2nd Quarter / Summer 2001
Outreach and Education
A Map of the Montgomery County Web
A User’s Guide
Under Construction
Considering Technology: The Website Design
Montgomery County and e-government
In the Spring, 2000 issue of News and Notes, we asked readers what they wanted in a planning department website. Although the responses were sparse (2 people mentioned putting the comp plan and the zoning ordinance online), the exercise provided the department with, at least, a partial answer: the web needed to provide greater public outreach, accessible planning information (not just the documents, but background materials as well), and more opportunities to get involved in the planning process. The sheer lack of response, in fact, underscored the department’s need to improve both public education in planning, by helping to define and describe the issues in very real terms, and the need to strengthen the ties between the planning department and the residents of Montgomery County. This seemed especially important given that we were, at the time, gearing up to start the comprehensive planning process (subsequently, the department held the first series of public meetings on the comprehensive plan this past March and is hiring an outside consultant to help with the process).
Outreach and Public Information.
Like many other states, Virginia encourages open meetings and disclosure of public information. According to §2.2-3707(D), which becomes effective October 1, 2001, “at least one copy of all agenda packets and, unless exempt, all materials furnished to members of a public body for a meeting shall be made available for public inspection at the same time such documents are furnished to the members of the public body.”The website gives the department a practical, reasonably efficient, and inexpensive method of providing the broad range of information generated by the department, the Planning Commission, and the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA), including the official minutes for both the Planning Commission and the BZA, the staff analysis reports and maps for upcoming hearings, and special topic reports (Comprehensive Plan Analysis reports, Huckleberry Trail Users Survey Results report, etc.).
Outreach and Education
Effective public outreach, however, means far more than just providing the departmental documents for public perusal. The success of planning depends, in large part, on the interaction and interplay between often opposing stakeholders (people who have a stake in the final outcome of public decisions and actions).While we can’t force people to learn about planning or planning issues, the website offers the Planning Department an affordable means and publicly accessible method of providing education and information documents. The educational materials fall into four distinct categories: technical data sheets; including explanations of zoning, subdivision,and building inspection information issue briefs, including pros and cons; glossary/planning dictionary using local examples,; and issue specific pages
Information on the Digital DivideFalling Through the Net: Reports and Statistics on the Digital Divide |
, including links to materials from other sites online and a bibliography of print materials on the subject The issue specific pages are divided into two sections: those for use by the general public and those designed with K-12 teachers and students in mind. In an attempt to make the materials as accessible and useful as possible, the department pages provide cross reference links between the education pages and the public documents (ordinances, staff analysis reports, agendas, and minutes). Despite the department’s efforts at public outreach through the website, the digital divide (the technological gap between the haves, the sort-or-haves, and the have nots) presents a very real problem. For this reason, the web pages have been designed to work with older browsers that may not be capable of reading pages that incorporate frames or older modems that make accessing pages a time consuming ordeal. In addition, not everyone has access to computers, although computers are available in the public libraries , or wants access to computers.
The educational materials are available upon request, free of charge, in print format from the Planning Department at 540-382-5750 or write: Montgomery County Planning Department, P.O. Box 6126, Christiansburg, VA 24068
Note: If you click on "A Visual Guide to the Planning Department Web," you will need to use your browser "back" (left arrow) button to return to the newsletter.
The design of the Montgomery County Planning Department website was based on how current department users ask questions and on the concept of an interactive book that incorporates web techniques and tools (most notably, hot links) and traditional approaches to information research (content lists, indices, and bibliographies). As the Visual Guide to the Planning Deparment Web indicates, the Planning Department website is organized by the subject category most often referenced by people when they ask planning questions either in person or on the phone:
The second phase of development will include the department’s extensive collection of specialty and comprehensive planning maps, interactive forms, inspections information, and Capital Improvement Program materials.
Accessing Information
In most cases, materials can be accessed by multiple means: either from one of the content lists, through the site index, or through reference links. For example, if a user wants to know about impervious surfaces, they can find the information by looking at the technical data sheet content list, looking up the subject in the site index, or by clicking on one of the reference links in the zoning ordinance. Reference links are underlined and are in a different color than the regular text. Links are also provided for outside resources, especially in cases where a specific text is reference in one of the county’s landuse ordinances.
