News

50 Years of Community Development

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In the 1970s, a regional inventory revealed that there were significant needs and lack of financial resources to upgrade existing public utility systems within our region. Since that time, the CSPDC has provided technical assistance to all 21 jurisdictions through identifying and evaluating solutions to problems; assisting with grant applications and administration; assisting with seeking and obtaining financing; and completing GPS and mapping services for utilities.
In 1998, the CSPDC established the Central Shenandoah Development Corporation, a 501c(3) organization. The program provided an innovative approach to providing technical assistance for infrastructure projects and was the first of its kind to be established by any Planning District in Virginia.
To highlight just a few of the projects the CSPDC has been involved with over the years:
  • A $10 million upgrade to a conventional wastewater treatment facility serving Craigsville and the Augusta Correctional Center.
  • A $2.7 million project in Goshen to replace the public water system with new water lines, water storage tank and water meters for each connection. (The previous system experienced a massive failure resulting in a declared state of emergency!)
  • The $2.5 million Bacova Regional Sewer System project, which included improvements to the Hot Springs Treatment Plant to bring a reliable and expanded sewer system to Bath County.
  • A $1 million CDBG grant to the City of Buena Vista to repair Dickinson Well, the city’s largest well source.
These projects have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in our region and were made possible thanks to important partnerships with federal, state and local governments and other organizations.

Pre-Applications for TAP Due: May 15-July 1

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The Transportation Alternatives Program, which funds bicycle, pedestrian, and Safe Routes to School projects, will now require pre-applications to be submitted prior to final applications for the next round of TAP funding. Mandatory pre-applications will be accepted between May 15 and July 1, 2019. Final applications are due by October 1, 2019.

VDOT is holding Transportation Alternatives Program application workshops for localities that are interested in applying for funding. The workshops will review program eligibility, application process, and scoring criteria. CSPDC localities are encouraged to attend the workshop scheduled for Wednesday, April 24 at 10:00 am at the VDOT Culpepper District Office. CSPDC staff are also available to assist with writing and submitting TAP applications.

CSPDC Director Attends DDAA-NADO Conference in D.C.

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The Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) and the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) held its joint 2019 Washington DC conference last month. CSPDC Executive Director Bonnie Riedesel along with 500 other local development directors from around the country attended the annual conference in Arlington.
The conference offered an opportunity for DDAA and NADO members to come to the Nation’s Capital to gain valuable insight into national issues and learn about new federal policy priorities, while still focusing on building strong regional economies and communities back home. The three main topic areas that were covered at the conference included rural broadband, entrepreneurship, and substance abuse and its impact on the workforce.

While there, a group of Virginia PDC directors, VAPDC president and VAPDC Director met with several of Virginia’s congressional staff and legislative aides at the Capital. This meeting was an opportunity to highlight some of the projects and programs in the PDC regions and leverage future federal investments and support for these programs.

GO Virginia Region 8 Holds Project Pipeline Summits

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The GO Virginia Region 8 Council recently launched its first, annual “Call for Projects” to identify and prioritize projects for the Fiscal Year 2020 that cultivate new jobs and opportunities across the Shenandoah Valley.

To begin the project prioritization process, Region 8 held two GO Virginia summit meetings at Lord Fairfax Community College and Blue Ridge Community College on March 13 and 14. Nearly 80 local, regional, education, and non-profit partners convened to generate two extensive lists of potential project opportunities. Following the summits, the Region 8 Council invited organizations to submit project ideas by completing and submitting Project Abstracts. The outcomes of the collective brainstorming sessions have been captured and compiled under each of the four GO Virginia frameworks: Workforce Development, Start-Ups/Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, Site Development, and Business Scale-up & Commercialization. The Region 8 Council will discuss these project ideas at their April 23 meeting.

John Deere Publication, The Furrow, Highlights Fields of Gold

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Fields of Gold Farm Trail members Laruel Fork Sapsuckers, Meadow Croft Farm, Mountain View Farm, Rockbridge Vineyards, and Showalter’s Orchard were featured among other Shenandoah Valley farmers in The Furrow’s March 2019 issue.

The Furrow is the United State’s edition of the worldwide farm magazine published in 12 languages by John Deere & Company and its subsidiaries. The article entitled Oh Shenandoah; A place where farmers gladly welcome visitors discusses the region’s agricultural heritage, product diversity and the Fields of Gold Farm Trail program. The publication is sent as a courtesy to over 50,000 John Deere equipment owners across the country.