Danville’s draft comprehensive plan released

“This plan is like no other the city of Danville has created,” said Danville Planning Director Renee Burton.

Officials gave this latest plan a broader vision, aiming for a document that addresses areas not mentioned in previous plans.

“The document covers topics not previously covered in our comprehensive plan, such as environment, community and culture,” Burton said. “This plan takes a more holistic approach to the development of our home. This is not just about the required development of the country, but also about the development of the community and the people who live in our community.”

According to a city news release, the design was developed following a two-year public engagement process called PLAN Danville that included 75 events and input from more than 13,000 residents.

Preliminary planning for the new comprehensive plan began in January 2023, and Burton, city consultants and several city-based ambassadors sought input from residents on the plan over the next year and a half.

A dozen years have passed and Danville has changed since the city government last developed a new comprehensive land use plan.

Since 2012, the city has experienced tremendous change due to events such as Tropical Storm Michael in October 2018, the announcement of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in investment, the redevelopment of the Downtown River District, a nationwide COVID-19 pandemic, and a Caesars Virginia casino resort, which is currently being built.

The city’s comprehensive plan is a 20-year document that must be reviewed every five years. This latest draft plan is approximately 400 pages long.

While every comprehensive plan or review of an existing plan has allowed citizens to provide input during an after-hours meeting or at a Planning Board or City Council meeting, the process went a step further for the most recent document, Burton said.

“We … actively went out into the community to seek public input,” Burton said. “The public input we received developed the priorities that became the eight focus areas or the eight chapters of the plan.”

City officials launched a social media campaign, conducted a survey, appointed community ambassadors and held several dozen events, Burton pointed out.

The eight chapters include:

• Community: The focus is on empowering community members and city leaders to collaborate and take action.
• Land Use: Promote thriving neighborhoods where residents have easy access to essential services;
• Transportation: Building a multimodal transportation network that supports freedom of mobility, economic dynamism, social equity, and improved health outcomes;
• Infrastructure: Building high-quality, well-connected and resilient infrastructure;
• Housing: Improving accessibility and affordability of housing;
• Economy: Supporting diverse and equitable economic growth and prosperity;
• Environment: promoting open spaces and natural systems that can adapt to the diverse needs of the community;
• Culture: Preserve shared history and celebrate people’s unique cultures.

“The release of this draft is a milestone in our journey, and we encourage all residents to review it and provide feedback,” City Manager Ken Larking said in a prepared statement. “Your input is critical to ensuring this plan reflects our shared vision for Danville’s future.”

Residents who have questions or comments during the review of the draft document are asked to share them by email at hello@plandanville.org.

“This plan consolidates all of the data collected and provides a vision for what the future of Danville could look like,” Burton said in a prepared statement. “We invite residents to explore the document and see how your voice helped shape the proposed roadmap for our city.”