TOWN OF AMHERST
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
Prepared by the Town of Amherst Planning Commission with the assistance of the Central Virginia Planning District Commission
Adopted by Amherst Town Council on September 23, 1998 Amended May 19, 1999 Amended May 14, 2003
ABSTRACT
TITLE: Town of Amherst Comprehensive Plan
AUTHOR: Town of Amherst Planning Commission and Central Virginia Planning District Commission
SUBJECT: Comprehensive Plan
DATE:
PLANNING AGENCY: Central Virginia Planning District Commission
SOURCE OF COPIES: Town Manager Town of Amherst P.O. Box 280 Amherst, VA 24521
ABSTRACT: The major purpose of this plan is to provide a general guide that will enable the Amherst Town Council to effectively plan and manage the delivery of municipal services and coordinate the harmonious physical development of the Town. This guidance is suggested in accordance with present and probable future needs and resources in an effort to promote the general welfare of Town residents and business operators. The Plan encourages orderly growth and development while maintaining the village atmosphere and visual qualities of the Town.
Prepared in cooperation with the United States Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration and the Virginia Department of Transportation.
The contents of this report reflects the views of the Central Virginia Planning District Commission (CVPDC) and the Amherst Town Council. The CVPDC and the Amherst Town Council are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the Federal Highway Administration or the Virginia Department of Transportation. This report does not constitute a standard, specification or regulation.
Prepared through the joint efforts of
AMHERST TOWN COUNCIL
John S. Turner, Mayor C. Manly Rucker, III, Vice-Mayor William K. Iseman Haney Mottley John R. Spielman Michael E. Stinnett
Jack Hobbs, Town Manager
TOWN OF AMHERST PLANNING COMMISSION
Harold Swisher, Chairman Mike Giles, Vice Chairman Frederick Moore A. A. Norvell, Jr. John R. Spielman Eddie Rodwell June Driskill
CENTRAL VIRGINIA PLANNING DISTRICT COMMISSION
P. O. Box 817 915 Main Street, Suite 302, The Galleria Lynchburg, VA 24505 (434) 845-3491
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Tables i - ii List of Maps iii
FOREWORD iv
Chapter 1 -- REGIONAL SETTING AND HISTORY A - 1 Location A - 1 History A - 1
Chapter 2 -- POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHICS B - 1 Introduction B - 1 Population Growth B - 1 Population Characteristics B - 2 Population Projections B - 7
Chapter 3 -- ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL C - 1 Introduction C - 1 Current Analysis C - 1 Administrative and Financial Plan C - 6
Chapter 4 -- LAND USE D - 1 Introduction D - 1 Existing Land Use D - 1 Land Use Trends D - 3 Goals, Objectives and Strategies D - 3 Future Land Use Plan D - 4 Mixed Use Zone D - 5
Chapter 5 -- ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT E - 1 Introduction E - 1 Local Employment and Economic Characteristics E - 1 Goals, Objectives and Strategies E - 8 Economic Development Plan E - 9
Chapter 6 -- HOUSING F - 1 Introduction F - 1 Housing Conditions Assessment F - 1 Goals, Objectives and Strategies F - 5 Housing Plan F - 6
TABLE OF CONTENTS (cont.)
Chapter 7 -- NATURAL ENVIRONMENT G - 1 Introduction G - 1 Current Environmental Conditions G - 1 Goals, Objectives and Strategies G - 5 Natural Environment Plan G - 6
Chapter 8 -- HISTORIC AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION H - 1 Introduction H - 1 Historic and Cultural Inventory H - 1 Goals, Objectives and Strategies H - 2 Historic Preservation Plan H - 3
Chapter 9 -- TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS AND FACILITIES I - 1 Introduction I - 1 Existing Transportation Systems and Facilities I - 1 Goals, Objectives and Strategies I - 5 Transportation Plan I - 6
Chapter 10 -- COMMUNITY SERVICES AND FACILITIES J - 1 Introduction J - 1 Goals, Objectives and Strategies J - 1 Public Safety Services J - 4 Communications J - 4 Law Enforcement Services J - 4 Fire Services J - 5 Rescue Services J - 5 Utility Services J - 6 Water J - 6 Wastewater J - 10 Solid Waste J - 10 Other Utilities J - 12 Leisure and Information Services J - 13 Recreation J - 13 Library J - 15 Churches J - 15 Mass Media J - 15 Educational Services J - 16 Human Services J - 18 Social Services J - 18 Health Care J - 19
LIST OF TABLES
Chapter 1 -- REGIONAL SETTING AND HISTORY
Chapter 2 -- POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHICS
Table B1 Central Virginia Towns: 1990 Population Counts B - 1 Table B2 Central Virginia Towns: Racial Diversity, 1990 B - 2 Table B3 Town of Amherst: Age Distribution, 1990 B - 2 Table B4 Central Virginia Towns: Female-Headed Households,1990 B - 3 Table B5 Town of Amherst: Years of School Completed, Residents 25 Years Old and Older, 1990 B - 4 Table B6 Town of Amherst: Median Family Income, 1990 B - 5 Table B7 Town of Amherst: Median Household Income, 1990 B - 5 Table B8 Central Virginia Towns: Income Characteristics, 1990 B - 6 Table B9 Central Virginia Towns: Percent Population Below Poverty Level, 1990 B - 6 Table B10 Central Virginia Towns: Households Receiving Public Assistance, 1990 B - 6 Table B11 Town of Amherst: Population Projections Thru the Year 2015 B - 7
Chapter 3 -- ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL
Table C1 Town of Amherst: Combined Balance Sheet-All Funds and Account Groups, June 30, 1996 C - 2 Table C2 Town of Amherst: All Governmental Funds, Year ended June 30, 1996 C - 3 Table C3 Town of Amherst: Summary of Taxes and Charges, October, 1996 C - 4 Table C4 Town of Amherst: Enterprise Funds, Year ended June 30, 1996 C - 5
Chapter 4 -- LAND USE
Chapter 5 -- ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Table E1 Town of Amherst: Sex by Labor Force Status, 1990 E - 2 Table E2 Town of Amherst: Commuting Patterns, 1990 E - 2 Table E3 Town of Amherst: Employment by Industry, 1990 E - 4 Table E4 Town of Amherst: Occupational Mix, 1990 E - 4 Table E5 Town of Amherst: Manufacturers Located Within Town Limits, February 1997 E - 5 Table E6 Zane Snead Industrial Park: Manufacturing Employment, March 1997 E - 5
Chapter 6 -- HOUSING
Table F1 Central Virginia Towns: Housing Types, 1990 F - 2 Table F2 Central Virginia Towns: Housing Tenure, 1990 F - 2 Table F3 Central Virginia Towns: Median Housing Value, 1990 F - 3 Table F4 Central Virginia Towns: Median Contract Rent, 1990 F - 4
Chapter 7 -- NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Table G1 Lynchburg, VA: Average Precipitation, 1961-1990 G - 1 Table G2 Lynchburg, VA: Average Fahrenheit Temperatures, 1961-1990 G - 2 Table G3 Lynchburg, VA: Heating Degree Day Normals, 1961-1990 G - 2 Table G4 Amherst County: Emissions in Tons Per Year By Pollution, 1993 G - 2 Table G5 Town of Amherst: Emission Point Sources G – 3
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LIST OF TABLES (cont.)
Chapter 8 -- HISTORIC AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION
Chapter 9 -- TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS AND FACILITIES
Table I1 Town of Amherst: Annual Average Daily Traffic Volumes on Primary Roadways, 1993 I - 2 Table I2 Town of Amherst: Vehicles Per Day (VPD) for Select Secondary Roadways, 1992 I - 2
Chapter 10 -- COMMUNITY SERVICES AND FACILITIES
Table J1 Town of Amherst: Water System Sales/Revenue Study, 1995 J-10 Table J2 Town of Amherst: Sewer System Sales/Revenue Study, 1995 J-12 Table J3 Town of Amherst: Refuse Collection System Sales/Revenue Study, 1995 J-13
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LIST OF MAPS
Map A-1 Location, Amherst, Virginia A-2
Map I-1 Transportation System, Amherst, Virginia I-3
Map J-1 Municipal Water System, Amherst, Virginia J-7
Map J-2 Municipal Sewer System, Amherst Virginia J-11
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FOREWORD
PURPOSE AND SCOPE
Changes may occur rapidly or gradually in a community, but they will inevitably occur. It is only through awareness that a community can meet the challenges and opportunities of change, and assure itself of a stable and healthful environment.
The comprehensive plan provides a means by which a community can assess the forces of change and thereby identify future needs and allocate its resources to meet those needs.
Virginia law requires every governing body in the State to adopt a comprehensive plan. The Code of Virginia, 1950 (as amended) identifies the scope and purpose of the comprehensive plan as follows:
In the preparation of a comprehensive plan the commission shall make careful and comprehensive surveys and studies of the existing conditions and trends of growth, and of the probable future requirements of its territory and inhabitants. The comprehensive plan shall be made with the purpose of guiding and accomplishing a coordinated, adjusted and harmonious development of the territory that will, in accordance with present and probable future needs and resources best promote the health, safety, morals, order, convenience, prosperity and general welfare of the inhabitants.
The comprehensive plan shall be general in nature, in that it shall designate the general or approximate location, character, and extent of each feature shown on the plan and shall indicate where existing lands or facilities are proposed to be extended, widened, removed, relocated, vacated, narrowed, abandoned, or changed in use as the case may be.
Such plans, with the accompanying maps, plats, charts and descriptive matter, shall show the Town =s long- range vision for the general development of the territory covered by the plan. It may include, but need not be limited to:
• The designation of areas for various types of public and private development and use, such as different kinds of residential, business, industrial, agricultural, conservation, recreation, public service, flood plain and drainage, and other areas;
• The designation of a system of transportation facilities such as streets, roads, highways, parkways, railways, bridges, viaducts, waterways, airports, ports, terminals, and other like facilities;
• The designation of a system of community facilities such as parks, forests, schools, playgrounds, public buildings and institutions, hospitals, community centers, waterworks, sewage disposal or waste disposal areas, and the like;
• The designation of historical areas and areas for urban renewal or other treatment; and
• An official map, a capital improvements program, a subdivision ordinance, and a zoning ordinance and zoning district maps. (1975, c. 641; 1976, c. 650; 1977, c. 228.)
The comprehensive plan, therefore, serves two primary functions. First, it is a general scheme or framework for the future development of an area within which the Town may critique, reject, or accept development proposals. Secondly, the plan serves as a basis for the more detailed ordinances and documents which will be derived to implement the plan. The comprehensive plan is the reasoning and scheme upon which the Town's zoning ordinance, subdivision ordinance, and other implementing measures are based.
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Virginia law also requires that the comprehensive plan be reviewed every five years by the local planning commission to determine if it is necessary to update or amend the plan. This requirement supports the most important characteristic of a good plan - its continuity and relevance in the changing community.
THE PLANNING PROCESS
The Town of Amherst Planning Commission, with the assistance of staff from both the Town and the Central Virginia Planning District Commission (CVPDC), has developed a Comprehensive Plan based on existing conditions and historical and current trends. This plan is meant to be a living document which will guide Council and Planning Commission members, Town staff, Town residents and other interested parties during the first two decades of the twenty-first century. In order to be more user friendly, and thus more apt to be used on a regular basis, each topical chapter of the Comprehensive Plan contains an introduction, an assessment or snapshot of the existing conditions, goals and objectives which the Town will strive to achieve and a strategic plan to be followed to reach the stated goals.
In order to keep the Comprehensive Plan fresh, it is recommended that the Planning Commission revisit a chapter or two each year instead of waiting for the state-mandated five-year review. This will allow the Plan to be amended as times, attitudes and circumstances change. However, care must be exercised to insure that the Comprehensive Plan is not changed without proper consideration, for the Plan must always be recognized as the basis for the Town =s activities and ordinances.
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Chapter 1
REGIONAL SETTING AND HISTORY
LOCATION
The Town of Amherst is located in the east-central part of Amherst County about 15 miles north of the City of Lynchburg. Amherst lies upon a ridge, considered by some as the upper elevations of the Piedmont Plateau and by others as the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which runs generally in a north-south direction at an elevation of about 700 feet above mean sea level. U. S. Route 29 was built along this ridge, connecting Lynchburg and the southern part of the state with Charlottesville and the Northern Virginia Metropolitan area near Washington, D.C. Town growth has been concentrated along Route 29 rather than along the slopes of the east and the west. Old Route 29 runs through the Town and is lined with residential and commercial structures. Three commercial areas exist in the Town, one near the Town center close to the Amherst County Courthouse, one at the south end of Town on Route 29 (Ambriar Shopping Center) and one on U.S. 60 east of the Traffic Circle (Mountain View Shopping Center).
HISTORY
Amherst, originally known as "The Oaks" and "Seven Oaks", started as a stage station on the Charlottesville-Lynchburg road. Upon the dividing of Nelson County from Amherst County in 1807, the village became the seat of Amherst County's government. At the same time, the community's name was changed to Amherst, both to correspond to the County's name and to honor Sir Jeffery Amherst, a Major-General who had been the hero of the Battle of Ticonderoga during the French and Indian War and who later served as the Governor-In-Chief of the Colony of Virginia from 1763 to 1768. The original Amherst County Courthouse, built in 1809 on two acres of land purchased "from a Mr. Coleman for ten shillings", was torn down in 1872 to make room for the present courthouse built "from homemade brick of Amherst County clay". All Amherst County records dating back to the County's formation from Albermarle County in 1761 are stored in the courthouse.
On April 15, 1910, the Town of Amherst was incorporated by order of the Circuit Court. A new charter was granted to the Town by the General Assembly in 1950.
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A-2
Chapter 2
POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHICS
INTRODUCTION
A key element in any comprehensive plan is the analysis of the size, structure and characteristics of the resident population and a projection of future population growth. Examining current trends and future developments in population change is necessary to determine community needs for land, housing, public services, schools and other services and facilities. Thus, population analysis serves as the basis for most planning decisions.
POPULATION GROWTH
The population of the Town of Amherst has remained fairly constant through the years. In 1970, the Census reported that 1,108 people resided in the Town. A slight increase to 1,135 people was seen by 1980. However, the 1990 population count was only 1,060, a decrease of 7 percent during the 1980's.
The population trends of the Town fairly well reflect the trends of Amherst County as a whole. The County grew from 26,072 in 1970 to 29,122 in 1980 before suffering a decrease to 28,578 by 1990.
On January 1, 1994, the Town annexed 2,086 acres from Amherst County for a current total of 3,152 acres. According to the 1990 Census, 854 people lived in this newly annexed territory. Thus the 1990 Census total for the newly defined Town boundary is 1,914 people. Using Amherst County's estimated .2 percent annual growth rate (please see Population Projections at the end of this chapter), the 1994 Town population is estimated to be 1,929 people.
With 1,914 people residing within its borders, the current Town of Amherst is the third largest of the six Central Virginia study towns according to the 1990 Census. Farmville, aided by the population of Longwood College, has the largest total population at 6,046. Altavista (3,686) has the next largest population, while Appomattox (1,701), Brookneal (1,344) and Pamplin City (202) all have smaller populations than does Amherst.
TABLE B1 CENTRAL VIRGINIA TOWNS: 1990 POPULATION COUNTS
Altavista 3,686
AMHERST* 1,914
Appomattox 1,707
Brookneal 1,344
Farmville 6,046
Pamplin City 208 *Adjusted for annexation SOURCE: 1990 U.S. Census of Population.
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POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS
RACIAL COMPOSITION -- In 1990, Amherst had a minority population percentage of approximately 24 percent. The highest minority populations were found in Farmville and Appomattox, each reporting a minority percentage of nearly 26 percent. Pamplin City had the area's lowest percentage of minorities, around 13 percent. Brookneal reported to have approximately 23 percent racial minority, while Altavista had around 20 percent minorities.
TABLE B2 CENTRAL VIRGINIA TOWNS: RACIAL DIVERSITY 1990
White Percent Black Percent Other Percent Totals
2,935 79.63% 739 20.05% 12 0.33% 3686 100.00% Altavista
AMHERST* 1,448 75.65% 459 23.98% 7 0.37% 1914 100.00%
Appomattox 1,268 74.28% 431 25.25% 8 0.47% 1707 100.00%
Brookneal 1,034 76.93% 307 22.84% 3 0.22% 1344 100.00%
Farmville 4,475 74.02% 1,499 24.79% 72 1.19% 6046 100.00%
Pamplin City 181 87.02% 26 12.50% 1 0.48% 208 100.00% *Adjusted for annexation SOURCE: 1990 U.S. Census of Population.
AGE AND SEX DISTRIBUTION -- Amherst has followed the nationwide trend referred to as the "graying of the population." As shown in Table B3, 21.53 percent of the Town's residents were 65 years old or older in 1990. However, Amherst differs from many area communities in the fact that a large segment--22.20 percent--of the population is under 18 years of age. This creates an optimistic outlook for the future of the Town, though steps must be taken to insure that these children will have reason to stay in Amherst once they become adults. The remaining residents, nearly 56.27 percent, comprise the working age population of Amherst.
TABLE B3 TOWN OF AMHERST: AGE DISTRIBUTION 1990*
Number Percent of Total
Under 18 years of age 425 22.20%
65 years and over 412 21.53% *Adjusted for annexation SOURCE: U. S. Census of Population, 1980 and 1990.
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HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS -- Of the Central Virginia towns, Appomattox has the highest percentage of female-headed households (17.21%), while Pamplin City has the lowest percentage (9.09%). As shown in Table B4, female-headed households numbered 60 within the new boundaries of the Town of Amherst. Given that the total number of households within the current Town limits is not reported by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, an accurate percentage of female-headed households can not be stated. However, female-headed households totaled 11.88 percent of the households in pre-annexation Amherst in 1990, a figure that can serve as a guide for judging the percentage of such households within the new Town limits.
TABLE B4 CENTRAL VIRGINIA TOWNS: FEMALE-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS 1990
Female Headed Households Percent of Total Households
Altavista 219 14.44%
AMHERST 60* 11.88%**
Appomattox 117 17.21%
Brookneal 66 11.96%
Farmville 221 13.86%
Pamplin City 7 9.09% *Adjusted for annexation **Not adjusted for annexation SOURCE: 1990 U.S. Census of Population.
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT -- The educational achievement of Amherst residents followed national trends during the 1970's and 1980's, with more people completing their high school education. As shown in Table B5 ( not adjusted for annexation), over 67 percent of Town residents 25 years and older were high school graduates or had earned their General Equivalency Diploma (GED) in 1990, a level still well below the overall State high school graduation rate of 75%. Yet due to the presence of nearby Sweet Briar College, the percentage of residents who have earned advance degrees is somewhat higher than average. Over 13 percent have bachelors degrees, while nearly 6 percent have graduate or professional degrees. Many of those holding such degrees are professors or administrators at Sweet Briar, while the rest are engaged in a variety of positions including medicine, law, accounting and teaching.
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TABLE B5 TOWN OF AMHERST : YEARS OF SCHOOL COMPLETED RESIDENTS 25 YEARS OLD AND OLDER 1990*
Less than 9th Grade 123 16.04%
9th-12th Grades, No Diploma 129 16.82%
High School; Graduates, Including Equivalency 175 22.82%
Some College, No Degree 141 18.38%
Associates Degree 51 6.65%
Bachelors Degree 103 13.43%
Graduate/Professional Degree 45 5.87%
Total Residents 25 Years of Age and Older 767 100.00%
Total High School Graduates 515 67.14% *Not adjusted for annexation Source: 1990 U.S. Bureau of the Census
INCOME AND POVERTY -- The following income and poverty data is for the Town of Amherst as defined by the 1990 Census. No adjustment for annexation has been made due to the lack of available information at the Census block level. These tables are to be used as a general guide until the 2000 Census, at which time the Town will be defined by the Census Bureau as encompassing all land annexed from Amherst County on January 1, 1994.
Per capita income in the Town of Amherst rose from $6,614 in 1980 to $11,946 in 1990. The median income of families, as shown in Table B6, stood at $34,167 in 1990, below the State figure of $38,213. In Amherst, the largest family income range is the $35,000-$49,999 bracket, a grouping representing nearly 25 percent of the Town's families. Over 19 percent of the families earn $50,000-$74,999 annually, while 4 percent earn $75,000-$99,999 a year. Nine percent of the families have incomes under $10,000 annually.
Table B7 presents household income breakdowns for the Town of Amherst for Census Year 1990. Table B8 compares income characteristics for selected Central Virginia towns. Amherst has the highest median household income ($24,375) and the second highest per capita income ($11,946) of the selected towns. Pamplin City's median household income ($19,306) is the lowest of the selected jurisdictions. Altavista has the highest per capita income ($12,553), while Farmville has the lowest ($8,118).
Another measure of the overall economic well-being of a community is the extent of poverty found within that community. Poverty threshold is determined by crossing income with family size, thus the poverty level for a family of four would be different than the level for a family of seven. Table B9 compares the percent of population below the poverty level for the Towns of Altavista, Amherst, Appomattox, Brookneal, Farmville and Pamplin City. Altavista has the smallest percentage of families below the poverty level (7.0%) with Amherst (7.9%) close behind. Pamplin City has the highest percentage (21.7%) of impoverished families. Amherst has the smallest percentage of individuals below poverty level (9.8%), with Farmville having the highest (24.4%).
