XL RICHLANDS THIS FERTILE REGION WAS KNOWN AS RICHLANDS FROM AN EARLY PERIOD. IN 1782 AND LATER RICHLA ANDS WAS A MILITIA STATION FOR FRONTIER DEFENSE. THE TOWN WAS LAID OFF IN 1890, WITH THE DOMING OF THE NORFOLK AND WESTERN RAILROAD, AND WAS INCORPORATED IN 1891. ITIS THE GENTER OF AN ADRICULTURAL SEOTION. TONS e POLANOS RICHLAN NDS Richlands 2017 Comprehensive Plan Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 CONTENTS Introduction. 1.1 Purpose 1.2 Authority. 1.3 Community Input. 1.3.1 Community Survey. 1.3.2 Public Input Meeting. 1.3.3 Summary of Community Input.. 2.6 Economy. 25 33 33 34 35 35 36 37 38 38 38 39 41 41 41 2.7 Community Services, Facilities & Utilities. 2.7.1 Recreation & Tourism 2.7.2 Public Safety. 2.7.3 Public Works.. 2.7.4 Water/Wastewater Utilities. 2.7.5 Electric Utility. 2.7.6 Gas Utility. 2.8 Transportation 2 Background. 2.1 Population and Age. 2.2 Housing 2.8.1 Roadway Functional Classifications 2.8.2 Roadway Traffic Volumes... 2.8.3 Alternative Transportation Options. & 11 11 13 16 16 16 18 20 20 20 23 2.3 Historic and Cultural Resources. 2.3.1 History. 2.3.2 Arts, Culture & Events. 2.4 Environmental Resources 2.4.1 Forest Resources. 2.4.2 Hydrology and Water Resources 2.4.3 Mineral & Energy Resources. 2.5 Existing Land Use and Zoning. 2.5.1 Historic Development Patterns.. 2.5.2 Existing Land Use 2.5.3 Existing Zoning 3 The Plan 3.1 Vision.. 3.2 Plan Structure. 3.3 Land Use & Development 3.4 Housing & Neighborhoods 3.5 Economic Development 3.6 Community Services, Facilities & Utilities. 3.6.1 Public Safety. 3.6.2 Water/Wastewater Utilities. 3.6.3 Streets and Roads.. 3.6.4 Sanitation 45 47 49 49 50 Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 3.6.5 Electric Utility. 3.7 Transportation 4 implementation 51 53 59 Figure 5: Projected Population in Tazewell County by Age. -..page 6 Figure 6: School Enrollment Figure 7: Housing Units. Figure 8: Households. Figure 9: Housing Occupancy. Figure 10: Housing Tenure Figure 11: Value of Owner-Occupied Housing. Figure 12: Impaired Bodies of Water. Figure 13: Existing Lang Use. page 7 page 8 pages page page page -page 17 page 21 MAPS Existing Land Use. Environmental Constraints Land Suitable for Development Existing Zoning Nonconforming Land Uses.. VDOT Functional Classifications. Average Annual Daily Traffic. Alternative Transportation Options. Future Land Use. after page 22 after page 22 after page 22 after page 24 after page 24 after page 40 after page 40 after page 40 after page 44 after page 54 Figure 14: Employment by Industry Quarter Ill, 2016. ....page 25 Figure 15: Location Quotient by Industry 2015 Figure 16: 2005-2015 Employment Change. Figure 17: 1980-2016 Virginia Coal Industry Trends. Figure 18: Total Town Employment. -page 26 -page 27 -page 28 -page 29 Figure 19: 1998-2014 Est. Town Employment Trends. page 30 Figure 20: Richlands Subarea of Enterprise Zone Transportation Improvement Plans. -page 31 Figure 21: VDOT Functional Classifications in Richlands. page 38 Figure 22: Means of Transportation to' Work 2009-2013. : ---page 39 FIGURES Figure 1: Population Change. page 5 Figure 23: Total Bus Trips per Year. Figure 24: Project Capital Costs (subtables a-i). Figure 25: Priority Road Projects in Current Regional Plan...page Figure 26: Road Projects in Previous SYIP through 2022. ...... -page -page 40 pages 49-51 Figure 2: Tazewell Co. - Western & Northwestern District...page! 5 Figure 3: Population Change - Neighboring Areas Figure 4: Population Projections. page 6 page 6 Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 PURPOSE growth and regulate the existing use of land within their jurisdictions. One primary way this is accomplished is through the Comprehensive Plan. Section 15.2-2223 of the Code of Virginia This Comprehensive Plan is a guide for the physical development of the Town of Richlands for the next ten years. Ita addressesthe entire Town and is intended to positively influence all of the physical elements which make up its form. Towards this end, the overriding purpose of the Plan is to encourage the continued development of as safe, healthy and prosperous community by offering a distinctive A Comprehensive Plan represents the most important public document for orchestrating growth and development in the years ahead. It establishes goals, objectives, and strategies to guide both civicand publicactivitiest related to land use and resource utilization for a minimum of ten years and up to twenty years. Though a Comprehensive Plan outlines al long-term vision, iti is not static. Itis meant to be a "living document" - continually reviewed and updated with a major update at least every five years per the Code of Virginia based on changing conditions and shifting resources. Additionally, a Comprehensive Plan is only as good as the tools and actions utilized in implementing the plans on the ground. It only really comes to life as action plans and specific project plans are mandates that: The local planning commission shall prepare and recommend a comprehensive plan for the physical development of the territorywithin itsj jurisdictionand every governing body shall adopt a comprehensive plan for the territory under its jurisdiction. "vision" for the Town. The Planning Commission of the Town of Richlands is tasked with the responsibility of preparing the Plan and recommending the plan The Richlands Comprehensive Plan was developed in the context of large shifts in the local and regional economy as the mining industry continues to decline. These changes create ripples that impact population, housing, public services and transportation and require of land within the Town boundaries. Because of the need to understand these changes and their ripples, background data and data analysis make up a large part of this document. Such information is an essential element to any planning process and key to creating a Comprehensive Plan that is on target and useful. Equally essential to the planning process and the "jumping off" place for a Comprehensive Plan is community input, the subject for adoption by Town Council. that identifies ap plan opportunities for new growth and the best use developed and implemented. 1.2 AUTHORITY Chapter 22 of Title 15.2 in the Code of Virginia grants local governments distinct powers and responsibilities to plan for future the next sub-section of this plan. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 1.3 COMMUNITY INPUT 1.3.1 Community Survey inadequate and lacked unity within and cooperation with the larger community. Housing A community survey was created to better understand citizen values and specific opinions on public services, housing, recreation and the local economy. 