HomeMy WebLinkAboutStrategic Plan 10/7/98'Promoting the general well
being and enhancing the
quality of life for all citizens
through the provision and
delivery of the highest level of
public service.'
Albemarle County Mission
Albemarle
County
Strategic
Plan
Table of Contents
Introduction
What is Strategic Planning?
Albemarle County Strategic Plan
Key Themes: The Broad Perspective of an "Overall Strategic Plan"
The Component Plans in Brief
Strategic Plan Organization
Community Vision Statement
Albemarle County Mission
Human Services
Housing
Economic Development
Growth Management & Land Use
Transportation
Public Utilities
Community Facilities
Arts & Culture
Education
Local Government
Sustainability
Appendix
Definition of Terms
Community Vision Statement (Excerpts)
Local Government Vision Statement
School Division Indicators of Success
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Communities today face two realities. First, the world is changing, and no community is exempt from
change. Second, resource limitations require careful choices; a community can not be all things to all
people. On the positive side, however, new opportunities emerge daily. Successful communities will
seize those oppommities and prosper.
What is Strategic Planning?
Strategic planning is a systematic way of managing change and creating the best possible future for all.
It offers communities a chance to look beyond day-to-day concerns, or even year-to-year issues like
municipal tax rates, to focus on larger questions like: "What are the most important issues, opportunities
and problems that we faceT' "If we don't do anything, where are we headed?" "Where would we as a
community like to go?" and "How can we accomplish our vision?"
"The greater thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what
direction we are going."
Thomas Jefferson
A strategic plan is more than just a long-range plan, however. It is a focused process that concentrates
on selected issues, explicitly considers resource availability, assesses strengths and weaknesses,
considers major evems and changes occurring outside the organization or community, is action oriented,
and emphasizes practical results.
Albemarle County Strategic Plan
The mission of Albemarle County is:
"to promote the general well being and enhance the quality of life for all
citizens through the provision and delivery of the highest level of public
service."
To accomplish this, Albemarle County has, over the years, developed and approved a number of plans
meant to guide public and private activities as they relate to land use, service delivery, and resource
utilization.
State law requires every county, city and town to adopt a comprehensive plan for the physical
development of its territory. It also requires that the comprehensive plan be reviewed every five years to
ensure that the plan remains consistent with community views and is addressing current issues within
the community. In 1971, the Board adopted its first Comprehensive Plan, which established County
policies on land' use and development, transportation systems, pUblic facilities and utilities, resource
protection, housing, human services, and public services. The Comprehensive Plan was subsequently
updated in 1977, 1980, 1983 and 1989.
Since 1989, however, there has been no unified update of the Comprehensive Plan. Instead, sections of
the Comprehensive Plan have been reviewed and updated individually, including the Economic
Development Policy (March, 1995), and the Land Use Plan (June, 1996), which includes segments on
growth management, land use standards, transportation, utilities and community facilities. (The Land
Use Plan for Rural Areas and the Natural Environment, which addresses natural, scenic and historic
resources, has not yet been updated.) Additionally, a Housing Action Plan was approved in March,
1995 and a Human Services Plan was approved in December, 1995. Finally, the School Board adopted
a six-year strategic plan for county schools in 1994, which was updated in 1996 and during the summer
of 1998.
As a result of this piece-meal approach to reviewing and updating County policies, a current, unified
blueprint for guiding future activities does not exist. To rectify this, the County elected to develop an
overall County Strategic Plan that summarizes, in one consolidated document, the major policies
governing County activity in the areas of human services, housing, economic development, land use,
arts and culture, education and local government organization. This strategic plan document, will be
supplemented by the individual component plans (i.e., Comprehensive Plan, Human Services Plan,
Housing Plan, Public Schools Strategic Plan, and the Economic Development Policy) that provide for
more detailed discussions of the relevant issues, goals, objectives and implementation strategies/
recommendations. ~
Key Themes: The Broad Perspective of an "Overall Strategic Plan"
Although this document summarizes elements of many different plans, several inter-related themes mn
throughout and provide the basis for a cohesive, integrated overall county strategic plan. These themes
include: growth management, social well being, economic opportunity, sustainability, educational
quality, regional partnerships and continuous quality improvement. They reflect not only the County's
broad mission of promoting the general well being and enhancing the quality of life for all citizens, but
reflect its vision for the furore as well:
"We visualize our community as one...
· that balances the natural and built environments and that has a vital
urban core surrounded by a rural area that remains predominately
green and open;
· where each individual is valued and where all can live affordably
and safely;
· that has a strong, diversified economy with opportunities for local
businesses and meaningful jobs;
· that values and provides quality education for all ages, vocations.
and abilities; and
· that has open and accessible governments, which cooperate to
provide quality services economically.2''
x Future Comprehensive Plans will now focus on the physical planning issues typically under the review and responsibility of
the Planning Commission and will not include sections on human services, housing, and education. These sections, along
with the newly developed Arts and Culture Plan, will be adopted as part of the overall County Strategic Plan.
: As stated in the City, County and University's Community Vision Statement. Excerpts of the Community Vision are
included in the Appendix to this document.
Growth Management. Striking a balance between the need to accommodate growth and development,
while at the same time preserving the natural, environmental, historical and cultural resources of the
community, are central themes of both the Land Use Plan and Economic Development Policy. Both of
these, plans promote the community's shared vision of a strong and vital urban core that is surrounded by
a green and open rural area. To accomplish this, the Land Use Plan promotes the managed growth
strategies of directing development to already built and planned communities, and of growing within the
limits of the County's natural resources. The Economic Development Policy builds upon these
strategies by focusing on developing the local 'economy in ways that do not seek to stimulate further
population growth, nor jeopardize the natural, human, historical and cultural strengths of the
CO1TIIllunity.
Social Well-Being. Several County plans also focus on improving the general well-being of County
residents by promoting the creation of additional economic and educational oppommities, a larger
supply of affordable housing, healthy family development, a sense of community identity, and a safe and
secure community. The Human Services Plan recognizes that healthy families and early education are
critical to preventing many social and economic ills; and that education and training are the keys to
promoting economic self-sufficiency. The Economic Development Policy and School Division
Strategic Plan also rest on the notion that family self-sufficiency depends upon securing higher than
minimum-wage employment, and that education and job training are critical to improving job
oppommities and competitive wages. The Housing Plan addresses the fundamental need to increase the
supply of affordable housing in the County. Finally, the Arts and Culture Plan recognizes that arts
appreciation and cultural heritage are fundamental components of education, community identity and
personal growth, as well as valuable assets to be used in economic development strategies.
Economic Opportunity. Promoting economic opportunity within the context of the County's overall
growth management philosophy is the central objective of the County's Economic Development Policy,
and a corollary objective of plans aimed at improving the social well-being of County residents. The
Economic Development Policy recognizes that strategies which promote the natural, economic, historic
and cultural resources of the area, without detracting from them, are important avenues for building
economic oppommity. Some of these strategies include tourism development, the encouragement of
environmentally sustainable industry (such as agriculture and forestry), and the promotion of local
business oppommities.
Educational Quality. Several plans also recognize that education is a principal strength of the
community, and a vital ingredient to improving the social-well being and quality of life for County
residents. The mission of the Albemarle County School Division is to provide all students with the
knowledge, skills, and values to live as informed and productive members of society. The Schools'
strategic plan reflects this vision by focusing on improving academic achievement, serving diverse
learners, promoting responsible citizenship, increasing client satisfaction (among students, parents and
the community at large), and achieving the most efficient and effective use of scarce school system
resources. The Human Services Plan, the Housing Plan, and the Economic Development Policy also
rest, in part, on the notion that education and job training are critical to improving oppommities for
employment, and preventing such social and economic ills as poverty, crime, child abuse, neglect, and
teenage pregnancy. Finally, the Arts and Culture Plan recognizes that arts appreciation and cultural
heritage are critical components of education, personal growth, and community development.
Regional Partnerships. Preserving and promoting the County's place in the regional economy and
physical environment, within the context of the County's overall growth management philosophy, is
another thread winding through several County plans. The Land Use Plan and Economic Development
3
Policy both recognize the County's existence within a regional setting and the need to integrate the
County's physical and economic development with that of other jurisdictions. However, neither plan
promotes regional cooperation at the expense of protecting the County's natural resources and economic
strengths. Promoting the region as an artistic, cultural and historical center is one mechanism for
promoting positive economic development.
Continuous Quality Improvement. Recognizing that improving the way the County governs, teaches
and does business is central to achieving our shared visions, County plans also focus on continuous
quality improvement. Setting priorities, improving customer service, worker empowerment, innovation
and attention to quality are key components of the local government and school division strategic plans.
Re-organizing service delivery for greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness also is a component of the
Community Facilities and Infrastructure (Utilities, Transportation) plans, as well as the Human Services
Plan.
Sustainability. Sustainability is a key aspect of the County's growth management philosophy and of
"growing within the limits of our resources." As previously mentioned, the need to balance
development and the natural environment is a central theme of the Land Use Plan, as is the need to
conserve the County's natural, environmental, historic and cultural resources for future generations. The
Economic Development Policy focuses on promoting the sustainability of our human and economic
resources, such as the County's local labor force, tax base, and business sector. Finally, the 1998
Sustainability Accords and Vision of Sustainability, developed by the Sustainability Council of the
Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission, although not formally approved by the Board of
Supervisors, provide a blueprint for local governments to build and maintain sustainable communities.
These inter-related themes provide the cohesive element that links the individual County plans and
forms the basis for a cohesive and integrated County Strategic Plan. The ongoing and central challenge
of the County, and of the community as a whole, is to balance these elements and integrate them into the
policies, attitudes and vision that shape our community.
The Component Plans in Brief
Community Vision Statement:
The Community Vision statement, provisionally adopted as a working document by the Board of
Supervisors on August 24, 1994, reflects the combined vision of the County, City and University for the
Albemarle-Charlottesville community. (The City and County incorporated this vision statement as pan
of their respective master plans.)
The Community Vision was developed by the Planning and Coordination Council (PACC), a City-
County-University planning agency, as a "kick off' event to the comprehensive plan reviews that were
· set to begin in the respective three jurisdictions. It was designed to establish a "One Community" vision
foundation upon which the separate review processes would be based. The visioning process brought
together individuals from diverse backgrounds, including community members, at two community
visioning forums involving approximately 400 people in early 1994. It also utilized community profile
data obtained from a joint City/County/UVA survey of the community conducted in April, 1994.
The Board of Supervisors adopted the Community Vision Statement, provisionally, as a working
document in August, 1994, with the intention of using and reviewing the Statement as it went through
the update and study of the Comprehensive Plan. Following completion of the Plan, the Board indicated
that it would revisit the Statement in an attempt to develop a final Community Vision Statement that the
University, the City and County could agree upon. Currently, PACC is reviewing the statement.
Human Services Plan:
The Albemarle County Human Services Plan was approved by the Board of Supervisors in December,
1995.3 Its purpose was threefold: to address the underlying socio-economic factors that continue to
degrade the quality of life for many County residents; to establish community priorities for the delivery
of human services, and to unify and simplify the current system of service delivery.
The Plan was developed by teams of community and human service agency leaders. A core group, the
Human Services Plan Oversight Team, was created in the summer of 1994 and charged with overseeing
the work of four separate issue teams: the Creating a Process Team, the Saving Our Next Generation
Team, the Fostering Self-Sufficiency Team, and the Creating a Safe Environment Team. The nine-
member Oversight Team included representatives from the County Departments of Planning and
Community Development, Housing, and Social Services, as well as representatives of the Thomas
Jefferson (regional) Planning District Commission, the Albemarle County School Division, and the
County Executive's Office. Each functional area team consisted of approximately twenty members and
included various community and human service agency leaders knowledgeable about the respective
issue area.
Each issue team met several times over a six month period to envision the human services system they
wanted to see in place, to define any barriers to achieving such a system, and to outline the specific
actions needed to break through those barriers. The recommendations of each team were distilled into
four broad human service goals, one from each team, with each goal accompanied by several objectives
and strategies.
The resulting plan, approved in December, 1995 by the Board of Supervisors, provides a framework for
restructuring the way human services are assessed and delivered, with the goal of providing a more
focused, efficient, streamlined, integrated and realistic service delivery system. The plan is based on the
underlying principals of prevention and self-sufficiency, and focuses on access to services, technology
improvement and accountability. There have been no amendments to the Human Services Plan to date.
Given the inter-related social needs addressed by this plan and the number and diversity of human
service programs existing in the community, this plan was intended to be reviewed periodically and
adapted to any changes in social, technological, political and economic forces. The City-County
Commission on Children and Families will be reviewing this plan to help develop more specific
implementation strategies, beginning in the Fall of 1998.
~ Although previously included as limited sections of the County Comprehensive Plan, the human services, housing and
education sections will no longer appear in future comprehensive plans. Rather, these sections, along with the newly
developed arts and culture section, will be adopted as part of the overall County Strategic Plan. By moving these sections to
the Strategic Plan, the Comprehensive Plan can focus primarily on the physical planning issues typically under the review
and responsibility of the Planning Commission.
Housing Action Plan:
The Albemarle Count~ Housing Action Plan was approved by the Board of Supervisors in March, 1995,
as an update to the housing component of the 1989 Comprehensive Plan.4 Its purpose was to increase
the supply of quality affordable housing for County residents through rehabilitation, new construction
and improved access to existing units.
The Plan was developed by the Albemarle County Housing Committee, a Board-appointed housing
advisory group consisting of at least nine members representing the financial and legal communities,
real estate, construction/ development, City and County hoUsing organizations, the University of
Virginia and citizen members. This group convened its first meeting in April, 1994 and continues to
meet monthly. Several subcommittees were created: the Rental Housing and Counseling Subcommittee,
the Affordable Housing Production and Financing Subcommittee and the Land Use and Regulatory
Issues Subcommittee. (Regular Committee members staff the subcommittees.) Much of the Housing
Action Plan is the result of sub-committee action.