Information on households receiving public assistance is presented in Table B10. Amherst has the lowest percentage of households receiving public assistance (6.44%); Brookneal, the highest (11.59%).
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TABLE B6 -- TOWN OF AMHERST : MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME 1990*
Income 1990 Percent of Total
Less than $5,000 7 2.52%
$5,000-$9,999 19 6.83%
$10,000-$14,999 26 9.35%
$15,000-$24,999 53 19.06%
$25,000-$34,999 39 14.03%
$35,000-$49,999 68 24.46%
$50,000-$74,999 54 19.42%
$75,000-$99,999 12 4.32%
$100,000 or More 0 0.00%
TOTAL 278 100.00%
Median Income $34,167.00
Per Capita Income $11,946.00 *Not adjusted for annexation Source: 1990 U.S. Bureau of the Census
TABLE B7 -- TOWN OF AMHERST : MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME 1990*
Income Number Percent of Total
Less than $5,000 24 5.94%
$5,000-$9,999 50 12.38%
$10,000-$14,999 52 12.87%
$15,000-$24,999 79 19.55%
$25,000-$34,999 50 12.38%
$35,000-$49,999 77 19.06%
$50,000-$74,999 56 13.86%
$75,000-$99,999 16 3.96%
$100,000 or More 0 0.00%
TOTAL 404 100.00%
Median Income $24,375.00
Per Capita Income $11,946.00 *Not adjusted for annexation SOURCE: 1990 U.S. Census of Population.
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TABLE B8 -- CENTRAL VIRGINIA TOWNS: INCOME CHARACTERISTICS 1990*
Median Household Income Per Capita Income
Altavista $22,750.00 $12,553.00
AMHERST $24,375.00 $11,946.00
Appomattox $22,361.00 $10,637.00
Brookneal $20,658.00 $10,569.00
Farmville $22,221.00 $8,118.00
Pamplin City $19,306.00 $9,061.00 *Not adjusted for annexation SOURCE: 1990 U.S. Census of Population
TABLE B9 CENTRAL VIRGINIA TOWNS : PERCENT POPULATION BELOW POVERTY LEVEL 1990*
Percent Families Below Percent Individuals Below Poverty Level Poverty Level
Altavista 7.0% 10.2%
AMHERST 7.9% 9.8%
Appomattox 12.0% 14.5%
Brookneal 14.6% 19.1%
Farmville 15.5% 24.4%
Pamplin City 21.7% 21.2% *Not adjusted for annexation SOURCE: 1990 U.S. Census of Population
TABLE B10 CENTRAL VIRGINIA TOWNS : HOUSEHOLDS RECEIVING PUBLIC ASSISTANCE 1990*
Households With Percent of Total Public Assistance Households
Altavista 118 7.78%
AMHERST 26 6.44%
Appomattox 56 8.24%
Brookneal 64 11.59%
Farmville 106 6.65%
Pamplin City 6 7.79% *Not adjusted for annexation SOURCE: 1990 U.S. Census of Population.
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POPULATION PROJECTIONS
Population projections for Virginia's counties and cities are published by the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC). These projections, based on past and present growth trends, are not available at the town level. However, by using the same growth rate projected for the county in which a given town is located, a projection can be made for that town. Amherst County is projected to grow at a rate of .2% per year between 1990 and 2010. No rate is given beyond 2010, but the VEC suggests using the same .2 percent annual rate through 2015.
Based on both this stated rate of growth and the sum of the 1990 population counts of the Town of Amherst and the area of Amherst County annexed by the Town on January 1, 1994, the Town is projected to gain approximately four people per year during the next twenty years. The year 2015 population is projected to be 2,012 residents.
As is always the case when dealing with projections, these numbers are "best guess" figures. Any number of unforeseen developments, including the opening or closing of a major employer, could affect these projections.
TABLE B11
TOWN OF AMHERST: POPULATION PROJECTIONS THRU THE YEAR 2015*
1990** 1994 2000 2005 2010 2015
1,914 1,929 1,953 1,972 1,992 2,012
*According to the Virginia Employment Commission, Amherst County is projected to grow at a rate of .2 percent per year through the year 2010. This rate of growth has been applied to the Town of Amherst for the purposes of projecting the Town's population through the year 2015.
**Figure presented is sum of 1990 Census counts for the Town of Amherst and the area of Amherst County annexed by the Town on January 1, 1994. This figure is the basis for the population projections presented here.
SOURCE: Virginia Employment Commission, Economic Information Services Division
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Chapter 3
ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL
INTRODUCTION
The Town of Amherst is governed by a five-member Town Council and Mayor, all elected at-large every two years. All powers of the Town are vested in the Council which enacts ordinances (local legislation), adopts resolutions and budgets, determines policy and appoints the Town Manager and Police Chief. The Mayor of Amherst presides over all meetings of the Town Council, is recognized as the chief executive officer of the Town and has veto authority over the Town Council. The Town Manager assists the Mayor and Council by assuming responsibility for the daily operation of the Town.
The Town overlaps part of Amherst County, and some (but not all) of the County's laws and taxes affect the citizens of the Town. Town residents also vote for the governing body of the County, the Amherst County Board of Supervisors.
Town Offices are located on South Main Street in the center of Town. Housed in these two buildings are the Town Manager, Police Department and Treasurer's Office. The maintenance shop building and fenced grounds for equipment and materials is located adjacent to the Zane Snead Industrial Park.
CURRENT ANALYSIS
The Town of Amherst appears to be in good financial condition. Backing this assertion are balance sheet and income statements from the June 30, 1996, annual audit of the Town performed by the accounting firm Cherry, Bekaert & Holland. These financial statements, found on the following pages, demonstrate strengths as well as the challenges facing the Town's financial stability. These documents indicate historical and predict future policy decisions that will enable the Town to maintain and improve its overall fiscal condition.
It is clear that the vast majority of Town monies are generated from local sources. These sources include both taxes levied by the Town on its residents and business operators as well as utility user fees from customers in the Town's service area which extends beyond the Town's corporate limits. This is positive in that, in many respects, the Town is "paying its own way." The negative aspect is that, with the advent of unfunded mandates, the Town's fiscal policies may become stressed if services and regulations are forced upon the Town by state and federal governments. Sources of tax revenue continue to be limited by the Commonwealth of Virginia and its Dillon Rule. All of this aside, it is clearly understood that changes in tax and utility rates, whether increase or decrease, must be justified in order to maintain the provision of a service, the quality of that service, and the general financial health of the Town.
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All Funds and Account Groups June 30, 1996
Proprietary Government FundsFunds Account Groups General General Total Capital Long-Term Fixed "Memorandum General Projects Enterprise Debt Assets Only"
ASSETS Cash and Cash equivalents$ 186,422 $ 429,882 $ 301,132 $ - $ - $ 917,436 Receivable, net of allowance for collectibles Taxes, including penalties$ 1,928 $ - $ - $ - $ - $ 1,928 Accounts receivable $ 406 $ 118,618 $ - $ - $ 119,024 Accounts receivable (interfund) $ 186,245 $ - $ - $ - $ 186,245 Prepaid expenses $ 42,247 $ - $ - $ - $ 42,247 Inventory $ 38,176 $ - $ - $ 38,176 Fixed, assets, net of accumulated depreciation $ 2,514,734 $ - $ 307,847 $ 2,822,581 Amount to be provided for long-term debt $ 3,624 $ - $ 3,624 Amount to be provided for compensation absences $ 11,325 $ - $ 11,325 Total Assets $ 231,003 $ 616,127 $ 2,972,660 $ 14,949 $ 307,847 $ 4,142,586
LIABILITIES AND FUND EQUITY Liabilities Accounts payable $ 9,460 $ - $ 153,805 $ - $ - $ 163,265 Accounts payable (interfund)$ 50,000 $ - $ 136,245 $ - $ - $ 186,245 Interest payable $ - $ - $ 9,376 $ - $ - $ 9,376 Deferred revenues $ 1,930 $ - $ - $ - $ - $ 1,930 Note payable $ - $ - $ 837,781 $ 3,624 $ - $ 841,405 Accured compensatio absences$ - $ - $ - $ 11,325 $ - $ 11,325 Total Liabilities $ 61,390 $ - $ 1,137,207 $ 14,949 $ - $ 1,213,546 Fund Equity Contributed capital $ - $ - $ 450,729 $ - $ - $ 450,729 Investment in general fixed assets$ - $ - $ - $ 307,847 $ 307,847 Retained earnings $ - $ - $ 1,384,724 $ - $ - $ 1,384,724 Fund balances $ - Unreserved $ 169,613 $ 616,127 $ - $ - $ - $ 785,740 Total Fund Equity $ 169,613 $ 616,127 $ 1,835,453 $ - $ 307,847 $ 2,929,040
Total Liabilities and Fund Equity$ 231,003 $ 616,127 $ 2,972,660 $ 14,949 $ 307,847 $ 4,142,586
Source: Town of Amherst FY96 Audit performed by the accounting firm of Cherry, Bekaert & Holland
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TABLE C-2 TOWN OF AMHERST, VIRGINIA Combined Statement of Revenues, Expenditures, and Changes in Fund Balance- All Governmental Funds Year ended June 30, 1996
Governmental Funds Total Capital "Memorandum General Projects Only"
REVENUES General property taxes $ 123,994 $ - $ 123,994 Other local taxes $ 360,370 $ - $ 360,370 Fines and forfeiturs $ 11,116 $ - $ 11,116 Revenue from use of money and property$ 12,168 $ 19,485 $ 31,653 Charges for Services $ 2,686 $ - $ 2,686 Miscellaneous revenue $ 328,463 $ 59,880 $ 388,343 Intergovernmental $ 26,511 $ 50,000 $ 76,511 Total Revenues $ 865,308 $ 129,365 $ 994,673
EXPENDITURES Current General governmental administration$ 277,308 $ - $ 277,308 Public safety $ 208,020 $ - $ 208,020 Public works $ 4,714 $ - $ 4,714 Line construction and maintenance division$ 173,847 $ - $ 173,847 Plant and pumps division $ 144,893 $ - $ 144,893 Total Expenditures $ 808,782 $ - $ 808,782
Excess of Revenues over Expenditures $ 56,526 $ 129,365 $ 185,891
OTHER FINANCING SOURCES (USES) Operating transfers in $ - $ 140,745 $ 140,745 Operating transfers out $ - $ (109,287) $ (109,287) Total Other Financing Sources (Uses) $ - $ 31,458 $ 31,458
Excess of Revenues and Other Sources Over Expenditures and Other Uses $ 56,526 $ 160,823 $ 217,349
FUND BALANCES AT BEGINNING OF YEAR $ 113,087 $ 455,304 $ 568,391
FUND BALANCES AT END OF YEAR $ 169,613 $ 616,127 $ 785,740
Source: Town of Amherst FY96 Audit performed by the accounting firm of Cherry, Bekaert & Holland
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TABLE C-3 TOWN OF AMHERST, VIRGINIA Summary of Taxes and Charges October, 1996
Property Taxes: Real Estate $0.07/$100 Assessed Value Mobile Home $0.35/$100 Assessed Value Personal Property $0.35/$100 Assessed Value Machinery and Tools $0.35/$100 Assessed Value Telephone and Electricity: (ref: 3/11/92) Residential 8% of first $15.00 Commercial 8% of first $100.00 Business License - Assessment per $100 Gross Receipts Retail Sales $0.10 Financial, Real Estate & Professional Services $0.50 Repair, Personal & Business Services/ Other $0.30 Contracting $0.16 Wholesale Sales $0.04 Vehicle Decals: Automobile $20.00 Motorcycle $11.00 Trailer under 20' $20.00 Trailer Over 20' $13.00 Transfer $1.00 National Guard 1/2 price Other Taxes: Meals and Beverage 4% of Gross Receipts Lodging 2% of Gross Receipts Cable TV Franchise Tax 5% of Gross Receipts
Source: Town of Amherst, October, 1994
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Table C4 TOWN OF AMHERST, VIRGINIA Enterprise Funds Combining Statement of Revenues, Expenses and Changes in Fund Balances Year ended June 30,1996
Water Sewer Solid Waste Fund Fund Fund Totals OPERATING REVENUES: Revenue billing $ 342,787 $ 339,094 $ 89,439 $ 771,320 Revenue billing - sprinkler $ 4,632 $ - $ - $ 4,632 Penalties $ 1,727 $ 1,300 $ 567 $ 3,594 Revenue- miscellaneous $ - $ - $ 50 $ 50 Revenue- maintenance and construction$ 15,571 $ 2,769 $ - $ 18,340 Recovered cost - Rutledge Creek $ - $ 59,520 $ - $ 59,520 Recycling $ - $ - $ 1,261 $ 1,261 Dumpster administrative fee $ - $ - $ 470 $ 470 Total Operating Revenues $ 364,717 $ 402,683 $ 91,787 $ 859,187
OPERATING EXPENSES: Administrative fee $ 136,000 $ 164,000 $ 25,000 $ 325,000 Line materials $ 29,639 $ 8,531 $ - $ 38,170 Heat $ 557 $ - $ - $ 557 Electricity $ 16,101 $ 7,565 $ - $ 23,666 Telephone $ 1,656 $ 343 $ - $ 1,999 Water, sewer and trash service$ 17,607 $ 45,441 $ - $ 63,048 Plant maintenance $ 5,308 $ - $ - $ 5,308 Chemicals $ 16,294 $ 4,854 $ - $ 21,148 Laboratory $ 3,453 $ 4,499 $ - $ 7,952 Miscellaneous expenses $ - $ 722 $ - $ 722 Miscellaneous- inflow/infiltration $ - $ 6,680 $ - $ 6,680 Pump station operations $ - $ 3,705 $ - $ 3,705 Equipment $ - $ 31,692 $ - $ 31,692 Garbage bags $ - $ - $ 4,685 $ 4,685 Contract trash pickup $ - $ - $ 67,362 $ 67,362 Recycling $ - $ - $ 3,080 $ 3,080 Total Operating Expenses $ 226,615 $ 278,032 $ 100,127 $ 604,774
Net Income Before Depreciation $ 138,102 $ 124,651 $ (8,340) $ 254,413 Depreciation expense $ 24,818 $ 33,456 $ - $ 58,274
Net Operating Income $ 113,284 $ 91,195 $ (8,340) $ 196,139
NONOPERATING REVENUE: Interest Income $ 11,789 $ - $ - $ 11,789 Net Income $ 125,073 $ 91,195 $ (8,340) $ 207,928
Operating transfers out $ (30,000) $ (110,745) $ - $ (140,745)
RETAINED EARNINGS/FUND BALANCES, BEGINNING $ 277,003 $ 994,290 $ 56,859 $ 1,328,152
RETAINED EARNINGS/FUND BALANCES, ENDING $ 372,076 $ 974,740 $ 48,519 $ 1,395,335
Source: Town of Amherst FY96 Audit performed by the accounting firm of Cherry, Bekaert & Holland
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ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL PLAN
Since no major new, or changes to, the current mix of general government service programs are anticipated in the near future, no significant changes in the Town's general fund budget or tax structure are envisioned. Normal inflation combined with regulatory requirements, fluctuations in revenue sources and other financial pressures force the Town to continuously study its tax policy relative to the services offered. The Town will continue to work toward achieving tax equity - levying taxes on the segment of the tax base that demands the particular service. Through this process, the Town expects to identify and achieve new efficiencies in on an ongoing basis.
The Town's proprietary funds will, however, see significant pressure in the coming years. Unlike tax sources - where revenues are generally indexed to inflation - water, sewer and refuse collection fees are based on either a monthly or unit price basis. Since the cost of operating, maintaining and improving the Town's water and sewer facilities, and the cost of refuse collection is tied to the Consumer Price Index, projections indicate that rates need to be increased soon and increases beyond immediate needs will be required in the future just to maintain existing services.
The Town is extremely conservative on the issuance of municipal debt. The Town's pending $2,000,000 federal loan being used to expand the Town's water plant and improve the water distribution system will be on the books until the year 2035 unless prepaid by the Town. It has long been the general policy of the Town to "pay as you go," but it is realized that costly, long-lived assets are best installed and financed with debt. This occurs for two reasons: (1) the cash to pay for an unusually large facility is generally not available "up front" and (2) the users of the facility that is installed should pay for it instead of the ratepayers before them.
With general consensus having been reached on this matter, the Town has projected major outlays for the next five years. These are detailed in the Town's Capital Improvement Plan which is updated every annual budget cycle.
By far the largest currently expected outlay for the next decade will be the regulatory and expansion driven costs of improving the Town's wastewater treatment plant. To avoid the complications and expense associated with debt, the Town plans to self-finance these improvements and to structure the construction timetable to balance Town needs and resources.
Another project that is under study is the development of a new Town Hall and community center. No location or layout decisions have been made, but it is envisioned that a new facility will be needed in the next 5-10 years, so the savings effort for this project is underway.
Administratively, the Town has few needs. However, one of these needs is a revision and updating of the Town's personnel policies, which is currently lacking due to the advent of the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and grievance procedure standards promulgated by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Otherwise, the Town will continue to hire highly competent people with a view toward their long-term employment with the Town. Reasonable but competitive pay and benefits will continue to be offered to employees. However, in an endeavor to continue the delivery of high quality services in a cost effective manner, and under a policy of a government that governs least governs best, further privatization of Town services will be explored.
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Chapter 4
LAND USE
INTRODUCTION
The cornerstone of comprehensive planning is a serious discussion of existing land use patterns and trends, followed by a future land use plan which will allow for the most orderly and harmonious development patterns under reasonable circumstances. Transportation, housing, economic development, recreation, education and other planning elements are based on the future land use plan.
EXISTING LAND USE
RESIDENTIAL - The oldest residential development occurred along what is now North and South Main Streets to the north and south of the Central Business District (CBD); subsequent residential development has taken place in areas to the rear of these original frontal lots. In more recent times, housing development has occurred on the edge of Town and just outside of Town.
The Town of Amherst provided services to many of the structures built beyond the Town’s corporate limits over the past two decades. In 1994, many of these residential units were annexed by the Town of Amherst. This newly annexed territory has a great deal of land available for continued residential development. However, houses are still being built beyond the new boundaries of the Town.
Single-family dwellings represent almost 75 percent of the units in the Town. Multi-family uses constitute approximately 20 percent of the housing stock, with about 5 percent of the housing inventory being in the form of mobile homes.
Single-family neighborhoods are well defined in the town. Most of the single-family development is of moderate density with some higher density concentrated in the older sections of Amherst.
Multi-family housing consists of townhouses, apartment duplexes and single-family conversions. Most of the new multi-family construction has occurred in recent years and primarily in the area annexed by the Town in 1994. National trends of decreasing family size and the sharp rise in the cost of a new single family unit would seem to indicate that multi-family housing will make up an increasing percentage of the town's total housing supply in the future. If adequately planned for, mobile homes could also play an important role in providing low cost housing in the future. Except for the lack of affordable and available vacant land, the only limitation to the expansion of the housing supply in the town is the provision of public utilities such as water and sewer.
COMMERCIAL - Commercial land uses in the Town of Amherst are generally found in one of three major areas--the Central Business District (CBD), South Main Street and along U.S. Route 60. The CBD, defined as the Main Street area bounded approximately by Depot and Star Streets, is the historic center of both the Town and Amherst County. This area grew around the intersection of the old Lynchburg and Richmond Highways. Though both of these thoroughfares have been moved away from downtown, the area is still very much alive. Several small shops line Main Street. Antique shops, a barber shop and a bicycle shop are examples of the commercial enterprises located in the CBD. Also in the area are a bank and a hardware store. Both on-street and off-street parking are found in the CBD.
The Town of Amherst’s second major commercial area is found along South Main Street (Business 29). This area’s main commercial enterprise is the Ambriar Shopping Center which has a variety of tenants including a grocery store, a discount store, an auto parts store, a coin operated laundry, a leather store and a fine clothing and formal wear store. A
D - 1 neighboring building houses an optician, a drug store and a restaurant. A fast food restaurant is located in the shopping center’s parking lot, with a fine dining establishment being positioned just across the street. A few specialty shops exist in the area. An automobile dealership is located to the north of the shopping center area.
The third major area of commercial activity in the Town, the U.S. Route 60 area, is the region which has seen the most development activity over the past few years. Mountain View Shopping Center, one of the more recent additions to the Town’s economy, has a grocery store, a drug store and a restaurant. Professional offices, motels, and three restaurants and other commercial establishments line Route 60, particularly between Route 29 and the Traffic Circle. Development is expected to continue in this area as well as Route 60 west of the Traffic Circle.
The Town of Amherst is the county seat of Amherst County, and as such can be classified as a sub-regional center since people from all over the County travel to the Town to take care of local government business. As the number and diversity of business establishments located in the town continues to grow, dependence on the goods and services offered by the City of Lynchburg will drop. However, this dependence will in all probability never completely disappear because Amherst will probably never be able to support the number and variety of goods and services offered by a city the size of Lynchburg. For instance, hospital and airport services are located in the City of Lynchburg.