151 paper and 54 online surveys were received over the course of 3 months in the fall/winter of 2015- 2016. Three-quarters of survey respondents were residents of Richlands, a third work in Richlands, and two-thirds shop in the Town. Respondents of the paper survey were older, with a quarter of them retired, and only half currently employed. Whereas, 85% of online survey respondents were employed and a little over half of them had children. A majority of respondents had family ties Through these surveys it was determined that respondents were generally pleased with essential Town services, but would gladly welcome enhanced recreational opportunities, a more vibrant local economy, and improved housing options and conditions for all residents. A summary of all survey responses is found in the Only 15% of residents and other respondents felt that poor housing conditions was one of the largest problems, but most agreed that derelict housingand housing in disrepair is an issue tol be addressed. Many strongly agreed that more affordable housing options should exist for the elderly, and disagreed that there should be more mobile homes to meet housing needs. Respondents also agreed that more single-family homes should be made available to meet housing needs in the Town. Town Services and/or were raised in Richlands. Respondents were generally satisfied with Town services. Fire and rescue services and police were listed as the most admired services. Experiences with the water, sewer, and electrical utilities were somewhat less satisfactory. Recreation The overall sentiment of respondents regarding recreation was that services and facilities are fairly adequate, but need to be better maintained and updated. Additionally, respondents indicated that the Town: should add morerecreationalopportunities for youtha and elderly alike. Residents and Town visitors expressed that they would welcome more playgrounds, more picnic facilities, and more hiking/biking trails specifically along the Clinch River, as long as they were well maintained. Many respondents would like to see safe walking trails, more communal gathering spaces, and recreational clubs become the cornerstone of leisure in Richlands. Respondent also thought that there needs to be more cultural activities tha appendices to this plan. Town Problems Survey respondents were asked to specify what they personally believed were the three biggest problems in Richlands among a list of twelve choices with the option of writing in an "other" choice. The three most common problems chosen were lack of jobs as the top choice, drugs as the second choice, and lack of restaurants, stores and services as third. Lack of activities and events was the only other option chosen more than a quarter of the time as a current problem. Several also stated that Town leadership was Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 celebrate the Town's art and history to attract more visitors and ment that improved housing is difficult if household incomes do not expand tourism revenue. 1.3.2 Public Input Meeting To gather public input, the Town held a comprehensive planning workshop on the evening of December1-,2015 to dialogue about the future direction of the Town and to create a community vision. About thirty local residents and business owners were in attendance. The input re- ceived on a series of subjects is as follows: Housing and Neighborhoods The negative impact of vacant and blighted buildings was the most common response to questions about housing and neighborhoods. The residents improve. Getting Around Town (transportation) Residents in attendance noted the lack of street lights in certain areas of Town andi the poor condition of sidewalks, especially in the west end. Recreation and Culture A predominant theme expressed by those in attendance was the desire for increased events and recreational activities. Attendees noted several reasons to do so: economic development, options for youth/teens and attracting new residents. The second most common theme was the need to better leverage existing recreational assets. Suggestions included: hosting sports tourna- ments, updating Richlands Recreation Park (as a draw for the region), improving the condition of Critterville and completing plans already started for the Riverwalk Trail. Local Economy To solicit input on the Richlands economy, residents were asked to finish the statement: "Thei future of Richlands' economy depends on Responses were divided between four general answers. Some attendees noted the need to focus on downtown revitalization as a driver for new business and outside visitors. Some saw the growth of the elderly population as an economic opportunity toi innovate and expand services. Some noted that new jobs must pay better wages. A final, but equally common response was a concern that there was not strong enough vision, unity and cooperation to drive new economic development opportunities. in attendance strongly support community clean-up efforts, specifically in the west end of Town. Another common theme was the desire for better housing options, especially for elderly residents. Respondents wanted to see housing that was still affordable, but offered better alternatives than aging manufactured housing such as stick-built housing and retirement communities. Calls for better housing options also came with the acknowledge- Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 Town Services participants emphasized the importance of cultivating higher quality jobs that flourishint the modern economy and spread wealth throughout the community. Next on their agenda was a yearning for better and more affordable housing options that cater to the local demographic, both the community's aging population and its families. Residents would also like to seea an overall clean-up effort to remove blight that places an unwanted burden on the Once the more pressing issues are resolved, survey and meeting participants expressed that they would like to enjoy expanded recreational and cultural activities, particularly for the youth and elderly. It was felt that additional activities and events could work ini tandem with efforts to revitalize the economy. Richlands, to the desire of its residents, friends and neighbors, could then better market itself as a Town with a rich and vibrant historya and a wealth of culture and opportunity. However, in