HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Hampshire County Planning Commission Assisted by West Virginia University Extension Service Approved by County Commission on October 13, 2009 Table of Contents HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COMMISSION Steve Slonaker, President Robert Hott David Parker HAMPSHIRE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION A. Mitch Davis, President Kenneth Hopkins, Vice President Sandra Hunt, Secretary/Treasurer John Hicks Matthew Hott Gerald Lewis David Parker David Stutts HAMPSHIRE COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT Charles Baker, CFM, Code and Compliance Official Shirley Reed, Secretary Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS • Introduction 1 o Purpose o Process • Current Situation 4 o Regional Setting o Physical Land Conditions o Demographic Profile • Land Use and Housing 22 • Transportation 29 • Economic Development 32 • Community Facilities 37 • Infrastructure 44 • Natural and Historical Resources 46 • Historic Preservation 50 • Recreation 54 • Education 57 • Appendices 60 o Stakeholder Meeting Notes o Information Sources Introduction PURPOSE West Virginia counties are authorized by State Code Chapter 8A, Article 3 to prepare comprehensive plans. The purpose of preparing a Comprehensive Plan is to; (1) promote the coordinated development of land and improvements to meet the future needs of the county; (2) achieve sound planning to assist the governing body in preserving quality of life and enhancing that quality of life to adapt to the future needs of the county relating to economic, physical, or social changes; (3) promote the health, safety, morals, order, convenience, prosperity, and general welfare of county residents; and, (4) promote efficiency and economy during the development process. The Comprehensive Plan is a policy guide for the Hampshire County Planning Commission and the Hampshire County Commission as they assess the location, character, and extent of future development. Plan policies and recommendations are to be implemented over time through a variety of decision-making actions including subdivision of land, and the location and construction of public infrastructure improvements, among other things. The Hampshire County Comprehensive Plan was developed in response to growing concern that the myriad of future land use decisions affecting the county’s lands should be made in a coordinated and responsible manner to capitalize on the county’s geographic location and its desirable physical features. The Comprehensive Plan shall set forth goals and objectives to allow an informed decision making process, ensure consistency in government, and coordinate the various arms of the local government. It will create conditions positive for vital resources, reduce resource waste relating to haphazard development and sprawl, preserve historic landmarks and other resources, and promote a sense of community character and identity. It will promote the most efficient utilization of available resources, coordinate development into well planned communities, and advocate cost-effective development of facilities and services. Hampshire County’s Comprehensive Plan includes a set of goals, objectives, and strategies that apply to the unincorporated areas of the county. Goals Goals are the broadest expressions of a community’s desires and give direction to the plan as a whole. Goals are concerned with the long term, and often describe ideal situations that would result if all plan purposes were fully realized. Since goals are value-based, their attainment is difficult to measure. Hampshire County Plan Page 1 Introduction Objectives Objectives are specific statements that carry out a plan in the short term. Objectives are measurable benchmarks that can be used to assess incremental progress in achieving the broader purposes expressed in the goals. Strategies Strategies are result-oriented actions that can assist a community to achieve its Hampshire County Plan Page 2 Introduction the completion of numerous objectives in the then current plan. The process began with community meetings in Romney and Capon Bridge to obtain viewpoints from the entire county to ensure that the great diversity of the county was taken into account. County residents were encouraged to voice their recommendations for the plan because this was an opportunity for them to help shape the county’s future and their help was crucial to this endeavor. Local, county, and state entities were also contacted for information and recommendations that would assist in the update of the plan. In January 2009, a group of community stakeholders were gathered for a day-long summit to review, modify, and enhance the draft version of this Comprehensive Plan. The stakeholders came from local civic groups, government officials at the county, state, and federal levels, utility companies, local banks and businesses, fire and police departments, school board members, infrastructure, healthcare and development committee members, and almost all standing county committees or commissions. The discussion was facilitated by experts in the area of architecture or public policy. The Planning Commission had developed the tagline “Country Living by Choice” to help focus the overall Comprehensive Plan. Hampshire County Plan Page 3 Current Situation REGIONAL SETTING Hampshire County is located in the Potomac Highlands of the eastern panhandle of West Virginia, between the western Maryland panhandle and the Winchester, Virginia metropolitan area. Both of these areas play key roles in the socio- economic trends of Hampshire County. Hampshire County covers 642 square miles of diverse topography, including mountainous slopes and river valleys. The major streams run from south to north: Mill Creek, The South Branch of the Poto Hampshire County Plan Page 4 Current Situation map on the following page illustrates the boundaries of the 100-year floodplain areas in the county. The earliest recorded flood on the South Branch of the Potomac River occurred in the fall of 1878 when a hurricane came ashore in South Carolina and then tracked up the east coast, causing widespread flooding in the Potomac watershed. This event was recorded by local and regional weather agencies using gauges and reflects the beginnings of assessments of phenomena that affect development. Since the turn of the twentieth century, there have been several regional floods causing devastating damage. Flooding in the South Branch of the Potomac River occurs in cycles that fluctuate in frequency and magnitude. Many floods occur in spring after heavy rainfall lasting several days. The situation can be exacerbated by rapid snowmelt and frozen ground that prevents runoff from being absorbed. This combination of factors was responsible for the January 1996 flood event. Periodic inundation benefits the natural systems and agriculture in the river valleys. Learning the rivers’ natural cycles can help river communities maintain the natural and cultural resources the rivers have to offer, maximize profits, and prevent loss of property and life.3 In response to the flood of November 1985, the Hampshire County Commission adopted the County Floodplain Ordinance in August 1987. The floodplain ordinance was a prerequisite for the county to continue its eligibility and participation in the National Flood Insurance Program. Existing Land Use The Existing Land Use Map (Map 1) and the Subdivision Map (Map 2) illustrate the county’s land development patterns. The vast majority of the county is forested land. Productive agricultural land is found adjacent to the major watercourses and on the rich valley floors. Urbanized areas are evident along the major roadways. 3 Preliminary Comprehensive Plan, Hampshire County, WV 2002-2022. Hampshire County Plan Page 5 Current Situation Map 1. Existing Land Use Map Urban Agricultural Grasslands/Sparse Trees Bare Ground Forest Orchard Water Source: Canaan Valley Institute (July 2001). Hampshire County Plan Page 6 Current Situation Map 2. Subdivision Map Hampshire County Plan Page 7 Current Situation DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE Population & Households Hampshire County is greatly influenced by the surrounding counties, and even more by the counties in Maryland and Virginia than those in West Virginia. This fact was confirmed by the federal Office of Management and Budget, when it created a new metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in Winchester, Virginia which includes Hampshire County. The new MSA is based on, among other things, population shifts and commuting patterns uncovered in the 2000 census.4 As a result, it is more logical to analyze and compare trends in Frederick County, Virginia and Allegany County, Maryland and compare them with trends in Hampshire County, than it would be to compare trends in neighboring West Virginia counties to Hampshire. (Winchester and Frederick County data has been combined because they are treated as separate counties in Census Bureau statistics due to Virginia’s system of independent cities.) Hampshire County residents closely identify with Allegany County and Frederick County in their social interactions, shopping patterns, college and university selections, employment opportunities, and for health care needs. The mountainous terrain in the county has limited road improvements, leaving residents with only a few major roads across the county. Residents from Romney can drive eastward to Winchester, Virginia in 40 minutes, while northern county residents find it more practical to drive to Cumberland, Maryland. In both cases, these social and economic patterns have created the existing conditions that define Hampshire