The commercial makeup of the Town of Amherst could, however, change dramatically upon the opening of the proposed Route 29 Bypass around Madison Heights and Lynchburg. According to current plans, the Route 29 Bypass will begin just south of the present intersection of Route 29 and Business Route 29. It is very likely that this area will become a hub for commercial activity, especially travel related services such as gas stations/convenience stores, restaurants and motels.
INDUSTRIAL - Due to the fact that only a few industries are located within the Town of Amherst, the amount of industrial land is relatively small. There are two small land parcels located in the pre-annexation Town which are zoned industrial, and a third near Route 29 and the Norfolk Southern Railway adjacent to the Zane Snead Industrial Park.
PUBLIC/SEMI-PUBLIC - Because the Town of Amherst serves as the seat of government for Amherst County, public and semi-public land uses occupy a significant portion of the Town. There are many local government facilities in the town, including the Amherst Town Hall, the Amherst County Courthouse and annexes and the Amherst County Administration Building. Central and Amherst Elementary Schools, Amherst County Middle School, Amherst County High School, and the main branch of the Amherst County Public Library are also located within or near the Town’s corporate limits, as are the offices of various state and federal agencies, including the United States Post Office. Public parks and recreation facilities are primarily found at the school sites, though there is a mini park located across South Main Street from Town Hall.
Other public/semi-public facilities in the Town include the Traffic Circle, the fire and rescue squad buildings and the many structures used by the Town or County for water, sewer, maintenance or other related public functions. The many churches found within the Town of Amherst also constitute much public-semi-public land.
VACANT - Much of the land within the Town of Amherst is vacant, especially within the area annexed in 1994. Some of the land along the Norfolk Southern Railway previously mentioned as possible future industrial sites is currently vacant. Vacant land is available in most sections of the town for future infill residential expansion. Land suitable for commercial expansion is generally not available. "Infilling" (using vacant sites in the CBD), adaptive reuse of vacant structures, or demolition and reconstruction is possible on several sites in the CBD.
ZONING - The Town of Amherst has adopted a zoning ordinance designed to keep incompatible land uses apart. Zoning has the tendency to maintain property values; stabilize and maintain the character of neighborhoods and business districts; control nuisances and maintain architectural standards; and reduce traffic congestion while providing a uniformity within each zoning district.
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The zoning districts used by the Town of Amherst are listed below, with the approximate percentage of the total Town acreage given in parenthesis. This information has been formulated from the Town of Amherst Zoning Map dated July 20, 1994. • Residential R-1 (31 percent)
• Residential R-2 (32 percent)
• Residential R-3 (4 percent)
• Residential R-4 (less than 1 percent)
• Business B-1 (less than 1 percent)
• Business B-2 (7 percent)
• Industrial I-1 (2 percent)
• Agriculture A-1 (23 percent)
These districts should continue to be reviewed, amended and added to as conditions warrant, for they are the basis for the future land use plan which follows later in this chapter.
LAND USE TRENDS
The Town of Amherst will continue to develop at a slow steady pace during the next few years until the building of the new Route 29 Bypass around Madison Heights and Lynchburg. Once plans for the Bypass are finalized and construction begins, new development may commence nearly overnight. The Town of Amherst firmly believes that the Town will become a focal point of developers in the manner of the Forest community of Bedford County, this all due to the potential offered by the new highway.
Much of this growth will be in the form of increased housing stock. Several developments are being planned in the Town north of U. S. Route 60. Most of the new residential development in this area is expected to be single family housing, but townhouse and two-family dwellings are also being discussed. Another potential growth area for the Town is outside the Town limits off U. S. Route 60 west of the corporate limits. These vacant farmlands could potentially be served by the Town water and sewer utilities, provided such is installed in the future.
Various factors, including recent rezoning requests and statements by real estate agents and business operators, have indicated an apparent lack of business-zoned property in the Town. New commercial development will be driven by the construction of the Madison Heights bypass and residential development in the greater Amherst area. Discussions have been held about the future land use in the area along South Main Street between Garland Avenue and Ambriar Shopping Center. Recent commercial development in the Garland Avenue/Kenmore Road area have focused attention on this part of Town as a transition between the commercial/heavy commercial “Main Street” to the quiet, pleasant residential neighborhoods of Garland Avenue and Sunset Drive. It is felt that a buffering strategy to protect residential neighborhoods from heavy commercial areas along Main Street is necessary. For these reasons the Comprehensive Plan recommends the development and creation of a new “Mixed Use” zone for this area and certain other parts of the Town. The particulars of this concept are discussed later.
Industrial development inside the Town is limited by the amount of industrially zoned property. The Town realizes that industrial development inside the corporate limits will be minimal until lands for such development are identified and rezoned and supporting infrastructure is developed.
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Significant additional public and semi-public development is unlikely due to recent significant improvements of major installations inside the Town. Courthouse/jail, high school, fire station and water plant expansion/upgrade projects have all occurred during this decade. Other possibilities include the development of a new town Hall and the relocation of the Amherst post office, but locations for these have not been identified as of this time.
LAND USE GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES
GOAL
TO ACHIEVE, THROUGHOUT THE TOWN AND SURROUNDING AREA, A BALANCED PATTERN OF LAND USES THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE POPULATION, SITMULATES PHYSICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PROTECTS THE ECOLOGICAL BALANCE OF THE AREA.
Objective
1. To provide adequate land areas for the safe, orderly and efficient economic and demographic growth of the area.
LAND USE STRATEGIES
1. To outline land areas best suited to fit estimated needs for residential, institutional, commercial and industrial activities, respectively.
2. To continuously study and improve subdivision and zoning regulations designed to prevent fragmented, inharmonious and disorderly development.
3. To provide public utilities and facilities, in due time, to areas designated for intensive growth or to areas where this growth has already taken place.
4. To encourage development in areas where it is economically feasible to provide public utilities, or in areas where these public utilities are already located or plans have been made for the installation of public utilities.
5. To encourage a coordinated approach to development so as to balance the functional areas such as industrial parks, commercial centers, institutional areas and neighborhoods.
6. To guide future major transportation facilities between, rather than across, the major development areas so as to provide safe, efficient transportation services.
7. To encourage development on land that is suitable for the particular type of development.
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FUTURE LAND USE PLAN
It is essential that the land in Amherst be developed wisely if the Town is to remain a viable and attractive community. Conflicts among various land uses must be prevented, and new development must be conceived to enhance the Town as a desirable place to live and work. This enhancement process should include planning and constructing new developments to blend with the architecture and atmosphere of the existing historic town. New developments should also include provisions for open space with existing open space being preserved where possible and made accessible to existing residential neighborhoods. Attractive, efficient commercial and commercial/industrial areas also need to be developed. To accomplish these ends, public policies must be developed and implemented to guide and control both public and private development in the public interest. It is recognized that as actual land use continues to evolve, land use plans and attendant regulations also need to evolve.
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Chapter 5
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
INTRODUCTION
The analysis of a community's economic well being is essential to assessing the overall quality of life in the community. Both the strengths and weaknesses within the economy should be noted, resulting in an economic development plan which confronts weak areas while enhancing strong ones.
As shown by the information contained in this chapter, the economy of the Town of Amherst is in good shape. Yet, it must be noted that the majority of the information contained herein relates to the Town of Amherst as it was at the time of the 1990 Census. Unfortunately, economic data is unavailable for the area annexed January 1, 1994.
LOCAL EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT -- For a number of years, business development within the Town of Amherst had been conducted at a slow, but steady, pace. Lately, however, Amherst has seen a noticeable increase in the number of both new and proposed business enterprises. The number of existing businesses undergoing expansion and/or renovation has also risen.
Several possible reasons exist for this expansion of Amherst =s economy. In no particular order, they include the quality and size of the areas =s workforce, the availability of public utilities, low tax rates, the proximity to major amenities in Lynchburg, the residential growth in and around the Town and the overall strengthening of the local, state and national economies.
Much of this activity can also be traced to Virginia =s Right-to-Work Law. The Commonwealth is one of twenty states with a Aright-to-work @ law, a law which prohibits both closed shops (where employers may hire only members of the contracting union) and union shops (where the employee who is not a member of a union must join after a certain period of employment and must remain a member as a condition of employment).
Therefore, under the Virginia statute, the right to work cannot be denied an individual on account of membership or nonmembership in a labor union or organization; an employer cannot require employees to become or remain members of a labor union nor require that dues or fees be paid to a union or labor organization as a condition of employment.
Another asset to the Town of Amherst has been Amherst County =s membership in Virginia =s Region 2000. Virginia =s Region 2000 is a public/private partnership involving Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford and Campbell Counties, the Cities of Bedford and Lynchburg, and the Town of Altavista working in conjunction with business establishments and leaders from the approximately 2,000 square mile Central Virginia area. The philosophy of Virginia =s Region 2000 is that a new business or industry locating anywhere in the area will benefit the entire region, thus the region as a whole is promoted to the business community. Virginia =s Region 2000 is the primary promoter of Amherst County =s, and thus the Town of Amherst =s, economic development efforts. The primary example of the recruiting efforts of Virginia =s Region 2000 is the Amherst location of First Brands Inc., corporate producers of Prestone, Simonize, Glad and STP product lines. Glad and STP brand products are manufactured in Amherst County.
A third asset to the Town of Amherst is Sweet Briar College, a private female-only liberal arts college located just south of the Town limits. Many Town residents are employed by Sweet Briar in a variety of faculty, staff and administrative positions. The young ladies who attend Sweet Briar likewise look to Amherst for employment opportunities, usually
E - 1 part time service positions. In addition, many Town residents take classes at the college to further their education, either for career or personal purposes. Other resources which Sweet Briar has to offer include an extensive library, career counseling, job placement and professional advice on a variety of subjects.
EMPLOYMENT -- In 1990, there were 878 persons 16 years of age or older living in the Town of Amherst (not adjusted for annexation). This, along with a civilian labor force of 449, indicate a participation rate of 51.4 percent, 45.5 percent for females. Participation rates are a statistical comparison of the labor force to the population 16 years of age and older. The rates for Amherst are substantially lower than the state rates of 68.9% over all and 60.7% for females. This is indication of potential additions to the labor force.
Another source of workers is the unemployed. Historically the Town has had an unemployment rate below that of the national average. At the time of the 1990 Census, the unemployment rate of the Town was 3.4 percent. The latest employment figures (July, 1995) released by the Virginia Employment Commission place the unemployment rate for Amherst County at 4.5 percent, while the rates for the state and the nation were 5.9 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively. No recent statistics are available for the Town.
TABLE E1 TOWN OF AMHERST: SEX BY LABOR FORCE STATUS PERSONS 16 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER, 1990
In Armed Forces Employed Unemployed Not In Labor Force
Males Females Males Females Males Females Males Females
1990 2 0 219 214 6 10 159 268 SOURCE: U.S. Census of Population, 1990.
WORK COMMUTING PATTERNS -- Of the Town residents reporting a place of work in the 1990 Census, 67.3 percent drove alone to work each day (not adjusted for annexation). Twenty three percent reported being part of a car pool. Public transportation in the form of taxis, social services, and other possible services, carried 1.4 percent of the employees to their work destination, the same percentage that used means other than those listed to get to work. Nearly 7 percent of the workers either walked to work or worked at home. Mean travel time to work was 20.1 minutes, about the time required to commute to downtown Lynchburg, the employment location for a great deal of Amherst's citizens.
Unfortunately, additional information on employment destinations is available only at the County level. However, it is safe to assume that a large proportion of the population must rely on incomes earned outside the Town. In some sense, Amherst is a "bedroom community" which relies on the Lynchburg urban area for employment.
TABLE E2 TOWN OF AMHERST: COMMUTING PATTERNS 1990
Percent Drove Alone 67.30%
Percent in Car pools 23.30%
Percent Using Public Transportation 1.40%
Percent Using Other Means 1.40%
Percent Walked or Worked at Home 6.60%
Mean Travel Time to Work (Minutes) 20.1 SOURCE: U.S. Census, 1970 - 1990
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EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY -- Table E3 contains data on employment by industry for The Town of Amherst for Census Year 1990 (not adjusted for annexation). The Virginia Employment Commission supplies much more recent data for the State's counties and cities, but no such data is available for towns. The data presented here, though somewhat outdated, still provides a good gauge of the health and make-up of the local economy.
Clearly the predominant industry in Amherst is the service sector. Almost 48 percent of the jobs in The Town of Amherst were service occupations in 1990, a total of 206 jobs. Of the towns in the Central Virginia area, Farmville had the highest percentage of service jobs (52.1%) in 1990, a total of 1,013 positions. Amherst followed, with a large gap existing between Amherst (47.6%), Pamplin City (30.7%), Appomattox (19.7%), Altavista (19.4%) and Brookneal (16.9%). The service sector has been the nation's fast growing industry sector for the past two decades, a trend likely to continue. However, many service jobs are low paying positions, some of which are only part time with no benefits. Thus, too large a concentration of service jobs could possibly keep the income producing capability of an area to a minimum.
The second largest job area in Amherst is the manufacturing industry. In 1990, 16.9 percent of the town's occupations were in the industrial sector, a total of 73 jobs. Around the region, Altavista had the largest percentage of industrial jobs (49.7%), followed by Brookneal (48.9%), Appomattox (41.9%), Pamplin City (27.3%), Amherst (16.9%) and Farmville (7.1%).
The third largest industrial sector in Amherst is the retail trade occupational area. Over fifteen percent of the Town's occupations were in this sector in 1990, a total of 65 jobs. Farmville had the region's highest percentage of retail jobs (25.9%), followed by Pamplin City (19.3%), Appomattox (16.3%), Amherst (15.1%), Brookneal (15.0%) and Altavista (12.1%).
Amherst led the region in government employment in 1990 with a 4.9 percent rate. Farmville (4.4%) followed, as did Appomattox (4.0%), Altavista (3.2%) and Brookneal (1.8%). Pamplin had no government jobs.
The fifth largest employment sector in Amherst in 1990 was the transportation, communications and public utilities sector. Brookneal had the highest percentage of jobs in this sector (5.3%), followed by Altavista (4.4%), Amherst (4.16%), Appomattox (3.9%), Farmville (3.7%) and Pamplin City (3.4%).
Construction jobs employed the next highest percentage of people in 1990. Appomattox has the highest percentage of construction jobs (7.9%), followed by Farmville (7.1%), Pamplin City (6.8%), Altavista (5.9%), Amherst (3.5%) and Brookneal (3.1%).
In 1990, finance, insurance and real estate (FIRE) occupations equaled agricultural, forestry and fishery positions. Each employed 14 people, or 3.2 percent of the workforce. In Farmville, 4.7 percent of the jobs were in the FIRE sector. Next highest was Brookneal (3.4%), followed by Amherst (3.2%), Appomattox (3.0%) and Altavista (2.7%). Pamplin had no FIRE jobs.
Pamplin had the highest percentage of agricultural, forestry and fishery occupations (3.4%). Amherst (3.2%) followed, with Farmville (1.9%), Brookneal (1.4%), Appomattox (1.2%) and Altavista (0.7%).
Another minor occupational category is wholesale trade. Brookneal led the way in 1990 with 4.3 percent, followed by Farmville (2.6%), Pamplin (2.3%), Altavista and Appomattox (1.9% each) and Amherst (1.62%).
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TABLE E3 TOWN OF AMHERST: EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY, 1990
Number Percent
Agriculture/Forestry/Fisheries 14 3.23%
Mining 0 0.00%
Construction 15 3.46%
Manufacturing 73 16.86%
Non-durable 30 6.93%
Durable 43 9.93%
Transportation/Communications/ 18 4.16% Public Utilities
Finance/Insurance/Real Estate 14 3.23%
Wholesale Trade 7 1.62%
Retail Trade 65 15.01%
Services 206 47.58%
Government 21 4.85%
Totals 433 100.00% SOURCE: 1990 Census
OCCUPATIONAL MIX -- Table E-4 denotes the occupations of employed residents of the Town of Amherst who are 16 years of age and older. The information comes via the 1990 Census. The largest group of workers in the Town is the technical, sales and administrative support classification. This group employs 25.87 percent of the Town's residents. The next largest group is employed in managerial and professional specialty occupations, 24.48 percent of the total. Service occupations employ 22.86 percent of the Town's inhabitants. Operators, fabricators and laborers account for 15.94 of the population, while precision production, craft and repair occupations employ 8.55 percent of the residents. Only 2.31 percent are employed in farming, forestry and fishing positions.
TABLE E4 -- TOWN OF AMHERST: OCCUPATIONAL MIX, 1990
Number Percent
Managerial & Professional Specialty 106 24.48%
Technical, Sales & Administrative Support 112 25.87%
Service 99 22.86%
Farming, Forestry & Fishing 10 2.31%
Precision Production, Craft & Repair 37 8.55%
Operators, Fabricators & Laborers 69 15.94%
Total Employed Persons 16 Years and Over 433 100.00% SOURCE: 1990 U.S. Census
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INDUSTRIAL SITES -- One of the major incentives used to attract new industries to a community is the availability of an industrial park complete with prime building lots, public utilities and road access suitable for heavy use by large trucks and rail. Another transportation mode, such as air service, located nearby is also an incentive used in industrial recruitment. There exists such a facility just outside the corporate limits of the Town of Amherst, the Zane Snead Industrial Park. As of January, 1994, First Brands, Inc., Buffalo Air Handling and Hermle Black Forest Clocks have all located in the Zane Snead Industrial Park.
Employment of these manufacturers is presented as a range in the following table. Through the continued cooperative efforts of Virginia =s Region 2000, Amherst County and the Town of Amherst, Zane Snead Industrial Park will continue to be promoted nationwide as an excellent location in which to locate or relocate an industrial enterprise. Though this park is located outside of the Amherst Town limits, immense benefits are gained by the Town as a result of the park =s proximity which are immense and too numerous to mention.
TABLE E5 TOWN OF AMHERST: MANUFACTURERS LOCATED WITHIN TOWN LIMITS FEBRUARY, 1997
Manufacturer Product # Employees
Milhouse Company Magnet Coils 9
Davis K Pipe Fabricator 15
TABLE E6 ZANE SNEAD INDUSTRIAL PARK: MANUFACTURING EMPLOYMENT MARCH, 1997
Manufacturer Product Employee Range*
First Brands Glad Bags 350 -400
Buffalo Air Handling Large Ventilating Cabinets 150 -175
Hermle Black Forest Clocks Clock Movements 50 -75 SOURCE: *denotes information obtained from Virginia=s Region 2000.
TOURISM -- Due to the Town =s location, history and character, tourism has always been important to Amherst =s Economy. As a waystop on the old stage line through Central Virginia and later as a railroad and highway layover, Amherst has long provided travelers with gracious hospitality. Though usually not a destination for modern tourists, Amherst has capitalized on its location and rural small town charm to attract tourists traveling to other nearby destinations. Within easy driving distances are many cultural, historical and scenic attractions including:
• Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park, the site of Confederate General Robert E. Lee =s surrender to Union General U. S. Grant;
• Lynchburg, a historical city with a two hundred year old community market, a fine museum system, an extensive network of hiking and biking trails and a Class A minor league baseball team;
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• Roanoke, site of the famous Mill Mountain Star, Market Square, Center in the Square, minor league baseball, hockey teams, and the Western Virginia Transportation Museum.
• Charlottesville, site of Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson, and the university he founded, the University of Virginia, along with many other places of historical and cultural interest;
• Smith Mountain and Leesville Lakes recreational areas;
• The Blue Ridge parkway, and farther north, Skyline Drive;
• Danville, the last capitol of the Confederacy and long-time tobacco center;
• Richmond, the capitol of Virginia since 1799 and the capitol of the Confederacy. Several Civil War battlefields are located in the area, as are points of interests such as St. John =s Church, site of Patrick Henry =s famous AGive me liberty or give me death! @ oratory just prior to the American Revolution;
• Wintergreen Resort, located in Nelson County, offers a wide variety of activities including skiing, golf, hiking and horseback riding;
• Lexington, home of the Virginia Military Institute, Washington and Lee University, Lee Chapel, the Virginia Horse Center and the Stonewall Jackson House;
• Williamsburg, the restored capitol of Colonial Virginia and current haven for outlet shoppers;
• Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the New World;
• Yorktown, the site of the surrender of the British under Lord Cornwallis to the colonel army of General George Washington to end the American Revolution;
• James River Plantations, primarily those located along Route 5 on the north side of the James and along Route 10 on the south, these beautiful plantations have served as home to some of the nation =s most influential families, including Presidents of the United States, over the past 300 years;
• Virginia Beach, the world =s largest resort city.
• Norfolk, site of the world =s largest naval base and the recently redeveloped Waterfront;
• Busch Gardens (Williamsburg), Kings Dominion (Ashland) and Waster Country U.S.A. (Williamsburg) are among Virginia =s most popular attractions;
• Washington, D.C., our nation =s capitol and home to the Smithsonian Institution, the National Cathedral, the National Zoo and many national monuments and memorials. Arlington National Cemetery, the Pentagon and Old Towne Alexandria are among the attractions of nearby Northern Virginia.