order to strive for this vision and sustain it for the next generation in Richlands, unity and cooperation among Town leadership is a must. Residents were generally positive on the quality of services they received from the Town. However, some attendees advocated for the expansion of natural gas to residential users. Community Vision To solicit input on core concerns and desires for Richlands, those in attendance were asked to finish the statement: "My vision for stressed the importance ofj jobs and al healthy economy that would allow residents to enjoy their lives. Economic vitality was the most important issue, followed by taking better advantage of the natural beauty of the area, strong governmenta. leadership and better community. Richlands is a community where Most attendees cooperation. The Evening's Common Thread "Grow or die" was a common sentiment when considering the future of Richlands. Many attendees noted that without new jobs and investment, children raised in Richlands would leave to find better opportunities elsewhere. Without suitable housing and good support services, the elderly would leave as well to be closert tot their grown children. The four goals that emerged were:1) proactive and collaborative leadership; 2)i improved housing options; 3)! less! blight; and 4) a renewed emphasis on recreational and cultural activities and events all fort the purpose of serving one large goal: improve the local economy. 1.3.3 Summary of Community Input In-person and in writing, residents and neighbors of Richlands communicated their concerns and vision fori the future oft the Town. Battered by the regional economic downturn, survey and meeting Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 2 BACKGROUND the same time periods. The two county districts that Richlands falls within are shown in the map in Figure 2 below. The Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission (PDC)region, which includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell, and Tazewell Counties, lost 7.8% of its population - 9,604 residents - between 2000 and 2010. In contrast, the Westerm/Northwestern Tazewell County districts grew by 14% or by 2,230 residents. Figure 2: Tazewell County Western and Northwestern District 2.1 POPULATION AND AGE aging population. Figure 1: Population Change Projections for Richlands and the region show flat growth and an Garden Richlands Western/NW 4,456 4,144 5,823 1,367 30.7% 5,504 -5.5% Tazewell Co 15,895 14,484 18,125 2,230 14.0% No[ Data Tazewell Co 45,960 44,598 45,078 -882 -1.9% 44,051 -2.3% Plateau PDC 123,580 118,279 113,976 -9,604 -7.8% 110,381 -3.2% Source: U.S. Census, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service Figure 1 shows population change in Richlands and the surrounding region. The 30.7% increase in Richlands' population between 2000 and 2010 can be accounted for by the land brought into the Town by Boundary Adjustment in 2005-1,495 residents according to the Commission on Local Government. Without the adjustment, the population would have decreased by 2.9% between 1990 and 2010. Since 2010, the Town's population has declined by 5.5%, as of 2015. The population for the census-designated districts of Northwestern and Western Tazewell County have been included in Figure 1 to show the population changes in areas surrounding Richlands over Nor them Northwestern District Tazews ell Southern Cumberland Richlands Western District Lebanon North Fork Blac wille Thei increase in population surrounding Richlands may be attributed to the growth of the unincorporated "suburbs" west of Richlands including the Raven community and the approaches to Richland along the U.S. Route 19/460 corridor including Claypool Hill and Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 Cedar Bluff. As can be seen in Figure 3 below, these areas have Figure 5: Projected Population in Tazewell County by Age continued to grow since 1990. 4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 o 1e 0 3 15 Figure 3: Population Change = Neighboring Areas 1990- Percent 1990 2000 2010 2010 Change 1,468 1,719 1,776 +308 21.0% 525 1,085 1,137 +612 116.6% 985 2,593 2,270 +1,285 130.5% Claypool Hill Cedar Bluff Raven Source: U.S. Census Future projections (Figure 4) for Richlands and the surrounding region show population growth to remain essentially flat. However, as demonstrated in Figure 5, there is growing shift in age cohorts. Age projections for Tazewell County (the only level available) show anincreasei inr residents over the age of 60and a decreasei in children and working age adults. Residents over the age of 60 made up 24% of the total County population in 2010. By 2040, this number is projected to be 34%. In 2010, median age was 41.3 for the Town 98898 4 44 3 i3 88580 10 16 10 00 do de 10 10 16 10 33 s 80 6 / / Age Range 2010Census 20401 Projection and 37.2 nationally. Figure 4: Population Projections Source: U.S. Census As Figure 6 on the next page shows, the Tazewell County schools that serve the residents of Richlands (and the surrounding area) have lost students over the last decade. The total fall enrollment of the five schools listed was 2,673 students in 2006 and has slowly drifted down to 2,414 in 2016, a decrease of 10.9%. Richlands Elementary School bucked the trend gaining 52 students from census of 515 to 567, a 10.1% gain. Raven Elementary School led the decline, losing 92 students from 2411 to: 149,a -38.2% loss. 2020- Percent 2020 2030 2040 2040 Change 5,832 5,841 5,850 +18 0.3% 45,300 45,436 45,535 +235 0.5% Richlands Tazewell County Cumberland Plateau PDC 113,334 113,370 113,558 +224 0.2% Source: U.S. Census, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 Figure 6: School Enrollment 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 Key Takeaway According to 2040 projections, the current population will essentially be the same, but with a higher proportion of elderly residents. Without an influx of working age adults contributing to the tax base, the population will stagnate while social assistance costs will increase due to a greater proportion of elderly residents. Achange in this scenario is unlikely without newj jobs andagrowing economy to attract working age adults. 