Planning Commission

FXBG FORWARD T AF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE R JOINT CITY COUNCIL PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 20, 2025 D What is a Comprehensive Plan? T R • Long-term policy guiding document AF • Guides funding, project prioritization, grant eligibility • Enabled and required by Code of Virginia D How is FXBG's Comp Plan unique? T • Bottom-up approach, AF building on local planning efforts already completed • Macro-level focus on city- wide systems that connect R and enhance local areas D  Comprehensive Planning Process T Project Kick-Off April 10th 2024 May/June Joint Work Session Tour, Updated w/ City Council June 11 July/Aug/Sept AF Integrate Recent Planning Input October Oct/Nov Prepare& Refine StoryMap – Ongoing Open Survey, 20+ public engagement sessions Present Final Draft February 26, 2025 Dec/Jan/Feb Public Hearing w/ Planning Commission Mar/Apr May 14 2025 Database Report to Planning Commission May 8th R Joint Work Session w/ Planning Commission June 12 Draft & Refine the Vision Statement September Prepare Draft Comp Plan Chapters November Prepare Final Draft December-February Joint Work w/ PC & CC March 26 Public Hearing w/ City Council June/July D  Plan Timeline Project Kickoff April 10, 2024 First Friday July 5, 2024 Sports Saturday R Planning Commission Discussion May 8, 2024 AF Farmer’s Market July 13, 2024 Community Joint City Council Work Session June 11, 2024 Mayfield Community Meeting July 17, 2024 Human Services Joint Planning Commission Work Session June 12, 2024 Fall Hill Community Meeting August 22, 2024 ARB Discussion Community Conversation #1 June 26, 2024 Real Estate Focus Group September 11, 2024 ARB Discussion Fourth in Fredericksburg Arts & Craft Show July 4, 2024 Business Focus Group September 13, 2024 Economic Development September 28, Conversation #2 Focus Group November 18, Breakfast Meeting 2024 October 5, 2024 October 9, 2024 October 28, 2024 November 21, 2024 ARB Comp Plan Committee December 12, 2024 Economic Development T ARB Comp Plan Committee January 9, 2025 Community Conversation #3 Pathways Committee January 27, 2025 Pathways Committee Clean & Green Committee February 3, 2025 Recreation ARB Comp Plan Committee February 6, 2025 Housing Advisory 2024 Housing Advisory Committee February 6, 2025 Rotary Club D Authority February 10, 2025 February 26, 2024 February 24, 2025 Commission March 20, 2025 Committee March 25, 2025 Meeting March 26, 2025 Public Engagement Methods City-Wide Community Meetings: AF • 06/26/2024, 10/05/2024, and 2/26/2025 Neighborhood Meetings: • Mayfield and Fall Hill Neighborhoods Focus Groups / Boards and Commissions: T • 19 meetings (Oct 2024 – March 2025) Pop-Up Events: • Fourth in Fredericksburg Show, 07/04/2024 • First Friday, 07/05/2024 • Farmers’ Market, 07/13/2024 • Sports Saturday, 09/28/2024 Online: R • Survey - 588 respondents over the period 06/14/24 through 10/16/2024 • Comprehensive Plan Ambassador e-mail list • Fredericksburg Forward Story Map project D website with comment map Takeaways from Community Conversations T Community Meetings: AF • Residents appreciate Fredericksburg’s history, culture, and sense of community. They want to preserve and enhance these aspects. • Improve transit, bike, and pedestrian infrastructure; address traffic congestion and safety. Focus Groups: • Appreciation for how downtown has come to life. • Participants see many development opportunities but R feel the community is often resistant to any change. • It’s challenging to find or build space for new businesses. D Community Conversations (cont’d) Pop-Up Events: T AF • People expressed concern with affordable housing, historic preservation, and traffic congestion. • People want to preserve the character of the area. Neighborhood Meetings: • Need to provide more grocery stores across the city. • Develop vacant and underutilized properties. Survey: R • Respondents want Fredericksburg to be a safe, walkable place. D  Future Plan Timeline Planning Commission / City Council Discussion AF City Council Initiation April 8, 2025 Planning Commission Work Session March 26, 2025 Planning Commission T Planning Commission April 9, 2025 City Council Public Work Session R April 23, 2025 Public Hearing May 14, 2025 Hearing June/July D Comp Plan Chapters • Introduction T • Vision • Goals • Community Design AF • Urban Design and Community Fabric • Mobility • Public Open Space • Socioeconomic and Demographic Profile • Housing • Historic Preservation R • Public Facilities • Economic Development • Environmental • Small Area Plans D Vision AF Fredericksburg is the cultural and economic hub of a fast-growing east coast metropolitan region. T The city is a model of urban life that nourishes and enriches its residents while