Recently, several Central Virginia jurisdictions banded together to market this area =s attractions to the world. CenterState 29, the name given to this group, is focused on the communities linked by U. S. Route 29 from Danville to Manassas. Because of their proximity to Route 29, such attractions as the Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park and the Bedford County trio of Poplar Forest, Smith Mountain Lake and the Peaks of Otter are also being marketed.
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Marketed along with such prominent attractions as Monticello, Wintergreen, Manassas National Battlefield park and the Last Capitol of the Confederacy.
It is hoped that this newly formed tourism coalition will enable Central and Southside Virginia =s attractions to lure many of the vacationers who visit such places as Williamsburg, Virginia Beach and Washington, D. C., all less than four hours from Amherst. The serenity of scenic rural Virginia will be promoted as a very affordable alternative to the hustle and bustle of the Commonwealth =s metropolitan areas.
EMPLOYMENT FUTURE -- When projecting future employment levels for an area such as Amherst, several items need to be taken into account. First is the local historic trend of each industry coupled with each industry =s current economic situation. Second is national trends associated with each industry. The availability of such amenities as water, sewer, railroad sidings and modern highway facilities, any of which could be the difference between losing or retaining an existing industry or enticing a new business to locate, is a third consideration. A fourth point to consider is the cooperation shown by both the local and state governments, cooperation essential to retaining and attracting industry.
Cooperation may include such items as tax benefits and the establishment of special preparatory classes and courses of study in the public school system.
However, it must be remembered that even after considering all of the above points, the projections are not more than Aeducated guesses @. One unexpected plant closing or the location of a new industry can significantly alter the projections, especially in a smaller, less populated area like the Town of Amherst.
Manufacturing is the largest industry in Central Virginia. Though the Town of Amherst has little industry within it =s borders, the nearby Zane Snead Industrial Park provides employment opportunities and benefits for Town residents. Within the park, there is sufficient land for several additional manufacturing enterprises to be established, thus providing growth potential for the Town =s labor force.
The fastest growing industry in the nation is the service industry. Service employment will continue to increase in the coming years; however, the decades of 150 percent growth are probably a thing of the past. The amount of growth in this sector will depend on two issues--tourism and the disdain of having to drive to Lynchburg or elsewhere for certain services. As for the former, it is hoped that the regional efforts to promote tourism in Central Virginia will lead to a greater number of visitors in the Town. If such occurs, more motels, restaurants, gas stations and other service facilities may have to be built.
Growth in several of the other industrial sectors depends heavily on the status of the two preceding sectors. If more people are either living in, working in or visiting the Town of Amherst, the other sectors will grow to accommodate the surplus. This is especially true in the case of the construction, retail, public utilities and finance, real estate and insurance sectors. If manufacturing and tourism fail to grow much beyond today =s levels, than the other sectors will also fail to grow at the desired rate. However, many in the Town of Amherst and elsewhere believe that the Town may become Central Virginia =s next growth Ahot spot, @ especially if the Madison Heights By-Pass is built as planned.
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES
GOAL ATTAIN A COOPERATIVE LOCAL ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CLIMATE TO RETAIN, EXPAND AND DIVERSIFY INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE.
Objectives 1. Encourage industrial growth in accordance with labor force availability.
2. Reduce the unemployment rate.
3. Expand present training programs.
4. Encourage cooperation and coordination between agencies and organizations dedicated to improving the employment opportunities in Central Virginia, particularly inside the Town of Amherst.
5. Provide community facilities as an integral part in promoting economic development.
6. Promote industrial growth within designated areas.
7. Promote concentrated commercial growth at strategic clustered locations adjacent to major highways.
8. Maintain open communication with existing businesses through the Chamber Commerce.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
1. Develop and adopt an industrial development program to coordinate with Amherst County and Region 2000 which encourages a uniform approach to industrial development.
2. Encourage the creation and support of industrial development promoters.
3. Encourage rehabilitation of commercial and industrial buildings.
4. Support the continuation and expansion of Amherst County's industrial site inventory, including the creation of industrial sites inside the Town.
5. Promote additional low cost child care centers to enable parents to take advantage of educational opportunities, particularly in the evenings.
6. Encourage the Amherst County Chamber of Commerce to become more active in community improvement programs, including the promotion of commercial and industrial development.
7. Continue the policy to assist new industry in the provision of at least water and sewer connections.
8. Encourage diversification of future industrial development in terms of both size of employers and among types of industrial activity.
9. Support the improvements to existing facilities and other programs and proposals to increase accessibility, including commercial air transport, to the Town.
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Amherst is the center for commerce in northern Amherst County and for a large part of Nelson County. Service industries include law, real estate, insurance and medical arts. Retail shopping is also available at two major shopping centers. Another often overlooked but unique feature of Amherst is the proliferation of dining establishments. These businesses contribute significantly to the quality of life in Amherst and also to the coffers of the Town.
Adequate roads and rail lines are also an important aspect of what the Town has to offer toward economic development. The Town is situated at the intersection of two national highways (U.S. Route 29 and U.S. Route 60) which provide ready access to markets. Norfolk Southern Railway also serves the area, and most notably the Zane Snead Industrial Park.
Arguably the major necessity of economic development is the provision of adequate facilities and infrastructure. The ready availability of water, sewer, fiber optics and other utilities gives a community an immense edge in industrial recruitment, especially if a community has a shell building available. Adequate facilities also includes the commercial areas of a community; a renovated and well-maintained downtown is much more attractive to potential businesses than is a deteriorated commercial district.
The Town of Amherst has positioned itself well in its ability to provide water and sewer to existing and future users. Contracts have been let to double the capacity of the Town's water plant and studies are underway to increase the capabilities of the Town's sewer plant. Almost all of the Town is served by water service and the Town has other lines that extend out of Town. Sewer service is generally available but the Town's sewer service area is not as broad as that for water.
The Town of Amherst recognizes that a strong economy is vital to the future of the Town. In order to assure this future vitality, the Town will focus on business retention, industrial recruitment and small business development over the course of the next twenty years.
Primary among the economic concerns of Amherst is the retention of existing businesses. Some of these enterprises have provided stable employment to Town residents for several generations while generating tax revenue for the Town proper. As times change, these businesses must not be taken for granted. The Town should strive to maintain good relations with the business sector and foster a sense of community spirit and dedication. The Town firmly believes that a satisfied businessman will not only keep his or her business open in Amherst, but will take an active part in the community and act as a goodwill ambassador to those looking to locate other ventures in Amherst.
As with most other communities, Amherst would like to attract new and diverse industries to the Town. Again, as with most everyone else, Amherst desires "clean" industries with the potential to provide stable employment to many people while generating constant or increasing tax revenue. However, much work needs to be done by the Town in order to attract industry of this caliber - or any caliber. A ready workforce is in place, as is the infrastructure via the Zane Snead Industrial park just outside the Town limits. But industrial recruitment is an extremely competitive game that pits towns, cities, counties and states against one another. The Town must do more to "sell" itself to prospective employers. Eventually, this may include the offering of incentives, something done at the risk of alienating existing business owners.
Small business development is the third area of emphasis to Amherst. Small businesses have long been the backbone of this country, with such enterprises currently providing stable employment for millions of Americans. Because most small business establishments are "homegrown", these businesses tend to be more loyal to and supportive of the community in which they are located. It is in the best interest of the Town of Amherst to encourage and foster small business development in any manner feasible due to this fact.
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A resource at Amherst's disposal is Virginia's Region 2000, the economic development organization serving Amherst County, Appomattox County, Bedford County, Campbell County, Bedford City and Lynchburg City. The only town with full membership in Region 2000 is the Town of Altavista. Even though Amherst receives the benefits of Region 2000 through Amherst County's membership, the Town will consider seeking full membership because such would bring the Town of Amherst name to the forefront as a separate entity, something which may or may not matter when playing the game of industrial recruitment. Also, the Town will support a strong merchant's association and a chamber of commerce which can be extremely helpful in recruitment, public relations, maintenance of existing businesses and other areas.
Promotion of tourism, bringing out-of-town dollars to Town lodging, restaurant, and retail establishments, is another avenue to pursue. The Town supports regional tourism promotion efforts such as the "CenterState 29" map/brochure project. However, other reasonable and cost effective means of supporting these businesses need to be identified and pursued. These should include downtown beautification and dressing up the entrances to the Town.
Although many opportunities exist for expanding the commercial and industrial base of the Town, the Town must realize its limitations in supporting economic development efforts. The location of the Zane Snead Industrial Park near the Town is a model for future economic development efforts: Amherst County providing land and perhaps shell buildings and extension of utilities to the site; the Town generating and reserving capacity at its water and wastewater treatment plants; and Region 2000 and the state assisting in marketing the property. Other support roles that the Town can undertake are maintaining open lines of communication with local business and industry as well as participating in Region 2000, Amherst County and state efforts and programs.
An example of the Town's support of this effort is the relationship of this plan to the "Opportunity Virginia" initiative currently being promoted by the Commonwealth of Virginia. The stated goals of this plan are as follows:
1. Renew our commitment to the economic principles and foundations that promote broad-based economic growth. 2. Restore our competitive position and strengthen economic development programs to foster prosperity for all. 3. Focus on improving the success and competitiveness of our established commerce and industry base. 4. Capitalize on our technology assets and infrastructure to compete in the 21st century. 5. Achieve the economic potential for the region by fostering economic diversity and growth.
The Town needs to examine all of these issues to determine where it stands on economic development. A more extensive planning process is needed to identify and define the Town's role in this effort. Only then can the Town emphasize the areas where it is strong and commit to addressing those areas where it is weak.
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Chapter 6
HOUSING
INTRODUCTION
The Town of Amherst is a picturesque historic community which still retains much of its colonial charm. Well maintained old houses line Main Street and several of the smaller side streets, while many of the newer residences have been built in the colonial or antebellum style. The Town is also home to several multi-family units and mobile homes. Most of the housing stock is in above average condition, though some of the Town's 898 units are in need of rehabilitation or replacement.
It should be noted that there are several factors that influence the location and structural type of housing within a given locality. Basically, these factors can be defined as: the physical features of the location; governmental policy decisions; housing costs; availability of land and building materials; energy costs; available services; family characteristics; tradition; economic development; and employment opportunities. All of these factors interact and affect each other.
HOUSING CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT
When tabulating housing units by structural type, all existing housing is included, whether occupied year round, used as a vacation home, vacant or abandoned. The majority of the housing in Amherst is used as a primary residence. A comparison of selected Central Virginia Towns shows that Amherst has the third most housing units (898 in October, 1994), behind only Farmville (1,793) and Altavista (1,618). Appomattox (732), Brookneal (601) and Pamplin City (102) all have fewer residential units. (1990 Census Data used for outlying towns throughout this section)
As with the other jurisdictions in Central Virginia, the most prevalent type of housing in the Town of Amherst is the single family unit. Nearly 75 percent of the Town's residential units are single family, a total of 671 units in October, 1994. Within the region, Pamplin City has the highest percentage of single family homes (84%), while Farmville (68%) has the lowest. In between are Altavista (78%), Appomattox (74%) and Brookneal (74%).
Multi-family units are on the rise in Amherst. As of October, 1994, 184 such units could be found inside the Town limits, a number which represented 20 percent of the Town's residential units. Elsewhere in the region, Farmville had the highest percentage of multi-family units (24%); Pamplin City had the lowest (4%). Appomattox (17%), Brookneal (16%) and Altavista (15%) fell in between.
Also on the rise throughout Central Virginia is the placement of mobile homes. Within the Amherst Town limits there were 43 mobile homes in late October, 1994. These units accounted for nearly 5 percent of the total residential units in the Town, the lowest percentage in the area. Pamplin City had the highest percentage of mobile homes (10%), followed by Brookneal (9%), Farmville (7%), Appomattox (7%) and Altavista (5%). It is likely that these percentages will continue to slowly rise due to the fact that mobile homes represent the only affordable housing alternative for many people .
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TABLE F1 CENTRAL VIRGINIA TOWNS: HOUSING TYPES, 1990
SINGLE FAMILY MULTI-FAMILY MOBILE OTHER TOTALS HOMES
No. Percent No. Percent No. Percent No. Percent No. Percent
Altavista 1,268 78.37% 249 15.39% 78 4.82% 23 1.42% 1,618 100.00%
AMHERST * 671 74.72% 184 20.49% 43 4.79% NA NA 898 100.00%
Appomattox 543 74.18% 128 17.49% 51 6.97% 10 1.37% 732 100.00%
Brookneal 444 73.88% 97 16.14% 53 8.82% 7 1.16% 601 100.00%
Farmville 1,225 68.32% 428 23.87% 131 7.31% 9 0.50% 1,793 100.00%
Pamplin 86 84.31% 4 3.92% 10 9.80% 2 1.96% 102 100.00% *Adjusted for annexation
SOURCE: U.S. Census, 1990 Town of Amherst Housing Inventory, October 27, 1994
Because rental units are concentrated in urban areas, the percentage of persons owning their own homes is significantly lower in the cities and towns of Central Virginia than in the surrounding rural areas. In the Town of Amherst, 71 percent of the housing is owner occupied, second only to the 73 percent non-rental housing found in Pamplin City. Appomattox and Altavista both report approximately 69 percent owner-occupied housing, while in Brookneal, 67 percent of the housing is owner-occupied. Farmville has the lowest of owner-occupied housing in the region (56%).
TABLE F2 CENTRAL VIRGINIA TOWNS: HOUSING TENURE, 1990
OWNER-OCCUPIED RENTERS-OCCUPIED
Altavista 68.50% 31.50%
AMHERST* 71.49% 28.51%
Appomattox 69.20% 30.80%
Brookneal 66.80% 33.20%
Farmville 56.15% 43.85%
Pamplin City 72.70% 27.30% *Adjusted for annexation SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS, 1990
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HOUSING QUALITY -- Due to the availability of Community Development Block Grants, there has been a substantial nationwide decrease in the number of housing units lacking adequate plumbing. The Town of Amherst, the recipient of several such grants during the 1970's and 1980's, has experienced a tremendous reduction in such residences. The 1990 Census reported only four housing units in the (pre-annexation) Town which lacked complete plumbing facilities. The 1994 annexation may have added to this total. If this is the case, the Town will investigate the possibility of securing additional grants.
Another variable in determining housing quality is overcrowding. Units are considered to be overcrowded if more than 1.01 persons occupy each room of the unit. According to the 1990 Census, only twelve units within the present (1994) Town limits qualified as being overcrowded. Of these twelve, five were located in the newly annexed area and eight were rental units.
VALUE OF HOUSING UNITS -- According to the 1990 Census, the median value of owner occupied housing units in the Commonwealth of Virginia is $89,600, far above the median values found in Central Virginia. The Town of Amherst has a median housing value of $62,174, the highest such figure among the towns of Central Virginia. Next highest is Farmville ($56,600), followed by Altavista ($49,400), Appomattox ($48,000), Brookneal ($40,500) and Pamplin City ($37,800).
Median contract rent in the Commonwealth is $410 per month, again much higher than the rents charged in Central Virginia. A rental unit within the old Town limits of Amherst cost an average of $357 in 1990, the highest in the area. Annexation brought many low rent units into the Town, lowering the median contract rent for Amherst to $184 per month. Such a unit in Farmville averages $331, while the median rent in Appomattox is $309. Pamplin has the next highest rent ($300), while the two Campbell County towns, Altavista ($294) and Brookneal ($284), follow.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING -- Though the census may undervalue housing, it is safe to say that housing in Amherst is relatively inexpensive, especially when compared to housing costs across the State. Even so, ownership of a traditional single family home remains an unaffordable dream to a large segment of the population. Hence the ever increasing popularity of manufactured housing.
Steps must be taken to insure that affordable housing will always be available to anyone desiring to live within the Town limits. Small, inexpensive houses should not be neglected or torn down in favor of new developments of larger houses priced out of the reach of the typical Town resident. Mobile home placement should continue to be allowed in approved mobile home parks as an affordable alternative to stick built structures. Also, affordable rental units, both single and multi-family, should remain available, with new construction of such units encouraged. These units will continue to provide an alternative to home ownership for those who can not afford, or do not desire, to own their own home.
TABLE F3 CENTRAL VIRGINIA TOWNS: MEDIAN HOUSING VALUE, 1990
Altavista AMHERST Appomattox Brookneal Farmville Pamplin City
$49,400 $62,174 $48,000 $40,500 $56,600 $37,800
Source: 1990 U.S. Census
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TABLE F4 CENTRAL VIRGINIA TOWNS: MEDIAN CONTRACT RENT, 1990
Altavista AMHERST Appomattox Brookneal Farmville Pamplin City
$294 $184 $309 $284 $331 $300 SOURCE: 1990 U.S. Census
DEPOT STREET NEIGHBORHOOD -- Chief among the housing concerns of the Town of Amherst is the Depot Street neighborhood. This neighborhood is composed of six adjoining through-ways, which are as follows: First, Second, Washington, Church and Depot Streets and Norfolk Avenue. The Amherst County Housing Department performed field surveys during March, 1994, to collect data on the number of units and exterior housing deficiencies. Features which were considered included the foundations, porches and steps, outside walls, gutters and downspouts, windows and doors, roof, chimney and landscape.
The Department found nearly 50 percent of the homes in the neighborhood to be in need of moderate or substantial repair. Some of these structures are among the oldest in the Town. Varying stages of deterioration can be found within the Depot Street area due to inadequate circulation and presumed low income households with declining household conditions.
Circulation and access within the Depot Street area must be improved. The narrow streets hinder cross-neighborhood two-way traffic, inhibit turning movements, create conflicts with on-street parking and present a safety hazard for adjacent residences and pedestrians. There are no one-way streets in the neighborhood but the area has a dead end street with no cul-de-sac nor other turn-around, presenting an egress obstacle, especially for emergency vehicles. Pedestrian movement is hampered by the lack of sidewalks.
Tax records were also reviewed to assess rentals verses owner occupied units. The rental households appear to be experiencing a more serious housing maintenance problem than the owner occupied households. Further investigation is warranted in this area of concern, as well as a complete study of water/sewer services, storm water drainage, refuse collection, historical characteristics and household characteristics. (Reprinted from Summary of Neighborhood Revitalization Needs--Depot Street Target Area , Amherst County Department of Housing, November, 1994.)
CONCLUSION -- According to the findings of this housing analysis, the Town of Amherst does not appear to be suffering from any major housing crisis. It seems that the housing stock has kept pace with population growth through the years, as well as with the increased need for additional housing due to the ever growing number of non-married couple families, the latter resulting from such situations as divorce, death and the desire to reside alone.
Overall, the quality of housing in the Town is generally good. However, a few areas, especially the Depot Street neighborhood, are in need of substantial rehabilitation. Much effort has gone into rehabilitating a number of substandard units over the past decade, especially those lacking complete plumbing. To date, a few residences still lack complete modern plumbing.
Though Amherst has the highest average housing value of Central Virginia's towns, the average value, and thus the selling price, of a house in Amherst is much lower than the value of a comparable house located in most any other area of the Commonwealth. However, many families still can not afford to purchase their own stick built homes, thus must either rent a house or purchase or rent a mobile home. Mobile homes and other manufactured housing continue to be affordable alternatives for many, and efforts should be made to insure that the placement of such residences will continue to be allowed in designated zoning districts in the future.
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HOUSING GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES
GOAL
TO CREATE THE BEST RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENT FOR EVERY RESIDENT OF THE TOWN.
Objectives
1. To achieve coordination between residential development and the development of community facilities essential to a good residential environment.
Policies
1. To encourage housing to locate within areas of existing and future water and sewer systems.
2. To plan and program public facilities so as to serve those areas that are deemed to be best suited for residential development.
3. To encourage a coordinated, rather than lot-by-lot, approach to development and redevelopment.
4. To ensure adequate coordination between the planning for housing and transportation facilities.
5. To encourage the development of facilities that are suitable for residential occupancy by the elderly.
6. To encourage a range of housing types to support varied population segments and income levels.
7. To encourage development which will contribute to the improvement of property values.
2. To insure that all available public, semipublic and private resources are applied to the improvement and development of housing and housing areas for the Town and its planning area.
1. To prepare and maintain an inventory of housing.
2. To prepare and maintain a listing of all available public, semipublic, and private resources that can be applied to the improvement and development of housing.
3. To encourage the rehabilitation of deteriorating housing units by applying for Federal loans and grant programs.
4. To seek the elimination of all dilapidated structures by use of municipal regulations and Federal demolition grants.
5. To assist in relocating families affected by the elimination of dilapidated housing, making use of all relocation assistance programs.
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6. To develop subdivision and zoning regulations which will encourage new housing for the area.
7. To prevent and correct housing deterioration by developing and applying a housing code enforcement program.
HOUSING STRATEGIES
1. Review and orient zoning regulations to provide a range of housing densities that will compliment the provision of community facilities and that will encourage varied, interesting and safe residential and mixed-use neighborhoods.
