Economic Development Data
Futures StatementsEconomic Development Sub-categories
- Economic Development: General Comments (including Increasing/Decreasing Business)
- Economic Development: Location
- Quality of Jobs/Wages
- Agricultural Development
- Commercial Development
- High Tech Development
- Industrial Development
- Tourism Development
- Revitalization & Redevelopment (including Downtowns)
- Environmental Concerns
- Design & Planning Standards
- Other Comments
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Economic Development Sub-categories
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| Participant No. | Participant Comment |
| Economic Development: General Comments (n=45) | |
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Research and recruit companies with tax incentives |
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Incorporate VA Tech into bring these companies |
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Small businesses should be highly encouraged |
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Higher tax breaks for new companies to come & establish themselves in the county & receive benefits for coming to our area |
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Economic growth - bring in new businesses (small & large) |
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County compromize on merchant's tax. We want to encourage business not drive them away. |
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Keep the generic stuff out - no more fast food. |
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Solve the business tax situation through compromise |
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Special tax on businesses that sell tobacco and alcohol products |
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Have planned business growth |
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Do not subsidize industrial development or commercial business with tax payer money such as Haleas formally ACT. If a company cannot afford to be in business without being subsidized they shouldn't be in business. It does not help the county financially it costs them additional revenue Also, do not subsidize developers by putting in water & sewer. The developer should pay. |
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Attract viable large employers |
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Cooperation w/ the Montgomery Co. Chamber of Commerce |
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Secure State & Federal grants for development |
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make room for expansion of business |
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limit the expansion of residentail & business growth |
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control growth - don't entice with tax breaks or promise services |
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Increasing revenue by increasing meals taxes |
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high quality economic development |
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Be more business friendly, especially Blacksburg |
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Bring in new industry & business |
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no shell buildings |
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keep down commercial & industrial growth |
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business in county |
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Utilitze the internet as a way to market Montgomery Co and attract better businesses |
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actively market the area & its attributes to new business |
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business geared towards healthy individuals |
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Tax industries so we have the money to improve |
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Attract businesses that will provide sound tax bases (& pay their taxes) |
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pursue, encourage with $ incentives businesses & industry |
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increase tax base with businesses & redefined taxes |
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Laws to be sure that all businesses pay taxes (including Shelor) |
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Provide economic and planning assistance to small businesses, especially along public transportation corridors |
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Discourage economic growth and encourage economic stability: Achive this by stabilizing populate as above |
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Entrepreneurial support & development |
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Appropriate training for business development, civic / social entrepreneurial training too |
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Incubator support creation |
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Offer business development assistance for small businesses |
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Research development options |
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Recruit companies that share Montgomery County goals |
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Implement education / awareness campaign of Montgomery County goals. |
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Zone more open areas for business development--creating more jobs |
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Promote minority business development |
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Economic Development Initiatives (rural & urban) |
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Emphasis on locally owned businesses |
| Economic Development: Location (n=33) | |
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Development should be encouraged by the new hospital (Tyler St) |
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It would be nice to see more development by the new hospital. |
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Designate spots for industrial development |
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Restrict industrial development industrial areas |
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Restrict industrial development in residential areas |
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Keep down industrial growth near residential areas |
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Limit development of overused areas (ex. Wal-Mart/Target areas) |
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Scrap the idea of developing a hotel/conference center by the hospital - the new VT center is more than adequate |
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Limit industrial growth to outlying areas |
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Provide for open areas and plan for future residential and commercial growth areas |
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Planned regulations for industrial - not just any & everything |
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Center commercial development along I-81 corridor or By-pass |
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Center commercial development Elliston - Salem |
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More grocery stores & discount stores in sparsely populated areas |
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Attract industries for future jobs into existing Industrial Parks |
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Industrial pks in existence now need aggressive marketing |
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Concentrate commercial (retail in marketplace (US 460) |
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Prevent retail sprawl/creep along Rt.114 |
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restrict commercial development to urban areas |
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Keep commercial growth in areas "where it is". |
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Limit commercial development in residential areas to those businesses that service a small community |
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restricting types of shops in specific areas |
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limit expansion of commercial growth try to help out any traffic problem, but not make it a huge hi-way system |
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No more 1/2 full industrial parks. Not Field of Dreams |
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Limit industrial development to areas already affected. |