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015_2016 Year Richlands M. S. Raven E.S. Richlands H.S. Cedar BluffE.S. Richlands E.S. Source: Virginia Department of Education- - Fall Membership Data Summary Overall population trends show flat growth or decline for Richlands, Tazewell County and the region. In contrast the surrounding nearby communities have grown significantly in the past decades, resulting in a population increase for the western portions of Tazewell Age projections for Tazewell County show that the number of elderlyresidents will grow and the numbers of children and working age adults will shrink. Correspondingly, school enrollment trends are down for the Town and surrounding area. County. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 2.2 HOUSING Figure 8: Households Housing in Richlands is primarily made up of single-family homes and mobile homes. Compared to Tazewell County, the Town has a higher percentage of mobile homes and multifamily units. Multi- family units represent a small percentage of housing in both the Town and County but mobile homes comprise almost a third of all 2000 2010 Change 1,882 2,552 670 65.0% 63.9% -1.1% 35.0% 36.1% 1.1% Total Households Family Households (families) Nonfamily Households units in Richlands. Figure 7: Housing Units Female Householder with Children under 18 5.5% 5.7% 0.2% Households with Individuals under 18 years 25.8% 28.3% 2.5% Households with Individuals 65 years and over 32.1% 29.0% -3.1% Richlands 2,863 Tazewell Percentage County Percentage [x] 20,716 1,558 54.4% 13,735 855 29.9% 5,065 450 15.7% 1,925 Total Housing Units Single Family Mobile home Attached and Multifamily [x] 66.3% 24.4% 9.3% Average Household: Size Average Family Size Source: U.S. Census 2.20 2.28 3.6% 2.76 2.84 2.9% As noted previously, the 2005 Boundary Adjustment makes finding trends between census counts difficult. Figure 8is a comparison of percentages between different household types from 2000 and 2010. It demonstrates that the average household and family size grew and the percentage of elderly households shrunk. As outlined in Figure 9 on the next page, the Town added 723 housing units between 2000 and 2010, mostly due to the 2005 adjustment. The rate of occupied housing units was largely unchanged over this time. The largest change was in reduced Source: U.S. Census, American Community Survey: 2011-2015 Estimates Compared to Virginia overall, Richlands has a much higher rate of mobile homes than the statewide average of5.29anda a much lower rate of attached and multifamily units than the statewide average of 32.9%. The high rate of mobile homes in Town is partly due to the limited amount of buildable land and the historic need for affordable workforce housing. Much of the manufactured housing that was located in Richlands in the mid-20th century to meet economic demand still remains and is in poor condition. vacancy rate for rental property. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 Figure 9: Housing Occupancy Figure 11: Value of Owner-Occupied Housing Number of Owner- Locality Occupied Median Units 1,566 311 1,193 1,638 2000 2010 Change 2,137 2,860 723 88.1% 89.2% 1.1% 11.9% 10.8% -1.1% 3.2% 2.4% -0.8% 15.5% 10.5% -5.0% Percent Percent below above $50,000 $200,000 27.4% 14.7% 22.8% 13.5% 6.0% 17.6% 20.5% 22.3% 23.4% 15.4% Total Housing Units Occupied Housing Units Vacant Housing Units Homeowner Vacancy Rate (percent) Rental Vacancy Rate (percent) Source: U.S. Census Value $95,500 $100,500 $111,300 $100,600 $91,400 Richlands Cedar Bluff Tazewell Town Bluefield Town Tazewell County 13,438 As shown in Figure 10, the number of occupied households in Richlands grew by 670 units. The number of renter-occupied. units grew at a faster rate, however, and now makes up a greater percentage of the number of total units than before. Source: U.S. Census, American Community Survey 2011-2015 Estimates the highest percentage of homes valued below $50,000 at 27.4% and the second to lowest percentage of homes valued over $200,000. The Town of Tazewell's low percentage of homes valued less than $50,000 and highest median value at $111,300 are likelya reflection of its role as the County Seat and the accompanying higher number of government and professional jobs found in seats of government. The Town of Bluefield has the closest balance of lower price range homes versus upper price range homes. The low median value and low housing values found in Richlands can be an indicator of poor housing conditions. These figures may also correspond to the significant number of trailers and manufactured homes in Richlands and perhapstoah high prevalence of other modest workforce housing units. Figure 10: Housing Tenure 2000 2010 Change 1,882 2,552 670 68.7% 63.7% -5.0% 31.3% 36.3% 5.0% Occupied Housing Units Owner-Occupied Housing Units Renter-Occupied Housing Units Source: U.S. Census Figure 11 shows the value of owner-occupied housing in relation to other communities in the County and to the County overall. Richlands has the lowest median value among the several towns with only the County as a whole coming in lower. Richlands also has Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 Summary The housing stock in Richlands is primarily a mix of single-familyand mobile and manufactured housing at a wide range of values. Though the majority of housing is owner-occupied, rates of rental housing are growing. The Town's high percentage of homes valued less than $50,000 is an indicator to keep an eye on because the 27.4% figure could be indicative of poor housing conditions. Key Takeaway As the population of the Town and the region ages, there will be a greater demand for age-appropriate housing than is currently provided. Also, the Town has a shortage in multifamily housing and an abundance of mobile and manufactured homes compared to statewide averages. These two trends suggest that over the next few decades the Town's growing elderly population may encounter difficulties in maintaining their existing single family homes and hence their independence. Itcan be expected that the need for age- appropriate housing, including apartments, townhouses, assisted living facilities, and retirement communities will continue to grow. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 2.3 HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES The Railroad Section House was the home of the railroad section foreman, tasked with maintaining the section of railroad in and around the Town. The historic building was erected in the 1890's by the Norfolk and Western Railroad and still has its original board and batten siding, windows and tin roof to this day. Once renovated, the Railroad Section House will document and interpret The Coal Miners' Memorial of the Commonwealth is located in a prominent location in front of Town Hall. This attractive memorial is the official state memorial and is a tribute to coal miners throughout the region, especillythe1,100n named on the memorial who lost their lives in mining-related accidents. The memorial isa key site along the Virginia Coal Heritage Trail that stretches for 325 2.3.1 History Richlands can credit its name to the fertile soil of the Clinch River Valley. However, it was the rich and abundant coal reserves in Southwest Virginia and the extension of the railroad into the region in the late 19th century that shaped the character of the Town into the 20th century and beyond. The Town's success has been closely reflected in the booms and busts of the coal industry since being The Town is a stop along the Virginia Coal Heritage Trail, which connects several towns through seven counties in Southwest Virginia's historic coal mining region. Visitorsandlocalr residents can visit the Coal Miners' Memorial and the soon to be renovated the Town'srailroad and coal heritage. platted in 1888. miles across Southwest Virginia. Railroad Section House. IN HONOR OF OUEN OAL MINERS Coal Miners' Memorial Source: Doug Branton Surrounding the Coal Miners' Memorial is the Richlands Historic District. This district is part of the original Town street grid as laid out by the Clinch Valley Iron: and Coal Companyi in1 1888. This distric Railroad Section House Source: Rod Cury Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 includes Richlands' historic downtown area and earliest residential neighborhood, both of which show the architectural styles prominent int the late 19th and early 20th centuries. V Richlands Historic District Source: Virginia Department of Historic Resources The creation of murals and the Fire and Rescue Depart- ment sculpture in the downtown (seen at right) highlight the Town's history and creativity. Additionally, the Richlands Farmer's Market is located down- town. Venues like these help generate needed downtown foot traffic and serve to draw people to the Town from across the region. Downtown Murals and Fire & Rescue Sculpture Source: Photographs by Community Planning Partners Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 The Tazewell Avenue Historic District was developed after the Richlands Historic District, but has similar architecture. The negnpornoodinclucesacommercial district tthat fronts the railroad with a residential district laid out in a grid pattern behind it. Architectural styles include Late Victorian and Queen Ann homes, but also more modest Colonial Revival, American Craftsmen and Bungalow styles. Historic commercial buildings in this district are two-story brick structures that provide storefront commercial and retail space along the sidewalk. EER The Williams House Source: Town of Richlands 2.3.2 Arts, Culture & Events Tazewell Avenue Historic District Source: Virginia Department of Historic Resources Richlands honors its culture and heritage by coordinating a number ofc community-wide annual events and: serving as al local hub for the arts in Tazewell County. Richlands Area Chamber of Commerce The Williams House is the only building in Richlands singularly listed on the State and National Historic Registers. It was builti in: 1890 and is one of the earliest buildings constructed ini the Town. It was built to serve as the main office for the Clinch Valley Iron and Coal Company that intended to transform Richlands into a prominent The Richlands Area Chamber of Commerce is the driving force behind many community events and civic endeavors in Richlands and the Surroundingarea. The Chamberismorethan) justa ar network of business and professional people. The Chambers serves to unite private and public interests in promoting the welfare of the Town and area as a whole through marshaling volunteers to support and conduct activities that are broader than any single business or uni coke and iron manufacturing center. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 of local government. The Chamber's goal is "to make the greater Richlands area a better place in which to work and enjoy living." Among the Chamber's many Ponsored/co-ponsored programs and resources are the Historic Walking Tour of Richlands, a self- guided walking tour of Richlands' historic sites, the Tazewell County Self-Guided Public Art Tour, the LEAD Tazewell County Leadership Academy, and the Greater Richlands Area Festival highlighted below. Citizens for the Arts (CART) Citizens for the Arts is a volunteer, non-profit arts organization serving Tazewell County and the surround areas. Operating since 1981, CART is located near Richlands' public library and is funded through memberships, ticket sales, individual donations, corporate support, foundations, and local, state, and federal grants/ CART providesap performing arts series of nine toi ten events per year at various venues throughout Richlands and Tazewell County fort the public to enjoy. It also provides an Arts-in-Education program by providing artists in residence, performances, workshops, and lecturesinarea: schools. Local artists are: supported and encouraged by CART through its sponsorship of art exhibits and the contributions. Greater Richlands Area Festival Source: Richlands. Area Chamber of Commerce Facebook Page of this event, the James H. Drew Exposition has been coming to Richlands for eighty-three years! Richlands Annual Freedom Festival The Freedom Festival has become a regular annual event in mid- summer supported by a host of local and regional sponsors. Across thet two-day event, a variety of attractions and vendors are amassed to illustrate the culture, history, and artisanship of the Clinch Valley region. Festival participants enjoy historical tours and reenact- ments, musical performances, a motorcycle show, unique art, patriotic contests, carnival rides, a 5K race, and large fireworks commissioning of works of art. Greater Richlands Area Festival Drawing over 25,000 visitors to Richlands, the Greater Richlands Festival including the James H. Drew Exposition (carnival and midway) is held in June of each year. The Festival also plays host to the Miss Greater Richlands Scholarship Pageant and Miss Teen Greater Richlands Pageant. As an indication of the drawing power display. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 Annual Winter Honey Festival This festival is an annual gathering of Richlands area beekeepers, craftsmen, and honey artisans to showcase their bee-related craft. Over 40 vendors participate ini the festival representing a variety of honey types and other handcrafted items. Richlands Annual Town Wide Yard Sale The annual Town Wide Yard Sale is sponsored and hosted by the Freedom Festival Committee. Serving as a treasure-seeking occasion not only for Richlands, but Tazewell County as well, the event is held in late spring each year. Local Parades Richlands also sponsors or hosts a number of parades each year that have wide draw including the Richlands High School Homecoming Parade, a Veteran's Parade, and the annual Christmas Parade. The Richlands Farmers' Market is owned and operated by the Town of Richlands and operates six days per week from April 1 to December 31. The Town funds the Market SO that area small businesses and organization can find a staging area for their economic endeavors and is open to area farmers, gardeners, craft The Richlands Farmers' Market Source: Town of Richlands Richlands Farmers' Market Richlands also has a growing array of arts, culture and big events that not only entertain and inspire local citizens, but serveasac draw to the community. Key" Takeaway Richlands' rail and coal history, as well as its historic districts should be protected and showcased as a means of maintaining community pride and attracting visitors. The Town's arts, culture and event offerings should be expanded and utilized as a means of marketing the Town and supporting Richlands economic development efforts. persons, and food vendors. Summary Richlands' rail and coal history provide a strong sense of place and heritage and the historic districts help communicate its history. Citizens are rightfully proud oft this history and these symbols oft the past. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 2.4 ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES 2.4.1 Forest Resources One of the Town's most important resources is its character as a rural community located in a natural setting. The Town is surrounded by hills and ridgelines, most of which are forested. These forested slopes protect against erosion and create attractive At the same time, this defining feature also limits development in Richlands. Because development on steep slopes can lead to soil erosion that impacts streams and rivers and potentially undermines building safety, modern building codes limit construction on steep slopes. Construction on slopes above 25% grade is not advised and above 33% is not allowed by the International Building Code (IBC), a provision that is incorporated into the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC). Additionally, the IBC (and hence the (USBC) recommends a setback of 401 feet from the top of a steep slope and 15 feet from the bottom of a steep slope. As delineated in Figure 12 on page 16 and depicted in the Environmental Constraints Map and Land Suitable for Development Map that follow page 21, these restrictions limit the amount of undeveloped land in Richlands that vistas for citizens and visitors alike. Looking North from Richlands Town Hall and foothills, the Clinch has played a considerable role in the exploration and settlement of Southwest Virginia. The Clinch is truly a treasure trove of aquatic life. According to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the river supports about 50 species of mussels, more than any other river in the world. Over 100 species of non-game fish also claim the Clinch as their home. Lying toward the bottom of the food chain, they play an important role in the survival of other fish and mussel species. The variety of sport fish that flock to the Clinch make it an ideal is suitable for development. 2.4.2 Hydrology and Water Resources The Clinch River, traversing through the center of Richlands, is a crown jewel natural resource in Southwest Virginia. Originating in the mountains northeast of Town, the river travels some 135 miles through Tazewell, Russell, Wise, and Scott counties before reaching Tennessee. With its smooth valleys carved out of the mountains destination for anglers. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 While a natural marvel for Richlands, the Clinch and the low-lying lands adjacent to it can on occasion flood from heavy rain events that fill the Clinch'sr mountain feeder streams and rushi into the main stem. The Clinch's extent and the 100-year flood plain surrounding it are shown in the Environmental Constraints Map that follows The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitors water quality for the Clinch River as well as the creeks that feed it. The following bodies ofwater have been listed asi impaired linonef formoranother: increase levels of EC Coli. The presence of E Coli doesn't necessarily mean that there are disease-causing bacteria present in the water, buti itisag good indicator that other more harmful bacteria might be present and swimming or eating shellfish might be a health risk per EPA guidance. Important steps can be taken locally to reduce levels ofEColi: the extension of public sanitary sewer to all households in the Town, the restoration of vegetated buffers along the creeks and the Clinch River, fencing around creeksand the river where livestock are located, and ensuring that local residents pick up pet waste. The presence of mercury in fish tissue has been identified in the Clinch River, however the Virginia Department of Health has not issued a fish consumption advisory for the river or any local tributary. It should be noted that some of the impacts to the local watershed result from uses beyond the Town boundaries = page 21. Figure 12: Impaired Bodies of Water Name Length Impacted Function Probable Cause (miles) Clinch River (from the eastern 3.37 Fish Consumption Unknown (Mercury), terminus of River Street to Raven) (Mercury int tissue), Rural Residential, Recreation mining and Stormwater Runoff and silviculture. Even with these challenges, the Clinch River is being recognized more and more as a regional asset that not needs but can also provide opportunity. As part of a regional initiative to expand access to the Clinch River, the Town has been one of the "Hometowns of the Clinch." The Clinch River Valley Initiative (CRVI) is a collaboration among local, regional and state organizations to improve the environmental quality of the river, provide opportunities fori increased recreational accessand connect the River to economic development strategies for communities in the Clinch River Valley. CRVI has five goals: 1. Develop a Clinch River State Park. grounds along the Clinch River. Clinch River (from the eastern 11.77 Recreation (E Coli Unknown terminus of River Street Cedar Bluff) Town Creek Hill Big Creek only protection, as designed to present) 0.25 Aquatic Life, Recreation 1.33 Aquatic Life, Recreation 2.43 Aquatic Life, Recreation Rural Residential, Silviculture Coal Mining, Silviculture, Rural Residential Rural Residential, Unknown Mudlick Creek Source: EPAI Water Quality Assessment Ther most commonly listed "probable cause" ofi impairmentarerural land uses. The impact of septic systems and livestock can both 2. Develop and integrate access points, trails, and camp Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 3. Enhance water quality in the Clinch River. 