promoting economic vitality, historic integrity, environmental sustainability, and cultural vibrancy. Our diverse community enjoys a high quality of life enhanced by R neighborhoods that are safe, accessible, and interconnected. It is a place that works for everyone; a place where people want to be! D Goals Community T AF Historic Preservation Equity R Resiliency Sustainability D Systems Approach AF Environment Urban Design & Community Fabric Public Open Space Economic Development T Housing DR Public Facilities & Services Historic Preservation Community Design Fredericksburg’s traditional T walkable urban form is a AF defining feature, this plan calls for replicating this form through a system of walkable centers. Context Snapshot: Examples Inherited Character Mobility Open Space Housing R D Community Design Fredericksburg’s traditional walkable urban form is a defining feature, this plan calls AF for replicating this form through a system of walkable centers. Policy Snapshot: T 1 Establish a vision for walkable centers then permit it to be built through Ddevelopment codes.1 (1) FXBG Forward pg.15 R Community Design Fredericksburg’s traditional walkable urban form is a defining feature, this plan calls AF for replicating this form through a system of walkable centers. Strategy Snapshot: 4.a Use and regularly update the T Capital Impact study to incorporate Dschool board and public safety capital planning into land use decisions on major projects.1 R (1) FXBG Forward pg.15 Community Design Policy Snapshot: T AF 1. Establish a vision for walkable centers then permit it to be built through development codes. • Conclusion and implementation of Shopping Center Redevelopment Study Strategy Snapshot: 5.c Ensure that new development and R redevelopment projects reinforce and connect to the Uplands and Riverfront Open Space Networks. • Review framework for future development as it relates to City- D wide systems Mobility AF Transportation systems provide sustainable and accessible walking, biking, and transit. Objectives: Local Connectivity Regional Connectivity Street Grid Electrification T D Equity Up to Date Parking Advanced Technology.2 (2) FXBG Forward pg.24 R Mobility Transportation systems provide sustainable and accessible walking, biking, and transit. AF Policy Snapshot: T 1. Create complete streets in new and existing communities that work for all transportation modes.2 Strategy Snapshot: D 1.b Execute the pavement condition study and develop a right-of-way Asset Management Strategy to add complete street elements or traffic calming during the repaving process. 2 R (2) FXBG Forward pg.24 Public Open Space Fredericksburg’s open space T network is woven throughout the AF city with a series of parks, trails, and natural areas. These areas contribute on many levels. Objectives Snapshot: Site Specific Master Planning Partnerships R Next Generation Open Spaces Sports Tourism Safe Access Green Streets Green Design3 D (3) FXBG Forward pg.28 Uplands Open Space / Riverfront Open Space Map T AF R D Housing Fredericksburg residents T AF appreciate their high quality of life and the character of the existing neighborhoods that provide it. Objectives Snapshot: Preservation Revitalization Variety of Housing Homeownership Housing Supply Affordable Housing Community 4 R (4) FXBG Forward pg.32-33 Adobe Stock D Housing The key to housing affordability is T increasing housing supply. Given land constraints, the main option is redevelopment of existing assets in a way that enhances existing neighborhoods. Strategy Snapshot: AF 1(a) Update the City’s form-based and traditional development regulations to explicitly permit and R encourage the replication of downtown’s built form in walkable urban centers. Key features to replicate include block sizes and layouts, alleys, lot sizes and shapes, public frontages, building orientation, and building types. 4 (4) FXBG Forward pg.33 Adobe Stock D D R AF T D R AF T D R AF T D R AF T Publicly Supported Affordable Housing 2% T 38% AF 42% Caroline Fredericksburg King George Spotsylvania Stafford Locality Caroline Fredericksburg King George Spotsylvania Stafford Total No. of Affordable Units 1,400 Housing Choice Vouchers 95 2,518 389 696 2276 5,974 DR 12% 6% 7,374 total designated affordable units. 