2. Encourage the production of single-family, two-family, and multifamily dwelling units of the types and proportions that will satisfy the varying needs and desires of consumers.
3. Encourage the maximum utilization of the master-planned residential and mixed-use concept in the Town.
4. Reduce deterioration of existing housing by enforcement of housing and building codes and zoning and subdivision regulations and encouraging property owners to maintain their dwellings.
5. Continue to offer land use tax assessments.
6. Organize clean-up, fix-up campaigns.
7. Encourage the use of Section 8 subsidy programs of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as well as loan programs administered by the Rural Economic and Community Development Administration and the Veterans Administration.
8. Improve water, sewer, road, stormwater drainage, and other infrastructure to support housing, possibly through the use of Community Development Block Grant funds.
9. Continue to support voluntary efforts toward the fair allocation of housing to all Amherst residents.
HOUSING PLAN
Housing needs and preferences in the United States have changed greatly in the last few decades. Population patterns between census years indicate shifts in household size and age of tenants. Greatly increased cost of housing relative to income has made affordable rental housing scarce and home ownership a difficult dream for many families to realize. A second family wage earner has become necessary to enable many families to own a home. National trends indicate that such dual wage earning households have smaller families and less time available for yard and home care. As such, these families are less inclined to purchase yard space considered necessary several decades ago.
These national trends are reflected in Amherst and point to the need for conservation of existing housing and careful planning for future housing in Amherst. These facts combined with an intimate knowledge of the Town's housing stock help to identify problems as well as opportunities. As the official statement of the Town's policy with respect to housing, the Comprehensive Plan establishes housing goals and suggests housing programs for the improvement of this aspect of the community for the betterment of the Town and surrounding area.
It is anticipated that Amherst County and the Town of Amherst will experience above-normal growth in the next ten years due to expansions by area industry and major transportation improvements resulting from the Rt. 29 bypass and
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Centerstate 29. The development of adequate housing during this period will be very important to future growth of the Town. Housing should be developed in such a way as to not only provide for population growth but also to maintain the small town atmosphere and beauty of this historic community. This development must include not only new housing units but also maintenance and rehabilitation of existing units. In addition, adequate public utilities, facilities and transportation systems must be maintained and expanded to adequately serve housing needs and encourage future development.
It is recognized that the Town of Amherst should encourage a wide range of housing opportunities having appeal to all income levels and age groups. Conservation of open space is also a concern as it is an important factor in locational decisions by future residents. The Plan is also careful to assure equal housing opportunity throughout the Town.
Overall, the housing situation in Amherst is satisfactory, with decent housing being in fairly good supply. However, advances still need to be made to further the idea of safe, clean and affordable housing for all Town residents.
In the area of existing dwellings, property owners need to be further encouraged to maintain their dwelling units, whether these units be owner-occupied or rental units. All applicable Amherst County housing and building codes and the Town's zoning and subdivision regulations will be used as the primary tools against deterioration of the housing stock.
To help with rehabilitating existing substandard housing units, the Town will encourage civic organizations and other interested groups, such as the Christmas in April organization, as well as individuals to stage fix-up campaigns. For instance, clean-up and leaf raking campaigns could be promoted for the elderly and others not able to perform these tasks themselves. Funding for building rehabilitation will be pursued though the use of Community Development Block Grants and through other governmental programs.
It is evident that Community Development Block Grants will be the specific avenue of funding pursued for the rehabilitation of the Depot Street area. The Town Council will apply for a Project Planning Grant when staff resources are available. If successful, the Town will use the funds to assess the needs of the study area through surveys, neighborhood meetings, site inspections and other methods. Upon completion of the planning grant, the Town intends to use the information gathered and the plans developed to apply for a Comprehensive Community Development Capital Improvement Grant, the actual construction grant. The focus of the grant will be housing preservation, water/sewer improvements, and street improvements in this area of low to moderate income residents.
New units will be constructed over the next twenty years to both replace existing older, deteriorated units and to provide additional housing opportunities for new residents. Also, the trends of increasingly smaller household size and increasingly larger total number of households will both continue, requiring new housing construction to meet the demand. The use of subsidy and loan programs offered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Rural Development (RD - part of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture), the Veterans Administration (VA), the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) will be encouraged to finance the construction and purchase of these new units. Volunteer organizations, particularly Habitat for Humanity, will be encouraged to help low income people secure new housing.
Maintaining an adequate supply of affordable housing is significant to the future of Amherst. The housing units which qualify for HUD, RECD, VA and VDHA programs are classified as being affordable housing, as are units constructed by Habitat for Humanity. This affordable housing can come in several forms, one of which is through the use of manufactured homes. Manufactured homes are currently allowed within the Town's borders, a practice which should be allowed to continue in the future in specifically designated areas.
A third form of affordable housing is rental property, both single-family and multi-family units. All owners of residential units within the Town will be encouraged to continue the practice of renting their property to others. The Town should also require landlords to faithfully maintain their rental units according to all building, subdivision and zoning codes.
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A fourth idea for affordable housing is the renovation of the upper floors of downtown businesses. Low to moderate income housing units could be constructed in space now either unoccupied or reserved for storage. Not only can lower income people gain decent housing, but the downtown areas can become rejuvenated due to the neighborhood environment and the around-the-clock presence of people. Though there is no guarantee in this day and age that crime will decrease, the possibility exists that such will occur as a direct benefit of converting much of the unused (or under used) downtown space to residential units.
The Town will encourage the use, where possible, of environmentally friendly building materials in all construction and rehabilitation projects. This includes the installation of electric and water-saving devices and appliances along with energy-saving doors and windows and layers of thick insulation. The use of natural gas and solar heating panels will also be encouraged. New subdivisions, and even new construction in areas of existing development, should be designed to take advantage of environmental features such as natural summer cooling patterns and winter solar heating.
Implementation programs to fulfill these goals and objectives must respect and maneuver through a wide array of social and economic forces. Advantage should be taken of federal and state programs which can provide significant financial assistance. Local regulations can be reviewed with the objective of reducing unneeded obstacles to development, promoting infill development, increasing compactness of development and increasing the mix of housing types and other land uses on a given site in order to encourage affordable housing to meet the requirements of changing household composition and diversity of income levels.
In the long run, care for all housing in the Town is important. In the near term, however, attention must be paid to isolated instances of substandard housing and plumbing and the West Court Street and Depot Street neighborhoods. Since the Town of Amherst is not in a position to provide direct cash housing assistance, a situation which is not likely to change, the housing improvement programs in the Town must in large measure depend upon the support of state and federal government with heavy administrative support from the Amherst County Housing Department and the Central Virginia Planning District Commission.
DEPOT STREET AND WEST COURT STREET HOUSING IMPROVEMENT -- Essential factors necessary for the revitalization of the Depot Street and West Court Street neighborhoods are:
1. Adequate public and/or private resources available to achieve substantial impact within the area.
2. A well-formulated, rational plan of implementation that reflects a strategy for meeting physical, housing, utility, social, and/or commercial needs of the area.
3. An experienced, professional administrative team with the capacity to implement revitalization activities, particularly revitalization.
The approach to improving these neighborhoods should be coordinated in a manner to create a physical environment conducive to a higher level of private investment. It has been recognized that this investment climate is created through the integration of the following elements:
♦ Public Improvements - street and sidewalk repair or upgrading, water and sewer improvements, street lighting and signs, parks and recreation facilities, etc.
♦ Financial Incentives - attractive financing mechanisms for residential and commercial rehabilitation, historic preservation, investment credits, real estate tax deferral, accelerated depreciation, and rent subsidies to permit continued occupancy of rental property and the avoidance of involuntary displacement of occupants; and
♦ Removal of Blight and Blighting Influences - removal of structures which can no longer serve an economic use.
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Chapter 7
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
INTRODUCTION
Natural resources play an important part in the life and development of a given area. Rivers and streams have for centuries given birth to settlements along their banks, while other communities developed due to the discovery of gold, silver or other precious natural substances. The industrial revolution and later modern conveniences such as the automobile brought new challenges to the environment, challenges which were not met until only recently. The Town of Amherst recognizes that clean air and water are important to the future of the town, as is the continuation of the serenity which living in the town offers. Also, the town realizes that development patterns will be dependent on floodplain, soil and slope characteristics of the various parts of town. To this end, a view of the environment in and around the Town of Amherst is offered in an attempt promote sound environmental practices which will help ensure the future viability of our part of the world.
CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
AIR RESOURCES -- air resources include the prevailing climate of the area and the "quality" of the air. Climate is generally described by meteorological trends and by measurable factors such as rainfall rates and temperature. Air "quality" is more difficult to describe but is usually indicated by measurements of air-borne pollutants, which are produced by certain human activities and are considered potentially harmful to the public health at relatively low concentrations. Normally, the lower the pollutant concentration, the better the air quality is considered to be.
The Town of Amherst has a modified continental climate, with mild winters and warm, humid summers. Mountains to the west mitigate the effects of winter storms moving easterly, while the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean to the east contribute to the humid summers. These large bodies of water also help make winters milder than they otherwise would be.
Occasionally, severe weather in the form of hurricanes and other tropical storms affect the area. Though such storms are usually downgraded by the time they reach Amherst, heavy rains and strong winds may still affect the county. Tornadoes are extremely rare in the area. Thunderstorms, however, are relatively frequent and may produce severe lightning, high wind, and damaging hail.
The average annual precipitation for the county exceeds 40 inches. The following table shows the distribution of precipitation over the year at nearby Lynchburg. July is typically the wettest month with 4.16 inches of precipitation, while January is the driest with 2.86 inches. Snowfall is generally less than 15 inches a year.
TABLE G1 LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA: AVERAGE PRECIPITATION (water equivalent in inches) 1961 - 1990
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC ANNUAL
2.86 3.04 3.47 3.09 3.91 3.45 4.16 3.59 3.24 3.70 3.14 3.23 40.88 SOURCE: Virginia State Climatology Office, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia.
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TABLE G2 LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA: AVERAGE FAHRENHEIT TEMPERATURES 1961 - 1990
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC ANNUAL
34.2 37.2 46.4 55.7 64.1 71.7 75.6 74.6 68.1 57.0 47.7 38.4 55.9 SOURCE: Virginia State Climatology Office, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia.
Another important measure of the climate of an area is heating degree days. This is a statistic which measures how often and to what extent the average daily temperature falls below 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Heating degree days is a useful indicator of fuel consumption trends for heating purposes.
TABLE G3 LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA: HEATING DEGREE DAY NORMALS (65 degree Fahrenheit base) 1961 - 1990
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC ANNUAL
955 778 577 283 95 6 0 0 32 270 519 825 4340 SOURCE: Virginia State Climatology Office, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia.
The quality of an area's air depends on many factors, several of which are little understood. For instance, topography, forest cover, industries, and population concentrations play important roles at the local level, but little is known about how these factors modify or contribute to the overall air quality picture. However, air pollution is a regional problem since a relatively pristine area may receive large amounts of pollutants from distant sources. Pollutants may even have significant impacts on climate both in small areas and over large regions.
Table G4 records total emission in Amherst County in tons per year for 1993.
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has designated Amherst County to be a Class 2 No Significant Deterioration Area. This Class 2 designation allows for normal growth and economic development provided siting practices and pollution control measures are acceptable.
TABLE G4 AMHERST COUNTY: EMISSIONS IN TONS PER YEAR BY POLLUTION 1993
POLLUTANT TONS PER YEAR
SO 2 2,229
TSP 301
CM 190
VOC 44
NO X 644 SOURCE: Department of Environmental Quality, Air Regional Office
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Increment determinations would be done by EPA modeling procedures. Potential violators would not be granted air pollution permits needed to operate pollution-emitting facilities. However, the county may petition EPA for reclassification to either Class 1 or Class 3, depending on local goals and objectives. Only a few wilderness areas of the Commonwealth classify as Class 1, with no areas falling within the Class 3 designation.
There are many emission point sources within Amherst County. Table G5 lists the locations of the major emission sources as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) class of each source.
TABLE G5 TOWN OF AMHERST: EMISSION POINT SOURCES
Facility Location EPA Class
Lynchburg Ready Mix Route 29 North, Amherst B
Amherst County Junior High School Route 60, East of Amherst B
Amherst County High School Business 29, Amherst B
Central Elementary Route 60, Amherst B
Sweet Briar College Route 29 A1
First Brands Route 825 & 731, Zane Snead Industrial Park B
Buffalo Air Handling Route 29, Amherst B SOURCE: Department of Environmental Quality, Air Regional Office
A1 -- actual emissions or controlled emissions of criteria pollutants is over 100 tons per year. A2 -- actual emissions or controlled emissions of criteria pollutants is under 100 tons; uncontrolled emissions are over 100 tons B -- uncontrolled emissions of criteria pollutants are less than 100 tons per year Criteria pollutants are carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, lead and PM10
LAND RESOURCES -- Of primary concern here is information on physiography, geology and soils. Such knowledge is especially useful in determining opportunities and constraints for developmental activities, locating economic resources, and identifying scenic areas.
The Town of Amherst lies within the Piedmont physiographic province -- a broad, elevated belt situated between the Coastal Plain and Blue Ridge provinces, and extending from Alabama to New Jersey. The Piedmont is essentially a plateau with mature stream development, giving rise to rolling terrain. Monadnocks occasionally dot the landscape, and the land in and around the Town is typical of the Piedmont.
A very general analysis map of the topographic slope is included. Slope is defined to be the positive ratio of vertical change to horizontal distance, expressed as a percentage. For example, if over a horizontal distance of 100 feet, the elevation changes 30 feet, either up or down, then the slope is 30 percent. The areas shown on the map delineate classes of slope generally encountered in these areas.
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In general, slope can pose a major constraint or a unique opportunity to developmental activities. The class of "zero to eight percent" is usually good for development, other conditions permitting. The class "8 to 15" percent presents some limitations normally due to higher site preparation costs and service extensions. For instance, in such areas, gravity sewers must often be accompanied with forced mains thereby increasing costs. It can be expected that development costs in the "15+ percent" class will be much higher than those of the other classes. Also, development in areas with this much slope often run the risk of encountering problems such as localized landsliding. However, only on-site investigation can determine the development suitability of a particular location because sites with little slope may have other factors that would make development undesirable while others with a slope of greater than 15 percent may actually prove to be good areas for development.
The geology of the town is such that Igneous and metamorphic rocks underlie essentially the entire area. Metamorphic rocks form the bedrock for the Town.
For the most part, the rocks in the Town do not directly place constraints on activities. Bedrock is usually too deep to affect construction and where it is near the surface, bedrock normally offers a good foundation. Hazards from earthquakes or large scale land-sliding are not apparent.
The soils in the area are almost all residual--having formed from the rock material below them. Alluvial soils, or those deposited by water such as the soil found in flood plains, account for the remainder. Several soil associations have been discovered in the Town. A soil association is designated by the names of two or more soil types that constitute significant portions of the association. The association itself relates soils of similar characteristics. Soil associations are very large units and, therefore, characteristics can vary widely within an association. Likewise, soils vary widely in their suitability for various uses. Depending on factors such as depth, permeability, plasticity, drainage and size composition, a particular soil may be a constraint or an opportunity for uses contemplated. For the most part, the soils found in the Town of Amherst do not pose great constraints to development activities.
WATER RESOURCES -- The water resources of an area are extremely important for planning consideration. The amount and distribution of water determines supplies for industrial and residential consumption, and offers recreation and habitat among many other benefits. On the negative side, flooding, pollution, and droughts can be devastating to an area.
In general, the entirety of Amherst County has good surface water resources, large supplies of which can be obtained from the Buffalo River and its major tributaries. This Buffalo River water is readily available to the Town of Amherst.
There have been no identified problems for surface waters in the county. The rivers and streams are "generally satisfactory for secondary contact recreation, propagation of fish and aquatic life, and other beneficial uses" (Department of Environmental Quality).
There are very few direct discharges to surface water in Amherst County. Ten establishments have a total of 13 National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. One of these permits belongs to the Town of Amherst for discharge from the Town's sewage treatment plant into Rutledge Creek.
Accessible ground water can be found throughout the county. Most supplies have been found in fracture zones or joints in bedrock, or just above bedrock in the weathered rock zones at depths usually within 60 feet of the surface. This water can be tapped with most large-diameter dug or bored wells. However, shallow wells of this type are susceptible to contamination, sedimentation, and irregular periods of decreased yield.
The superficial zone of soil and partially weathered rock is usually cased off in drilled wells, with water being obtained from bedrock fractures. These subsurface openings occur in long, narrow low areas usually found in bedrock fractures, and at depths of less than 200 feet. Two wells on the same property exemplify the inconsistencies of ground water distribution where a 225-foot well yielded 37 gallons per minute while a 273-foot well was dry.
The quality of water from properly-drilled wells is good in the locality, although in a few cases, hard, iron-containing
G - 4 water has been reported. Contamination by unsanitary surface sources can usually be eliminated by casing all well bases. Chemically, the water is soft to moderately hard, and low in total mineral content.
FLOOD HAZARD AREAS -- Flood plains are flat areas contiguous to water courses and serve a vital function in the hydrologic system. As the channel capacity of a stream is exceeded due to, for example, intensive precipitation, the floodplain acts as a temporary water storage area for the excess. It also provides habitat for wildlife and fertile land for agriculture. Because rivers and streams often coincide with transportation routes, and the flat land is usually easily developable, man has often built structures in the floodplain. But because flooding is a recurrent phenomenon, structures in such areas must eventually be affected by flood waters or be protected by very expensive means to prevent damages.
Several streams with flooding potential can be found within the Town of Amherst. These include Tribulation Creek, Williams Creek, Higginbotham Creek, Rutledge Creek and Buffalo River, all of which are delineated on the following map. More detailed maps have been prepared for the Federal Emergency Management Administration and are available for consultation when it becomes necessary to more accurately pinpoint the approximate extent of the 100 and 500-year flood plains.
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES
GOAL MAINTAIN AND ENHANCE A HEALTHFUL NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
Objectives 1. Maintain and enhance water resources.
2. Maintain and enhance air quality.
3. Minimize risks to personal safety and property from natural hazards.
4. Enhance and ensure the continuation of viable wildlife resources.
5. Protect and enhance the vegetation resources.
6. Preserve and protect outstanding scenic areas.
GOAL PROMOTE GROWTH THAT IS ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
Objectives 1. Ensure that development preserves the scenic and environmental character of the town.
2. Ensure that proposals for development include adequate planning for transportation, parking, lighting and recreation in harmony with the natural environment
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NATURAL ENVIRONMENT STRATEGIES
1. Review and orient zoning regulations to provide for a controlled growth which will be friendly to the environment.
2. Work closely with the Robert E. Lee Soil and Water Conservation District to ensure a healthy Buffalo River watershed.
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT PLAN
As people become increasingly aware of the effects our modern society has on the natural environment, more and more resources are being allocated to ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy nature =s beauty, not to mention its bounty of clean air, water, and other priceless treasures. The Town of Amherst places a high value on the natural environment and will strive to encourage the use of environmentally friendly practices where practical.
One of the major points of emphasis for the town will be maintenance of a clean Buffalo River watershed. As a present and future source of the town =s drinking water, this watershed is extremely important to the existence of the town. Thus the town will encourage the use of erosion resistant agricultural practices and will encourage the state forester or his agents to closely monitor silviacultural activities within the watershed to insure compliance with published Best Management Practices. The town will also encourage and support increased enforcement of the adopted Erosion and Sediment Ordinance and the Stormwater Management Plan to control soil depleting runoff, particularly during times of construction.
Water, air, noise and other pollution will be discouraged within and near the town limits. The town will work closely with the Virginia Dept. Of Environmental Quality and the various police agencies serving the area to stop any unreasonable and/or unpermitted polluting activity. This will include enforcement of littering ordinances and the promotion of recycling programs.
In order to both beautify and protect the environment of the area, the Town of Amherst will encourage the establishment of an urban forestry program to plant trees, green vegetation and flowering plants were possible throughout the town, particularly at the major entranceways along Routes 29, Business 29 and 60. These plants will provide soil stabilization and air purification as well as environmental beauty.
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Chapter 8
HISTORIC AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION
INTRODUCTION
Preserving the legacy of the past for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations is important to the Town of Amherst. To that end, the town supports the continued efforts to restore, maintain and preserve historically, architecturally, archeologically and culturally important buildings and sites within the town. The town also supports festivals, fairs and other activities which preserve the practices of the past and celebrate cultural diversity among today=s townspeople, all in the effort to enhance the quality of life to be found within the Town of Amherst.
HISTORIC AND CULTURAL INVENTORY
HISTORIC PROPERTIES -- The Amherst County Historical Museum has identified several structures in need of preservation. Like the land and the environment, the historical heritage as manifested in historic places is important to the development of a cultural identity.
Some of the structures of note are as follows:
• Ascension Episcopal Church (1848) - 253 S. Main Street, the last church built in the Lexington Parish, an active participant in the establishment of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States of America and its first Diocese of Virginia (established in 1785).