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Commercial & industrial areas grouped away from residential areas |
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Put a lid on commercial expansion on 460 |
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No new commercial buildings (C'burg 460) |
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Keep development of industry to specified areas |
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Define and adhere to specific areas for commercial growth |
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Define and adhere to specific areas for industrial growth. |
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Encourage a department store in Blacksburg--you can’t even buy socks here. |
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Work with towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg to strategize growth and future development |
| Quality of Jobs/Wages (n=21) | |
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Encourage jobs in our community to support our community. Bring in more resources that would bring more jobs to our community instead of taking away from it |
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High standard of living - more jobs. |
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Legislation may need to be passed to relieve some restrictions on employers who could use teenageers in their businesses. There are many, many jobs teenagers could do and they need to be working when they are not in school. |
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Hire more engineers |
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focus on industry for our people to have jobs here |
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encourage industrial growth providing job opportunities |
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Need to attract high paying industries |
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higher income jobs - more land for development like Corp. Research Center |
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focus on economic development - must get more high-paying/professional jobs here |
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More high-tech/white collar job opportunities to keep many of the local college graduates in the area |
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recruit more high-tech jobs suitable for college gradutates |
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living wage requirements |
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tax incentives for businesses that move here, grow (ie new jobs) & start here |
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The county needs a plan to attract good jobs to C'burg & B'burg. These jobs would include management, technical, computer, etc. The county needs to be able to provide good jobs for its college grads. We have plenty of minimum wage low end jobs. How about attracting businesses w/tax incentives to land regional, or corporate headquarters here? |
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employment for college graduates |
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Recruit industry to utilize job skills of "local" workers |
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Take the initiative to increase minimum wage to a livable wage |
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We need more good paying jobs in industry |
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Make it attractive to younger professionals 24-30 |
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Promote a no-population growth campaign and strive for higher paying employment opportunities |
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Economic Development: focus on mid to upper wage industries. |
| Agricultural Development (n=5) | |
Because many of the comments related to agriculture dealt with issues surrounding agricultural preservation, most of the agricultural development comments have been included under the Environmental section of this report. |
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Assist the small family farms to retain their properties. |
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agri-business: No "Agri-business" Yes to family farms. |
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Ag preservation: subsidies! Local produce -->local stores/restaurants. |
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Focus on economic development for rural and forest interests |
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Excepting agriculture: maintian the land use program/help local agricultural entreprneurs with start up, e.g. dairy plant, fresh markets, slaughter facilities, food processing. |
| Commercial Development (n=28) | |
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Encourage commercial growth |
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Control commercial growth to eliminate unplanned growth. |
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Press state legislature to impose sales tax on retail services |
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Zoning changes to keep out strip malls |
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Strict zoning for commercial development |
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better stores, malls, movie theaters |
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very important to control commercial growth |
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less focus on commercial & suburbs/townhouses, etc. |
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limit expansion of commercial growth limit expansion of roads |
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limit commercial growth |
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Planning should restrict Lg shopping center development to prevent 10 yr life-cycle for existing centers |
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Contain & concentrate commercial strip development |
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highly discourage large retail |
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expand commercial (I.e., retail & services) development |
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avoid putting unnecessary businesses (Tanning Bed) |
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commercial growth: Commercial business should only be allowed to use existing buildings |
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we need the grocery stores to deliver groceries for the elderly |
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Increase commercial tax base |
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Moratorium on strip stores |
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Limit new commercial growth |
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Limit new commercial growth |
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No More Malls |
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No More Malls |
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No More Malls |
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No More Malls |
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We need to limit commercial/development such as shopping centers |
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No more ‘big box retail’ |
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Check growth and sprawl of retail areas |
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Focus economic development on high tech and encouraging growth
of local start-up companies
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Must attract industry/high tech!
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encourage high tech growth
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Target high tech industries
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high tech quotient
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Making Montgomery more appealing to the high tech industry
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Encourage High Tech Growth (GIS)
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promote the NRV as tech business friendly
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Encourage high-tech non-polluting industries rather than potentially
polluting industries.
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provide hi-tech companies financial incentives
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close correlation/working together of VA Tech & County officials
trying to address problems of high tech growth
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hgh tech growth: High tech growth tends to be more environmentally
friendly industry. Keep it in town or already existing buildings, though.
