Those tasked with overseeing the county’s ongoing comprehensive plan review had a chance to hear feedback on three different occasions last week, giving them a better idea as to just how residents would like to see the future of Powhatan unfold.

During public meetings held at three locations throughout the county, residents were presented with three different scenarios involving future growth.

The first scenario was based on the current land use model, while the second focused on preserving farm land. The third scenario dealt with a directed growth approach, focusing growth on areas with an infrastructure already in place.

The meetings were well attended, said Planning Director Brandon Stidham, and allowed county officials, as well as the consulting firm handling the revision, to test the public reaction to what they have proposed. 

“The purpose of the meetings was to see if they were on the right track,” said Stidham. The questions posed by residents “ran the gamut” of concerns, said Stidham.

Stidham offered that the meetings had definitely contributed helpful information to the revision process.

Heading into last Thursday’s meeting held at Powhatan County High School, District 1 Supervisor Joe Walton said the question he had heard most often concerned how much residents’ input will impact the comprehensive plan revision process.

“The biggest [question] people have been asking is how much has been decided already,” said Walton.

The answer is that very little has been finalized yet, said Walton, even at the more basic levels.

“We are still very much in the information gathering stage,” he explained.

“The colors on the map, and the definition of what those colors mean, are subject to change based on what the people want.”

Walton compared the situation many county residents find themselves in to people purchasing a vehicle. They might know what features they want in their county’s comprehensive plan, he explained, but the price of those features may also impact their final decision.

Walton said he had seen around 15 people at each of the first two meetings, though he estimated that “about 100 or so” had been involved in the process through other avenues. What the planners haven’t seen, said Walton, is any real degree of fanaticism towards the possible direction in which the county may be headed.

“We haven’t found any people whose hair is on fire, who are saying do this or don’t do that,” said Walton.

“They are coming in genuinely ready to listen and learn…and that’s refreshing.”

The next step in the process will be a meeting of the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee on Thursday, Jan. 31, during which the consultants will hear the committee’s view of the proposed scenarios.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Powhatan County Library.

For more information, or to learn more about the comprehensive plan review process, county residents are encouraged to visit http://www.powhatancompplan.us.