Using the Information
As the disclaimer in the online version of the Zoning Ordinance notes, the materials in the Planning Department website are being provided as a public service and include materials (charts, technical data sheets, additional definitions, and diagrams) not found in the original printed version of the documents. Indeed, the nature of online document design allows for far more flexibility and interaction. For these reasons, the printed (hardcopy) versions of the zoning ordinance, subdivision ordinance and street name and number ordinance, available from the Montgomery County Department of Planning and Inspections, are the controlling legal authority. Additional information provided in the online version, either through links or editorial addendum (all red text), are meant only as additional educational and public information resources and have no legal authority (ed.). The materials included in the department’s webpage are open for public use. We do ask, however, that if you are quoting materials in a paper or printing multiple copies for distribution to others that you give credit where credit is due. For students, this means making sure you follow the citation methods included in the documentation system (APA, MLA, AP, etc) specified by your teacher or instructor.
Planning
Department Web ...Under ConstructionIn an ideal world, websites should be ever-changing You will notice, when you visit the Montgomery County Planning Department website, pages with the construction logo at the end of the text, just above the navigation buttons. This symbol indicates that more material is slated to be added to the web page in the upcoming months. In addition to the “under construction” icon, the site provides a “what’s new” page, which highlights new materials and provides a direct link to these materials. “What’s New in the Planning Department” page will be updated the first weekend of each month.
The web site was designed with the lowest common technology denominator in mind. While many internet users have access to reasonably fast modems and current versions of web browsers which handle frame pages with ease, the use of frames would have excluded those users with older computers and older browsers. Because effective planning starts with effective public education and outreach, excluding potential users because of older technology doesn’t help the planning department achieve that end. We encourage you to explore the site. If you have questions concerning subject matter, problems with the website, comments, or contributions, please email the department webmaster.
Montgomery County sits at the crossroads of the technology corridor, in part by virtue of the presence of Virginia Tech, It is not surprising, then, that the county government, reflecting the importance of technology locally, would choose to incorporate an e-government approach to the distribution of public information and public services. The new county website provides residents with access to the broad range of services offered by the Montgomery County government, including: agency and board schedules, a calendar of county events and activities, forms and applications, as well as faq sheets covering a variety of departments and topics.
Despite the high-tech approach to delivering services, much of the county’s and the Planning Department’s business will be done in person and on paper. For the Planning Department, the shift towards e-government means that we can provide information to the wide range of constituents, from students working on research projects to residents with questions about the zoning laws or the inspection regulations to visitors and future residents. The use of a web-site to provide public information does not preclude, however, the necessity of doing business in person. Although Phase II of the web site development includes providing pdf and text based forms for building permits and planning/zoning actions (rezonings, special use permits, and so forth), the forms will still need to be filed in person at the Planning Department. In addition, the information included in the site, while detailed, is general in nature.
If your questions deal with specific uses for a specific property, we strongly suggest you come by the Planning Department and speak directly to one of the planners or building inspectors (for permit and construction questions.). The websites, both the department’s and the county’s, provide greater public outreach and, by functioning as educational tools, will hopefully result in greater public participation in finding solutions for the issues facing Montgomery County. If the sites, however, are not addressing the subjects and concerns you feel are important, you need to contact us and let us know.
In the past two years, Montgomery County has witnessed a dramatic increase in special use permit requests to construct new telecommunications towers. The county’s experience is, by no means, unique. At the request of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors (in a resolution passed on July 24, 2000), the Montgomery County Planning Department, working with planning departments from neighboring jurisdictions (Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Radford, and Pulaski), began developing a regional approach to the broad range of issues surrounding telecommunications towers.
The staff committee, consisting of staff from the five jurisdictions, met several times over the past year and developed a list of five key policies that were consistent with each jurisdiction’s goals and provide the region with a uniform land use policy approach towards analyzing and processing telecommunication tower siting requests:
Co-location and current consultant studies
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Planning Commission Hearing on Telecommunications Towers Online & Bibliographic Resources for Telecommunications Towers |
One of the committee’s recommendations involved co-location, the siting of new antennae, microwave dishes, etc. on existing structures, which allows for the “highest and best use” of existing structures and eliminates the need for constructing towers in inappropriate areas. They identified a number of potential co-location possibilities, including existing communication towers, buildings, water tanks, sewage treatment facilities, electric transmission towers, signs, parks and ball fields, and industrial parks. To that end, the Board of Supervisors, in April 2001, requested that the Planning Department evaluated the RFP’s received in response to the a request of for a consultant to assess the existing wireless telecommunications facilities in Montgomery County and identify potential coverage gaps. The study will provide the county with a clearer picture of where new telecommunication towers will be needed in order to address potential gaps is service and coverage. Atlantic Technology Consultants were hired, in June, to perform the study, which is slated to be finished by the end of September.