4. Develop and enhance environmental education oppor- tunities for all community members in the Clinch River 5. Connect and expand downtown revitalization, marketing and entrepreneurial. development opportunities in the 10 percent ash, and high heat content. Tnoughproduction has been declining each year since the early 1990s, the value of the quality coal that remains has increased from the uptake in demand for metallurgical coal and high-grade steam coal according to the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy. As coal mining has declined, hydraulic fracking of natural gas reserves has heightened in intensity. Continued development of the gas present in the Marcellus Shale sediment formation that extends into this part of Virginia serves as an opportunity for energy independence and economic development, particularly for workers The Division of Mine Land Reclamation within the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) is tasked with correcting environmental and public safety hazards posed by abandoned mines and former mining activity like landslides, land subsidence, stream sedimentation, dangerous structures, acid mine drainage and open mine portals. DMME classifies items in three priority levels: Priority 1 - features posing an extreme danger to public health and safety; Priority 2 - features posing adverse effects to public health and safety; and Priority 3 features posing environmental concerns. There is one Priority2hazard within Town boundaries that is prioritized for abatement. According to a representative from DMME, this particular feature is a "low Priority 2"asitisthe remains of an abandoned brick structure that is causing some erosion. No Priority 1 threats were located within one mile of Town boundaries. Per Figure 12, impacts to local water quality are primarily tied to rural land uses like septic systems and livestock. watershed. Clinch River Valley. Currently the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has partnered with the Richlands Christian Academy on the Mile 3118 Riverbank and Riparian Corridor Restoration Project to regrade and stabilize a portion of the River in Richlands to its original channel. These local and regional efforts are already beginning to pay dividendsi including CRVI being awarded the Scenic Virginia's Scenic Tourism Award in int the Out-or-commission coal mines. 2015. 2.4.3 Mineral & Energy Resources Some of the earliest coal mined in America was mined in Central Virginia just south of Richmond andi for manyyears, small coal mines existed in both eastern Virginia and portions of the Blue Ridge and Alleghany Mountains. As the extent of the Southwest Virginia Coalfield was more fully explored and with the help of the railroad, coal mining in the lucrative Southwest Virginia Coalfield far surpassed the production of these early finds and they were all abandoned by the early 1950's. In Southwest Virginia, there are over 70 individual coal beds within the rock layer beginning in western Tazewell, Russell and Scott Counties and extending further into Southwest Virginia and into West Virginia and Kentucky. The bituminous coal that is native to these coalfields is regarded as among the highest quality, with less than 1 percent sulfur, less than Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 Key Takeaway The Town's waterways and hillsides are valuable assets that should be protected. Local development policies should include building restrictions on steep slopes. Additionally, whether through public or private efforts, opportunities to revegetate stream banks and the banks of the Clinch River should be pursued. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 2.5 EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING 2.5.1 Historic Development Patterns former airport. This flatland represents the largest area of land within Town boundaries that is suitable for development. The Town's development patterns grew up around thel level ground of the Clinch River Valley and the access provided by the historic Norfolk and Western Railroad. Industrial uses located adjacent to the railroad, commercial districts located nearby along Front Street, and the earliest residential neighborhoods were located within Development patterns continued to change as Front Street also became U.S. Route 460, an important transportation route for business and industry as well as individual travelers. Shopping centers and other retail uses were positioned along the 460 corridor. Given the topography and strong demand for affordable housing, much new housing in Richlands in the middle of the 20th century was manufactured housing built on or next to surrounding In 1971 the Route 460 bypass was constructed to reroute through traffic away from Front Street lined with retail shops and the Town's In 2005, the Town annexed a large section of land to the south and west of its then existing boundaries, increasing total land area from 1,674 acres to 3,651 acres. The annexed area includes a series of hills and bisecting streams, as well as additional flat land in the Clinch River Valley. Most of the land in the annexed area is either vacant or residential, and includes the Hidden Valley subdivision and the former Richlands Municipal Airport. Most of the remaining vacant or forested land in the 2005 area is not buildable due to steep slopes. One primary exception is the area surrounding the 2.5.2 Existing Land Use Within the borders of Richlands there are 3,651 acres of land or about 5.7 square miles. Currently, 44.1% of the Town's land area is developed. Most of the developed land is dedicatedi to single-family residential use, which represents 40.0% of all the developed land. Manufactured homes are the second most common use of developed land (excluding road rights-of-way), a use found on 10.0% of the developed land. Nearly all residential neighborhoods in Richlands include a mix of stick-built and manufactured housing, the primary exception being the