The Commission’s Community Development Program provides expertise and sound solutions to issues facing each individual community.
For over 45 years, the Commission has assisted local communities and the greater region by providing technical support for projects from the start through to implementation. The Commission has also been instrumental in securing State and Federal funds to help build a region that residents are proud to call home.
Our services include:
- Land Use Planning
- Water & Wastewater Planning
- Hazard Mitigation Planning
- Visioning
- Grant Procurement & Administration
- Solid Waste Planning
- Recreation Planning
The land use planning services offered by the Commission includes the development and writing of comprehensive plans policy documents such as zoning and subdivision ordinances as well as strategic plans. Local governments can utilize our planning expertise and knowledge to help their communities plan for changes on the horizon and utilize limited resources wisely. Local planning assistance also includes community facilitation, data gathering and management, survey creation and execution, and grant writing.
Completed Projects
Programs and Partnerships
- Local county, city, and town governments
- Appalachian Regional Commission
- Department of Housing and Community Development
Ensuring the integrity of water quality and quantity within the New River Valley is critical to the quality of life of its citizens. The Commission regularly partners with the local governments, public service authorities (PSA), non-profit organizations, and state and federal organizations, to examine water issues regionally, and to act as a facilitator and a resource for the planning of future water needs.
Current Projects
Completed Projects
Programs and Partnerships
- Local county, city, and town governments
- United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development
- Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
- Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
- New River Health District
- New River Highlands Resource Conservation and Development
- New River Valley Development Corporation
- New River Watershed Roundtable
- Skyline Soil and Water Conservation District
- Virginia Tech Center for Geospatial Technology
- Virginia Tech Institute for Policy Outreach
At the Commission, we are committed to ensuring our region is prepared for any disasters that may occur in our communities. With a current Hazard Mitigation Plan, our region qualifies for disaster relief if or when a disaster occurs. The plan identifies areas of concern that each local government can continue to improve and address as funds are available over time.
“The purpose of mitigation planning is to identify policies and actions that can be implemented over the long term to reduce risk and future losses. Mitigation Plans form the foundation for a community’s long-term strategy to reduce disaster losses and break the cycle of disaster damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage. The planning process is as important as the plan itself. It creates a framework for risk-based decision making to reduce damages to lives, property, and the economy from future disasters.” – Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Current Projects
Completed Projects
Programs and Partnerships
- Local county, city, and town governments.
- Radford University School of Environmental and Physical Sciences
- Federal Emergency Management Agency
- Virginia Department of Emergency Management
- National Weather Service
Visioning is a process by which a community identifies strategies to obtain the future it wants. Visioning is a way for local governments and communities to create a common framework for other planning tools, such as their comprehensive plans and policy documents such as zoning and subdivision ordinances. The Commission strongly encourages public involvement in all visioning processes to help ensure voices are heard and a collective vision is established.
Programs and Partnerships
- Local county, city, and town governments
- HUD/DOT/EPA Sustainable Communities Partnership- Regional Planning Grant Program
Completed Projects
Home in the New River Valley: Housing and Neighborhood Options
Livability in the New River Valley: From Vision to Action
Energy in New River Valley: Creating an Affordable, Reliable, and Sustainable Energy Furture
The Commission has extensive experience providing services to communities in their pursuit of state and federal grant funds. Our knowledge of the ever-changing procedures that affect public grant applications help communities successfully obtain funding for their projects. If your community has a project need, please contact the Commission so we can advise on funding opportunities and potential programs.
As the New River Valley’s population continues to increase, how communities address solid waste management matters. Each county and the city must plan for and implement solid waste management plans. These plans help each community determine how to address their solid waste now and into the future. Solid waste planning is also required by Virginia code (9 VAC 20-130).
Completed Projects
Programs and Partnerships
- Local county, city, and town governments
- Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
- New River Valley Resource Authority
The New River Valley’s unique geography, culture, and history provide endless opportunities for recreation. Most notably within the region is the presence of the New River, the Appalachian Trail, and the Blue Ridge Parkway. With these assets, the New River Valley is poised to be an incredible attraction that can help benefit the local economy and communities.
The NRVRC has helped develop recreation master plans for local parks and recreation departments, and has acted as a regional resource for the different types of recreation.