York County Planning Commissioners tasked with creating a vision for a future Hampton Roads emphasized regional expansion in transportation, education and the economy.
During a work session Wednesday night, commissioners were posed the question “What does Hampton Roads look like in 20 to 30 years?”
After informally tossing around more than 30 broad answers, commissioners condensed and prioritized the ideas into five categories: A world-class transportation hub, economic diversification, growing regional public and private school systems and infrastructure, expanding public access to waterfront and expanding the term “Historic Triangle” to fit the entire region.
Their answers will be collected along with the answers of the 16 other Hampton Roads Planning Commissions that will contribute to the area’s inaugural community-based regional strategic plan, titled “Envision Hampton Roads.”
Created by the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, an organization that coordinates regional planning projects among the 17 localities in Hampton Roads, Envision Hampton Roads will provide an overview of goals and objectives in areas such as transportation, housing, economic development and environmental management for Hampton Roads and work as a planning guide for the next 30 years.
Envision Hampton Roads is funded through contributions from the participating localities.
Transportation was highlighted as a priority for York County commissioners, with the widening of Interstate 64 to Richmond, alternate transportation infrastructure such as a regional railway and a world-class transportation hub as attractive aspirations in Hampton Roads.
Commissioner Mark Suiter said he envisioned “uncongested access to all areas of Hampton Roads at all hours.”
Creating an easier commute to all of Hampton Roads would aid in bringing more regional events, such as festivals and concerts, to the area and attract people to Hampton Roads’ established attractions, such as the Virginia Beach waterfront, the Jefferson Lab and historic sites, Suiter said.
Commissioner Glenn Brazelton envisioned a tourism-driven community that encompasses the entire Peninsula.
“It’s not just Yorktown, Jamestown and Williamsburg,” he said, citing Fort Monroe and Portsmouth as equally important historic sites. “It’s a broader image beyond the Historic Triangle.”
Among discussions of regional tourism, Suiter suggested expanding public access to the waterfront.
“We have so much [waterfront], yet a very small amount is accessible to the public,” he said, explaining additional accessibility would draw more tourists to the area.
Another priority for commissioners was the expansion and regional collaboration of public and private school systems and infrastructure.
Commissioner Montgoussaint Jons suggested the regional plan include language that emphasizes school officials work to “pool together educational and training resources” and encouraged a collective involvement in curriculum planning.
Commissioners also discussed the need for an expanded economy.
“We have got to diversify the local economy,” Brazelton said, prompting other commissioners to suggest large-scale undertakings such as a professional sports venue, an amphitheater, a research center, commercial development along Interstate 64 and more to attract new business.
Suiter envisioned attracting more Fortune 500 companies while lessening the region’s dependence on federal funds.
Other suggestions that did not make the priority list included more workforce housing, a regional plan that addresses environmental hazards, regional opportunities for seniors and reclaiming commercial areas in decline.
York County’s planning staff will take the Planning Commission’s five priorities and draft a proposed vision statement, which they will formally present to the commission for approval at its Feb. 11 meeting.
Once commissioners have approved the vision statement, it will be submitted to the HRPDC, along with vision statements from the other localities in Hampton Roads, citizen input and survey results.