• Amherst Court House (1870) - 113 Taylor Street, built on the site of the original 1808 court house. Additions were made in 1935 and 1965. The courthouse is currently undergoing remodeling and expansion.
• Amherst Depot (1913) -301 Depot Street, built by the Southern Railway on a line constructed prior to the Civil War, the Depot is in poor condition and is a historical structure in need of extensive rehabilitation. The town is supporting a grant application through the Intermodal Surface Transportation Enhancement Act (ISTEA) program to move the structure to a lot near the intersection of Routes 29 and 60. Following a complete renovation, the old depot will be used as a Visitor =s Center.
• Dulwich Manor (1895) - 550 Richmond Highway, located off Route 60 at the east edge of Town, this double- porched building has served as a residence and a school, and now houses a bed and breakfast.
• Edgehill (1840) - located at 130 Sunset Drive and Kenmore Drives, this house has a stone foundation, wood framing, a hip-slate roof and chimneys positioned at the rear instead of the sides.
• Edgewood (c.1790) - located at 138 Garland Avenue, this residence exhibits both Federal and Greek Revival features. The drawing room has an unusual mural painted directly on the plaster. At one time, the Higginbotham Academy, a Masonic school, was located here. The house is currently being restored by its owners.
• Hill Hardware (c. 1910) -109 Main Street and Taylor Street.
• Masonic Lodge (1914) - 180 S. Main Street
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• Sandidge Residence (1885) - this L-plan Italianate house at 327 S. Main Street has been in the Sandidge family since 1905.
• Law Office of Robert Tinsley (1805) - currently a residence, this building was built in several stages.
• Tinsley-Sandidge House (1760's) - located at 278 S. Main Street, next to Central Fidelity Bank, this building retains elements from the first one built during the 1760's. In 1938, the house was moved farther back on the lot and remodeled.
• Traffic Circle - one of two remaining in the state highway system of Virginia.
• Wydner =s Mill (c.1813) - located on Rutledge Creek at 186 S. Main Street, the mill is still in operation today using a mixture of modern machinery and old grinding stones. Also known as Amherst Mill.
Out of respect for our heritage, these historic houses, farms, stores, mills, churches and cemeteries, as well as their surrounding environments, should be preserved for the enjoyment of future generations.
CULTURAL ACTIVITIES -- Like most communities of its size, the Town of Amherst is proud of its cultural past and present. In celebration of this storied culture, the town boasts several annual festivals and other events and places dedicated to keeping alive the events and customs of the past. These include, but are not limited to:
• Amherst County Historical Museum - housed in a Georgian Revival home built circa 1905, the museum offers a comprehensive look into the past of Amherst County and the Town of Amherst. Special attractions at the museum include extensive exhibits featuring Native Americans and grist mills, as well as an 1890's log school located on site.
• Amherst County Library - located on South Main Street, the library offers a full line of modern library services and resources, including information on the history and culture of the area.
• Sweet Briar College - located just to the south of the town, this private women =s college was founded in 1901. Today the college offers a picturesque campus, extensive horseback riding facilities and educational, cultural, recreational and other activities in which the community may participate.
• Garlic Festival - held each October to honor the many uses of garlic.
HISTORIC AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES
GOAL
IDENTIFY AND PROTECT TOWN PROPERTIES AND STRUCTURES THAT ARE OF HISTORICAL, ARCHITECTURAL OR ARCHEOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE.
Objectives 1. Support organizations concerned with historic preservation in the Town of Amherst
2. Encourage owners of historic properties to preserve and maintain them.
3. Research and provide information on funding sources for historic preservation.
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4. Promote compatible land uses in the vicinity of historically, architecturally or archaeologically significant property.
GOAL PROMOTE THE TOWN =S HERITAGE AND TOURISM.
Objectives 1. Encourage events and activities that celebrate the Town =s heritage.
2. Support public and private sector efforts to enhance awareness of the Town =s historical significance.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION STRATEGIES
1. Utilize available funding sources for both public and private historical preservation activities.
2. Discourage the destruction of properties of historical significance during highway construction, residential commercial, industrial and public utilities development projects.
3. Establish a visitor =s center, schedule local historical tours and produce a composite listing of historically significant sites.
HISTORIC AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION PLAN
The people of the Town of Amherst take immense pride in their community =s history and culture. Signs of this pride are evident at the annual Garlic Festival, the various Christmas festivities and even high school football games on Friday evenings in the fall. Restoration of historic properties has been on the rise in the Town over the past few years, again showing that Amherst citizens are proud of their past and intent on preserving their heritage for future generations.
The Town of Amherst supports the continued preservation of historical structures. While no formal historic district ordinance or architectural review board is planned for the Town, the Town encourages the use of historically and architecturally appropriate materials, colors and designs when renovating a structure. Also, prior remodeling which included inappropriate materials, colors and/or designs are encouraged to be corrected to enhance the historic and esthetic qualities of a given structure.
The Town strongly supports Aadaptive reuse @ of older structures where possible. Instead of tearing down old houses, warehouses, or other buildings, people will be encouraged to adapt these structures for a new use. Though it is often costly to convert an old house to a professional office or make a warehouse over into a commercial center, costs can still run below the price of new construction. In addition, tax breaks and other financial incentives may be available to assist in the restoration and conversion process. However, the Town believes that the most important reason for reusing old structures where possible is the retention of important community landmarks which have both a sentimental and an esthetic value within a historic town. This is the case with two very important projects, the first of which is the current Amherst County Courthouse remodeling and expansion. The other project showcasing adaptive reuse of a an important Amherst landmark is the proposed moving of the old Amherst Depot to a new location near the intersection of Routes 29 and 60, followed by a faithful adaptive restoration for use as a Visitors = Center.
The Town soundly discourages the demolition of historic structures unless all other options have been explored. It is sincerely felt that something very important to the community is lost whenever a structure of historical or architectural importance is destroyed. This is especially true for those unique Aone-of-a-kind @ structures located throughout the area.
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The Town encourages archaeological exercises to learn more about the ancient past of the area. In light of this, the Town strongly encourages that any important archaeological site not be disturbed by development unless all reasonable options have been taken.
The Town wishes to stress the importance of community activities which have become part, or a celebration, of our culture. Whether it be the Garlic Festival, a high school athletic event, a special week dedicated to a segment of our society or a symposium at Sweet Briar College, the Town invites the citizenry to participate and support the continuation or our heritage.
The efforts of the Amherst County Historical Museum, the Chamber of Commerce, and other civic groups and interested individuals dedicated to preserving Amherst's past while building for a better future are deeply appreciated by the Town of Amherst. Continued support of their efforts will be forthcoming, with a note that communication and cooperation will be the keys to their future success.
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Chapter 9
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS AND FACILITIES
INTRODUCTION
Transportation is the movement of people and goods by means of highways, railways, airports and waterways. Each of these means of transportation provides a different type of service designed to meet specific transportation needs and desires. The availability, quantity, quality and cost of transportation are influencing factors and important considerations in determining the mode of transportation. The general pattern of physical development, the location and character of housing, community facilities, commercial, business and industrial areas are all directly affected by the availability of transportation. Low cost, readily available transportation, for example, tends to promote low density development, while limited transportation usually results in a denser development pattern.
EXISTING TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS AND FACILITIES
The Town of Amherst is served by two arterial highways--U.S. Routes 29 and 60--which intersect at a traffic circle within the Town's borders.
U.S. Route 29 is a multi-lane highway passing from Washington, D.C., through Amherst and southward to Lynchburg, Danville and the cities of North Carolina's Piedmont Crescent. About 15 miles south of Town, Route 29 intersects with U.S. Route 460, a major east-west highway, as is Interstate 64 which intersects about 50 miles to the north.
U.S. Route 60 , a two-lane highway through Amherst, is a east-west highway stretching from the Atlantic Ocean at Virginia Beach to the Pacific Ocean at Los Angeles. Route 60 provides both a direct route of travel from Amherst to the state capitol in Richmond and the area's link with Interstate 81, a north-south interstate that passes through the Shenandoah Valley. Interstate 81, which intersects Route 60 near Lexington, Virginia, terminates to the north at the New York-Canadian border, and to the south at Knoxville, Tennessee. Also near Lexington is the westbound portion of Interstate 64 which permits easy access to West Virginia before ending in St. Louis.
Several of the aforementioned highways, including Route 29, are a part of the National Highway System (NHS) as designated by the Congress of the United States. This designation stresses the importance of these highways to the economic and defensive well-being of the nation. Interstate highways are now classified as a sub-group of NHS highways.
All of the other roadways within the Town of Amherst are either state secondary roads, frontage roads, or privately maintained streets.
A second way of classifying roadways is by the functional classification system. Generally the arterial streets are those which carry traffic to and from the center of Town; the collector and the connector streets are those which gather traffic from local streets and feed it into arterial streets or carry it to a destination within the area; and local streets are those which serve only the adjacent land uses. Obviously, many of the streets serve more than one function.
The street system in Amherst appears to function well overall. Right-of-way widths and pavement width vary, but are for the most part adequate.
Traffic counts provide the best means for analyzing the number and type of vehicles using the roads. However, they do not give any indication of the number of people and volume of goods or whether the vehicles are near empty or
I - 1 almost full. Recently bicycles were included in traffic counts; however, the traffic counters are usually not placed in areas of heavy bike use. Pedestrian counts are not taken except at special locations where a problem between pedestrian movement and motorized vehicle movement may exist.
Table I1 indicates the annual average daily traffic volume for each primary highway within the Town of Amherst for the year 1993. As expected, U.S. Route 29 has by far the highest volume of traffic, approximately 11,000 vehicles daily. Business Route 29 south from U.S. Route 60 to U.S. Route 29 near Sweet Briar College handles 6,600 vehicles a day. The lowest primary highway traffic counts are found on U.S. Route 60 east of Town, a section of roadway which sees only about 1,900 vehicles a day. Traffic counts for a few selected Amherst Town secondary roadways are depicted in Table I2.
Because of both excessive traffic volumes and general street conditions, several of the Town's streets are recommended for future upgrading. These recommendations are listed in the Transportation Plan.
TABLE I1 TOWN OF AMHERST: ANNUAL AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC VOLUMES ON PRIMARY ROADWAYS, 1993 1993
Route From To Segment Annual Average Number Length Daily Traffic Volumes
29 Route 29 Bus South of Route 29 Bus North of 3.24 11,000 Amherst Amherst
29 Bus S Route 29 South of Amherst Route 60 2.3 6,600
29 Bus Route 60 N Route 29 North of Amherst 1.27 3,200
60 Route 778 West of Amherst Route 29 Bus Amherst 5.74 3,500
60 Route 29 Bus Amherst Route 29 By-Pass East of 0.48 5,600 Amherst
60 Route 29 By-Pass East of Appomattox County Line 14.57 1,900 Amherst SOURCE: The Virginia Department of Transportation
TABLE I2 TOWN OF AMHERST: VEHICLES PER DAY (VPD) FOR SELECT SECONDARY ROADWAYS 1992
Route From To Segment VPD Length
2nd Street Route 29 Bus Depot Street .100 2,895
Depot Street Washington Street .150 1,691
Washington Street Norfolk Avenue .100 453
Depot Street 2nd Street Norfolk Avenue .360 461
Norfolk Avenue SCL Amherst 5.35 530 SOURCE: Virginia Department of Transportation
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Due to commercial strip development along Route 29 in the southern portion of Amherst County (the Madison Heights area), congestion has become a problem between the Town of Amherst and the City of Lynchburg. A bypass of this area has long been discussed, but now appears to be a reality by the turn of the century. Initial plans call for the Madison Heights Bypass to begin near Sweet Briar College and proceed south to the east of Madison Heights before crossing the James River and connecting with U.S. Route 460 near the eastern city limits of Lynchburg. Further down the road, a southern portion of the Bypass will skirt the congestion of Lynchburg and the airport area of northern Campbell County.
Additional information on the Route 29 Bypass and its possible impact can be found later in this same chapter under the heading of Future Transportation Plan.
AIR SERVICE -- There are no licensed public airports in Amherst County. However, air service can be found in nearby Lynchburg. Two airports, one a regional airport and the other a general utility airport, can be found in the Lynchburg metropolitan area.
The regional airport, Lynchburg Regional , is located along U.S. 29 just south of the Lynchburg City Limits in Campbell County, approximately 20 miles south of the Town of Amherst. The airport has two runways suitable for instrument landings, the longest being 5,800 feet. Atlantic Southeast Airlines-Delta, US Air Express and United Express serve the airport, which averages 20 daily departures. Tower operation is from 6:30 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. Runway lighting, beacon, hangers, fuel and repairs are provided, with charter service, surface transportation, food and lodging available.
Falwell Aviation, Inc. , is the general utility airport located on U.S. Route 460 in the City of Lynchburg. The hard surface runway is 2,950 feet in length and has lights for night landings. The airport is attended from 8:00 A.M. to Dusk daily. Repairs, fuel lodging, and surface transportation are available.
Both airports are used by small aircraft for business and pleasure flying. Commercial passenger service is available at Lynchburg Regional. Falwell Aviation also has facilities for the landing of small private jet aircraft. Air freight service is available from Lynchburg Regional.
Other air services are available in localities such as Charlottesville, Roanoke, Richmond and Washington, D.C., and Greensboro, North Carolina.
RAIL SERVICE -- Norfolk Southern's north-south mainline between Washington, D.C., and Birmingham, Alabama, passes through the Town of Amherst. This line serves First Brands with two or three freight stops per week.
Passenger service to the Town was discontinued some years ago, with little to no prospects of this service being resurrected even though the Amtrak Crescent, using the NS mainline, passes through the Town on its daily trip between Washington, D.C., and New Orleans. The Crescent may be boarded at Lynchburg and Charlottesville.
BUS SERVICE -- Greyhound Bus Company has flag stop passenger service in Amherst, stopping for passengers as necessary while traveling U.S. Route 29.
TRUCKING SERVICE -- The Town of Amherst is served by several interstate and intrastate motor freight companies located throughout Central Virginia. These freight companies provide extensive coverage throughout the eastern United States and many areas of the Midwest and Canada.
Carrier service is provided by United Parcel Service, Purolator, Emery, Courier Express and Federal Express.
TAXI SERVICE -- There is one taxicab company, Sandidge Taxi, which provides taxi service to Amherst.
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ELDERLY AND HANDICAPPED TRANSPORTATION SERVICES -- There is increasing recognition of the unmet transportation needs of the elderly and handicapped citizens in the Central Virginia Area. Planning and programming efforts are in progress at the present time. As is often the case, rural transportation services for the elderly and handicapped are more difficult to plan and implement than are transportation services in urbanized areas. This problem is due in large part to the lack of available funding and low population densities. Increasing awareness of the tremendous transportation needs in rural areas may well initiate new and more effective methods for meeting these needs.
The Central Virginia Commission on Aging (COA) has been a forerunner in providing elderly and handicapped transportation services in both urban and non-urban areas. Transportation of the elderly to area nutrition program sites by the COA and the volunteer "Dial-a-Ride" program for the elderly and handicapped (administered by the COA and operated by the Information and Referral Service) are operating in the entirety of the Central Virginia Planning District, including Amherst County and the Town of Amherst.
The social service agencies in Amherst County provide some level of transportation to their clients. This service is provided using both agency and private vehicles.
TRANSPORTATION GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES
GOAL
1. DEVELOP A TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM TO PROVIDE FOR SAFE, CONVENIENT AND RELIABLE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE AND GOODS IN COORDINATION WITH THE LAND USE.
Objectives
1. To coordinate transportation facilities with surrounding land use characteristics so that these facilities enhance the quality of the physical environment.
Strategies 1. To provide visually attractive transportation facilities, including structures, landscaping and signs.
2. To minimize the effects of noise and pollution on adjoining land uses.
3. To ensure that proposed transportation facilities will not damage the beauty of the natural environment.
2. To develop transportation, parking and traffic handling facilities so as to accommodate an orderly development for the local economy.
Strategies 1. To maintain and/or improve such transportation, parking and traffic handling facilities as are necessary for movement of goods.
2. To maintain and/or improve transportation facilities for the movement of citizens between places of residence and the employment and shopping areas.
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STRATEGIES FOR TRANSPORTATION
1. Support the continued improvement of federal and state highways which the greater Amherst area.
2. Support utilization of thoroughfare streets for major traffic movements through and within the community, and to assure that such movement is accomplished safely at higher speeds.
3. Utilize collector streets and local streets to channel major traffic movements into and out of separate areas of the community, and to assure that such movement is accomplished safely at lower speeds.
4. Work to eliminate at-grade crossings of railroad tracks.
5. Reduce public costs for increase traffic impact caused by new development.
6. Support expanding and improving air and rail passenger and cargo from existing terminals available to the Town's residents and business operators.
TRANSPORTATION PLAN
The development of the Town of Amherst, whether measured by land use, utility placement, or density of buildings, has been greatly influenced by its transportation facilities - i.e. its road network. For the future, many aspects of continued physical development and economic growth are dependent upon a good road network. As critical as it is to develop a convenient and user-friendly transportation system allowing safe and efficient transit, it is also important to minimize possible adverse effects of the highway system, especially to protect residential neighborhoods from unnecessary traffic and to ensure that the design of the Town's streets will contribute to the qualities of a small town enjoyed by Amherst residents as well as serve its traffic needs by allowing safe and efficient transit.
While it is recognized that the transportation element of the Comprehensive Plan can be most influential and/or its most costly, it is important to note that roads in the Town of Amherst are maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), and that new construction is almost always funded by VDOT or developer finances and not by Town monies. These features make transportation planning a long range effort as well as one of the most frustrating to implement. In spite of these difficulties, it is important that the Town strive for a transportation system which has the capability of moving people and goods in a convenient, efficient and safe manner.
Unfortunately it is often less costly to lay out too much street as it is to lay out too little. Safety concerns and growth projections drive public financed transportation infrastructure to overbuilding, and efficient use of government funds is often overwhelmed by these factors. Financial considerations drive developers toward underbuilding. One cost avoiding approach often taken by developers is to propose installation of private roads within single family developments, a feature the Town hopes to minimize in the future.
It has long been the policy of the Town of Amherst to rely on VDOT and its 6-year planning process to provide transportation improvements inside the Town. The Town expects to take a more active role in this process in the future. Many roads inside the Town need to be rebuilt, rehabilitated or substantially improved due to age, poor construction, and lack of adequate maintenance in past years. These include Walnut Street and Depot Street. Particular projects worthy of Town pursuit include improvements to the Union Hill Road railroad crossing which has long been a recognized safety hazard. Also, improvements of Union Hill Road from U. S. 29 Bypass to Dulwich Drive is needed in light of the recent residential development along that road.
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For many years the safety characteristics of school driveway intersections with arterial roads has been a concern to the Town Council, the Amherst County School Board, residents of the community, and the parents of school children. The Town will continue to encourage VDOT to make these areas as safe as possible, but adequate design of improved intersections, enforcement of speed limits, and installation of adequate traffic control will be needed.
School-related traffic problems at the intersection of the limited access portion of U. S. Route 29 with South Main Street have been studied by VDOT, and improvements to that intersection are being installed. However, this area will probably be realigned with the improvement of the new Madison Heights Bypass project. The major physical feature of this project that impacts the Town is the interchange at the Sweet Briar College entrance. Town goals regarding this interchange include assuring non-stop, free flow of traffic between the Town and southern Amherst County and Lynchburg, protection of the interests of the Town =s business operators in the Ambriar vicinity, maintaining the safety of individuals using the new road, and minimization of the public costs of the improvements.
The Town will also pursue improvement and future state maintenance of certain non-public roads. Roads worthy of consideration for the state =s ARural Addition @ program include Waugh =s Ferry Road extension to the Sweet Briar College gate. Although it is clearly outside the Town limits, the Town will also pursue the improvement of Christian Springs Road toward the Town =s Buffalo River raw water intake. However, it is clearly Town policy not to pay for right of way or construction, but minor or incidental costs for improving non-public roads for inclusion in the State maintenance system may be approved by the Town Council on a case-by-case basis.
An often forgotten feature of transportation planning is the provision of adequate parking. It has long been recognized that downtown Amherst is on the verge of a parking crisis and that strong steps need to be taken to find additional parking spaces while protecting existing spaces. The Town should consider installing a municipal parking lot as well as improving its approach to on-street and metered spaces. In addition, regulatory measures to require new spaces when new traffic generators move in need to be reviewed, improved upon, and strongly enforced. In the residential areas, on- street parking on new public streets and adequate parking inside new multifamily developments needs to be encouraged.
Another relatively new aspect of transportation planning is working towards uniform and integrated approaches to pedestrian walkways, sidewalks, and bikeways. As a regional approach to this transportation aspect, the Virginia Department of Transportation, Central Virginia Planning District Commission, and the Central Virginia Metropolitan Planning Organization have developed plans and strategies for improving these aspects of the greater Amherst area. As growth accelerates and residential development along arterial roads continue, and the Town of Amherst needs to develop plans and policies for installation of curb, gutter and sidewalk throughout the Town. Particular emphasis should be focused on extending sidewalks on North Main Street, South Main Street, and Richmond Highway (U. S. 60 East).