Although there have been no amendments to the Housing Action Plan since it was adopted in March of
1995, the HOusing Committee and County Housing staff have conducted periodic status reviews of the
County's progress toward meeting its stated goals and objectives, and have presented those results to the
Board. Additionally, in February, 1996, the Housing Committee selected several objectives and
strategies from the Housing Action Plan as work issues for Committee members and other interested
parties. The focus issues selected included:
· Increasing financial resources for affordable housing;
· Ensuring that development regulations and the developmem process support affordable housing
development (to include expanding the growth areas and infill development,) and providing or
encouraging the development of a variety of housing types;
· Examining the feasibility of adopting the property maintenance code in whole or in part;
· Establishing a housing education program; and
Examining the feasibility of employer-assisted housing (delayed to mid-1999.)
Since then the Committee has incorporated all seven objectives of the Action Plan into its work plan for
review. Some of the recommendations that have been implemented thus far include the creation of an
Albemarle Housing Initiatives Trust Fund (July, 1998) to address the housing needs of low-income
residents, and a policy statement and recommendation on expanding the County's growth areas (August,
1998.)
Economic Development Policy:
Albemarle County's Economic Development Policy was adopted by the Board in March, 1995, as an
amendment to the 1989 Comprehensive Plan. Its purpose is to support economic growth and
development both in Albemarle County and the region, while conserving the natural, environmental,
human, economic and historical resources of the County.
The Economic Developmem Policy was developed by the Planning Commission and County Planning
staff. The Planning Commission approved the recommended policy on January 3 l, 1995, following a
public hearing earlier that month. Another public hearing on the proposed policy was held by the Board
See Footnote #3.
of Supervisors on February 15, 1995, who finally approved the policy on March 1, 1995. There have
been no amendments to the Economic Development Policy to date.
Land Use Plan:
The Albemarle County Land Use Plan, approved by the Board on June 5, 1996, updates the land use
sections of the 1989 Comprehensive Plan related to growth management, land use standards,
transportation, utilities and community facilities. (The Land Use Plan for the Rural Areas and the
Natural Environment, which covers natural, scenic and historic resources, has not yet been updated.)
The general purpose of the Land Use Plan is to guide the physical development of the County, while
preserving the community's natural, scenic and historic resources.
Work on updating the Land Use Plan began in the summer of 1994, with a telephone survey of citizen
opinions regarding planning and development issues and eight public meetings around the County to
discuss the Comprehensive Plan. Later that year, the Planning Commission began work on updating the
Plan. It held numerous work sessions that were open to public comment. After the Planning
Commission's draft Plan was completed, six public forums and two public hearings were held to provide
an opportunity for public comment on the Plan. The Planning Commission then approved the Plan and
forwarded it to the Board of Supervisors for its review and approval. The Board's review process
included an open work session and a public hearing. The Plan was formally approved by the Board on
June 5, 1996. There have been no amendments to the updated Land Use Plan to date.
Work on updating the natural environment and rural areas sections of the Land Use Plan currently is
underway. The natural environment chapter will go to the Planning Commission in October, 1998.
Following Planning Commission review and approval, the proposed policy will go to the Board of
Supervisors. Preliminary work already has begun on updating the rural areas section of the plan.
Arts & Culture Plan:
The Albemarle County Arts and Culture Plan, not yet approved by the Board of Supervisors, was
conceived as a new section of the Comprehensive Plan. (The 1989 Comprehensive Plan did not include'
a section on arts and culture.) The purpose of the plan is to enhance the quality of life for all citizens by
supporting and promoting the arts in Albemarle County. Strategies include the promotion of tourism
and economic development, supporting the arts as an important element of education, and providing
recreational, inspirational and cultural oppommities to citizens.
The Arts and Culture Plan was developed by County Planning staff and the Director of the Piedmont
Council of the Arts, based on selected principles, goals and strategies of the Arts Council's five-year
strategic plan. The draft plan was later streamlined and refined by the County Executive's Office during
development of the overall County strategic plan document.
School Division Strategic Plan:
The Albemarle County Public Schools Strategic Plan, updated in 1998, is a six-year plan that defines the
primary mission of the school system, identifies mechanisms for analyzing student achievement, and
outlines avenues for school improvement. The School Division's Strategic Plan both updates the
education section of the 1989 Comprehensive Plan, and satisfies the strategic planning requirements of
the Standards of Quality (SOQ) for Public Schools in Virginia.5
The initial development of the School Division's vision began with the work of a community-based
Blue Ribbon Commission in 1990. This Commission was charged with establishing a Year 2000 vision
for the School System. Various groups then were involved in analyzing the Commission's
recommendations and establishing 18 goal statements based on the Commission Report and other
identified needs.
The first School Strategic Plan was approved by the School Board in 1994, and incorporated the 18 goal
statements established from the Blue Ribbon Commission's recommendations. Since then, the original
18 goals have been revised and refined into a primary set of 5 five goals. As required by the Virginia
SOQ, a biennial update to the School's Strategic Plan was approved in 1996. This revised strategic plan
extended the scope of the original plan to support the School Board's adopted goals and objectives, as
well as the School Division's commitment to continuous quality improvement (through the School
Improvement Process, or "SIP".) The 1998 update was published earlier this summer.
Summary of Local Government Department Improvement Plans:
The Department Improvement Plans for local government, which were accepted by the Board on
September 2, 1998, have their roots in the County's Quality Improvement Process (QuiP.) Initiated in
1992, QuIP was designed to improve the quality of customer service and foster a greater oppommity for
County' staff involvement in the decision making process. A Leadership Team, composed of general
government and school division executive staff, department heads, deputies, principals and assistant
principals, established an overall vision statement for the County, as well as a set of organizational
values and goals. In addition, a policy-oriented Organizational Development Team (ODT), comprised
of representatives from the school division and local government, was charged with overseeing the
transition of government and schools from traditional management to the quality improvement process.
Goal teams, consisting of volunteers from ODT, addressed specific issues such as leadership and
training, QuiP, customer service, employee support and the like.
In 1997, the QuIP leadership transitioned to the newly-formed Quality Council (QC), comprised of
members from diverse positions in County Government and local community representatives. This
organizational change allowed for more participation at all levels, as well as input from outside sources.
The three major goals of the Quality Council were to: 1) provide greater avenues of communication to
staff concerning the QuiP process, 2) define County-wide areas of continuous improvement, and 3)
ensure the implementation of continuous improvement in all departments and schools.
As a major goal for calendar year 1998, the Quality Council charged the County Executive's Office with
developing improvement plans for local government departments, in order to promote continuous
quality improvement and its integration into all local government departments. These improvement
plans would link the specific goals and objectives of each department to the overall mission and
s Although previously included in County Comprehensive Plans, the human services, housing and education sections will not
appear in future Comprehensive Plans. Instead, these sections, along with the newly developed arts and culture section, will
be adopted as part of the overall County Strategic Plan. The Comprehensive Plan now will focus primarily on the physical
planning issues that typically come under the review and responsibility of the Planning Commission.
8
organizational goals of the County. This planning process also would be an oppommity for all staff
members to participate in setting priorities and creating an action plan for their department.
In early 1998, a professional Strategic Planning Consultant was hired to help departments develop their
department improvement plans. The consultant met with each department during one and one half-day
sessions held throughout the first six months of 1998. During these sessions, departments were asked to
assess their needs, set specific objectives, and determine effective strategies for realizing these
objectives. The eighteen-month improvement plans that were created as a result of this process included
goals, objectives and specific action steps for each department.
The County Executive's office then reviewed the many individual plans and identified common themes
that could be summarized in an overall strategic plan for Albemarle County. During this process,
departments' goals and objectives were evaluated to ensure that they were clearly stated and tied to the
County's overall mission and goals. The identified implementation strategies also were reviewed to
make sure they supported the stated goals and objectives, that staff responsibilities were clearly defined,
and that appropriate staff training would be made available. The summary of local government
department improvement plans synthesized by the County Executive's Office is included in this
document. Individual department plans have been published separately by the County Executive's
Office.
The final step, to be implemented in 1999, is performance measurement and review. Professional
assistance again will be offered to departments to help them design data collection procedures and select
appropriate performance measures. These performance measures will be used to assess and evaluate the
progress of each department in realizing its stated goals and objectives. Formative evaluation strategies
or checkpoints will be put in place to monitor implementation of strategies throughout the year. It is
anticipated that there will be a formal mid-year and end-of-year review to determine where each
department stands in achieving its goals and objectives.
Sustainability Accords and Vision of Sustainability:
The Thomas Jefferson Sustainability Council's 1998 Sustainability Accords and Vision of
Sustainabilitv, is supported in principle by the Board of Supervisors, although it has not been formally
approved by the Board. The purpose of the Council's Plan is to promote the development of sustainable
communities where the social, economic, physical, and political needs of the present are met without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Goals and objectives of the
plan address the areas of human population, basic human needs, economic development, transportation,
land development, waste, values/ethics, community awareness, interdependence/balance, government,
natural environment, and agriculture/forestry.
The Sustainability Accords and Vision of Sustainability were developed by the Thomas Jefferson
Sustainability Council, a 34-member council created in 1994 by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District
Commission to "describe a future where our economic, human, social and environmental health are
assured." Council members include a diverse group of farmers, business people, foresters,
environmentalists, developers, and elected officials from the Planning Commission's six member
jurisdictions of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Louisa, Nelson, and Greene Counties, and the City of
Charlottesville.
During development of the plan, council members convened working groups that included members of
the public with expertise in each of these areas to help craft the plan's goals, objectives and
sustainability indicators. Additionally, a series of public forums were held, culminating in a final forum
on indicators "Toward a Sustainable Future II," which was attended by 400 members of the public. The
comments and suggestions of the public were incorporated at each state of the Council's work. The
indicators and benchmarks of sustainability included in the plan will be used to measure long-term
trends and to point out the degree to which these trends are proceeding in a direction that is unhealthy or
unsustainable for the region over the long-term.
Strategic Plan Organization
The overall Albemarle County Strategic Plan is organized into the following major chapters:
· Community Vision Statement
· Albemarle County Mission
· Human Services
· Housing
· Economic Development
· Land Use (subdivided into separate chapters on Growth
Transportation, Public Utilities and Community Facilities)
· Arts and Culture
· Education
· Local Government, and
· Sustainability
Management and Land Use,
Each chapter is organized to address the following questions: a) Where do we want to be? (What is our
vision?); b) Where are we now? (what is the currem environment?), and c) How do we get there from
here? (what are our goals and objectives?) As such, each section includes the following:
the County's vision for the particular issue area,
· a brief description of the current environment and background conditions that led to the plan's
development, and
· a summary of the major goals and objectives of the plan.
The individual plans that supplement this document (published separately) provide more detailed
discussions of each plan's vision, background issues, goals and objectives. Explicit definitions of the
terms used in this document, excerpts from the Community Vision Statement, the full text of the Vision
Statement for Local Government, and the School Division's Indicators of Success are found in the
Appendix.
t0
Community Vision Statement
"We visualize our community as one...
· that balances the natural and built environments and that has a vital urban core
surrounded by a rural area that remains predominately green and open;
· where each individual is valued and where all can live affordably and safely; -
· that has a strong, diversified economy with opportunities for local businesses
and meaningful jobs;
· that values and provides quality education for all ages, vocations, and
abilities; and
· that has open and accessible governments, which cooperate to provide quality
services economically."
Community Vision Statement for Albemarle
County, the City of Charlottesville, and the
University of Virginia. (1994)
11
imm
The Mission of Albemarle County is:
"to promote the general well being and enhance the quality of life for all
citizens through the provision and delivery of the highest level of public
service."
Albemarle County Quality Improve-
mere Program (QuiP.) May, 1994
13
Vision:
Albemarle County will have an integrated, efficient, accessible and humane system of human services
that emphasizes prevention services for at-risk children and youth, fosters self-sufficiency among its
families and provides a safe and secure environment for its residents.
Current Environment/Background:
Although the County's median family income has increased, and the percentage of people living in
poverty has declined since 1980, not all County residents have benefited equally. The following
factors remain a problem for many County residents:
Many County residents, particularly minorities, children and the elderly, continue to live in
poverty. According to the 1990 Census, approximately 4.8% of County families live below the
poverty level. Of these, minority families, families with children, and single parent families are
more likely to be poor than their white counterparts or peers from two parent families. In 1990,
13.3% of black families were poor, compared to onlY 3.8% of white families. Additionally,
about 7.5% of families with children lived in poverty, compared to 2.2% of childless families.
Approximately 15.9% of single-parent families are poor, compared to 2.6% of married couple
families. (Of single parent families, female-headed households are more likely to be poor,
16.7%, compared to 13.4% of male-headed families.) Finally, about 11.2% of persons aged 65
and over were poor, compared to 7.2% of younger persons. Families in poverty are most heavily
concentrated in the southeastern and northwestern portions of Albemarle County.
Many families in Albemarle still do not have affordable housing or day-care. Approximately
14% of County households and over one third of County renters spend more than 30% of their
income on housing, the federal standard for non- affordable housing. (1990 Census) Extensive
waiting lists also exist for day-care scholarships and funding.
Although the County's population is generally well educated, differences in educational
attainment and school performance continue to exist between whites and minorities. Minority
residents are less likely than whites to have graduated from high school and obtained bachelors
or graduate degrees. In 1990, of the population 25 years or older, whites made up 84.5% of all
high school graduates, 93.8% of those holding bachelor's degrees, and 93.3% of those
possessing a graduate or professional degree. Additionally, white students are more likely than
many minorities to perform well in school, based on school division test scores.
Although the County's unemployment rate remains lower than the state or national averages,
wages in most employment sectors are below state averages. In 1997, the County's
unemployment rate was 1.8%, compared to 4.0% for Virginia, and 4.9% nationwide. However,
average weekly wages in the County are lower than the state-wide averages for all industries
except state government (owing to the presence of the University of Virginia), retail trade and
durable manufacturing. (VEC, 1994)
15
Families in stress are evident in the increasing number of children being taken into foster
care, in the increased number of child abuse and neglect cases, and the increased incidence of
juvenile crime.
Although Albemarle County has a strict application and review process for funding requests from
human service providers, it has not always had a strategic plan that directed resources toward critical
and essential services that benefit the entire community. As a result, resources often were allocated
randomly, in response to the most vocal and emergent needs, rather than through a planned process that
looked at the long-term needs of County residents, that included citizen input, and that evaluated
program performance.