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attraction of industrial and high tech growth so we can have
a higher tax base to pay for growth and changes
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Seek grants for suitable utilities in a high-tech corridor
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Seek grants for suitable utilities in a high-tech corridor
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| Industrial Development (n=9) | |
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Encourage industry to move to M.Co to increase tax base. |
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Attract business & industry which use highly qualified workers |
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tax breaks for industries |
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important NOT to encourage industrial growth |
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limit expansion of industrial growth |
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restrict residential and industrial development |
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encourage industrial growth |
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industrial growth: Industrial growth means more pollution, more potential lay-offs, and more sprawl |
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If you must get more industry, improve/rebuild existing industrial sites. Include adequate public transport. |
| Tourism Development (n=9) | |
Note: Tourism falls into two categories: Eco-tourism and Historical/Cultural Tourism. Many of the comments related to tourism development are located in other sections of this report, most notably Cultural Facilities (museums, historic preservation), Environment, and Parks & Recreation |
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C.I.I. Tourism |
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ECO Tourism |
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Tourism pushed to bring more money into the area |
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Develop programs w/Tech to promote tourism. |
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Boost the tourism campaign |
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Tourism, State Parks, less congestion "overbuilding"; currently, terrible, deadly circumstance re; roads/developments |
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tourism: Any kind of growth increases traffic. |
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Encourage the development and activities desired with policy -- tax breaks for eco-tourism |
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Signage to encourage safety as well as community pride and tourism. |
| Revitalization & Redevelopment, including Downtowns (n=33) | |
Note: Additional comments are located under Cultural Facilities: Historic Preservaton and Planning |
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County working w/ C'burg to bring businesses downtown (I.e., restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, art galleries, etc.) |
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Invite/encourage businesses to use downtown areas |
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Utilization of existing buildings both in towns and county for housing, industry, & commerce before approval of new construction. |
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C'burg use-tax rebates to encourage downtown redevelopment to increase professional business to use the downtown buildings. |
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Bring business into downtown as in Blacksburg, Salem, & Radford. |
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Develop downtown C'burg and B'burg |
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"Dead buildings" - no new construction for businesses allowed until emply facilities are filled. |
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Increase quality of downtown Blacksburg (including increased parking) |
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reuse existing buildings and lots |
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Spruce up or rebuild on properties zoned for commercial and industry yet are vacant |
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Be careful to not overbuild, but use some existing buildings & renovate. |
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Restrict building new business where old buildings are empty |
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Requiring new/rehabbed commercial development to be integrated into new residential areas |
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Bare in mind the existence of vacant facilities. This will prevent unnecessary building where facilities already exist If building of facilities is necessary, fit to surrounding area |
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Make use of vacant buildings. |
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reclaim downtown areas and abandoned buildings, shopping centers, etc. |
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Vital, active downtowns with business, residences, etc. |
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Encourage re-use of vacant properties etc. |
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Tax incentives to re-use rather than build new |
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Abandon buildings (don't just let them sit) |
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Limit retail to existing areas and put in place encouraging renovating and reusing existing building instead of building new ones and losing acres to developing that could be used for green space, parks, etc. Montgomery County doesn't need a lot of empty retail building with crumbling parking lots that are an eyesore |
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Compact downtown parking and public transport to downtown to encourage downtown business |
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Encourage downtown businesses instead of more mall development |
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Develop strict zoning regulations & focus on using space that is already zoned for development - vacant spaces reuse/rebuild |
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Seek grants for commercial property revitalization |
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Seek grants for commercial property revitalization |
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Encouraging locally-owned businesses in our downtowns |
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Commercial and industrial zoned areas should be recycled, discouraging new development in favor of using abandoned or old sites. Unnecessary sprawl must be stopped. |
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Stop building big buildings until all the empty ones are full |
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Public investment, vision, commitment to downtowns / CBDs |
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The county should locate and promote under utilized sites with existing infrastructure |
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strong downtown business |
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Encouraging productive use/ renovation of exiting buildings, especially those of historic value (this could be with tax incentives, zoning protection, and/or other means. |
| Environmental Concerns (n=11) | |
Note: See, also, comments included in the Environment section of this report |
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Tighter regulations in business areas for green space & repair. |
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Clean industry only |
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Recruit more clean industry |
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Recruit more "clean" industry |
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Limit industry along the New River |
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keep close eye on big industry |
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New industry to be held accountable for pollution |
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Keep out industry that produces toxic waste |
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Attract clean industry |
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Monitoring air quality and determining source of pollution including arsenal at Ratford and VT coal fire systems |
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economic development & environment |
| Design & Planning Standards (n=21) | |
Note: See, also, comments on Zoning and other ordinances in the Planning Section of this report. |
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Develop & enforce strong ordinances on business developments - setbacks, signage, green space & trees |
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Require developers - particularly commercial developers to plant trees and properly landscape greenspaces in/around parking lots & in front of stores. |
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The gully areas between roads and commercial areas in the 460/114 area should be made more attractive with landscaping |
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put parking lots behind stores |
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adhere to more strict design standards, including strict sign ordinances |
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Virginia Tech and commercial developers should be required to control the amount of light pollution they produce by lighting their parking lots and buildings 24/7 |
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Monitor development of business space. Submit plans for public review |
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Forces business & industry to landscape |
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Encourage mixture of commercial/residential high density areas. There doesn't necessarily have to be pockets of residential/commercial areas - can be mixed. |
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No mega-single level stores, ie Walmart which doesn't facilitate movement of people between stores |
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Encourage creative thinking for designing of high density areas (commercial, residential) |
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Encourage construction of multilevel malls & shopping to make use of vertical space. |
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mixed use in town, such as housing, retail & offices |
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Restrict light pollution such as Sheetz gas stations |
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Mixed use in town such as housing, retail & office |
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If new commercial areas are needed make them multi story |
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Build multistory parking garages |
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Zone for near by small groceries, pharmacies, etc. |
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Some type of ordinance to make sure that sidewalks and curbing in new development |
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To develop an area there must be some type of ordinance to have sidewalks and drains |
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Strict signage regulations |
| Other Concerns | |
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make more parking in Bburg |
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Department of Planning & Inspections
Last Updated: 25 April, 2003
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