Mass transit in the Town of Amherst is almost nonexistent with one bus line serving the Town. This service is north- south with only one stop each way per day. Since Amherst is located at the intersection of two national highways, it seems almost natural that bus service would be provided in both directions on a more frequent basis. The Town desires service to and from Charlottesville to the north, Richmond to the east, Lynchburg to the south, and Buena Vista/Lexington to the west. Amtrak passes through the Town but does not stop, with the town likewise desiring such service in the not too distant future.
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Chapter 10
COMMUNITY SERVICES AND FACILITIES
INTRODUCTION
The level and quality of public and private facilities and services reflect the standard of living in the Town of Amherst and in the greater Amherst area. It has long been recognized that the Town cannot provide every service to every resident and business operator. For example, electricity is provided to the Town via private enterprise, and social services are provided via state funding of an operating unit of Amherst County. The range of services presented here does not encompass all of those enjoyed by the inhabitants of the Town, but it does inventory the major programs available and presents a discussion on how they can be improved upon. Few, if any, major new service programs are envisioned.
However, external forces will require changes in many of the services available to the Town's residents and business operators. Deregulation and competition will force changes in telephone and electrical services offered by private providers. Federal and state mandates, whether funded or not, will drive changes in water and sewer services; costs are sure to increase as the quality improvement efforts continue. The new emphasis on public/private partnerships will cause the creation of new quasi-public agencies and groups. Cost efficiencies will cause many programs to be offered on either a regional level or at the neighborhood level instead of at the local government level. These factors combined with the changing expectations and desires of the inhabitants of the Town will drive the evolution of the services described in this chapter.
COMMUNITY SERVICES & FACILITIES GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
GOAL TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN ADEQUATE RESOURCES FOR THE PROVISION OF NEEDED GOVERNMENT SERVICES IN AN EFFICIENT MANNER, WITH MINIMUM FINANCIAL BURDEN TO THE TAXPAYER.
Objectives
1. To provide adequate office space for the performance of governmental functions.
Strategy
1. To construct a new Town Hall or enlarge and improve the existing facilities so as to provide adequate space and facilities for the growing needs of the Town.
2. To provide government services necessary to maintain a high quality living environment for all residents of the Town.
Strategies
1. To attempt to increase contacts and cooperation between the Town of Amherst and other
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local and regional agencies and organizations in order to both build a mechanism to aid in the understanding of common problems and as a means of sharing information. Partners in such efforts might include Sweet Briar College, the Amherst County Board of Supervisors, the Amherst County Planning Commission, Region 2000, and the Virginia Department of Transportation.
2. To support leisure time activities for Town residents, including the development of both active and passive recreational facilities and programs.
3. To continue to maintain the Town police force and improve or expand the force as needed to in the future.
4. To work to provide citizen support and financial aid for the Amherst Fire Department and Amherst Life Saving Crew.
GOAL TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE WATER SERVICE TO ALL INTENSIVELY DEVELOPED AREAS.
Objective
1. To provide a central water supply system to serve all intensively developed areas of the Town and upgrade the system as necessary to provide for future development.
Strategies 1. To maintain close coordination between the planning of water and sewer facilities and that of land use development.
2. To assure an adequate water supply to meet the domestic, commercial, institutional, and industrial needs of the Town's water service area.
3. To reduce pollution of existing and potential water sources, including surface water, groundwater, streams and reservoirs, to acceptable levels.
4. To promote and encourage water conservation.
5. To discourage random scattering of development that would escalate the cost of providing needed water service facilities.
GOAL TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE SEWER SERVICE TO ALL INTENSIVELY DEVELOPED AREAS.
Objective
1. To provide sewage collection and treatment facilities to all intensively developed areas of the Town and upgrade the system as necessary to provide for future development.
Strategies 1. To maintain close coordination between the planning of water and sewer facilities and that of land use development.
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2. To assure adequate sewage collection and treatment facilities to meet the domestic, commercial, institutional, and industrial needs of the Town's sewer service area.
3. To reduce pollution of existing and potential water sources, including surface water, groundwater, streams and reservoirs, to acceptable levels.
4. To discourage random scattering of development in areas where central sewer does not exist, that would escalate the cost of providing sewer service facilities or would allow intensive growth in areas where central sewer is not planned.
GOAL TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE AND DIVERSIFIED RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ENJOYMENT OF RESIDENTS OF ALL AGE GROUPS AND INCOME LEVELS.
Objective
1. To satisfy the recreation needs of citizens of the area.
Strategies 1. To reserve open space in areas of expected population concentrations.
2. To encourage, but control, commercial recreational facilities.
3. To plan for the development of a community center and park.
4. To preserve and maintain the historical landmarks of the area.
5. To work with civic organizations to hold community activities of interest to Town residents.
GOAL TO ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT THE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD TO PROVIDE THE BEST EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AND FACILITIES TO ALL STUDENTS.
Objective
1. To ensure educational opportunities which address the needs of all Town residents.
Strategies 1. To work with the local School Board and interested civic groups to improve the public school system in both its physical facilities and educational programs, to include vocational and technical education, continuing education classes for adults, and the needs of the physically and mentally handicapped persons of all ages.
2. To encourage communication with the Amherst County School Board to enhance education's role in economic development.
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PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES
COMMUNICATION -- Perhaps the most interesting, if not important, items in Central Virginia's public safety program are the efforts underway to improve communication with and between the various public and semi-public agencies. As of December 1996, many local agencies and groups are working together to implement an Enhanced-911 emergency dispatch system for the Town and surrounding area. The Town is also involved in the purchase of a new 800 MHZ regional radio system that will interconnect public safety and utility agencies from Bedford City and County, Lynchburg, Amherst County, and the Town. As an example of the Town's good neighbor attitude, the Amherst Town Council assisted in financing this system by approving $10,000,000 in tax-exempt bonds to support the project's implementation.
LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES -- The Town of Amherst Police Department has the primary responsibility for law enforcement, and public safety in general, for the jurisdiction defined by the Town's corporate limits. This law enforcement agency operates with an authorized strength of five (5) full time officers and ten (10) auxiliary officers. Five vehicles are in service, and operations are coordinated from rented offices located next to the Town Hall. The 1994 annexation has stressed the Town's Police Department from the perspective of both increases in the number of calls for service to manpower limitations. By virtue of the annexation, three new "hot spots" are now the responsibility of the Police Department - and the Town.
At times there is only one shift unit in operation, a situation which often proves inadequate - especially on weekends. Much time is contributed to policing both off-street and metered parking. Public lectures and demonstrations are often requested, but unfortunately some are denied due to time limitations on the staff.
The Town of Amherst Police Department is very well equipped for a department of its size. Monies are allocated annually for replacement of depreciable items such as vehicles and radar guns, and the anticipated addition of cameras and surveillance equipment is extremely useful. It is acknowledged that the adopted procurement and replacement programs need to be followed to maintain the current level of readiness.
The Amherst County Sheriff's Department, located adjacent to the Amherst County jail building and courthouse in the center of Town, has sixteen (16) road personnel. The Sheriff's department assists the Town Police Department when it can, and the two departments enjoy a good working relationship and have many common problems. Staffing seems to be a problem with County law enforcement as well as with the Town. Currently the Sheriff assigns one (1) deputy to the north end of Amherst County per shift. The North end deputy is often in Madison Heights assisting the South end units and is at least fifteen minutes away.
Prior to the 1994 annexation, the Town of Amherst Police Department routinely and frequently handled minor complaints for the Sheriff's Department when problems would arise just outside of the Town's limits. Most of these residential developments and businesses are now inside the Town and are therefore the Town's responsibility. The Town has grown and continues to grow rapidly. A steady increase in the establishment of new businesses in the Town over the past few years will probably continue over the next ten to twenty years, particularly with the construction of the Madison Heights Bypass, further increasing the demand for police services.
Due to the increase in work load brought about by the annexation/expansion of service area and the amount of in fill development that has been occurring, the Town Police no longer project their authority outside the Town limits on a routine basis. However, the Town's Police Department does have extraterritorial authority and continues to assist other law enforcement agencies in emergency situations and participate in projects of a regional nature.
State Police assist as well. Normally one or two units work the entire county. The troopers assist the Town Police Department when not working cases of their own.
Due to the recent land and population expansion, the Town can anticipate additional growth as well as increases in both
J - 4 crimes and calls for service in the next ten years. It is clear that steps must be taken to maintain and enhance the high level of services enjoyed by the Town's current residents and business operators. The Police Department should continue to be included in the Town's comprehensive planning for the future, and as the population and territory of the Town expands, so, too, should the manpower and equipment at the Department's disposal.
FIRE SERVICES -- Fire protection is provided to the Town of Amherst by the Amherst Volunteer Fire Department, a volunteer unit with twenty-three (23) active members as of March 1, 1997. All are certified under the current fire evaluation standards.
The primary service area of the Amherst Fire Department is the Town of Amherst, Sweet Briar College, north of the Town to the Tye River, south of the Town to the Faulconerville area, east of the Town to the Riverville area and west of the Town approximately seven miles. The Department's three pumpers provide primary response to this area.
During 1996, the Amherst Fire Department provided over 5,000 hours of volunteer time and responded to over 135 fire calls. These figures are sure to rise as the Department's service area becomes more populated, emergency services provided become more complex and the County enjoys more industrial and commercial growth. The most pressing needs of the department are retention of current certified members and the recruiting of additional members to ensure adequate service as the area grows.
A major concern of the Amherst Volunteer Fire Department is the provision of water service, for firefighting purposes, to the areas outside the Town's corporate limits, as well as the upgrading of water service in the areas where such service is presently available but of poor quality.
The Fire Department has completed a building expansion on Second Street that will allow the organization to grow with the Town. Fundraising is an ongoing effort. Some state and local governmental funds subsidize the purchase of vehicles and equipment. The Fire Department is actively exploring the possibility of purchasing an aerial or platform truck to better protect Sweet Briar College, the industrial enterprises in and around the Town area and potential housing and commercial growth in the Town.
The Town of Amherst supports the Fire Department in a number of ways. These include funding of the Department's water, sewer and refuse collection expenses; providing site maintenance and plumbing services to the Fire Department building on an on-call basis; annual cash contributions toward major equipment purchases and annual budget; and fostering a good working relationship between the Fire Department, the Town Police Department and the local Amherst Rescue Squad.
RESCUE SERVICES -- Emergency ambulance and rescue services are provided to the Town by the Amherst Lifesaving & First Aid Crew, Inc. Present quarters are at the intersection of U.S. Route 60 and Whitehead Drive, a short distance east of the traffic circle.
The Amherst "Lifesaving Crew" is a strictly volunteer operation and is not manned on a 24 hour basis. All emergency calls are routed through the Amherst County Sheriff's Department and then to squad members on call. The Lifesaving Crew's service area is the same as that of the Amherst Volunteer Fire Department. However, it does answer mutual aid calls with all of the surrounding squads, including Monelison, Pedlar, Gladstone and Roseland.
In general, this organization is a well equipped rescue agency. As of February, 1997, the squad was equipped with four (4) ambulances (including a 1996 Dodge), each equipped to provide Advanced Life Support. In addition to the ambulances, the squad has one (1) all purpose 4x4 vehicle, one (1) crash truck, and one (1) boat. A new $103,000 crash truck will be delivered in August 1997 to replace the current 24-year old unit. Some of the equipment from the current truck will be transferred to the new unit, but much will have to be purchased to properly equip the vehicle for service.
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There are currently 33 active trained members, a number which varies with the time of year due to training cycles. Each of the active crew members has recently been provided Aturn out @ protective clothing for heavy rescue operations such as serious car crashes and extrication. Cost for this gear was just over $600.00 per person.
Due to the major purchases of the new crash truck and protective clothing during 1997, little more can be afforded this calendar year. However, it is recognized that funding must remain high in order to replace worn equipment and keep up with modern technology. Membership must remain constant, or preferably increase. If membership falls, the Amherst County Board of Supervisors may have to consider funding a paid crew to run daytime calls. The Amherst County Board of Supervisors consults with the rescue squad to keep abreast of the squad's activities and needs. The Amherst Town Council needs to follow suit, as well as continue to include the rescue squad in future Comprehensive Plans.
UTILITY SERVICES
WATER -- A major undertaking, and responsibility, of the Town is the building and operation of the Town of Amherst's waterworks.
The Town's water plant treats water from the Buffalo River. The 35 square mile Buffalo River drainage basin features three flood and sediment control lakes, but there is no major impoundment at the point of withdrawal and the area is subject to flooding. Since it would be impractical to produce drinking water in such an area, raw water is pumped from the river to the Town's water plant on Grandview Drive.
The Town is nearing completion of upgrading its water intake and plant, and when finished, the work done will expand the water producing capabilities of the system from 0.5 MGD to 1.0 MGD. This and certain distribution system upgrades and extensions are being financed by a $2,000,000 loan from the Federal Government.
The Town's water plant uses the conventional 2 g.p.m./SF rapid rate/sand filter treatment process technology. Average production is 0.4 MGD, but this fluctuates weekly and seasonally since four county schools and industrial users consume a large fraction of the water produced. It currently takes approximately 20 man-hours per day to produce this water; theoretically post-construction requirements will be half of that, thereby substantially reducing the Town's labor costs.
The Town's only water tank was constructed in 1969 and was last painted inside and out and refurbished in 1995. It is a welded steel, ground-mounted tank and holds one million gallons of water. The tank is at the opposite end of the Town's water distribution network from the water plant. There are only two features of the Town's water system that ensure constant volumes of water and the pressure at which it is delivered. The first and most obvious is the water plant which pumps freshly treated water all the way across town to the water tank. The Waughs Ferry Road tank is the second pressure source. Tanks are used to store water at high elevations for use during periods of peak demand and when the water plant is not producing water. This includes those periods during the day when many Town residents are washing clothes and dishes and taking baths and also times when the fire department connects to a hydrant to put out a fire. The expansion of the water plant will result in additional stress on the one water tank; the Town definitely needs to pursue the installation of a second tank.
The Town enjoys a good relationship with Sweet Briar College, and a new 2,000' long, 8" diameter pipe connects the Town and College distribution systems. The College operates the only other municipal scale water system in the Town of Amherst vicinity. Future cooperative endeavors are envisioned.
In May 1994, the Town received a preliminary engineering report for it's waterworks distribution system. This report reviewed the then-existing distribution network and, as a result of the review, identified those locations which needed urgent attention and those areas where phased improvements could be completed with the net result being overall system improvement. The report thoroughly evaluated existing service areas and system deficiencies in existence at the time and prioritized corrective action.
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The operating characteristics of the Town's water distribution network, which serves approximately 980 residences and 142 non-residential users, were analyzed using a Kentucky Pipe computer model. Flow capacity and system pressure are the two characteristics of the system which were evaluated. The model was the vehicle used to analyze the operating characteristics of the distribution system as it confirmed the locations of those waterworks deficient areas which should be addressed and permitted the Town to evaluate upgrade alternatives. Many of these areas were generally discussed in the Town's Capital Improvement Plan of September 1991 (updated May 1992) which is referenced as a supporting
SCHEDULE OF PRIORITIES
FOR WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS
1. Construct fire flow/domestic water service improvements designed to mitigate or relieve outstanding connection moratoriums within the corporate limits while maintaining 20-80 psi throughout the distribution system.
2. Construct water distribution system improvements outlined in Town/county annexation agreement .
3. Construct improvements to improve fire flow and domestic service generally throughout the distribution system.
4. Provide water service to residents and business operators without water service; i.e. water service can be limited to domestic water service with or without fire protection.
5. Provide upgraded water service (at least improved domestic service with or without fire protection) to existing water customers.
6. Upgrade (existing) water service lines that would primarily improve existing water service to areas outside the new corporate limits.
7. Other water system improvements that may need to be addressed and whose priority is dependent upon recommendation or consensus. document in the studies.
Using the model, a variety of potential waterworks improvement projects were prioritized in a sequence that would have the most beneficial impact on the system - with particular emphasis on alleviating the problems in service areas within the corporate limits where such areas were under moratorium for new connections. Several features typical of a small, old water system were brought to the Town's attention or noted through evaluation of the results of the modeling. These are:
1. The basic measure of performance of the distribution system is its ability to provide fire flows. The recommended 500 g.p.m. is not available in all areas of the Town, under all conditions.
2. Areas served by small diameter waterlines have minimal service pressures and low flow availability during peak demands.
3. The Zane Snead Industrial Park, located just outside the Town's corporate limits, is a major customer of the water system and it is presently served by only one unlooped ten inch diameter waterline extension.
4. The lack of any planned distribution network looping is evident.
5. Many individual service areas are deficient and such deficiencies stem from a variety of reasons.
Based on the evaluation of the system model and a general set of priorities, a conclusion that a distribution system loop would be the key to overall system improvement was reached. It was determined that a loop around the Town's main network in the central downtown area will significantly improve general system performance cost effectively while opening new areas or improving existing service areas. Hydrant addition on existing lines in conjunction with line improvement expanded fire service capability throughout most of the Town.
During the feasibility study process for the waterworks improvements program, the Town formalized many of its policies. One major policy area includes the rate structure; the Town defines a typical residential water (or sewer) customer as
J - 8 one that uses 3,000 gallons of water per month. Nonresidential users are billed based on the multiple of "equivalent residences" they represent. Out-of-Town users are assessed double the in-Town rate.
Management philosophies mirror those of the Town's residents. These are:
• The Town wants to efficiently produce good drinking water that can also be put to other uses. • The Town expects and demands good service from employees and suppliers, and expects to pay them accordingly. • Those connected with the Town continuously search and discuss what is "right" for the Town, in terms of size, quality or other measure of appropriateness. • Whoever wants a line extension (whether Town, developer, water user, or prospective user) has to pay for it.
The Town's waterworks staff is broken into three operating units: plant operations, distribution construction and maintenance, and administration/office staff. This organizational structure is dictated by the type of work, the size of the Town's operation and the need for cost breakdown among the various functions.
As a result of forward thinking and a positive outlook by the Town of Amherst community, the Town has an able and dedicated workforce. For example, all water plant operators are licensed, and they are given the opportunity to cross- train in wastewater. Operators are encouraged to attend training classes, and they are given an automatic 5% raise when the next level of licensing is achieved.
Recent efforts to better the Town's waterworks result in many possibilities for the Town. These include serving new individual institutional, industrial, or commercial users or major residential areas. The Town should continue to strive to produce better water, to produce water more efficiently, to build sturdier and more reliable distribution and other improvements, and to plan for the future.
Based on the findings of the water distribution system preliminary engineering report, following are the plans for improvements to the Town's municipal water system:
1. Initiate final alignment, design and construction of the waterline improvements as listed in the Town's Capital Improvement Plan which is updated with every annual budget.
2. Complete the installation of the eight (8) proposed hydrants as outlined in the Town/county annexation agreement.
3. Effect other system improvements as outlined in the water distribution system preliminary engineering report as funding permits using contractual services or force account effort. Especially consider waterline extension to serve Sunset Drive and Kenmore Road as funding becomes available and proposed development warrants. 4. Upgrade the Kentucky Pipe computer model as lines are improved and utilize the model to evaluate proposed system extensions or revisions.
5. The Town should take the necessary steps to identify land tracts suitable for the location of a ground storage tank in the vicinity of Union Hill near the intersection of State Route 604 (Union Hill Road) and Route 60 East, an intersection approximately 2.1 miles east from Route 29 By-Pass. Appropriate steps to secure options for future acquisition of property for the purpose outlined in this paragraph should be considered by the Town.
6. Continue to identify and implement ways to protect and expand the Town's source of water. For example, the Town should study the development of an impoundment in the Buffalo River to serve as a raw water reservoir, and, if feasible, plan for its installation.
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7. Continue to identify and implement facilities and capacities to serve large industrial, commercial, residential and/or institutional water users. For example, the Town should consider both participating in the development of an industrial park near the Town limits as well as bulk sale of water to Sweet Briar College.
TABLE J1 TOWN OF AMHERST: WATER SYSTEM SALES/REVENUE STUDY January 1995 - December 1995
CUSTOMER CLASS USERS $ REVENUE GALLONS SOLD
Residential (In-Town) 880 $128,699 58,384,000
Commercial (In-Town) 131 $104,031 35,067,000
Residential (Outside Town) 100 $30,443 7,094,000
Commercial (Outside Town) 11 $60,651 10,222,000
TOTAL 1,122 $323,824 110,767,000
WASTEWATER -- The Town's sewer system consists of approximately 20 miles of gravity and force mains, three relatively small sewer pumping stations, and one wastewater treatment plant. The Town's treatment plant, which was constructed in 1974, has a rated capacity of 0.40 MGD. Daily flow is currently approximately 0.275 MGD from 609 residences and 117 commercial users plus substantially all of the flow from Sweet Briar College. The Town is prevented from fully utilizing the reserve capacity as a result of action taken by the State Water Control Board in 1988. That year, stricter standards were imposed on the quality of effluent discharged through the plant's outfall into Rutledge Creek.
