase 1 of the revitalization effort successfully stabilized and restored the Inn’s exterior. Phase II will restore the Inn’s interior, completing the final step necessary to reopen the County’s only hotel.

The VBAF program assists local governments to redevelop brownfield sites in an effort to attract new economic development prospects. Brownfields are properties in which redevelopment is complicated by the presence of hazardous materials, pollution, or contaminants. The VBAF grant will fund the removal and remediation of lead paint from the historic Inn’s interior.

The CSPDC is making progress on the Lewis Street Transit Hub Rehabilitation project. The Lewis Street Hub is located at 240 N. Lewis Street in Downtown Staunton and currently serves the BRITE Bus transit system as a central hub and transfer location for multiple BRITE Bus routes. The lot is also used by the City of Staunton to provide free parking to downtown visitors. Lot conditions have deteriorated over time due to regular wear and tear from daily bus traffic. In March of 2022, the CSPDC was awarded a 5339 Bus and Bus Facilities Grant from the Federal Transit Administration to rehabilitate the lot. This competitive grant funding will allow the CSPDC to improve lot conditions, create a designated bus boarding area, and improve the overall experience of those using the lot for transit and parking needs.

In September of 2022, the CSPDC released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Engineering and Design services for this project. After reviewing and scoring all proposals based on qualifications, the CSPDC awarded the engineering and design contract to Kimley-Horn and Associates. A notice-to-proceed was issued in January. CSPDC and City of Staunton staff will meet with consultants from Kimley-Horn and Associates in March to officially kick-off the project.

Geotechnical engineers working with Kimley-Horn have begun surveying and conducting field assessments in preparation for the kick-off meeting.  CSPDC staff will meet with their consulting team at Kimley-Horn regularly over the coming months as engineering and design plans are developed. Once designs and site plans have been finalized and approved, Kimley-Horn will assist the CSPDC in preparing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for construction.

The engineering and design phase is anticipated to take approximately six months. CSPDC hopes to issue a contract for construction by late summer, with construction to begin soon after.

The Town of Mount Crawford, Rockingham County’s smallest and oldest originally chartered town, adopted a new Comprehensive Plan on March 13. The Plan identifies goals, strategies, and action items to address community growth, improve existing infrastructure and historic resources, advance the development of new community spaces and parks, and maintain fiscal responsibility.

CSPDC staff assisted the Town’s staff and Planning Commission with developing the Plan, and facilitated two phases of public engagement. The first public survey yielded over 100 responses in a Town of 439 people.

A Comprehensive Plan is a guidance document that defines a community’s vision over a 25-year period. The Plan is not regulatory, and is intended to inform future Town decision-making on key Town issues.