Additionally, the service delivery system that developed was fragmented, difficult to understand, tough
to access and hard to coordinate. Although several joint efforts such as the Children and Youth
Commission and the Community Policy Management Team have improved service coordination, many
services and programs remain outside their purview and are directed by an increasing number of
community non-profit boards and agencies. Additionally, some programs serve only Albemarle
residents, while others serve both City and County, and still others serve all jurisdictions in the Planning
District. This confusing structure has made it difficult for agencies and localities to set local priorities
and allocations, and for citizens to understand and access the system. Finally, human services staff
members have found it increasingly difficult to coordinate services between so many programs and
agencies, while trying to meet the increasing demands on their own services and overworked staff
members.
Human Services Plan:
Summary
The Human Services Plan was developed to: a) address the socio-economic factors causing poverty,
crime, child abuse, neglect and other social ills which degrade the quality of life for County residents; b)
establish community priorities for the delivery of human services; and c) unify and simplify the current
system of service delivery.
The plan is based upon two underlying principles: prevention and self-sufficiency. The emphasis on
prevention is evident in the recommendations that focus on strong families and children, particularly as
they relate to child-care, parenting education, nutrition, and comprehensive programs, such as the
healthy families initiative. The goal of self-sufficiency is encouraged by improving opportunities for
training and education; and by encouraging stronger ties between business and government for the
purposes of creating job opportunities, encouraging neighborhood empowerment and leadership
development, and providing child-care and transportation support to enable people to secure and
maintain employment.
The Human Services Plan is based upon the following guiding principles, goals and objectives. A more
detailed discussion of these elements, and on the specific implementation strategies recommended is
found in the complete Human Services Plan, published separately.
16
Guiding Principles
Albemarle County believes in a human services system that:
· provides equal opportunity and access to services to ail of its citizens;
· assumes a responsibility to help those citizens most in need;
· is client-centered in its provision of services;
· is responsive to community opinions and creates oppommities for public input;
· recognizes the benefit to the community at large of developing and strengthening human
resources;
· recognizes that early prevention and intervention programs provide a long-term economic and
social benefit to the community;
· recognizes the strengths inherent in a diverse population;
· is supported in its efforts by the general public and the private sector; and
· is fair, equitable and just.
Goals and Objectives:
Develop and maintain an integrated, efficient, accessible and humane system for
human services based on accurate information about community needs.
Objectives:
· Charge an appointed group to oversee the assessment and provision of human services and
implementation of the Human Service Plan.
· Use a neighborhood-based approach to work together with the community in assessing and
meeting human service needs.
· Provide an integrated approach to service delivery through collaboration and parmerships
between the public, non-profit and business sectors.
Provide Albemarle's children with the basic educational, vocational, and social
skills to become productive members of society.
Objectives:
· Rebuild the sociai contract between individual citizens and their community by promoting
responsibility and commitment through a sense of shared vaiues and a common vision.
· Develop a fully integrated service delivery system for programs for families and at-risk
children.
· Invest community resources in programs and services that support families and enhance their
efforts to raise healthy children.
· Support efforts that create economic opportunities for youth that will promote self-
sufficiency and enable them to have a vision of their future as a contributing member of the
community.
17
Enable Albemarle County residents to become and to remain self-sufficient
members of the community.
Objectives:
· Forge a partnership between the business community and the public sector to enable families
to become self-sufficient.
· Promote the expansion and coordination of educational/training opportunities.
· Promote the expansion of support services for employment.
IV.
Provide a safe and secure environment for residents, workers and other
community members.
Objectives:
· Ensure that all new Albemarle County development incorporates an agreed upon standard of
risk-reduction design techniques and features at the appropriate stage of planning, design and
construction.
· Identify and eliminate existing physical conditions or uses that create unacceptable safety
hazards or criminal opporttmities, both physical and psychological.
· Reduce the rate of opportunistic crimes, such as burglaries and larcenies that can devastate
businesses and neighborhoods and escalate the fear of crime among citizens.
· Support efforts that will increase citizens' general feelings of safety and security, especially
among vulnerable populations.
18
~D
mm
0
Vision:
Albemarle County will be a community in which an adequate supply of safe, sanitary and affordable
housing exists for residents of all income groups. Additionally, adequate financial resources will be
available, incentives will exist, and County development regulations will support the continued
development of various affordable housing types, both locally and within the region. Finally, all
residents will possess sufficient housing and life-skills education to both obtain and maintain decent
affordable housing.~
Current Environment and Background:
Although the County's median family income has increased, and the percentage of people living in
poverty has declined since 1980, many families continue to experience a lack affordable housing.
According to the Virginia Real Estate Research Center at Virginia Commonwealth University, the
Charlottesville area ranked last among the state's urban regions in terms of the availability of affordable
housing in both 1992 and 1993, based on an average home price of $144,658. Census data (1990) also
shows that approximately 14% of County households and over one third of County renters do not live in
affordable housing, using a federal standard of not paying more than 30% of income for rent. This
relative lack of affordable reflects a high demand for both' new and used housing in the County, due to
continued County population growth, rising incomes and the desirability of the Albemarle commumty as
a place to live.
Housing Action Plan:
Summary
The Albemarle County Housing Plan seeks to increase the supply of safe, sanitary and affordable
housing for all County residents, particularly those least able to obtain affordable housing without
assistance. Objectives of the plan focus on rehabilitation, new construction, improved access to existing
units, housing education, financial resource development, the promotion of alternative housing, regional
cooperation and the removal of regulatory barriers.
The goals and objectives of the Housing Plan are summarized below. A more detailed discussion of the
Plan's background issues, goals, objectives and implementation strategies are found in the complete
Albemarle Count3, Housing Action Plan, published separately.
This vision statement is based on the Housing Action Plan's goal and objectives, but is not part of the approved plan itself.
19
Goal and Objectives
To promote a variety of safe, sanitary and affordable housing types for County
residents of all income groups.
Objectives:
Identify and rehabilitate the County's substandard housing stock;
Provide or encourage development of a variety of affordable housing types;
Stress compliance with state and federal fair housing laws;
· Establish a housing education program;
· Increase financial resources for affordable housing;
· Support regional housing initiatives; and
· Ensure that development regulations and the development process support affordable housing
development.
20
0
(D
>
(D
0
0
LI.I
Vision:
Albemarle County will have a strong, stable and diverse economy that offers a plentiful supply of
meaningful and well-paying jobs, workforce development and training opportunities, a large number of
community-based or locally-owned businesses, a thriving agricultural and forestall industry, and a
strong tax base. Additionally, the County will be an active participant in development initiatives and
cooperative ventures that strengthen the regional economy. Finally, and most importantly, Albemarle
County will assess all local and regional economic development oppommities intelligently, and target
those industries or businesses that can contribute the most to the County and utilize our natural,
economic, human and historical resources, without detracting from them. ~
Current Environment and Background:
Albemarle County continues to experience a moderately high rate of population growth, a trend that
is expected to continue into the next century. (Between 1980 and 1990, the population grew by an
average of 2.0% per year. By 2000, it is expected to grow by an additional 1.8% annually, and by 1.6%
per year by 2010.) Net migration to the County has accounted for about three-quarters of this population
change - about 76.5% since 1990.
Much oft his population growth reflects the County's healthy economy and attractiveness as a place
to live. County workers are skilled and well educated, with about 20% of residents possessing at least a
bachelor's degree. (1990 Census) Unemployment remains low, despite growth in the size of the labor
force. In 1997, the County's unemployment rate was 1.8%, compared to 4.0% for the State, and 4.9%
nationwide. Additionally, per capita personal incomes are high. In 1996, per capita personal income in
the County ($28,384) exceeded per capita personal incomes in the State ($25,255) and nation ($24,436.)
The employment sector also is stable and diverse. The City and County together form the center of the
regional economy, in which the County is home to the area's largest resident work force, and the City
remains the area's largest employment location. The area's largest employer is the University of
Virginia, which, as a major university and medical center, offers great potential for associated research
and development industry. Other major employers continue to provide employment stability and
diversity. Finally, the renowned natural environment, Blue Ridge Mountain location, and historic
resources of the area fuel a growing tourist trade and make the County an attractive place to live and do
business. The rural and agrarian heritage contributes to this character, and also offers opportunity
agricultural and forestry industries.
Despite relatively high incomes, however, poverty, a relative lack of affordable housing and low
wages in many employment sectors remain a problem for many County residents. Approximately
4.8% of County families live below the poverty level. (1990 Census) Additionally, the Charlottesville
area is at or near the bottom of state urban regions in terms of housing affordability, due to the high
demand for housing caused by population growth and the County's desirable location. About 14% of
County households and over one third of all renters do not live in affordable housing, based on federal
affordable housing standards. (1990 Census) Finally, wages provided by County employers are below
~ This vision statement is based on the goals and objectives of the County's Economic Development Policy, but is not a part
of the approved plan itself. It also reflects the Community Vision Statement regarding economic development, which is
presented in the Appendix to this document.
21
the state averages for all industries except state government (owing to the presence of the University of
Virginia,) retail trade and durable manufacturing sectors. (VEC, 1994)
Additionally, studies indicate that although County residents place importance on job opportunities,
housing creation, and economic growth, they do not do so at the expense of protecting and preserving
water quality, natural resources, historic areas and open space. The Spring, 1994 Albemarle County
Plannin~ Needs Survey of long-term community planning goals revealed that bringing more jobs to the
area was less of a priority for residents than was protecting water quality, and preserving our natural
resources, open space, farmland and historic buildings.
Economic Development Plan:
Summary
The Economic Development Policy provides a framework for supporting the economic development of
the County and region, within the overall context of Albemarle's growth management objectives. The
plan focuses on improving job opportunities, competitive wages and work force development
oppommities, and recognizes the importance of affordable housing creation, and regional economic
growth. However, the Plan does not actively seeking to stimulate further population growth. Nor does
it support economic development at the expense of protecting and preserving the natural, environmental,
human, economic and historical strengths of the Albemarle community.
The County's goals and objectives related to economic development are summarized below. The
complete Economic Development Policy includes a more detailed discussion of these elements, as well
as the specific implementation strategies recommended for achieving these goals.
Goal and Objectives
Maintain a strong and sustainable economy: f) benefiting County citizens and existing
businesses and providing diversified economic opportunities; 2) supportive of the
County's Growth Management Policy and consistent with the other Comprehensive Plan
goals; and, 3) taking into consideration regional (including the City of Charlottesville,
and Greene, Louisa, Fluvanna, and Nelson Counties) economic development efforts.
Objectives:
Base economic development policy on planning efforts which support and enhance the
strengths of the County;
· Plan for land and infrastructure to accommodate future business and industrial growth;
· Recognize the County's place in the regional economy;
· Consider fiscal impact as one indicator of positive economic development, along with
environmental impact and standard of living impact;
· Provide local business development oppommities; and
· Provide work force development oppommities.
Vision:
Albemarle County will remain a community characterized by a strong and vital urban core that is
surrounded by green and open rural areas where fanning and forestry thrive. Population gains and
economic growth are managed by channeling new development into designed growth areas that
conserve the County's rural areas and natural resources, facilitate the efficient and economical delivery
of essential services, and promote strong and thriving neighborhoods. Finally, Albemarle County is an
active participant in cooperative initiatives to integrate the County's development with that of
neighboring jurisdictions. ~
Current Environment and Background:
Albemarle County continues to experience a moderately high rate of population growth, a trend that
is expected to continue into the next century. (Between 1980 and 1990, the population grew by an
average of 2.0% per year. By 2000, it is expected to grow by an additional 1.8% annually, and by 1.6%
per year by 2010. Net migration to the County has accounted for about three-quarters of this population
change - about 76.5% since 1990.
Much of this growth reflects the County's healthy economy and attractiveness as a place to live.
County workers are skilled and well educated, with over 20% of residents possessing at least a
bachelor's degree. (1990 Census) Unemployment remains low, despite growth in the size of the labor
force. (The County's unemployment rate was 1.8% in 1997, compared to 4.0% in Virginia, and 4.9%
nationwide.) Additionally, per capita personal incomes are high. In 1996, per capita personal income in
the County ($28,384) exceeded per capita personal incomes in the State ($25,255) and nation ($24,436.)
The employment sector also is stable and diverse. The largest employer is the University of Virginia,
which as a major university and medical center, offers great potential for associated research and
development industry. Other major employers continue to provide employment stability and diversity.
Finally, the renowned natural environment, Blue Ridge Mountain location, and historic resources of the
area fuel a growing tourist trade and make the County an attractive place to live and do business. The
rural and agrarian heritage contributes to this character, and also offers oppommity for agricultural and
forestry industries.
Despite relatively high incomes, however, poverty, a relative lack of affordable housing and low
wages in many employment sectors remain a problem for many County residents. Approximately
4.8% of County families live below the poverty level. (1990 Census) Additionally, the Charlottesville
area is at or near the bottom of urban regions in the state in terms of housing affordability, due to the
high demand for housing caused by population growth and the County's desirable location. About 14%
of County households and over one third of all renters spend 30% or more of their household incomes
on housing costs. (1990 Census) Finally, wages provided by County employers are below the state
averages for all industries except state govemmem, retail trade and durable manufacturing industries.
(VEC, 1994)
~ This vision statement summarizes the intent of the Growth Management and Land Use Components of the Land
Use Plan. but is not part of the approved plan itself. It also reflects the sentiment of the Community Vision
Statement regarding land use and environmental balance, presented in the Appendix to this document.
23
Additionally, studies indicate that although County residents place importance on job opportunities,
housing creation and economic growth, they do not do so at the expense of protecting and preserving
water quality, natural resources, historic areas and open space. The Spring, 1994 Albemarle County
Planning Needs Survey of long-term community planning goals revealed that bringing more jobs to the
area was less of a priority for residents than was protecting water quality, and preserving our natural
resources, open space, farmland and historic buildings.
Growth Management and Land Use Components of the Land Use Plan:
Summary
The Growth Management and Land Use components of the Land Use Plan guide the physical
development of the County, within an overall philosophy of growth management and resource
protection. This section of the Land Use Plan focuses on channeling growth into designated areas: a) to
conserve the County's rural areas and natural resources, including water supply and natural, scenic and
historic resources; b) to facilitate efficient and economical service delivery in those areas (since limited
development lessens the need to provide services to wide areas of the County); and c) to promote a sense
of neighborhood-style development as the preferred design in those areas. Additionally, the land use
Plan recognizes the County's existence in a regional setting and attempts to integrate the County's
physical development with that of neighboring jurisdictions.
