The planning department is responsible for updating and amending the comprehensive plan in the County of Amherst Virginia. The plan covers, to varying degrees, all aspects of our cultural and physical landscape. The plan addresses land use types, roads, sewer and water services, public safety, public education, environmental issues, recreation, and even aesthetic issues. The plan has legal standing, in fact is required by Virginia law, but is used only to guide or influence actual courses of action by county government. Implementation of the plan usually takes the form of policy or law.
PACE Class: ENVR 215
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ANALYSIS
SBC contact: Rob Alexander
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PACE Experience:
Students will work with the Amherst County Planning Department to provide a report on policy options for protection of rural open space land in Amherst County.
For Fall Semester 2007, we will focus on two such policies -- clustering and minimum lot sizes in the county. As a class we will provide a study and report to present to the Planning department which will take up the writing of ordinances on those two issues in January of 2008.