This spring saw increased activity on five fronts: transportation, the CIP (Capital Improvements Program), revisions of the zoning ordinance, work on the comprehensive plan, and development of a regional approach to telecommunications towers. On May 23rd, a joint information meeting concerning the Blacksburg/ Christiansburg Area Transportation Study was held with the Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Montgomery County Planning Commissions at the Christiansburg branch of the Floyd/Montgomery County Library. The public information meeting covering the same subject was rescheduled for Christiansburg on July 17th.
The CIP process for FY 2002-2006 also wrapped up during the spring quarter. In April, Carol Edmonds, Assistant County Administrator, formally presented the CIP budget to the Planning Commission. A public hearing was held on May 16th, and the Planning Commission recommended approval to the Board of Supervisors (who, subsequently, approved the CIP in June). This year’s CIP includes funding for various school construction projects, monies for construction and implementation of the County’s e-government website, and funds for the redesign and refurbishing of the county court house.
At the request of the Board of Supervisors, the Planning Commission, and the Zoning Administrator, Steve Sandy, have been revisiting the 1999 Zoning Ordinance since the first of the year in order to make technical changes. Most of the changes have dealt with text amendments designed to implement policy changes, including additional “by right” uses in some of the districts. The Planning Commission held a public hearing on the changes on May 9th and recommended approval by the Board of Supervisors, who subsequently approved most of the changes at their June 11th meeting.
Work on the Comprehensive Plan Revision continued during the second quarter as well. In April, the department prepared a summary of the results first round of public meetings and mail-in surveys and presented the results to the Planning Commission (the results are also available through the department’s website). In addition, an RFP (request for proposal) was put out to hire a planning consultant. Subsequently, four consultant teams were interviewed and the county is in the process of awarding the contract to Herd and Associates (the same firm that helped develop the 1999 Zoning Ordinance). The Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors held public hearings on a Comprehensive Plan amendment concerning telecommunications facilities (see article on page 5) and recommended approval. Among other features, the amendment encourages the consistent “highest and best use” approach of co-locating of new antennae, microwave dishes, and other telecommunications equipment on existing structures and building new towers only when no co-location opportunities exist, creating a gap in coverage.
In June, following the third and fourth meetings of the Redistricting Committee in April and the Board of Supervisors’ public hearing in May, the United States Department of Justice approved the county’s redistricting plan. Redistricting materials and information are available through the Welton Center at the University of Virginia and through the U.S. Census Bureau (www.census.gov).
Work continues on the Coal Mining Heritage Park, the Route 177 Corridor Study, and various minor projects, including the Rural Additions Program for Green Hill Lane and Natures Waye Road and the Agricultural and Forestal Districts program (AFD-6, south of Shawsville).
Maple Ridge Proposal.
The Montgomery County and Blacksburg Planning Commissions will be holding a special joint public hearing concerning the Maple Ridge (North Main, Blacksburg) on September 4th at 7:30 p.m. at the Blacksburg Municipal Building. This is the second proposal from Sterling Nichols. The proposal calls for the development of a combination of apartments and single-family dwellings on the parcel of land bordering the south side of Mt Tabor Road and the east side of North Main.
Coal Mining Heritage Park Update: Work Saturday, the Merrimac Link Trail, and Lick Run Creek Monitoring Project.
Volunteers are needed on October 6th and November 3rd, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to work with Radford University students at the Coal Mining Heritage Park planting perennials, putting in the new benches, and building the Hoist House Trail. The RFP for the Merrimac Link Trail, has been advertised, and the county is currently negotiating with Tri-State construction on the construction of the raised board-walk trail connecting a new parking area, located adjacent to the county’s Merrimac collections facilities, and the Huckleberry Trail. It is hoped that the new trail will provide safe, accessible access to the mid-point of the Coal Mining Heritage Park. Recently, the county funded a water quality survey of the portion of Lick Run Creek that bisects the Coal Mining Heritage Park in order to facilitate the development of an artificial wetland project by the Waste Policy Institute (WPI). The survey was conducted by staff members from Draper Aden, Waste Policy Institute, and the Montgomery County Planning Department. Survey results should be available and posted on the Planning Department website by October 15th.
Capital Improvements Program (CIP).
CIP proposals for the FY2003-2007 capital budget are due from the county’s agencies and departments on October 1st. A preliminary list of proposals will be available on October 15th on the Planning Department website. Public hearings for the new round of proposals will be scheduled after the first of the year.
GIS Coordinator’s Position
Montgomery County is still trying to fill the GIS Coordinator’s position in the Planning Department. Although the position was advertised this past spring, no hire has been made at this time.
Updated Technical Data Sheets
Due to the changes in the 1999 Zoning Ordinance, the department is in the process of revising the technical data sheets, as well as adding additional sheets covering topics like flood plains and landscaping. The revised sheets should be available September 15th.