The County's goals and objectives related to land use and physical development are summarized below.
The approved Land Use Plan and Comprehensive Plan include a more detailed discussion of these
elements, as well as the specific implementation strategies recommended to achieve them.
General Principles for Land Use in Designated Growth Areas:
· Accommodate new growth in the County within Development Areas.
· Encourage greater utilization of land in designated Development Areas by achieving higher gross
densities for residential and non-residential development than in the past.
· Encourage infill development of vacant lands and development of under-used areas within the
designated Development Areas.
· Development Areas shall not encroach into water supply watersheds, except for the Crozet
Community, which shall not be expanded beyond the watershed boundary of the Lickinghole
Creek detention basin.
· Avoid development of "Significant Areas" as designated in the Open Space Plan.
· Discourage extensive linear style development along major roads.
· All Development Areas shall be served by public sewer and water.
· Plan for a system of transportation and community facilities and services that support and
enhance the Development Areas.
24
General Growth Management Goal
To protect and efficiently utilize County resources by:
· Emphasizing the importance of protecting the elements that define the Rural
Area:
1. Agricultural and Forestry resources
2. water supply resources
3. natural resources
4. scenic resources
5. historic and cultural resources
6. limited service delivery
Of these, the protection of agricultural and forestry resources is the highest priority.
Designating Development Areas where a variety of land uses, facilities, and services
are planned to support the County's future growth, with emphasis placed on infill
development.
Land Use Objectives:
· Direct growth into designated Development Areas.
Establish functional descriptions of the Urban Area, Communities, and Villages.
· Develop and adopt an infill policy for the County. Facilitate irrfill development, including the
redevelopment of existing structures or new development of vacant and under-utilized areas,
within existing Development Areas.
* Establish flexible residential land use densities for the designated Development Areas.
· Establish a mix of commercial, industrial, and open space, and public land uses in designated
Development Areas to support County needs.
Regional Cooperation Objective:
· Support joint analyses with other jurisdictions and cooperative regional planning efforts to
integrate the County's physical development with that of neighboring jurisdictions.2
z This regional cooperation objective is not presented as a formal objective of the Land Use Plan, but reflects the fact that
"[t]he Land Use Plan recognizes the County's existence in a regional setting and attempts to integrate the County's physical
development with that of neighboring jurisdictions. Such integration may be enhanced by future analysis and cooperative
regional planning efforts similar to the cooperative planning occurring among Albemarle County, the City of Charlottesville
and the University of Virginia." (Land Use Plan).
25
0
I~
0
t-
,~
Vision:
A well-developed transportation infrastructure will exist in Albemarle County, that includes a variety of
transportation alternatives and provides for safe, effective, convenient and economical travel county-
wide. Additionally, the design and construction of transportation infrastructure Will support the
County's overall growth management and resource protection objectives by facilitating development in
and directinl~ development to designated growth areas, With minimum damage to the natural
environment.'
Current Environment and Background:
County residents do not support development and economic growth at the expense of protecting and
preserving water quality, natural resources, historic areas and open space. Residents of the County
expect quality facilities, infrastructure and services. It is recognized that the provision of these things
significantly affects the location, timing, and extent of development. However, a Spring, 1994
Albemarle County Planning Needs Survey of long-term community planning goals revealed that
bringing more jobs to the area was less of a priority for residents than was protecting water quality, and
preserving natural resources, open space, farmland and historic buildings.
Transportation facilities and infrastructure, by their very nature, are capital-intensive, yet financial
resources are limited and often fragmented. Public facilities and infrastructure typically require
significant funding not only for their initial development, but also for their continued maintenance and
operation. It is becoming increasingly difficult, however, for growing communities to find adequate
fiscal resources to pay for new or improved transportation facilities or infrastructure, or to maintain that
which currently exist, given limited and often fragmented funding sources.
Additionally, the ultimate responsibility for roadway construction lies with the State, making local
transportation planning difficult. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) constructs and
maintains County roads; there are no County maintained public roads. An important role of the County
in road planning and development is to ensure that VDOT projects and private sector development
proposals adhere to the recommendations of the Comprehensive Plan, the Charlottesville Area
Transportation Study, Year 2000 Transportation Plan (CATS,) and other transportation studies.
Transportation Component of the Land Use Plan:
Summary
The Transportation Component of the Land Use Plan provides direction for the development of
transportation facilities, infrastructure and services in a manner that is fiscally responsible, equitable,
and consistent with the County's growth management objectives. As such, it supports development in,
and directs development to, the County's designated Development Areas for the purpose of: a)
conserving the County's rural areas and natural resources; b) facilitating the efficient and econo.mical
deliverY of services in those areas (since limited development lessens the need to provide services to
wide areas of the County); and c) promoting a sense of neighborhood-style development as the preferred
~ This vision statement summarizes the intent of the transportation component of the Land Use Plan, but is not part of the
approved plan itself.
27
design in those areas. Additionally, the Plan recognizes the regional efforts in transportation planning
established by the Metropolitan Planning Organization and CATS.
The County's goals, principles and design standards related to transpOrtation are summarized below. A
more detailed discussion of these elements, the background issues, specific implementation strategies/
recommendations are found in the complete Land Use Plan.
General Facilities Planning Goal
To strongly support and effectively implement the County's growth management
priorities in the planning and provision of transportation, public facilities and public
utilities.
General Principles for Transportation
1. Support ~egional transportation planning efforts by utilizing the policies of the Charlottesville Area
Transportation Study (CATS) as transportation principles for the County. They are as follows:
· (Overall) The Charlottesville-Albemarle metropolitan area transportation system will provide an
appropriate blend of transportation alternatives to support the movement of people, goods,
services and information in the most efficient and effective manner possible, addressing regional
and statewide transportation needs in a manner consistent with local goals to maintain and
enhance quality of life.
· (Environment) The transportation system will support preservation and enhancement of the
natural environment through two major objectives: (a) integrate and promote alternatives to the
automobile; and, (b) ensure transportation plans are consistent with local land use and
environmental preservation goals, and that facilities are developed and built in a manner
sensitive to the environment.
· (Economy) The Charlottesville-Albemarle metropolitan area transportation system will support
and enhance a vital local and regional economy.
· (Neighborhood and Community Development) The transportation system will support local
government plans to support and enhance neighborhoods and a sense of community within the
region.
· (Community Services and Facilities) The transportation system will support the needs and goals
of people in the region for access to community and cultural/recreational facilities.
2. Plan, establish, and maintain a comprehensive County transportation system which supports the
growth management policy and provides for necessary public safety.
3. Provide for a well planned, safe and convenient roadway system which supports the Land Use Plan
and other transportation objectives, and is consistent with goals and objectives of the Comprehensive
Plan.
4. Encourage (1) the reduction of traffic congestion, pollution, and energy consumption, vehicular
miles traveled; and, (2) increased mobility of the general public, especially the elderly, handicapped,
and disadvantaged, through the increased use of public transportation, car/van pooling, park and ride
lots. and through the integration and coordination of existing and future transit services.
5. Develop a transportation system which employs a variety of transportation modes, including the
provision of walkway and bicycle facilities.
28
General Design Standards for Roads in the County
1. Design new roads in a manner which is sensitive to County and regional efforts which encourage
multi-modal opportunities and neighborhood and pedestrian-friendly character:
· Provide walkways or pathways along all arterials, collectors, and local through-roads in the
Urban Area, Communities and Villages unless, other pedestrian access facilities adequately
address current needs or pedestrian access in a certain location is deemed inappropriate for
reasons of safety. For roads of four lanes or more, provide walkways on both sides of the road to
more safely accommodate pedestrians.
· Provide bike facilities (lanes, paths, paved shoulders, increased pavement width) in accordance
with the Bicycle Plan for the City_ of Charlottesville and Albemarle County.
· Encourage, where right of way is reasonably available, paved shoulders on shoulder and ditch
designed roads (rural cross-section) and wider outside lanes on curb and gutter designed road
(urban cross-section) on any new or reconstructed road to more safely accommodate bicycles.
Paved shoulders also improve long term road maintenance by reducing pavement deterioration
along road edge of rural cross-section roads.
· Accommodate, where appropriate, bus stop pull-outs or other improvements necessary to support
bus service.
2. Design the construction of road improvements to be protective of environmentally sensitive areas
and should encourage a more aesthetically pleasing and "human scale" design. Any anticipated road
improvements or construction in fragile areas should receive extremely careful scrutiny and provide
protection measures to eliminate ecological, environmental, and aesthetic concerns.
3. Encourage landscaping along major roads in the Urban Area, Communities and Villages, particularly
along designated Entrance Corridor Roadways and areas of intensive development.
4. Use less obtrusive, more aesthetically pleasing appurtenant structures such as mast arm traffic light
poles and street light poles and signs.
5. Locate utilities underground where feasible. If utility poles are to be above ground, encourage their
consolidation into one corridor.
6. Minimize clearing activities associated with construction to the greatest extent feasible.
7. Require interconnection of adjacent developments/neighborhoods within Development Areas, and,
where appropriate, in Rural Area development, to achieve a local road system and provide
alternatives to the regional road network for local trips. This principle should apply to residential and
non-residential developments. 'Traffic calming' measures should be incorporated to reduce the
impact of non-local through traffic in neighborhoods (lower speed limits, all directional stop
intersections, speed bumps, traffic channeling measures).
8. Discourage direct access from individual lots to arterial and major collector roads. Utilize joint
entrances, frontage roads, and side street access or other methods to reduce access points to adjacent
properties on collector or arterial roads.
9. Minimize the number of access points per parcel or development area to those necessary to provide
safe and convenient access to and from the site.
10. Minimum desirable separation of street intersections is 1,000 feet for principle arterial roads and 800
feet for minor arterial and collector roads. Minimum desirable spacing for cross-overs (divided road)
is 1,300 feet for principle arterial and 1,000 feet for minor arterial and major collectors. Entrances
shall be located either directly across from a cross-over or at a minimum of 500 feet from a cross-
over.
29
Vision:
A well-developed water, sewer, and utility infrastructure will exist in Albemarle County that facilitates
the efficient and economical delivery of services county-wide. Additionally, the design and construction
of this infrastructure will support the County's overall growth management and resource protection
objectives by facilitating development in and directing development to designated growth areas, and by
safeguarding the quality and integrity of the County's water supply and other natural resources.~
Current Environment and Background:
County residents do not support development and economic growth at the e2cpense of protecting and
preserving water quality, natural resources, historic areas and open space. Residents of the County
expect quality facilities, infrastructure and services. It is recognized that the provision of these things
significantly affects the location, timing, and extent of development. However, a Spring, 1994
Albemarle County Planning Needs Survey of long-term community planning goals revealed that
bringing more jobs to the area was less of a priority for residents than was protecting water quality, and
preserving natural resources, open space, farmland and historic buildings.
Public infrastructure, by its very nature, is capital-intensive, yet financial resources are limited.
Public facilities and infrastructure typically require significant funding not only for their initial
development, but also for their continued maintenance and operation. It is becoming increasingly
difficult, however, for growing communities to find adequate fiscal resources to pay for new or
improved facilities or infrastructure, or to maintain that which currently exists.
Public Utilities Component of the Land Use Plan:
Summary
The Public Utilities component of the Land Use Plan is a guide for providing public water, sewer and
other utility infrastructure in a manner that is fiscally responsible, equitable, and consistent with the
County's growth management objectives. As such, it supports development in, and directs
development to, designated Development Areas for the purpose of: a) conserving the County's rural
areas and natural resources, including water supply; b) facilitating the efficient and economical delivery
of services in those areas (since limited development lessens the need to provide services to wide areas
of the County); and c) promoting a sense of neighborhood-style develOpment as the preferred design in
those areas. To accomplish this, the Plan recognizes that service and facilities will be provided at a
much higher level in the Development Areas than in Rural Areas. Additionally, the Plan recognizes the
County's existence in a regional setting and supports analysis of potential City/County/UVA or regional
service delivery options.
~ This vision statement summarizes the intent of the public utilities component of the Land Use Plan, but is not part of the
approved plan itself.
31
The County's goals and principles related to public water, sewer and other utilities are summarized
below. A more detailed discussion of these elements, the background issues, and specific
implementation strategies/recommendations are found in the complete Land Use Plan.
General Facilities Planning Goal
To strongly support and effectively implement the County's growth management
priorities in the planning and provision of transportation, public facilities and public
utilities.
General Principles for Public Water and Sewer
· Plan and live in accord with our water and sewer resources by providing an economical and safe
public system of water and sewer to serve the existing and future Development Area population and
ensure high quality ground water for the existing and future Rural Area population.
· Protect the County's surface and ground water supply to ensure continued safe potable water for
County residents.
· Serve Urban Areas, Communities, and Villages with public water and sewer. Prohibit private central
water and/or sewer facilities within County Development Areas.
· Discourage the utilization of central water and/or sewer systems or the extension of public water and
sewer into the Rural Area except in the cases where public health and safety are at issue. Rural Area
development will be served by individual water and septic systems only (central water facilities are
considered wells, springs or other systems capable of serving three or more connections. Central
sewer facilities are considered systems consisting of drain fields or septic tanks capable of serving
three or more connections).
· Continue effective coordination between the Albemarle County plans and policies and those of the
Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority, the Albemarle County Service Authority, the City and the
University.
General Principles for Other Utilities
· Insure the adequate provision of electricity, telephone, and natural gas services to support existing
and anticipated development in the County.
· Locate other public utilities in a manner that has minimal impact on the natural environment.
32
Vision:
Albemarle County will have quality public facilities that support the efficient, equitable and economical
delivery of services county-wide, and which can accommodate existing and future service needs.
