Your Participation is Urgently Needed.

After more than two years of work, the revised edition of the Accomack County Comprehensive Plan is ready for prime time. Having languished at the feet of the Board for four months, a public hearing on its content and merits will be held Wednesday, 14 May at 7pm at Metompkin Elementary School in Parksley. This will be our opportunity to publicly comment on what the Planning Commission has worked on. Your participation, is necessary. This is one of the things we have worked so hard on, both directly, in comments to the Planning Commission, and behind the scenes, speaking to Commission members and Board members.

The Plan, although flawed in some ways, also contains many new and positive ideas. It is also long overdue. State Law requires a revised Comp Plan in every county every five years. Accomack’s has not been visited for over eleven. The time has come. Like any plan that takes two years to develop, we are aware of certain things that have still not been included (and should be) but the moment is now for this thing to be moved along by Board approval.

The Plan Has to Be Approved Before Any Zoning Ordinances Can Be Passed.

Until the Comp Plan is ratified by the Board, hopefully at the meeting on the 14th, no action can take place on the all-important revisions to the zoning ordinances. This is where the real issues will emerge and this is why this Board of Supervisors must approve this Plan and give it back to the Planning Commission for those amendments. With a single glaring exception, the Planning Commission is composed of thoughtful, sentient people capable of good work on the ordinances. We expect a reasoned approach from them once they are given their marching orders by the Board.

Make no mistake, this Comp Plan is a lynch-pin to our efforts to promote good land use and sensible development. This is why our group exists and it is why we have been so successful over the last three years. This is also why we need you to show up on the 14th and speak in favor of the Plan.

Why You Should Attend and What You May Want to Emphasize.

The Comp Plan as it now exists is the result of the work and efforts of many people including our own membership. We have contributed meaningful commentary at all phases of the development of the Plan and we need to now speak at the hearing in support of it. Here is why you should plan on attending the May 14th meeting and be counted in favor of this Plan. Remember that this is an on-going struggle and nothing at all is assured until the final votes are counted.

Become part of the discussion.

Please join the discussion on any of these topics by clicking the link on the respondent's page or contact us with your suggestions. SONs will post your responses in a future edition to this page. To receive email notices when we add new content, give us your email address in the contact us page and ask to be added to our list in the comments box. We will respect your time and NOT email you unless you opt in.

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