Fayette County Comprehensive Planning Process Leads to New 10-Year Roadmap

Fayetteville, W.Va. (Jan. 11, 2022) – A new 10-year comprehensive plan for Fayette County is being developed by the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA), and the community’s input is guiding future growth and development opportunities.

Jenna Grayson, NRGRDA’s Manager of Strategic Partnerships, has been leading the six-stage process with local elected leaders and other stakeholders. “We have just completed the Existing Conditions Memo of the planning process, and that has been eye-opening and will be pivotal to the final 10 year strategic plan for the county,” said Grayson. “The community should be commended for its invaluable contributions in meetings, written comments and surveys.”

“The planning portion of the process should be complete by late spring/early summer,” said Grayson. “Once the planning document is complete the Fayette County Planning Commission will have the opportunity to make comments and vote. From there, the County Commission will comment on the final document, and after any revisions, will vote to adopt the plan.”

Grayson added that the Fayette County Commission is already using the Existing Conditions Memo to support decisions around broadband, infrastructure, and federal ARPA funding. She said local leaders have also shared the document with state legislators to use during the upcoming legislative session.

Grayson said designation of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, emphasis on outdoor recreation and tourism, and growth in small business development will add a new flavor to past strategic plans for Fayette County.

The Existing Conditions Memo is an interim report summarizing the initial steps of the planning process for the Fayette County Comprehensive Plan. It represents a foundation of common understanding and answers the question “Where is Fayette County today?” The report contains information and documentation collected and analyzed during the initial steps of the planning process and identifies positive aspects of the community as well as subjects of concern to residents and other Fayette County stakeholders.

Grayson said, “the report does not offer recommendations or policies – those will come later in the planning process.” She said three critical steps remain in completing the Comprehensive Plan – visioning; preliminary plan elements and policies; and crafting the final plan document and adoption.

Elements of the Comprehensive Plan include:

• Land Use
• Housing
• Transportation
• Infrastructure
• Public Services
• Rural
• Recreation
• Economic Development
• Community Design
• Preferred Development Areas
• Renewal and/or Redevelopment
• Financing
• Historic Preservation

A link to the Fayette County Comprehensive Plan process can be found at https://www.hlplanning.com/portals/fayettecountycompplan/2021/11/22/existing-conditionsmemo/

Professionals at Houseal Lavigne Associates of Chicago are engaged by the county and NRGRDA to gather data, community input, and compile progress reports.

About New River Gorge Regional Development Authority: The New River Gorge Regional Development Authority’s (NRGRDA) mission is to initiate, facilitate and support the economic and community development efforts within the counties of Fayette, Nicholas, Raleigh, and Summers located in this region of southern West Virginia. NRGRDA stimulates the regional economy through business expansion and retention efforts, including an extensive portfolio of financial services; the management of sites for new companies locating to our region; and serving as a point of access for local service providers which offer a variety of technical assistance for business owners.

The West Virginia Hive is the entrepreneurship program of the NRGRDA and the administrator of the Country Roads Angel Network (CRAN). CRAN serves all 55 counties of the Mountain State, offering emerging businesses early stage, seed funding to bring their creations to market.

The Hive has served 331 businesses and helped launch 44 businesses in its 12-county service area. It is currently assisting 74 clients with business advising and technical assistance support on business modeling, financing, human resources, marketing, and other services.