Additionally, the design and construction of public facilities will support the County's overall growth
management and resource protection objectives by facilitating development in and directing
development to designated growth areas, and by safeguarding the quality and integrity of the County's
rural areas and other natural resources.l
Current Environment and Background:
County residents do not support development and economic growth at the expense of protecting and
preserving water quality, natural resources, historic areas and open space. Residents of the County
expect quality facilities, infrastructure and services. It is recognized that the provision of these things
significantly affects the location, timing, and extent of development. However, a Spring, 1994
Albemarle County Planning Needs Survey of long-term community planning goals revealed that
bringing more jobs to the area was less of a priority for residents than was protecting water quality, and
preserving natural resources, open space, farmland and historic buildings.
Public facilities, by their very nature, are capital-intensive, yet financial resources are limited. Public
facilities and infrastructure typically require significant funding not only for their initial development,
but also for their continued maintenance and operation. It is becoming increasingly difficult, however,
for growing communities to find adequate fiscal resources to pay for new or improved facilities or
infrastructure, or to maintain that which currently exists.
Community Facilities Component of the Land Use Plan
The Community Facilities component of the Land Use Plan is a guide for providing public facilities in a
manner that is fiscally responsible, equitable, and consistent with the County's growth management
objectives. As such, it focuses on providing a level of service delivery that will support development
in, and direct development to, designated Development Areas for the purpose of: a) conserving the
County's rural areas and natural resources; b) facilitating the efficient and economical delivery of
services in those areas (since limited development lessens the need to provide services to wide areas of
the County); and c) promoting a sense of neighborhood-style development as the preferred design in
those areas. To accomplish this, the Plan recognizes that service and facilities will be provided at a
much higher level in the Development Areas than in Rural Areas. Additionally, the Plan recognizes the
County's existence in a regional setting and supports analysis of potential City/County/UVA or regional
service delivery options.
The general principles and service objectives of the facilities component of the Land Use Plan are based
upon the Land Use Plan's overall growth management goals and the overall facility objectives outlined
in the separate Community Facilities Plan. The following is a summary of these goals, principles and
service objectives. A more detailed discussion of the background issues, goals, objectives and
~ This vision statement summarizes the intent of the public utilities component of the Land Use Plan, but is not part of the
approved plan itself.
33
implementation strategies/recommendations are found in the complete Land Use Plan and the County's
Community Facilities Plan.2
General Facilities Planning Goal
To strongly support and effectively implement the County's growth management
priorities in the planning and provision of transportation, public facilities and public
utilities.
General Principles for Community Facilities
· The location of new public facilities should be within County Development Areas so as to
support County Land Use Policy. Development Areas such as Communities and Villages will
serve as service center locations for the Rural Area. Only in cases where it is not possible to
locate a new public facility in the Development Area due to physical constraints, or the nature of
the facility, and/or services provided, will public facilities be allowed in the Rural Area.
· Community facilities should be equitably provided for all County residents based on cost-
effectiveness. Levels of service will vary based on the area of the County. Those residents in the
outlying Rural Area should not anticipate a level of service equal to that in the Development
Areas.
· Priority should be given to facilities which address emergency needs, health and safety concerns,
and provide the greatest benefit to the population served.
· Priority shall be given to the maintenance and expansion of existing facilities to meet service
needs.
· All sites should be able to accommodate existing and future service needs. All buildings,
structures and other facilities should be designed to permit expansion as necessary.
· Related or complementary services/facilities should be located within one complex and
centralized whenever possible.
· Funding of community facilities should be scheduled through the Capital Improvement Program
(CIP), based on the Community Facilities Plan.
· All community facilities shall be in conformity with site development regulations.
· Obsolete facilities and sites should be analyzed for potential re-use for other services/facilities
prior to their disposal.
Service Objectives
Police Department:
· Achieve an average response time of ten minutes or less to all emergency calls throughout the
County.
· Construct police substations at strategic locations within a service sector to help achieve desired
response times to all police emergency calls throughout the County.
2 The Community Facilities Plan is a component of the Comprehensive Plan. It serves as the framework for the provision of
community facilities, including timing and location decisions. The facilities component of the Land Use Plan summarizes
the major components of the Community Facilities Plan, but does not replace the full Community Facilities Plan, which was
adopted as an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan in 1993.
34
Provide new facilities in a manner that accommodates the needs of the current and future staff.
Expand departmental staff to provide a level of service of one and half (1.5) officers per 1,000
residents.
Schools:
· Locate schools within or near populated areas in order to minimize travel time and efficiently
meet the educational needs of existing and future residents.
· Establish service areas for existing schools and identify those geographic areas not effectively
served.
· Design elementary and middle schools in a similar manner throughout the County to ensure
parity, cost savings and more timely construction.
· Provide adequate classroom space and facilities to serve school enrollment. In addition, provide
adequate recreational space and facilities on school sites to serve the students and provide
Community and District Park level services.
· Provide new school facilities and the expansion of existing facilities over the next ten years in a
manner that corresponds to that outlined in "The Long Range Plan for Albemarle County
Schools." Discourage the use of modular facilities as permanent facilities. The use of modular
facilities is not seen as an appropriate long-term solution for overcrowding. However, the
periodic use of modular facilities during periods of enrollment fluctuations or prior to expansion
or development is viewed as a normal practice and an economic necessity.
· Identify lands needed for school expansion and new schools and reserve these sites as soon as
feasible for future use.
* Utilize a standard school site selection procedure.
Parks
and Recreation:
Provide recreational opportunities in those geographical areas not effectively served, especially
in or near Development Areas.
· Preserve and provide access to and within areas identified in the Albemarle County Open Space
Plan for public use.
· Utilize County school facilities as an integral part of providing recreational opportunities to
County residents.
· Provide recreational facilities Countywide, based on the standards recommended in this Plan.
· Upgrade facilities in Albemarle County that do not meet the standards outlined in this Plan to
provide a full range of recreational opportunities to their service area in a complemental, and
non-duplicative fashion.
· Emphasize maintenance and enhancement of existing facilities.
Library Service:
· Provide a
total library space of 0.7 gross square feet per resident in the Albemarle
Charlottesville area.
Utilize alternative service methods in areas of perceived need until such time that a permanent
facility can be located, designed and economically justified.
Locate library facilities near, or adjacent to, commercial and service centers/concentrations to
effectively serve a large portion of the population.
35
· Service to the Rural Areas should be provided from branches located within Growth Areas.
Bookmobile service or other such alternative outlet services which do not require significant
capital outlays for buildings shall be utilized to provide service to the Rural Areas.
· Utilize standards established by the Jefferson Madison Regional Library for collections, resource
space, special rooms, staff space, and public seating.
Fire and Rescue Services: · Achieve an average response time to fire emergency calls of five minutes or less in the
Development Areas and thirteen minutes or less in the Rural Areas.
· Achieve an average response time to rescue emergency calls of four minutes or less in the
Development Areas and thirteen minutes or less in the Rural Areas.
· Construct fire and rescue stations at strategic locations throughout the County to help achieve
desired response times to all emergency calls and increase the level of service.
· Provide fire fighting and rescue equipment as needed to meet the characteristics of particular
service areas.
· Encourage construction of joint fire and rescue stations at new locations when possible.
· Establish a system of collecting data in order to provide the County with sound information to
anticipate demand for new equipment and facilities.
County Government Administration:
· Centralize government administrative services near population/employment centers in the City
and/or in Development Areas of the County to effectively provide efficient operations and
convenient locations for the general public.
· Provide a standard of office space per employee. Additional space needs may be met by one or
more of four options:
a) Construct additional space at the existing central site.
b) Provide satellite facilities in one or more highly populated Development Areas of the
County.
c) Lease nearby office space.
d) Purchase additional building(s).
· Provide ancillary space needs in conjunction with the provision of new space.
· Provide additional space in accordance with need. Do not defer provision of new space to a point
where unsatisfactory conditions exist. Maximize flexibility in space design to maximize
oppommities to use/modify/expand/reduce internal space.
· Evaluate existing space in the current building and eliminate inefficient design, which may allow
for additional office space.
· Provide adequate space to allow departments that relate closely in responsibility and activities to
locate in the same structure. Within the structure, location of such departments should be
primarily based on their operational inter-relationships to assure they can function efficiently and
serve the public effectively.
· Design any new facilities constructed on the existing site to be functionally and aesthetically
complimentary to the existing structure.
36
Solid Waste Management:
Local initiatives should be generally reflective of the State of Virginia's hierarchy for solid waste
management activities: source reduction, reuse, recycling, resource recovery, incineration, and
landfills.
· Develop a solid waste program that adheres to the roles and regulations of the Virginia Waste
Managemem Act.
· Develop an efficient and environmentally sensitive solid waste management program. Ensure
solid waste generated in the County is collected, processed and disposed of in a manner
beneficial to the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the County.
· Explore and participate in solid waste disposal methods and programs, which will cost
effectively increase the life expectancy of the existing landfill. This should include study of all
solid waste activities listed in service objective #1.
· Continue to support the use of private haulers in the collection and transfer of solid waste
material in the County.
· Establish a comprehensive household hazardous waste program for the County.
· Increase understanding of the need for solid waste management and increase the participation of
individuals, businesses and institutions in waste reduction.
· Analyze possible economic savings and other benefits by evaluating various financing methods
including City/County, private or regional funding.
37
Vision:
Albemarle County will be a good place to live: a community of beauty, historical significance, and
intellectual challenge; a community where all of our citizens and youth can be educated and involved in
a full range of cultural activities; a community where quality arts education is an integral part of
preparing our children for today's world; a community and climate where the arts, and therefore the
people, thrive.~
Current Environment and Background:
Albemarle County possesses an abundance of natural, environmental, historical and cultural
resources. Nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, the County is home to a number of important
historical sites, such as the homes of former U.S. Presidents Thomas Jefferson (Monticello), and James
Monroe (Ashlawn-Highland,) as well as a number of Civil War sites that have been preserved as historic
resources. Additionally, the Albemarle-Charlottesville area boasts a number of museums, galleries,
annual cultural events, performing arts programs and facilities, and cultural education opportunities for
citizens.
Although County residents place importance on economic growth and development, they do not do so
at the expense of protecting and preserving these important resources. The Spring, 1994 Albemarle
County Planning Needs Survey of long-term community planning goals revealed that bringing more
jobs to the area was less of a priority for residents than was protecting water quality, and preserving our
natural resources, open space, farmland and historic buildings.
Tourism, which emphasizes the cultural and historical strengths of the community without detracting
from them, is an important industry for Albemarle County. An objective of the County's approved
Economic Development Policy is to "[blase economic development on planning efforts which support
and enhance the strengths of the community." One strategy for doing this is to "[e]ncourage tourism
focused on the rural, agrarian, and historical resources of the County, and which does not threaten or
compromise them."
Although Albemarle County has a variety of outlets for enjoying and promoting the arts in our
community, there is a perceived space shortage for artistic and cultural activities. To determine the
true extent of this space deficiency, Piedmont Council of the Arts is conducting an inventory of existing
spaces that are suitable to be used as venues for arts and cultural activities, and a long-term spaces needs
study for arts and cultural activities.
Arts and Culture Plan:
Summary
The Arts and Culture Plan provides a blueprint for preserving and promoting the arts and cultural
resources of Albemarle County for the purpose of improving the quality of life for its residents, through
improved education, and economic and community development. Tourism promotion is an important
~ This vision reflects the vision statement of the Piedmont Council of the Arts, the official arts agency in the region, upon
whose Strategic Plan the County's Arts and Culture Plan is based.
39
element of the plan, since tourism fuels economic development, and promotes the use of the County's
natural resources, historic areas, farmland and open space, without compromising those resources.
The goals and objectives of the County's Arts and Culture Plan are summarized below, along with the
general principles that underlie them. A more detailed discussion of the background issues, principles,
goals, objectives and implementation strategies are found in the County's draft plan, and in the
Piedmont Council of the Art's strategic plan, Building Community in the Arts, upon which the County
plan is based.
General Principles
The arts truly serve the myriad populations in need and provide a strong unifying influence on a
community because the arts speak to who we are as a community.
Art has the ability to connect and transform people and cultures.
· The arts bring pleasure and inspiration to everyone, erasing social, racial, and religious boundaries,
while building bridges of communication.
· The arts improve the quality of education in our schools.
· Our cultural resources help create more vital neighborhoods.
· The arts play an important and vital role in community development by attracting businesses,
visitors and furore residents.
Goals and Objectives
Advocate the relationship between arts and cultural tourism and positive
economic development. Create and sustain a comprehensive and purposeful
approach to marketing the arts and culture of the area.
Objectives
· Work cooperatively with arts, cultural and business organizations 1) to increase the
region's visibility as a center for the arts and cultural heritage, and 2) to link art and
cultural resources with historic and scenic assets in promoting the area as a visitor's
destination.
· Assist Piedmont Council of the Arts in preparing a study to determine the true economic
impact of the cultural and historic assets in the area.
Advocate the arts as an integral component of education and an avenue for life-
long learning.
Objectives
· Support efforts of the Piedmont Council of the Arts to increase awareness of the value of
arts in education and as an avenue for life-long learning.
· Ensure that a comprehensive, quality, sequential arts education curriculum is available in
County sChoOlS.
· Promote the Arts council as an arts-related information and training resource for school
teachers and administrators.
· Support efforts 1) to broaden the artistic and cultural resources available to the
40
tV.
community through increased access to the resources of higher education institutions, and
2) to increase access to these and other resources by all segments of the population.
Advocate the aesthetic development of our built and natural environment.
Objectives
* Provide the arts community with information on appropriate planning issues and invite
arts organizations to participate in community planning endeavors.
· Support efforts to enhance and maintain art in public places.
Identify and provide opportunities to meet the space needs for arts and cultural
organizations and activities.
Objectives:
· Evaluate and promote the potential use of County facilities and land for arts and cultural
activities, rehearsal, and performance or exhibition space for visual artists.
· Allow outdoor theaters only in Regional Service Land Use designated areas under
Planned Development-Mixed Commercial zoning that accommodates large-scale events
and provides for a thorough review of noise, light, traffic and security impacts.
