Comprehensive Plans

Raleigh County Encourages Public to Attend Comprehensive Plan Open House WorkshopS

The Raleigh County Planning Commission will hold three (3) open-house workshops throughout the County to solicit input for the County’s Comprehensive Plan Update. The workshops will be in an open-house format to accommodate citizens’ schedules. There will be no speeches or presentations; the purpose of the meetings is to hear from you. Interested persons can stop by anytime during the posted hours to offer ideas, voice concerns, and help formulate a vision for the future of Raleigh County. Various stations will be set up where input on specific topics will be gathered. The meetings will be held at the following locations:

  • Monday, June 2 from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM at Liberty High School, 700 Coal River Road, Glen Daniel, WV
  • Monday, June 2 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM at Raleigh County Courthouse-2nd floor Conference Room, 215 Main Street, Beckley, WV
  • Tuesday, June 3 from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM at Shady Spring High School, 300 Hinton Road, Shady Spring, WV

The purpose of a comprehensive plan update is to establish a vision for the future of Raleigh County and recommend specific projects that the county should invest in. As the county consists of many different communities, public input is essential to determine the priorities of residents, business owners, and other stakeholders.

The development of the Comprehensive Plan Update is being led by the West Virginia University College of Law Land Use and Sustainable Development Law Clinic (LUSDC). For more information, please contact Christy Burnside DeMuth, LUSDC Senior Land Use Planner, at 304-293-4614 or christy.demuth@mail.wvu.edu.

New River Gorge Region Comprehensive Plans

The Comprehensive Plan is a crucial tool in planning for a community’s economic sustainability in West Virginia.

Wes Virginia Code Chapter 8A establishes guidelines for municipal and county-wide Comprehensive Planning. The purpose of a Comprehensive Plan “is to guide a governing body to accomplish a coordinated and compatible development of land and improvements within its territorial jurisdiction, in accordance with present and future needs and resources.”

A Comprehensive Plan remains in effect for ten years and empowers municipalities and counties to adopt land use ordinances, such as a Zoning Ordinance or Subdivision & Land Development Ordinance (SALDO). Development and growth should be consistent with the goals and vision outlined in a town, city, or county’s Comprehensive Plan.

A list of Comprehensive Plans in the New River Gorge Region are provided below.