Mount Crawford Awarded Funding for Public Park 

The Town of Mount Crawford was awarded over $300,000 to create the Town’s first public park and space behind Town Hall and along the North River. The park will include a sensory trail, sensory playground, picnic shelter, bathroom, parking, native tree walk, and direct access to the North River for fishing and kayaking. The project also ties in to a recently completed boat launch.

The CSPDC assisted the Town with the grant application. The project is being funded through a Virginia Outdoors Foundation grant, which provides funding for projects that provide public access to outdoor spaces. 

SHD Aviation Tech Park Holds Ribbon Cutting

The Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport cut the grand opening ribbon for a long-envisioned hangar project in its Aviation Technology Park. Two 14,000 square foot corporate aircraft hangars will support aviation-related business growth in the region. The ribbon cutting event on November 6 celebrated the completion of the project and recognized the project’s partners including two federal agencies involved in its funding, USDA Rural Development and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA). The Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport Commission was awarded a $2 million grant from EDA for the project.

Bath County Earns $2M DHS REMCDP Grant

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a notice of award on September 28 to Bath County for $2,000,000 in funding under the Rural Emergency Medical Communications Demonstration Project (REMCDP) grant. The REMCDP seeks to leverage existing technologies and engage non-medical professionals to help establish or sustain statewide medical communications systems and use existing infrastructure to improve the delivery of rural medical care.

2024 VATI Program Details Released

The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) recently issued the 2024 Virginia Telecommunications Initiative (VATI) program guidelines and criteria. The primary objective of the VATI grant is to provide financial assistance to supplement construction costs by private sector broadband service providers, in partnership with local units of government, to extend service to areas that presently are unserved by any broadband provider. 

Lexington Approved for CDBG to Study Housing

In October, the City of Lexington and the CSPDC received an award notice for a $50,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). The awarded planning grant will allow the City to complete a city-wide housing conditions and infrastructure windshield survey and needs assessment. The awarded grant will build off the momentum gained in the past two years through the CSPDC’s regional housing study and the City’s local efforts to address housing. Additionally, the assessment will help to guide the future direction of housing grants and programs.

2023 VA Farm to Table Conference Set

The 2023 Virigina Farm to Table Conference is set for December 12 and 13 at Blue Ridge Community College's Plecker Workforce Center. This year's theme is “Nourishing and (Re)Imagining Collaboration, Conservation, and Community.”

Speakers and panelists will cover regenerative agriculture, safety trauma, emotional ecology, drought resilience, managing pastureland, the power of land and agency, community food webs and clusters, connections between soil health and human health, diversifying and stacking complementary enterprises, value chain connections, market development, local and regional food system development.

Supply Chain and Logistics Survey Underway 

The Commonwealth Center for Advanced Logistics Systems (CCALS), in collaboration with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), the State Chamber of Commerce, and the Port of Virginia, has launched a survey of the Commonwealth's Supply Chain and Logistics ecosystem. 

The survey seeks input (opportunities/challenges) from BOTH providers of logistics (rail, truck, air, water, etc.) and those who rely on logistics (retailers, hospitals, manufacturers, energy, broadband, agriculture, etc.).

CSPDC Recognizes New Commissioner

Julia Hensley was appointed to the CSPDC Commission to represent the County of Augusta. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a Masters in Urban

and Regional Planning, also from VCU. Ms. Hensley is employed with Augusta County as their

Planner. Ms. Hensley replaces Alidia Vane on the Commission.

Finance Director Opening

CSPDC seeks an experienced Finance Director to join our 16-member planning and leadership team.This senior-level position reports to the Executive Director and is responsible for directing and supervising the fiscal operations of the organization. Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package. Majority of work is performed on-site in an office setting; a limited telework schedule is available when warranted.

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