41
· I
0
Vision:
Albemarle County will be a place in which all students gain the knowledge, skills and values necessary
to live as informed and productive members of society; where parents are active, informed partners in
the education of their children; where caring and competent school staff perform at the highest levels of
professional competency and moral conduct, and seek improvement through continuous learning; and
where a safe, orderly and attractive learning environment exists for all students.~
Current Environment and Background:
Each of the 23 schools in Albemarle County's Public School System is unique in size, student
demographics, building and campus, community and staff. During the 1997-98 school year,
elementary schools ranged in size from 158 to 613 students, middle schools ranged from 447 to 577, and
high schools ranged from 90 to 1,963. The racial and ethnic makeup of the schools varied from 53.5%
to 98.4% white; 0.7% to 37.3% black; and 0% to 19.4% other (American Indian, Asian, Hispanic, etc.)
Percentages of students on free or reduced lunch ranged from 3% to 62% and the mobility of student
populations varied from 5.5% to 33.5% of students moving in or out of the school during the year. The
identified gifted population ranged from 6.9% to 21.2% and populations with disabilities ranged from
9.1% to 24.3%.
Although the students and communities served by County schools differ greatly, Albemarle County
students generally are high academic achievers. In FY 97/98, the following areas also were of
particularly noteworthy achievement:
· Over 68% of Albemarle seniors took the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) for an average score of
1,086 (1998 graduating class.)
· 79.1% of students who took the Advanced Placement (AP) tests scored three or higher (out of a
possible 5.)
· 80.7% of second-graders achieved at or above grade level in reading.
· Albemarle students improved their standing with other Virginia school divisions, as measured by
the Stanford 9 (Spring, 1997):
· 11th graders ranked 3ra highest in the state (out of 132 school division, state-wide);
· 8th graders ranked 12t~ highest in the state;
· 5th graders ranked 15th highest in the state; and
· 3rd graders ranked 23rd highest in the state.
· 60% of June graduates earned an advanced studies diploma.
· 55% of the 1998 graduating class reported plans to attend a four-year college, 25% planned to
attend a two-year college, and 3% planned to pursue other educational opportunities.
~ This vision statement is based on the underlying beliefs of the school system, and the overall mission of the County School
System, as presented in the introduction to the Schools' Strategic Planning Document (1998.) It is not part of the approved
School Division Strategic Plan, however. A more detailed year 2002 vision is presented on page 16 of the Schools' updated
strategic planning document.
43
Despite this general success, a number of areas need continued improvemena These areas include:
attaining 100% literacy by the completion of Grade 2; diversity in achievement as a function of
race/ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic status; integrating academic skills into vocational
programs; integrating real-life applications into academic courses; and improving the physical fitness
of middle and high school students.
In addition to being high academic achievers, County students also distinguish themselves as
responsible citizens and active members of the community. The schools' average dally attendance rate
(96% in FY 97/98)and low dropout rate (2%) speak to the importance placed upon education by
Albemarle County families. Additionally, 90% of eligible seniors had registered to. vote. Finally,
students are active community members, providing over 34,000 volunteer hours and participating in
Career Days, a job-shadowing program with the Charlottesville-Albemarle School Business Alliance.
Finally, a survey of families with children in Albemarle County Schools revealed a relatively high
degree of satisfaction with County schools. Over 78% of the parents who responded to the 1997
Parent Survey indicated division-wide satisfaction with core academics and school buildings and
grounds. In response to parent eoncerus, guidance curriculum has been implemented in grades K-12,
Career Pathways is in place, and the School Board provided increased funding to expand gifted services.
School Division Strategic Plan:
Summary
The purpose of the Strategic Plan for a Total School System Commitment to the School Improvement
Process is to provide a quality system of education for all students in Albemarle County by:
improving student achievement in each school;
continuing to reduce differences in student achievement and participation as a function of race,
gender, and socio-economic status; and by
· creating a culture of continuous school improvement;
The Plan reflects two important elements of improved student achievement and stakeholder satisfaction:
shared decision making in the school improvement process, and defined standards that measure progress
toward Division goals. The involvement of parents, students, school staff, the School Board, County
residents and business in developing the School Improvement Plans should lead to increased student
achievement and stakeholder satisfaction. Defined standards also permit the School System to measure
the progress it makes toward achieving its stated goals and objectives.
The goals and objectives of the plan focus on the following areas of education: improving academic
achievement, serving diverse learners, increasing client satisfaction, and promoting the most effective
and efficient use of school system resources.
The goals and objectives of the Schools' strategic plan are summarized below. The first five goals
relate to improving student achievement - "the primary reason for schools to exist." The sixth goal,
which is not included as a formal goal in the School Division's Strategic Plan, addresses continuous
school improvement as the underpinning of an effective school system. The purpose of this latter goal is
to ensure growth in student performance, to better utilize system resources (including employees), and to
44 _
increase satisfaction for the School'Division's customers.2 A listing of performance indicators, used to
measure how well the School Division is achieving its stated goals and objectives, is presemed in the
Appendix.
Goals and Objectives
Student Achievement
Albemarle County Public Schools will nurture a climate that promotes trust, idea
sharing and sensitivity to student needs and ensure a healthy environment for the
intellectual development of all children. To provide such an environment, we will
ensure that:
I.
The primary purpose of all disciplines is for students to apply knowledge, facts,
concepts and skills in new situations.
Evidence to Support Progress on Achievement of Goals (Objectives):
· A system of multiple measures designed to evaluate student performance on the division's
essential curriculum will be developed and implemented.
· The percentage of seniors meeting the requirements for the Virginia Advanced Diploma will
show annual improvement.
· The number of students earning recognition for excellence in the arts and physical education
will show annual improvement.
· Albemarle County Schools will continue to encourage students to take the Scholastic
Aptitude Test (SAT I). Results for the SAT I will show an average score for each graduating
class of seniors at/above 1,000. In addition, the average verbal and math scores will show
annual improvement.
· Results from graduate surveys, employer perception surveys and entry-level placement to
Piedmont Virginia Community College will show annual improvement.
Ail schools will promote an environment conducive to learning in which all
members of the school community practice the system's established core values.
Evidence to Support Progress on Achievement of Goals (Objectives):
· Through careful monitoring, the student's regular attendance will demonstrate the students'
acceptance of this responsibility, and the staff's attempt to make school attractive and
worthwhile.
· School climate may be reflected in the school's ability to keep students in school; therefore,
the student dropout rate will be at or less than 5%, annually.
· By encouraging and expecting human respect from all individuals, the School Division and
each individual school will show annual decreases in serious violations of State and County
Codes of Conduct.
2 The sixth goal related to continuous quality improvement is not presented as a formal goal within the School Division's
Strategic Plan document. Rather, it summarizes the elements of an effective school system within the framework of
continuous school improvement. The objectives related to this goal are the correlates, or characteristics of an effective school
system given in the strategic planning document on pages III8-Iill 1.
45
The Division Survey of Parents will determine client satisfaction with the School Division
and with the individual school.
Individual schools will operate in feeder patterns that provide consistent,
comprehensive opportunities and early intervention strategies for students to
acquire the knowledge and demonstrate sound physical, mental, and emotional
health.
Evidence to Support Progress on Achievement of Goals (Objectives):
Feeder pattern performances will show annual improvement in all areas measured in goals
one and two.
· Early intervention plans will be developed and implemented to support m-risk and low
achieving students.
· Albemarle County Schools will provide inservice time to allow periodic opportunities to
promote articulation within and across schools.
· Formal partnership will be developed in order to establish collaboration between Bright Stars
and Head Start and Kindergarten programs within each feeder area, if applicable.
IV.
Curriculum development and implementation, including staff development, will be
a dynamic process which supports student learning. A primary focus will be in
reading, math, written and oral communication, science and social studies.
Evidence to Support Progress on Achievement of Goals (Objectives):
· Differences in student achievement as a function of race, gender, socio-economic, or
disability status will decrease annually until no such differences exist.
· Differences in student participation as a function of race, gender, socio-economic, or
disability status will decrease annually until no such differences exist.
· Information collected each year by the Department of Curriculum Development and Program
Analysis from department chairpersons, lead teachers, and classroom teachers will indicate
that summer workshops are effectively addressing the need for ongoing review and revision
of the essential curriculum.
· Information collected each year by the School Improvement Teams will indicate that school
programs are being developed and implemented to effectively address the diverse needs of
each school's student population.
· School administrators and teacher specialists will monitor curriculum implementation of the
curriculum through classroom observation.
Schools will welcome and encourage involvement of parents, community
members, and businesses that directly support our educational goals. Working
together, we will ensure that all students develop the skills and abilities to be
contributing members of the community.
Evidence to Support Progress on Achievement of Goals (Objectives):
· Participation in parent volunteer programs will increase to a minimum of 30,000 volunteer
hours or more, per year.
46
· Formal (written) partnerships between business and/ or agencies that assist in achieving
curricular goals, and are mutually beneficial to all parties, will show annual improvement.
· High Schools will continue to solicit assistance from the business community in completing
Senior Employment Interviews.
· The number of students participating in school-to-community transition programs will show
annual improvement.
· The School Board will ensure oppommities for parent, business, and agency advisory
representation in School Division program planning, as appropriate.
Continuous School Improvement:
The Albemarle County School System will ensure that resources are organized and
delivered in support of a) effective, equitable and quality instructional and cUrricular
programs, b) those school structures which impact student learning, and c) a culture of
continuous school improvement.3
Correlates of an Effective School System (Objectives)?
· The Albemarle County School System will retain strong and instructionally focused
leadership.
· The mission of the School System will be clear and focused.
· Student progress will be monitored frequently and objectively.
· A climate of high expectations for success will exist for all students and staff.
· Albemarle County Schools will promote the purposeful and supportive involvement of
parents, other citizens, and business and community groups.
· Albemarle County will design and provide curriculum and instructional programs that ensure
opportunities for every student to participate and to learn.
· Albemarle County will provide support for schools to ensure a safe and orderly learning
environment.
· High rates of attendance for students and all school and non-school based staff will exist.
· Albemarle County will develop and provide a strong staff development program, which
reflects and supports the implementation of the Effective Schools/ School Improvement
Process.
* All School Division staff will have a clear understanding of their specific roles and
responsibilities in contributing to the Effective Schools/School Improvement Process.
· Albemarle County will provide safe, attractive and quality school facilities and infrastructure
that support its instructional goals and objectives,s
Indicators of Success:
A listing of performance measures that measure how well the School Division is achieving its stated
goals and objectives are presented in the Appendix to this document.
3 Based on the def'mition of an effective school system and the top priority of the School Division administration, as stated in
the strategic plan. (Pages I3-I5, 1998 Strategic Plan.)
4 Correlates of an Effective School System. (Pages III7-III11, 1998 Strategic Plan.)
~ This objective is not included in the School Division Strategic Plan as a formal correlate, but has been included to
emphasize the importance of the physical environment to an effective school system.
· 47
(D
O
(,.9
(13
O
Vision:
Albemarle County will become a high-performance organization focused on continuous quality
improvement, where a strong client focus exists throughout the organization, where an active and
effective leadership development model exists for all County employees, and which employs a highly-
recognized, satisfied and well-compensated work force.~
Current Environment and Background:
Albemarle County is committed to providing the highest level of public service to its citizens. As part
of the County's Quality Improvement Process (QuiP), four broad vision elements were identified as
focal areas for quality improvement efforts. During the past several years, county work teams have
developed and implemented initiatives centering around these vision elements that have streamlined
processes and improved service in both internal and external operations. Some of these initiatives
include:
Vision Element 1 - "Albemarle County will be a high performance organization focused on
continuous quality improvement."
· Creation of a multi-disciplinary Neighborhood Team and a Neighborhood Matching Grant
Program to identify and respond to the concerns of County neighborhoods.
· Improvements to the development review process, including the establishment of a Site
Review Team, a new Development Review Manager position and a new land use notification
sign process to better inform adjacent landowners of proposed development.
· Development of a process to manage the reformed car tax collection.
· Implementation of a "Bright Stars" pre-school program for at-risk four-year olds and a
Family Support Program to bring comprehensive services to at-risk children and their
families.
Vision Element 2 - "A strong customer focus will exist through the organization."
· Establishment of countywide standards for customer service (Customer Service Manual.)
· Assisted visitors to the County Office Building by creating a building directory brochure and
improving signage both at building entrances and within the building itself.
· Development of a Customer Comment Card system to solicit customer feedback.
Vision Element 3 - "An active and effective leadership development model will exist for all
county employees."
· Establishment of an Advanced Leadership Institute to provide ongoing leadership training for
supervisory staff.
· Creation of ongoing customer service training opportunities for both front-line and
supervisory personnel.
· Expansion of mandatory training courses for all employees.
~ As stated in the Vision for County Government. The full text of this vision is presented in the Appendix.
49
· Trained a core set of County facilitators to help with meeting facilitation and cominuous
improvement.
Vision Element 4- "~ highly recognized, satisfied and well-compensated wori~force will exist
in Albemarle County."
· Revision of the classified employee evaluation system to create benchmarks and performance
measures that reflect each individual's commitment to and achievements in the area of
customer service.
· Establishment of"Off to a Good Start", a national award-winning new employee orientation
program.
· Continued improvements to our financial management procedures that resulted in national
recognition for both Financial Reporting and Budget Presentation.
Quality improvement is a continuous progress, and requires ongoing effort by County departments
and staff.
Summary of Local Government Department Improvement Plans:
The department improvement plans for local government departments are blueprints for promoting and
integrating continuous quality improvement into all local government operations. They a) clarify
department priorities and move staff toward the pursuit of shared goals; 2) represent the work of staff
members from all levels of the organization, and 2) link departments to the County's overall mission.
They were developed at the request of the Quality Council, the County's Quality Improvement Program
leadership, and represent the culmination of a long-term department improvement process for defining
depar~msental goals, objectives, and strategies for improvement.
This chapter summarizes the common elements of the many department improvement plans developed
through the department improvement process. These common themes (goals) focus on enhancing the
quality of public service through improved customer service, technological advancement, human
development, improved communication, and continuous quality improvement. Objectives reflect
improvement items identified by the individual departments related to each issue area. The next step for
departments is to develop data collection procedures and relevant performance measures to assess and
evaluate how well they are achieving their stated goals and objectives.
The common goals and objectives from the Department Improvement Plans are presented below.
Detailed information about each department's individual improvement plan is available in the Albemarle
County Department Improvement Process publication, under separate cover. The full text of the
County's vision statement for local government is included in the Appendix.
