NRGRDA and Fayette County Encourage Fayette County Residents to Comment On Draft Planning Document, Attend March Open House

Fayetteville, W.Va. (March 2, 2023) – Fayette County, with support from New River Gorge Regional Development Authority, is nearing completion of a new 10-year comprehensive plan for Fayette County, and once again the community’s input is essential to guiding future growth and development opportunities.

Houseal Lavigne Planning Associates is leading the six-stage process with elected leaders, NRGRDA, the Local Outreach Team, and other community members and stakeholders. NRGRDA’s Director of Business Retention and Expansion, Jenna Grayson, said “On February 17 Houseal Lavigne posted the draft comprehensive plan and Fayette County and NRGRDA started planning for multiple ways for citizens to share comments that are pivotal to the final 10-year strategic plan for the county. Local leaders and the community have made many valuable contributions in meetings, written comments and surveys we have conducted in the past year.”

Public open house events will be held March 21 and 23 throughout the county to allow residents an opportunity to discuss the draft comprehensive plan, ask questions, and provide feedback.

Tuesday, March 21

Event #1 – Smithers Open House

Time: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Location: Gateway Community Center – 2 Greyhound Lane Smithers, WV 25186

Event #2 – Ansted Open House

Time: 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Location: Midland Trail Community Center – 118 Church Street, Ansted, WV 25812

Thursday, March 23

Event #3 – Meadow Bridge Open House

Time: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Location: Green Valley United Methodist Church – 6198 Meadow Bridge Road, Danese, WV 25831

Event #4 – Fayetteville Open House

Time: 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Location: Memorial Building – 200 West Maple Avenue, Fayetteville, WV 25840

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

The link to the draft comprehensive plan, open house details and opportunity to comments is at https://www.hlplanning.com/portals/fayettecountycompplan/project/community-outreach/

Paper copies of the draft plan will be available before the open houses at the Fayette County Zoning Office at 100 Court Street, Fayetteville, W.Va., (phone 304-574-4320).

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). More can be found at https://nrgrda.org/