Update Wednesday Jan. 17 10:00 a.m.: The Fort Eustis Joint Land Use Study community workshop scheduled for tonight at 6 p.m. has been canceled due to inclement weather. The meeting will be rescheduled.
After 13 months of planning, a plan for the Joint Land Use Study at Fort Eustis is available for review from the public.
Supported by the Department of Defense and the Office of Economic Adjustment, the Joint Land Use Study aims to promote a hospitable environment for the military base and the surrounding localities, according to a James City County news release.
The land use study identifies solutions for various issues that residents currently have, including stressed transportation systems, flooding due to sea level rise and issues with waterway management.
Now, two localities in the area, James City County and Newport News, will host two community workshops to share a draft land use plan.
The workshops will allow residents, localities and Fort Eustis to collaborate on the land study process. During the workshops, residents can give feedback on the proposed draft.
The workshops are also intended to ensure the land use study draft will benefit all parties, including Fort Eustis and the local governments.
While a land use study was prepared for Langley Air Force Base in 2010, this JLUS will only address the Fort Eustis facilities. The land use study will coordinate through the host unit, Langley AFB, which provides installation support.
The land use study process aims to increase public awareness of military missions and contribution to the regional economy. It also aims to protect and preserve military readiness and defense capabilities.
The first community workshop is from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the Abram Frink Community Center, located at 8901 Pocahontas Trail in Williamsburg.
The second workshop will be from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday at the Denbigh Community Center, located at 15198 Warwick Boulevard in Newport News.
Both workshops are free and open to the public.
The localities in the process with Fort Eustis are the City of Newport News, James City County and York County. Since February 2017, there have been two previous public meetings seeking citizens’ comments.
Nearly 300 surveys have been conducted online and on-site at several community events.
For more information, go to www.forteustisjlus.com or contact the project manager, Britta Ayers, Planning Department, City of Newport News at 757-926-8074 or bayers@nnva.gov.