50
Goals and Objectives
Albemarle County will provide and deliver the highest level of public service, through:
Quality Customer Service
Ensuring that all customers of County government, both internal and external,
receive timely service from our employees that is courteous, equitable,
knowledgeable and considerate of individualized needs and concerns.
Objectives:
Conduct a survey and/or hold regular roundtable discussions with customers to determine
the needs and priorities of internal and external customers.
Develop public information tools such as slide shows and brochures to inform the public
about customer service activities, notable achievements, or County events.
Strive to meet agreed-upon customer service standards.
Use volunteers whenever possible to save on time and resources.
· Greet the public with an information desk at the ~ont lobby.
· Work cooperatively with the School Division to coordinate facility for customer
programs.
Use of Technolouv
· Using technology to its fullest potential to enhance individual productivity and
increase operational efficiencies.
Objectives:
· Provide expanded computer software/technology training opportunities to staff.
· Encourage all staff members to increase their computer-related work skills.
· Develop and maintain state-of-the art technology systems.
· Identify those technology advancements with potential benefits to internal and
external County customers.
· Create a users group to develop County priorities and goals in the areas of technology
and computer applications.
· Actively use the Internet and Intranet to increase the visibility of County programs
and achievements.
Human Development
Providing career growth, staff development, and personal recognition opportunities
for employees to ensure that a highly trained, motivated, and satisfied work force
exists in the County.
Objectives:
.. 51
Provide cross-training, cross-divisional mentoring, and ongoing staff development
oppornmifies for employees seeking to broaden their experience, expand their skills
and provide the highest levels of customer service.
· Implement a pilot skill-based career advancement program for County staff.
· Devise flexible work schedules that suit the needs of both external customers and
employees.
· Develop innovative and effective mechanisms to reward employee achievement and
motivate performance.
Improved Communication
Promoting ongoing and two-way dialogue between County staff and citizens for the
purpose of bringing issues to public attention, encouraging citizen participation in
the local government decision making process, and facilitating implementation of
County programs.
Objectives:
Develop and maintain effective avenues of internal communication among staff.
· Employ multiple methods of conveying information to inform the public of issues and
activities, and to keep them involved in the decision making process.
· Develop a County Speakers' Bureau to highlight issues for the public.
· Highlight public interest projects with the media.
· Advertise County success stories.
· Identify who are the County's customers and how best to communicate with them.
· Rejuvenate town meetings.
· Partner with civic organizations to disseminate public information.
Continuous Quality Improvement
· Working to continually improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and timeliness of
County services.
Objectives:
· Develop and implement staff evaluation criteria that focus on quality improvement as a
means of monitoring the effectiveness of the Quality Improvement Program (QuiP.)
· Hire a Quip coordinator to supervise the continuous quality improvement process.
· Work with the Board of Supervisors in developing an overall strategic planning vision for
the County.
· Promote greater opportunities for staff involvement in the decision making process.
· Encourage greater participation by staff from all levels of County government in the
quality improvement process.
· Utilize County teams and individual staff members more efficiently by delegating
appropriate tasks and duties.
· Identify areas for self-directed work teams with authority to make decisions.
· Strive to maintain efficient, effective and timely operations, county-wide.
Vision:
Albemarle County will become a sustainable community that manages its resources, accommodates
development and economic growth, provides essential services and infrastructure, and promotes public
values and standards of conduct that meet the needs of the present while preserving and protecting the
long-term well being of the community.~
Current Environment and Background:
Albemarle County continues to experience a moderately high rate of population growth, a trend that
is expected to continue into the next century. Between 1980 and 1990, the population grew by an
average of 2.0% per year. By 2000, it is expected to grow by an additional 1.8% annually, and by 1.6%
per year by 2010. Net migration to the County has accounted for about three-quarters of this population
change - about 76.5% since 1990.
The sustainability of the County's natural, physical and economic resources varies. Although per
capita water consumption has decreased, the quality of water in the region's rivers has declined. The
natural habitat of many bird species has dwindled, and farmland is decreasing in all localities.
Forestland, however, has increased and sustainable forestry is practiced. Additionally, although
Albemarle has a strong and diverse tax base, poverty, a relative lack of affordable housing and low
wages in many employment sectors remain a problem for many County residents, particularly
minorities. Rail use in the region has increased, however, bus use has declined and single occupant
automobile usage has increased. Vehicles are increasing at a faster rate than the population. Donations
to charities have decreased in constant dollars over the past ten years.
Studies indicate that although County residents place importance on job opportunities, housing
creation and economic growth, they do not do so at the expense of protecting and preserving water
quality, natural resources, historic areas and open space. The Spring, 1994 Albemarle County
Planning Needs Survey of long-term community planning goals revealed that bringing more jobs to the
area was less of a priority for residents than was protecting water quality, and preserving our natural
resources, open space, famaland and historic buildings.
Sustainability Accords & Vision of Sustainability:
Summary
The Thomas Jefferson Sustainability Council's 1998 Sustainability Accords and Vision of Sustainability
provides a blue print for becoming a sustainable community in which the social, economic, physical
(infrastructure and development) and political needs of the present are met without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
~ This vision statement summarizes the intent of the 1998 Sustainability Accords and the mission statement of the
Thomas Jefferson Sustainability Council, but is not part of the Sustainability Council report itself.
53
The goals and objectives of the plan focus on the following, as outlined in the Sustainability Accords:
· encouraging and maintaining strong ties between the urban & rural areas;
· striving for a population size and distribution that preserves long-term resources;
· retaining the natural habitat;
· protecting water quality and quantity;
· managing physical development;
· retaining farm and forest land;
· broadening the use of sustainable forestry practices;
· promoting the sale Of local products;
· developing transportation alternatives;
· conserving energy;
· providing educational and employment oppommities to all members of the community;
· increasing citizen participation; and
· encouraging greater understanding of sustainability.
The County's goals and objectives related to sustainability are summarized below. The Thomas
Jefferson Sustainabilit¥ Council's 1998 Sustainabilit¥ Accords and Vision of Sustainability includes a
more detailed discussion of these elements, as well as the recommended measurements of progress.
Guiding Principles of Sustainability
· In a sustainable community, individual rights are respected, and community responsibilities are
recognized.
· In a sustainable community, all human and natural needs are respected and conflict among the
community's human members is resolved through consensus building. The community is a
collection of diverse human and other biological interests.
· In a sustainable community, achieving social, environmental, economic, and political health has
inter-generational costs and benefits which must be weighed. In a healthy society, these benefits
outweigh the costs.
· In a sustainable community, the interdependence of social, environmental, economic and
political systems at all levels is understood.
· In a sustainable community, the impact of each generation's actions on the social, environmental,
economic and political health of future generations is acknowledged.
· In a sustainable community, the members understand that there are limits to growth.
Goals and Objectives:
Human Population
Population growth and change throughout the Region (and in its separate localities) are
managed in ways that enhance the overall quality of life and that support the other
goals of sustainability.
Objectives:
· To maintain a human population size that does not reduce the sustainability of the Region.
· To maintain a human population distribution that does not reduce the sustainability of the
Region.
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· To maintain a population comPOsition that does not reduce the sustainability of the Region.
· To establish and maintain fair, effective policy mechanisms to manage these population
dynamics.
Human Basic Needs
The levels of nutrition, clothing, housing, health, education, security, transportation,
employment opportunities, and justice available to all members of the community are
sufficient to maintain the long. term well-being of the community as a whole
Objectives:
To ensure that every member of the community can obtain adequate daily nutrition.
To ensure that every member of the community can obtain adequate clothing.
· To ensure that every member of the community can obtain adequate housing.
To ensure that every member of the community can achieve optimal health.
· To ensure that every member of the community has access to education that will allow his or
her potential to be fully realized.
· To ensure that every community in the Region has access to education and law enforcement
programs that enhance its safety and security.
· To ensure that every member of the community has access to adequate and affordable
transportation that allows other basic needs---employment, health care, education, crc.into be
obtained.
· To ensure that every member of the community is able to obtain emplOyment that offers just
compensation, fulfillment, and oppommities for advancement.
Economic Development
Each locality in the Region benefits from diverse and appropriately scaled economic
development that conserves and protects natural resources, ensures ample
employment opportunities, and enhances Region-wide prosperity.
Objectives:
· To enhance community understanding of the relationship between industrial economy and
the larger natural system of energy and resource exchange.
· To encourage strong, flexible, and durable local markets for locally produced goods and
services.
· To establish and maintain a diverse mix of small and large-scale businesses and industries
that operate sustainably.
· To achieve a current flow of savings within the Region that will lead to a sustainable
economic future.
55
Transportation
People, goods & services, and information move efficiently throughout the Region, in
integrated systems that minimize adverse impacts on communities and the natural
environment.
Objectives:
· To construct a network of bicycle and pedestrian facilities within urban areas in accordance
with the localities' Bicycle Plans.
· To connect urban, suburban, and rural areas with bikeways and walkways.
· To enhance the safety of residential areas by reducing the volume and speed of automobile
and truck traffic in these areas.
· To reduce single-occupancy automobile trips within the Region by developing attractive and
economical mass transit alternatives.
· To reduce single-occupancy automobile trips into and out of the Region by developing
attractive and economical transit alternatives.
· To increase tonnage loads for long-haul alternative freight service into and out of the Region.
· To assess the costs of traffic congestion as a prelude to planning for new transit systems.
· To calculate the percent of local, state, and federal transportation funding spent on transit
systems, in support of more informed transportation decision-making.
Land Development
Building is concentrated in Charlottesville and established village centers (also called
growth areas), and sustainability is considered in all land use planing decisions.
Objectives:
· To maximize the use and re-use of developed land by clustering and integrating, to the fullest
extent practicable, business, industry, housing, recreation, and green space.
· To design current developments in such a way as to preserve as many options as possible for
the use and re-use of developed land, as well as for the interconnection of the site and
adjoining land in the future.
· To define and incorporate the concept of appropriate scale in all development and land use
decisions.
· To develop alternative transportation systems that are convenient, economical, efficient,
dependable, safe, and non-polluting.
Sustainability is an important consideration in all building decisions.
Objectives:
· To use renewable energy sources, resource-efficient principles of design and construction,
and sustainably produced materials in all new smaetures; and to encourage conversion from
less efficient, non-renewable energy uses in existing structures.
· To decrease the use of automobiles and at the same time improve public access to
information by encouraging widespread use of information technology.
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Waste
The wasteful use of resources and the creation of unrecyclable waste by. products are
reduced and, wherever possible, eliminated.
Objectives:
· To increase recycling of usable materials.
· To minimize the use and unsafe disposal of hazardous material.
· To promote a sense of individual responsibility for limiting waste.
· To increase individual and cooperative efforts to reduce waste.
· To increase the understanding and practice of the six-step approach to waste reduction:
rethink, reduce, reuse, buy recyclables, recycle, material exchange.
· To use water efficiently.
Values and Ethics
The diversity and the inherent dignity and worth of all living things are fully appreciated;
and societal benefits and costs are equitably shared by ali citizens.
Objectives:
· To create conditions that promote a healthy balance of wealth, power, and privilege.
· To foster the use of conflict resolution tools in public and private disputes.
· To create conditions which encourage institutions to evaluate their ethical
responsibilities.
Ail members of the community have an opportunity to understand the principles and
benefits of sustainability.
Objectives:
· To encourage education and media coverage of sustainability, with a particular emphasis on
local issues and individual concerns.
Interdependence/Balance
Vital links between the Region's urban and rural communities create a fair distribution
of costs and benefits, strengthening each community and the Region as a whole.
Objectives:
· To enhance the economic interdependence of urban and rural areas within the Region.
· To encourage a healthy environmental linkage of urban and rural areas throughout the
Region.
· To encourage a healthy social and political interdependence between the Region's urban and
rural areas.
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The negative impact of this Region on the sustainability of other regions worldwide is
minimized.
Objectives:
To encourage acceptance of responsibility for this Region's impact on other regions' social.
economic, environmental, and political health.
· To increase the use of renewable energy resources.
· To increase the efficiency of energy use.
· To access the immediate, long-term, and cumulative costs and benefits of major public and
private-sector decisions, especially in land-use and development, economic policy, and
resource consumption.
Government
Governmental decisions are made in an environment that promotes widespread,
informed, and civil public participation.
Objectives:
· To increase civic participation and individual involvement in neighborhoods and community
organizations.
· To involve individuals more fully in government.
· To promote recognition that the long-term welfare of human and natural communities may
require individual sacrifice and self-restraint.
· To improve the ways government plans for and provides needed services and infrastructure.
· To create and maintain a tax system that is equitable, progressive, efficient, and either neutral
or beneficial in its impact on sustainability.
Natural Environment.
The long-term integrity of ecosystems and their component parts (air, water, soil, biota)
is Protected and, wherever possible, restored.
Objectives:
· Ensure that water quality and quantity in the Region are sufficient to support its human
population and ecosystems.
· To preserve the habitat required to maintain viable plant and animal populations
representative of the Region's overall biological diversity.
· To ensure that air quality does not negatively affect the Region's biological and geological
resources.
· To ensure that soil loss does not exceed inputs from redeposition and new soil forming
processes.
· To maintain natural areas which serve the spiritual, social, and economic needs of the
Region's human communities.
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Agriculture and Forestry
Systems of agriculture and forestry in the Region are economically, environmentally,
and socially sustainable. A sustainable system of agriculture or forestry is defined by:
Economic viability of agriculture/forestry and the rural community.
Education of the consumer and producer of agricultural/forestry products.
3. Stewardship of the land and the environmental health of its resources
4. Recognition on the part of producers and consumers that economic,
environmental, and social conditions are linked.
Objectives:
To achieve a full spectrum of local, national, and international marketing for local
agricultural and forest products.
To promote direct farm sales of locally produced agricultural products.
To encourage the development of local businesses and industries that create finished
goods from local agricultural and forestry products and by-products.
· To make buying locally a more convenient and available option for consumers of
agricultural and forest products.
· To retain farmland for the future.
· To promote the use of farming practices that combine cost efficiency and environmental
stewardship.
· To broaden that practice of sustainable forestry among loggers and landowners.
Sustainable forestry is defined as including
1. Prompt reforestation after logging.
2. Maintenance or reestablishment of mixed species stands on forestlands wherever
feasible.
