Powhatan’s District 1 Supervisor Joe Walton has announced the formation of the Huguenot Trail Advisory Committee, a group of county residents tasked with guiding the development of Huguenot Trail.

“This committee is long overdue,” said Walton. “We have two major rezoning requests and increasing traffic pressures that beg comprehensive plan reviews of the Huguenot Trail, but no action has been taken to do so for a very long time.”

Huguenot Trail, also known as Route 711, has been designated as a scenic byway. The County is currently considering rezoning requests for two areas near Powhatan’s border with Chesterfield, including one to create an inn and conference center (see Malvern story).

“The committee will be an opportunity to take the pulse of the county with regard to the Byway and give us a method to create something very special and unique in the region,” said Walton, who presented the plan during the first board meeting of 2008 on Monday night.

Walton said he first conceived the idea of the committee in response to two major rezoning requests along the route, as well as mounting safety concerns due to increased traffic.

“Wise folks like Roger Richardson have raised this concern repeatedly and now something is being done to mitigate those planning concerns,” said Walton.

The committee will be composed of nine voting members appointed by the Board of Supervisors, two Board of Supervisors members from any electoral district, two Planning Commission members from any electoral district, one member of the Economic Development Authority, one landowner from the 711/288 area, two landowners from the portion of the byway west of the 288 interchange and three county residents.

A Planning Commissioner will serve as the chair of the committee and a vice chair and secretary will be chosen from within the committee.

According to Walton’s proposal, the group will be examining a number of subject areas including the economic development potential of the 288 interchange, tourism promotion and signage along the route.

The group is also expected to consider the proposed methods of preserving the character of the area with regard to architectural standards and historic preservation.

Specific details concerning meeting times and location is expected to be posted on the Powhatan County website at http://www.powhatanva.gov.

Meetings of the Huguenot Trail Advisory Committee will be open to the public.

For more information, contact Economic Development Director Sherry Swinson at 804-598-5605.