38,588 low-income households across region. The publicly supported housing can meet the need of 19% of the region’s low-income households. Historic Preservation AF Preservation is no mere homage T to the past, it is integral to the future – as a dynamic philosophy of change, preservation is a critical factor in planning urban growth. R D  Historic Preservation Fredericksburg Forward Snapshot: AF Community Design and Land Use Policy 6. Meld preservation and land use to emulate successful historic urban fabric. Housing Policy 5. Encourage neighborhood preservation, rehabilitation, and revitalization, while discouraging displacement. T Public Facilities and Services Policy 7. Strengthen preservation and maintenance of public facilities. Economic Development Policy 10. Implement a comprehensive economic development strategy R focused on investment in historic preservation. Environment Objective 7. The Greenest Buildings: sensitively retrofit existing historic buildings and identify sustainable historical design practices that can be applied to new development to ensure long-term D stewardship of the built environment Historic Preservation Preservation is no mere homage AF to the past, it is integral to the future – as a dynamic philosophy of change, T preservation is a critical factor in planning urban growth. Policy Snapshot: 3. Emphasize diverse stories and the recognition of underrepresented resources R to work toward telling the full story of Fredericksburg’s past and building an equitable future.5 (5) FXBG Forward pg.38 D  Planning Life Cycle • 2021 Update incorporating the 2010 Preservation Plan into the Comprehensive Plan AF Preservation Plan Policy • • Small Area Plans FXBG Forward Comprehensive Plan update T • • • D Idlewild Rehabilitation Renwick Adaptive Reuse R Auction Block Memorial Capital Improvements • Regulations / • Code • • 2021 Archaeology Ordinance 2021 updated Historic District Design Guidelines Character Structures/Form-Based Codes Cutting-Edge Neighborhood Conservation Districts Public Facilities & Services The efficient and effective AF provision of public facilities and services to all Fredericksburg residents is a key organizing principle for the City. Objectives Snapshot: Education Green Design T DR Connectivity Capital Impacts Preservation Efficiency Riverfront.6 (6) FXBG Forward pg. 47 Economic Development AF The City’s downtown is a unique economic asset, representing the past, present, and future of the city as a walkable center where residents can live, work, play, and shop. Objectives Snapshot: Revitalization T Enhance Economic Competitiveness DCultivate a Skilled Workforce Expand Tourism Diversification7 (7) FXBG Forward pg.52 R Economic Development The City’s downtown is a unique economic asset, representing AF the past, present, and future of the city as a walkable center where residents can live, work, play, and shop. Policy Snapshot: 1. Enable the development of an T environmentally sensitive Technology DCampus including data center development in the North End of Area 1.7 (7) FXBG Forward pg.53 R Environment Diverse auto-oriented development patterns present challenges and opportunities – AF adapting and fostering environmental resilience is paramount. Objectives Snapshot: Resiliency T DClimate Change Mitigation Environmental Justice The River Open Space Networks R Sustainable Urban Fabric The Greenest Buildings.8 (8) FXBG Forward pg.64-65 Environment Diverse auto-oriented development patterns present AF challenges and opportunities – adapting and fostering environmental resilience is paramount. Policy Snapshot: T D1. Manage and protect key natural and riparian landscapes and wildlife corridors.8 (8) FXBG Forward pg.65 R Environment Strategy Snapshot: AF 6.a Continue the implementation of sustainable design practices such as: • Maximize the number of people who can adopt a walkable lifestyle. T • Promote the development of smaller dwelling units in compact, walkable centers. • Promote the use of complete streets to enable non-car transportation modes (transit, bicycles, walking). • Support infill, adaptive reuse, and redevelopment within key corridors and walkable centers. R • Sensitively retrofit existing historic buildings. • Identify sustainable historical design practices that can be applied to new development to ensure long-term stewardship of the built environment8 D (8) FXBG Forward pg.67 Environment – Columbus, OH T AF R D Peter Calthorpe, Presentation, CNU 32 Environment – Columbus, OH T AF R D Peter Calthorpe, Presentation, CNU 32 Environment – Columbus, OH T AF R D Peter Calthorpe, Presentation, CNU 32 Environment – Columbus, OH T AF R D Peter Calthorpe, Presentation, CNU 32 Environment – Columbus, OH T AF R D Peter Calthorpe, Presentation, CNU 32 Environment – Columbus, OH T AF R D Peter Calthorpe, Presentation, CNU 32 Environment – Columbus, OH T AF R D Peter Calthorpe, Presentation, CNU 32 Environment – Columbus, OH T AF R D Peter Calthorpe, Presentation, CNU 32 Environment – Bay Area T AF R D Peter Calthorpe, Presentation, CNU 32 Environment – Cincinnati, OH T AF R D Peter Calthorpe, Presentation, CNU 32  AF Fredericksburg Forward - 2025 T R D D R AF T  T AF https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/27e6c 1979e3a4c9388c9ab9d2e900c41 R D