The collection system was installed in three major phases; service downtown was installed in the 1930's; service north of U.S. Route 60 was installed in the 1950's; and the interceptor from Sweet Briar College/Ambriar area to the wastewater treatment plant was installed in the 1970's. Much of the 1930's and 1950's vintage wastewater collection network, which includes both concrete and terra cotta pipes, is deteriorating. There are two major results of this deterioration, the first being structural failure which causes line stoppages. The second is inflow and infiltration which occurs when holes and cracks in the sewer lines allows rainwater or groundwater to enter the system. Of course, this excess water stresses the operation of the wastewater treatment plant.
Work to improve the Town's wastewater collection and treatment program is expected to be a significant Town effort in the next few years. Following is an outline of the major problems and the Town's plan to address each.
1. The Town must improve the wastewater plant's treatment process so that the plant can process 0.4 MGD as required by annexation agreement mandate, regulatory requirements, and practical capacity limitations. It is acknowledged that many of the plant's unit process machines are simply old and worn out and need to be replaced.
Complicating this improvement strategy are discussions on capacity expansion. Rutledge Creek, the stream receiving the plant's effluent, does not have sufficient assimilative capacity for larger volumes of wastewater unless additional, costly upgrades are added to the treatment process. The major alternative to the additional processes is the extension of the effluent pipe to the larger Buffalo River.
2. The three sewage pumping stations are old and worn out. The Town is in the process of rebuilding one station;
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the Town plans to replace the major machinery and electrical system of the others in the near future.
3. Replacement of old collection pipes and manholes is a major ongoing effort. Since many of the Town's significant water system problems have been resolved, the Town plans to shift its in-house focus to this problem. Smoke testing and other procedures are used to identify broken pipes; much of the inflow and infiltration is expected to be remediated through this effort.
4. Pretreatment programs and laboratory work continue to be a priority. Pretreatment means that wastewater with higher than normal concentrations of the various pollutants is identified and treated at its source before it gets to the Town's wastewater treatment facilities. Although there are no current significant problems, the Town needs to upgrade its wastewater pretreatment programs to guard against what might happen. User self-monitoring needs to be backed up by strong sampling programs and laboratory work by the Town.
Although some excess capacity exists, no major expansions of the sanitary sewer service area are expected in the next few years. Massive septic failure is unlikely due to the prevalence of favorable soil conditions in the greater Amherst area, a point backed by the records of the Amherst County Health Department which show no unusual problems related to septic tank failures. However, the Town is generally agreeable to extending sewer into new service areas under the policy that the party requesting the extension must pay for the full capital cost of such extensions.
Due to both the new regulatory limitations and increases in the number of potential customers requesting service, the Town expects to make numerous costly improvements to its wastewater treatment plant in the next few years. As currently proposed, these improvements will allow the Town to make use of the currently unused capacity in the collection and treatment facilities to meet the needs of the Town for the foreseeable future.
A preliminary engineering report (planning study) is underway to effect upgrades to the plant. The results of this study will guide the Town's efforts toward improving its wastewater collection and treatment program for the next 5-10 years.
TABLE J2 TOWN OF AMHERST: SEWER SYSTEM SALES/REVENUE STUDY January 1995 - December 1995
CUSTOMER CLASS USERS $ REVENUE GALLONS SOLD
Residential (In-Town) 609 $113,321 40,241,000
Commercial (In-Town) 112 $121,879 28,126,000
Residential (Outside Town) 0 $0 0
Commercial (Outside Town) 5 $99,285 11,456,000
TOTAL 726 $334,485 79,823,000
SOLID WASTE -- The Town of Amherst provides solid waste collection services to all residences and businesses connected to its municipal water system. All collection is performed by private contractor; monthly assessments for curbside collection customers are billed through the Town's utility billing system and dumpster customers are billed directly by the hauler in a franchise-type arrangement. Garbage bags are sold and delivered to some curbside customers twice per year.
All solid waste is deposited in the Amherst County landfill.
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One recycling drop-off site is funded by the Town of Amherst. This site is located behind Mountain View Shopping Center at the intersection of Washington and Second Streets. Plastic, glass, aluminum and paper products are collected here. A second site is operated by Amherst County at the Ambriar Shopping Center. Although funding for the hauling and maintenance of the Mountain View site is by the Town of Amherst, the Town's arrangement with the hauler is similar to Amherst County's so that the Town supports a uniform recycling program that is promoted by the Amherst County Solid Waste Department.
The Town of Amherst and Amherst County adopted a joint Solid Waste Management Plan in November, 1991.
A regional effort begun in March 1995 joined Appomattox, Bedford, Campbell and Amherst Counties and the Cities of Lynchburg and Bedford in a Regional Waste Tire Recycling Program coordinated by the Central Virginia Planning District Commission. Containers have been placed at each local landfill to collect the current flow of tires, and many stockpiles throughout the region have been recycled through this effort. An amnesty weekend held throughout the planning district in late September, 1996, was extremely successful, prompting the planning of such an event on an annual basis. Following the dictates of the contract between the CVPDC and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the waste tire recycling program has been expanded to include five neighboring planning districts.
Amherst continues to discuss regional solid waste issues with neighboring localities. The most notable of these is the collection and disposal of hazardous household waste.
TABLE J3 TOWN OF AMHERST: REFUSE COLLECTION SYSTEM SALES/REVENUE STUDY January 1995 - December 1995
CUSTOMER CLASS USERS $ REVENUE
Curbside (In-Town) 852 $51,120
Curbside (Outside Town) 112 $13,440
TOTAL 964 $66,012
OTHER UTILITIES -- Other utilities furnished to the Town of Amherst are via private sources. An inventory of these providers follows:
Electricity - American Electric Power (Appalachian Power) Telephone - GTE Virginia Cable Television - Adelphia Cable Communications Cellular Telephone - 360 Communications; Cellular One Pager Service - Numerous Providers
LEISURE AND INFORMATION SERVICES
RECREATION -- The Town of Amherst has developed a miniature park across the street from the Town Hall. This site is attractively designed with an assortment of blooming plants in the summer and accommodates the Town's Christmas tree during the Christmas season. In addition, the Town has one of Virginia =s few remaining traffic circles. Located at
J - 13 the intersection of U.S. Route 29 Business and U.S. Route 60, this circle is maintained with an assortment of hardy, eye-catching flowering plants.
Town residents wishing to swim, go horseback riding or play tennis may do so at nearby Sweet Briar College. Also, the college's gymnasium facilities and beautiful open fields can be used by residents of the greater Amherst area.
Two Dixie Youth League baseball fields are also located just outside of the Town limits.
In addition to these recreational opportunities, the people of the Town of Amherst can take advantage of programs and facilities offered by the Amherst County Recreation Department, formed in 1972. In the beginning, recreation programs were offered on a limited basis and were primarily sports oriented. In 1986 the Amherst County Parks, Recreation and Cultural Development Board was created as a policy making board to the Recreation Department and thereby expanded the types of programs available to the public. The county's Recreation Department currently offers a varied program of recreational activities to the residents of Amherst.
There are five watershed impoundment areas located west of the Town of Amherst. Monocan, Thrasher's Lake and Stonehouse Lake Parks all have developed park sites. All, including Mill Creek Park and the Pedlar Reservoir, have a public boat ramp, restroom facilities and a picnic shelter.
The county is currently developing Coolwell Recreational Park in the Faulconerville area eight miles south of the Town. An existing building has been renovated and will now be used as a publicly operated community center. The 16 acres surrounding this community center will house multi-purpose fields, a picnic area, a tot lot, an outdoor amphitheater, tennis courts, and basketball courts.
Schools play a major role in the establishment of a parks and recreation system. The County School Board and Recreation Department are working together to provide recreation facilities and programs on all school sites in and near the Town, including the use of the school buildings for a variety of community purposes. An agreement is in effect for the school facilities to be made available to the Recreation Department for public usage when school is not in session. Both elementary schools serving the Town have a community playground and an open field. Amherst Elementary School also has a baseball/football field. Amherst County High School has some of the finest athletic facilities in the area, including a nearly new football stadium and track complex. The high school also offers a rubber-surfaced gymnasium, a baseball field, a cross country route and tennis courts.
Amherst County is currently in the early stages of developing an ADA-accessible hiking and biking trail on an abandoned railroad right-of-way along the James River and into Campbell County. In a related effort, a hiking and biking trails committee was formed in 1994 by the Central Virginia Planning District Commission. The purpose of this committee is to develop a master plan for hiking and biking trails in the area. It is hoped that a network of such trails will be developed in the region, and that this network will become an integral part of a larger nationwide network.
There is no public swimming facility located within Amherst County. The Amherst County Recreation, Parks & Cultural Development Board is concerned about this and is looking for ideas and a plan for a public swimming area in the County. However, the Amherst Recreation Center is located near the Town. This is a community swimming pool open to members and guests.
Recreation time is an important part of a balanced lifestyle for all individuals. Recreation can take many forms, active or passive, in groups or individually, cultural or athletic. In order to meet the varied needs of its residents, a community must provide a variety of recreational opportunities.
Recreation facilities can be provided using both public and private resources. The effective, but controlled, use of private commercial resources can be the most cost effective means of providing recreation which is funded solely by the user. This allows the Town to utilize its resources to provide other services required by its residents and business operators. It
J - 14 is clear that there are numerous recreational facilities available to Town residents.
The Town has land which is zoned for commercial use and which allows recreational facilities. Exceptions to land use to allow recreation facilities will be permitted where such development is in the interest of the Town, and is consistent with other uses of land in that area.
Historic landmarks are an important part of the atmosphere and beauty of the Town. These not only add beauty to the Town but also provide passive recreation for Town residents and visitors. When possible, these landmarks will be preserved and maintained using resources available to the Town.
The Town does not have a facility, other than in the two school buildings, which could serve as a large meeting or recreation facility. Such a facility could be used by not only the Town but by civic organizations. Such a community center located with ample outside area could be utilized for a number of activities including classes, civic and club meetings, sports, and other types of recreation and could be incorporated into new Town administrative offices. The Town intends to plan for the development of such a facility and park area, to include location, design and funding for construction.
There is an annual Christmas parade in the Town. Other annual events, such as the Apple Festival, are sponsored by local civic organizations. The Town will continue to support these activities and consider other activities which would be of interest and benefit to the Town.
LIBRARY -- The headquarters and main branch of the Amherst County Public Library is located at the intersection of South Main Street and Kenmore Road in the Town. It occupies the remodeled and expanded former First Colony Telephone Building. The Amherst library has 9,600 square feet of space, including a meeting room on the lower level which consists of 1,500 square feet. The Amherst library has five full-time staff members.
The library system has a total of 32,354 books, of which slightly over half are permanently assigned to the main library. The library in Amherst subscribes to five newspapers and 90 magazines, and has a video collection of approximately 650 videos. In the 1993-94 fiscal year, the Amherst library circulated 89,922 items; the Madison Heights branch circulated 152,464 items for the same period.
CHURCHES -- Churches continue to be an important part of the quality of life in Amherst. In addition to offering spiritual fulfillment to many of the residents of the greater Amherst area, church facilities and programs contribute to the voluntary leisure time activities available to the residents of the Town.
The following churches are located within the Town of Amherst:
Amherst Baptist Church - Second Street Amherst Presbyterian Church - Second Street Ascension Episcopal Church - South Main Street Blue Ridge Baptist Church - Blue Ridge Lane Church of the Epiphany (Anglican Catholic) - Sunset Drive Emmanuel United Methodist Church - North Main Street Morning Star Baptist Church - Star Street Mount Olive Baptist Church - Mount Olive Drive
MASS MEDIA -- Various news outlets distribute information to the Town's residents and business operators. Some of these are summarized below: Television - WDBJ - 7 (CBS) Roanoke WSLS - 10 (NBC) Roanoke WSET - 13 (ABC) Lynchburg
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WJPR/WVFT - 21/27 (FOX) Lynchburg/Roanoke Blue Ridge Public Television Roanoke
Radio - WGOL (97.9 FM) Lynchburg WWWL/WYYD (AM 1420/108 FM) Lynchburg WJJS/WXYU (AM 1320/101.7 FM) Lynchburg WLVA (AM 590) Lynchburg WBRG (AM 1050) Lynchburg WRVL (88.3 FM) Lynchburg WXLK/WLYK (K92) - 92.3/100.1 FM Roanoke/Lynchburg WPVR/WFIR (95 FM/AM 960) Roanoke WLNI (105.9 FM) Lynchburg WKDE (AM 1000/105.5 FM) Altavista WLDJ/WRDJ (102.7/105.3 FM) Lynchburg/Roanoke WVLR (AM 1320) Madison Heights
Newspapers - Amherst New Era-Progress - Amherst (Weekly) Lynchburg News & Advance - Lynchburg (Daily) Piedmont Area Journal - Lynchburg (Weekly) Blue Ridge Business Journal - Roanoke/Lynchburg/New River Valley (Monthly)
Emerging Technology - The expected development of the fiber optic "information superhighway" will undoubtedly have a major impact on the delivery of information to the Town's residents and business operators. The advent of the internet and various information services is expected to change the way of life for everyone, and will make the world a smaller place when the communication infrastructure and protocols between America and its international neighbors is in place. The extent and final form that this will take is currently in a state of evolution and clearly beyond the scope of this plan.
EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
The public primary and secondary school system in Amherst County is operated by the Amherst County School Board. Two facilities, Amherst Elementary School and Amherst County High School, are located within the Town limits. Two other facilities, Central Elementary School and Amherst Middle School, are located just beyond the Town boundary. It has long been the policy of the Town of Amherst to support the Amherst County School Board, in any reasonable way, in the education of the community's youth.
The Amherst County School Board, in conjunction with parents, teachers and students, has developed a total educational plan which is intended to provide the instruction, direction and support necessary to allow students to develop the fundamental skills and processes essential for the lifelong acquisition of knowledge. A diversified instructional program exists at all grade levels providing educational opportunities commensurate with the ability, maturity, achievement and aspiration of each student.
Research supported instructional programs are used throughout the system. Emphasis is placed on incorporating expensive technology, high tech equipment and programs into all grade levels. Instructionally challenging experiences, community involvement and parental support enhance educational opportunities for all students.
Comprehensive vocational programs are available in grades 7 through 12. The programs are designed to provide exploratory opportunities for a variety of students as well as occupational training for those young people desiring to enter any of a number of relevant job positions. Current programs offer training in agricultural education, business education, marketing education, health occupations, food occupations, consumer and homemaking education, drafting,
J - 16 auto mechanics, and electricity/electronics. Facilities and equipment meet "state of the art" standards. Instructional programs are fully competency based and have been validated by advisory committees composed of businesses and industrial representatives. Program areas make use of computers and software related to business and industrial applications. Articulation agreements have been arranged with Central Virginia Community College to provide for sequential development of competency based skills from grade 11 through community college levels in business, auto mechanics, electricity, electronics, drafting and engineering design.
A wide range of competitive sports is played each fall, winter and spring on the varsity and junior varsity levels under the auspices of the Virginia High School League. Athletic programs are offered in football, basketball, soccer, cross country, indoor track, volleyball, baseball, softball, tennis, track and field, golf and wrestling. The Virginia High School League also sponsors one-act plays, debates and forensics at the secondary level.
Amherst County schools also offer a wide variety of educational opportunities for adults. These offerings include learning to read and write, preparing for the GED exam, developing skills to secure employment, upgrading existing careers and enjoying certain avocational pursuits. A cooperative effort with other agencies provides training for adults who are entering the work force.
The progress of the community in general, the success of graduates from the school system and the comprehensive curriculum for kindergarten through twelfth grade attest to the high quality of government, school, agencies and services serving the Town of Amherst. Having met the challenges of a changing and complex society of the past, the Amherst County school system is prepared to meet new demands, offer additional opportunities for pupils, and require the best of students as they grow through thirteen years of formal education.
Sweet Briar College, a private women's liberal arts college located just south of the Town limits, is the only institution of higher learning in Amherst County. Many other fine institutions with superb facilities are found within a short drive of Amherst.
A good education system is important to any community in order to provide a quality of living for all residents and to enhance economic development in the area. The greater Amherst community should support and promote its education system. While the Town has no direct control over the school system, the Town encourages and supports the development of educational curriculum and facilities needed to provide area residents with the finest system possible. The Town Council should maintain communications with the Amherst County School Board and school administrators to keep current with educational programs and opportunities available within the school system. Open communications with the school board and the community in general will also provide council with insight into the needs of the school system in terms of improved and/or new facilities. The Town should also keep the schools informed relating to plans or circumstances within the Town which may impact the school system such as land use, changes to traffic patterns near school property, anticipated development of industry or business that may impact growth patterns and student population.
In addition to educational benefits, the location of County schools in and near the Town provides facilities for after- school and summer recreational programs. Indoor facilities are used year-round for community programs. This feature, short travel distances between homes and schools, and generation of traffic for the benefit of Town businesses are peripheral benefits of having schools in the Town that should not be overlooked.
The Comprehensive Plan is concerned primarily with the location and the size of school sites upon which the physical facilities for the system will be constructed. However, capacity estimates of the local schools are difficult to make due to programmatic mandates by the State and Federal governments. While assumptions may be made which are in some way related to curriculum and methods of teaching, the Comprehensive Plan is in no way intended to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of alternate educational theories and practices. Suffice it to say that the plans and standards for buildings and sites should be flexible enough to allow for changes of ideas which are sure to occur.
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In short, successful open communications between the Town and the school system is the most effective way for the Town to support an education system which will benefit the Town and its residents.
HUMAN SERVICES
SOCIAL SERVICES -- Social Services within the Town of Amherst are handled by the Amherst County Department of Social Services. The Department employs twenty seven (27) full-time individuals who provide benefits, services and administrative support. The breakdown is as follows:
Eligibility Division - eleven (11) staff persons Service Division - nine (9) staff persons Administrative Support Division - six (6) staff persons Director - one (1) person
The agency also employs three individuals on a seasonal basis to manage the Department's Energy Assistance Program. The term of employment begins the first of October and terminates the middle of December.
The caseload of the Amherst County Department of Social Services averages approximately 2,800 separate cases. This count does not reflect the number of clients served because one case can involve multiple clients. For example, one Aid to Families with Dependent Children case might have four clients - a parent and three children.
The benefits and services offered by the Department include the following:
Benefit Programs Service Programs Adoptions Aid to Families with Dependent Children Adult Protective Services Auxiliary Grants Adult Services Commodity Distribution Child Protective Services Energy Assistance Emergency Services Food Stamps Employment Services Fraud Investigations * Fee Based Day Care General Relief Foster Care Medicaid Information and Referral State-Local Hospitalization JOBS/AFDC Day Care Nursing Home/Personal Care Pre-screening *Not an actual benefit program - the agency investigates all referrals of alleged Provider Approval fraud activity and takes appropriate action when fraud is substantiated.
The challenges which Amherst Social Services identify relate primarily to space, staffing and funding. The facility which the agency occupies was built in 1989, but is already at capacity. When the seasonal Energy Assistance Program is begun each fall, some employees must be housed in the agency's Conference Room, thereby limiting that room's use for meetings. Further, the Department has had to convert its primary storage space into an office for an Eligibility Worker. Other space constraints are found throughout the building.
According to the Virginia Department of Social Services' Caseload Standards, the Amherst County Department of Social Services is understaffed by eight to ten employees. These positions are not filled due to the fact that neither the State Department of Social Services nor the General Assembly are mandated to provide the funding needed to fully implement the Caseload Standards.
As with many other agencies, funding is a constraint to full program development. During FY 94, the agency temporarily suspended two programs, Companion Services for disabled and/or senior adults and the General Relief Program, due to depleted state funding. In short, the community need exceeded the funding allocated by the General Assembly.
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HEALTH CARE -- There are no hospitals within Amherst County. For this reason, the City of Lynchburg serves as the major medical center for the Town of Amherst. The City has two hospitals, both of which are owned and operated by Centra Health, Inc. Lynchburg General Hospital, with a 270 bed capacity, has recently been expanded and modernized. Though there was no increase in bed space, most rooms are now private and the hospital has become the region's cardiology center. Virginia Baptist Hospital, with a 328 bed capacity, has among its specialties maternity and premature infant care. It has been Centra Health's plan since merging the two hospitals to offer the best specialized care possible without costly duplication of services. Collectively, these two facilities and their accompanying medical centers are adequate in both location and services provided in order to meet the health care needs of the residents of the Town of Amherst.
In addition to the two Lynchburg hospitals, the people of Amherst depend upon the medical center located in Madison Heights. Within the Town limits of Amherst, there are four medical doctors, two dentists, and four eye doctors. Health services are also provided by the Amherst County Public Health Department. Services include prenatal care, immunizations, communicable and venereal disease control, home health services, family planning and crippled children's services. Sanitarians from the health department also inspect restaurants, perform soil tests and issue septic tank permits, and analyze water samples. The department also maintains vital statistics for Amherst County, recording birth and death certificates as well as marriage and divorce documents.
The Central Virginia Community Service Board has an office in Amherst and provides services in the areas of mental health, mental retardation, and substance abuse and prevention services.
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