3. Protection of water quality during timber harvesting and all uses of forested areas.
4. Stewardship of wildlife habitat for all native game and non-game species.
5. Practices which minimize the visual impact of timber harvesting on scenic
viewsheds.
6. Maintenance or improvement of areas having special biological, geological, or
historical significance.
7. Recognition and promotion of the role of forests in maintaining biodiversity.
· To maintain or improve, wherever possible, the quality and long-term productivity of
timber for use as wood products.
· To encourage local governments to identify the areas best suited for forestry and use local
planning and land use tools as well as fiscal policy to retain these areas for the future.
· To provide forest-related recreational, educational, and tourism oppommities.
· · To increase public understanding of the importance of managing and Protecting forest
resources.
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Strategic Plan Components
Vision Statements
Vision statements describe the specific qualities, characteristics and oppommities that are desirable for
the Albemarle community in the future. These are not predictions or projections of what the future will
be if left on its own course, but rather, are descriptions of what the future should be when guided by the
government and the community. The County supports both the Community Vision Statement (see
Appendix) and the specific vision statements it has articulated for the various issue areas in the overall
Albemarle County Strategic Plan.
Mission Statement
The mission statement captures the broad purpose and functions of the County as well as the essence
and philosophy of its existence. The mission statement is critical because it defines a common intent to
which everyone in the County can point. It is a concise statement of what the result will be if the
strategic plan is implemented. The County's mission statement is:
To promote the general well being and enhance the quality of life for all
citizens through the provision and delivery of the highest level of public
service.
Strate.qic Goals
Strategic goals are broad statements of where the County wants to be in the future. These goals work
towards achieving the overall mission of the County and help the community achieve its vision for the
future. The Albemarle County Strategic Plan contains goals in the areas of: Human Services, Housing,
Economic Development, Land Use (including Growth Management and Land Use, Transportation,
Public Utilites and Community Facilities), Arts and Culture, Education, Local Government and
Sustainability.
Strate~lic Objectives
Strategic Objectives are more specific statements about what needs to be accomplished and when in
order to achieve a particular goal. Like goals, objectives relate to the County's overall mission and
vision statements.
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Community Vision Statement (Excerpts)
A Summary of Our Vision:
We visualize our eommuni~ as one...
· That balances the natural and built environments and that has a vital urban
core surrounded by a rural area that remains predominately green and open;
· Where each individual is valued and where all can live affordably and safely;
· That has a strong, diversified economy with oppommities for local businesses
and meaningful jobs;
· That values and provides quality education for all ages, vocations, and
abilities; and
· That has open and accessible governments, which cooperate to provide quality
services economically.
Our Community: What We See Today:
We see today that we reside in a very livable community, one that many visitors envy. We see an area
rich in history that has evolved as the University of Virginia has grown. We see Charlottesville and the
surrounding urban areas of the County as focal points for many diverse cultural, shopping and
entertainment activities as well as employment oppommities. We see the natural environmem, the rural
areas and the Blue Ridge Mountains providing a "green frame" and open space which enhances our
commumty core. Though our community is within easy reach of our national and our state capitals and
other large cities, we retain a small town friendliness and sense of community. We take pride in the
overall quality of our local governments and the services they provide at relatively low costs.
We also see that we need to improve. We are concerned about crime, drugs and safety for our citizens
and visitors. Race relations, affordable housing and poverty are concerns. We see that unmanaged
growth can mean a loss of economic oppommity and stagnation. We see our schools as bell-wethers of
our community and are concerned about maintaining and paying for high quality education. We see
transportation needs growing as we face increased traffic. We see a need for greater cooperation
between the City, County and University, as well as between our community and the larger region.
We see a great deal of energy in our community. We are a community - diverse in income, age, length
of residence, race, and, at many times, opinions. We view planning, community involvement and active
discussion as part of who and what we are.
The next twenty years are crucial to what we wish to become.
63
Our Agenda: What We Seek for Tomorrow:
Land Use/Environmental Balance
Balanced development is the phrase that may best summarize what we seek in the land use
pattern of our community. We visualize both a strong and vital urban core that acts as a magnet
at the center of our community, at the same time that we seek a surrounding rural area that
remains predominately green and open where farming can stabilize and perhaps return. We hope
to retain the feel of a town, a vibrant University town, rather than a large city. We seek also to
maintain a human scale rooted in strong neighborhoods. We want to be a community that offers
a variety of transportation modes to provide convenient travel within and around the urban core
and between the core and outlying areas. The University will continue to be a defining landmark
in our community; so will the downtown, a re-worked 29 North, and the other entry corridors
into the community. We want our growth to add to our already built and planned communities
and to strengthen, rather than compete with, what already exists. Growing within the limits of
our resources is a key concept in our attitudes about balancing development and the natural
environment. Water resources, in particular, must be conserved and protected. Air quality, too,
is essential to maintaining the health and beauty of our area. Beauty and aesthetics, including
respect for our historic character and resources, will be principles applied in judging our
environment. We seek to continue to be attractive and distinct - because of this we expect to
attract visitors and new residents, but we do not want to exceed our ability to extend a warm
welcome.
Though we focus on our immediate community, we will also think in terms of our larger region
and the surrounding counties, which orient toward Charlottesville, the University and Albemarle
County for many services, functions and purposes.
Social Well Being
How we share the benefits of our community, whether people feel they have a fair chance to get
ahead rather than be lel~ behind, and how well we communicate and listen to each other all are
key components of our success. We seek to reduce the problems of crime and drags and to make
every citizen comfortable and secure aborn their personal safety. We seek to increase the
oppommities available to those who today have the least and to promote self-reliance. We see to
provide housing that will allow anyone who works and contributes his or her labor to the
community to be able to live here. We seek to improve race relations and to strengthen our sense
of being one community. We recognize that a variety of people are needed in a community and
seek to value each individual for their contribution to ours. We seek to extend our health care to
those who lack access. We seek to enrich our lives through strong cultural resources.
Economic Opportunity
It is the strength of the overall economy that provides jobs and tax base and the means by which
individuals, families, businesses, and public institutions are able to afford the type of community
we envision. "Intelligent growth" is the way one citizen described their vision of change in the
area. Intelligent economic growth provides our community with more meaningful jobs - those
64
with better salaries and a future; enables us to employ our children who wish to stay in the area;
contains a significant portion of community-based and locally-owned businesses, including
agriculture and forestry; and which keeps the community well positioned for advances in
information and other forms of technology. In dealings with potential business/industry, we
hope to be clear about what we seek and to pursue appropriate economic oppommities. We will
build on our past strengths, but realize that the educational component of the University will
expand only gradually and that other University activities and other sectors will play a larger role
in the future. We hope to diversify both in industry and firm size in order to become more
recession proof in future years.
Educational Quality
Education has been a strength in our community and we seek to continue that. We seek to
maintain overall quality, while we address the needs of many difference types of students - those
going on to college and those going directly to jobs; the pre-schooler, the adult learner and the
career changer; those who find learning to be difficult and those who need to be challenged.
Keeping our public schools matched with our community's needs, involving and including
parents and citizens, and paying for public education are the biggest challenges now and in the
future. The majority of our budgets at the local government level will continue to go into
education and so we must be certain that our education system is performing in ways that
provide essential support for the social, economic, and other elements of this vision.
Government Structure and Public Services
How we govern ourselves will play a key role in how well we achieve our visions. We envision a just
and accountable government with affordable and equitable taxes, quality services, results-oriented
activities, and open deliberations and decision making. We look to government to be an innovator and
to be willing to reinvent itself when that is appropriate. We see a number of possibilities between the
City, the County and the University to work together on employment, planning, education,
transportation, public safety, services and community involvement. We have created innovative
arrangements in the past (e.g., the Revenue Sharing Agreement, the Planning and Coordination Council
(PACC), joint authorities for water, sewer, library, airport, etc.) We seek ways in the future to continue
innovating about how we are governed and provide services. Possibilities include joint service districts,
charter changes, new revenue sources, consolidation of governments, reversion to town. status and
others.
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Local Government Vision Statement
It is the year 2000 in Albemarle County, Virginia. Over the past six years, some dramatic organizational
changes have occurred in the way that County services are provided to the citizens of Albemarle CounW.
In the spring of 1994, the County-wide leadership team, composed of both school and local govemmem
leadership staff, reaff'mned its commitment to changing the organizational structure from a previously
bureaucratic model wherein leadership was concentrated at the top of the organization, to one in which
leadership is exercised throughout the work force.
Four main goals were established to lead the effort to include the following:
· Albemarle County will become a high-performance organization focused on continuous
quality improvement.
· A strong client focus exists throughout the organization.
· An active and effective leadership development model exists for all County employees.
· A highly-recognized, satisfied and well-compensated work force exists in Albemarle County.
Over the past six years, active involvement of every County employee has resulted in a high-
performance organization which is committed to continuous quality improvement. Broad-based citizen
input has been sought through a variety of means and the data that is received is used to establish
improvement goals for both individuals and the organization as a whole. There has been a change in the
way that County employees perceive themselves in that both school and local government staff members
feel that they work for one organization focused on client satisfaction.
Albemarle County has been rated as one of the top localities in which to reside in the entire nation. The
citizenry believes that they are receiving high-quality services as evidence from the participation in
various County initiatives, their support of the budget and their willingness to offer suggestions for
improving services. The employees have become familiar with technology over the past six years and
every employee is comfortable in utilizing available technology to assist them in providing quality
services. This has been accomplished through the provision of equipmem and training for all staff
members.
To accommodate the projects that assist in moving an organization forward, work teams composed of
various employees, and, at times, members of the public, develop recommendations which are then
shared throughout the organization. Overall guidance for this effort is received from an Organizational
Development Team, representative of employees and the citizenry. The work team members actively
engage in sharing decision making and leadership on these teams rotates depending on the need for
particular skills. Since 1994, each employee also has been trained in effective decision making skills
and are all comfortable with assuming leadership as needed.
The efforts to focus on clients and improvement of services have benefited employees in the strong
support they have received from the community. Salaries and benefits are highly competitive and
attracting and retaining the most highly-skilled work force has become important to Albemarle County
citizens. Employees feel honored to have a position within the County and evidence such as employee
67
satisfaction surveys, retention rates among employees and low absenteeism attest to the healthy
organization climate that exists.
Along with the client-focused working environment, there has been a strong commitment to informing
the public about County operations. An annual report is published which provides data about the
County work force and it s accomplishments. Staff are rewarded for their initiative and each individual
has a career development plan which allows them to grow personally and professionally as members of
the high-performance organization that Albemarle County has become.
In summary, by all indications, the course of action that was established in 1994 has led to Albemarle
County being one of the top public organizations in the country. By adopting the premises of shared
leadership, client focus, and continuous improvement, both the employees and citizens have become the
benefactors of this truly dynamic organizational change effort.
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Goals
I
X
X
Albemarle County School Division
Indicators of Success
Relationship of
Division Goals to
Indicators of Success:
Indicators:
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
I. Arts
Art Awards/Honors
Choral Awards/Honors
Band Awards/Honors
II. EnglishlLanguage Arts
Second Grade Reading Assessment
* Stanford 9 Achievemem Test Scores, Grades 4, 6, & 9
** Standards of Learning Test Scores, Grades 3, 5, 8 & 11
Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) Verbal Scores, Grade 12
Advanced Placement Test Scores
Awards and Special Recognitions
III. Foreign Language
Albemarle County Comprehensive Exams
Advanced Placement Test Scores
Students Completing Courses, Grade 8
Awards and Special Recognitions
IV. Health & Physical Education
Albemarle County Physical Education Student Cumulative Progress
Presidential Physical Fitness Testing Program
Awards and Special Recognitions
V. Instructional Technology
** Standards of Learning Test Scores, Grades $ & 8
High School Technology Courses
Instructional Computers
School Level Internet Activities
69
Goals
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Relationship of
Division Goals to
Indicators of Success
(continued)
Indicators:
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT (continued)
VI. Math
* Stanford 9 Achievement Test Scores, Grade 4, 6 & 9
** Standards of Learning Test Scores, Grades 3, 5, & 8 and end of course
tests in Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II
Algebra I - Students Completing Courses, Grade 8 & 12
Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) Math
Advanced Placement Test Scores
Awards and Special Recognitions
VII. Science
** Standards of Learning Test Scores, Grades 3, 5, & 8 and end of course
tests in Earth Science, Biology, and Chemistry
Advanced Placement Test Scores
Awards and Special Recognitions
VIII. Social Studies
** Standards of Learning Test Scores, Grades 3, 5, & 8 and end of course
tests in World History & Geography I, World History & Geography II, and U.S. &
Virginia History
Advanced Placement Test Scores
Awards and Special Recognitions
IX. Vocational Education
Virginia System of Core Standards
· Occupational Competence
· Completers' Follow-Up Survey
Participation in Cooperative Education, Internships, Job Shadowing,
and/or Mentoring Programs
Participation in CATEC programs
Awards and Special Recognitions
70
Goals
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Relationship of
Division Goals to
Indicators of Success
(continued):
Indicators:
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT (continued)
X. General Academics
* Stanford 9 Achievement Test Basic Battery Scores, Grades 4, 6 & 9
Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) Combined Scores, Grade ! 2
Virginia Advanced Studies Diplomas
Post Graduate Plans
Staff Awards and Publications
DIVERSE LEARNER
Title I Performance
ALPS Performance
Literacy Passport Test, Spring Passing Rates for Grades 7th - 12th
Special Education Demographics
Odyssey of the Mind
Gifted Education Demographics
Advanced Placemem (AP)/Honors Courses
Advanced Placemem (AP) Testing Program
College Dual Credit
General Education Development (GED) Test
Evening High School Program
National Merit Scholarships
Awards and Special Recognitions
RESPONSIBLE CITIZENSHIP
Daily Studem Attendance
Dropout Rate
Suspensions and Expulsions
Voter Registration
71
Goals
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Relationship of
Division Goals to
Indicators of Success
(continued):
Indicators:
COMMUNITY RELATIONS
Parem and Community Volunteers
Continuing Education
School-Business Community Partnerships
* Stanford 9 tests were not administered by the state in 1997-98.
** Standards of Learning test results will not be available from the state until late fall 1998.
72