Hidden Valley subdivision which is the only area of Town that is zoned R-1, az zoning classificationwhich excludes manufactured and modular housing. Multifamily develop- ment is very limited and essentially includes only two apartment Commercial uses are primarily located along the U.S. 460 Business/Front Street corridor and make up 7.1% of the developed land. Most retail uses are located in shopping centers while the historic commercial districts include a mix of retail and prolessiona/persona. services. Retail use predominates the three commercial land uses and occupies 5.1% of the developed land. This is reflected in Figure 19: Town Employment Trends which identifies Retail Trade and Accommodation and Food: Services as the second and third largest employment sectors for the Town. 6% of developed land is allocated to industrial uses. Land use that is defined as industrial can include manufacturing, heavy goods storage, or solid waste management. Most walking distance to both. complexes. hillsides. historic downtown. industrial uses Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 Richlands are related to storage, recycling or waste with limited manufacturing. The low percentage of industrial land use is also reflected in Figure 19, which shows that Manufacturing only accounts for asmall percentage of total employment. The table in Figure 13 identifies both developed and undeveloped land. 55.9% of all land within the Towni is classified asu undeveloped, a category that includes agricultural, river, and vacant/forested land. However, only 365 acres (17.8% of the undeveloped land and 10.0% of the total land area) is suitable for development. Land considered unsuitable for development includes those areas that are prone to flooding (within the 100-year floodplain) and areas with steep slopes. Steep slope calculations were performed based on the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code/International Building Code standards. Unbuildable vacant land includes flood- plains, slopes of 25% or greater, and a buffer of 27.5 feet adjacent to those slopes (the average of a 15-foot setback from the bottom ofas steep slope and a 40-foot setback from the top of a steep slope The undeveloped land that is suitable for development includes 280 acres that are currently vacant and/or forested and 85 acres of agricultural land. As illustrated in the Land Suitable for Develop- ment Map that follows page 21, much of this buildable land is found in scattered, small sites. The median size of a buildable section of forested land is about 0.10 acres and for agriculturall land, 0.5acres. Figure 13: Existing Land Use Land Use Classification Acres Percent Retail 82 5.1% 17 1.0% 16 1.0% 87 5.4% 3 0.2% 6 0.4% 161 10.0% 37 2.3% 81 5.0% 39 2.4% 24 1.5% 1,608 44.1% 85 4.1% 280 13.7% 179 8.8% 1,458 71.4% 40 2.0% 2,042 55.9% Commercial General Commercial Business/Prolessional Light Industrial Warehousing Industrial Heavy Industrial Single-Family Residential 643 40.0% Residential Mobile Homes Multifamily Residential community Facilities Public and Womp/Cemeteneyloges 55 3.4% Institutional Parks & Recreation Road/Rail Rights of Way 357 22.2% Unbuildable Portions Subtotal Developed Land Suitable for Agricultural Development Not Suitable Agricultural for Develop- Vacant/Forested ment delineated in the Building Codes). Vacant/Forested River Acreage Subtotal Undeveloped Land Total Land Area 3,651 100.0% Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 Summary Only 10.0% of the Town's total land area is undeveloped and suitable for new development. Most of the buildable land classified as vacant/forested is bounded by steep slopes and will only support limited single-family construction. With few buildable acres remain- ing, agricultural land represents the greatest opportunity for new development where located beyond the 100-year floodplain. The Town must use the remaining buildable and undeveloped land to best further the goals and objectives identified in this plan. In addition, opportunities for revitalization and redevelopment of land already developed should be considered. Finally, an additional future boundary adjustment might bei in order to capture additional land better suited for development than that currently found within Key Takeaway the Town limits. EXISTING LAND USE COMPREHENSIVE PLANS STUDY TOWN OF RICHLANDS, VIRGINIA LEGEND TOWN OF CEDAR BLUFE TOWN OF RICHLANDS ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS COMPREHENSIVE PLANS STUDY TOWN OF RICHLANDS, VIRGINIA LEGEND IOQYEARFLOCOPANS TOWN CEDAR BLUF LAND SUITABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT COMPREHENSIVE PLANS STUDY TOWN OF RICHLANDS, VIRGINIA ANTPORRESTEDL TOWN OF CEDAR BLUFF TOWN OF RICHLANDS Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 2.5.3 Existing Zoning land into six categories or districts: to protect environmentally sensitive areas and flood plains and allows for agricultural uses. This classification has not been assigned to any land parcels at this point. The Existing Zoning Map that follows page 23 shows where the different classifications have been applied. It further shows were combinations: M-1/B-2, M-1/R-2 and B-2/R-2. This unusual provision came about when the Zoning Ordinance was created because there were areas in Town that did not neatly break out into Recent amendments to the Zoning Ordinance include the addition of the R-1 residential district for the Hidden Valley subdivision in 2005 and the reversion of some of those parcels to an R-2 designation in 2011. land use that is not by the zoning ordinance for the district in which it is located, but was already present before the zoning ordinance was adopted or changed, is considered a nonconforming use. The State of Virginia gives protection to nonconforming uses, with some limits, in Title 15.2, Chapter 22, Section 2307 of the Code of Virginia. Nonconforming uses may legally continue indefinitely SO long as the building's use isn't discontinued for a period of at least two years. The law gives particular protections to manufactured homes. Any nonconforming manufactured home can be replaced with a newer model and keep its nonconforming status. The Nonconforming Land Uses Map that follows page 23 identifies those buildings that may be considered nonconforming. This map isintendedt to be general ini nature and each building'sstatus should be verified individually. The largest concentrations of non conforming uses are located in historically residential areas that The RichlandsZoning Ordinance, adoptedi in: 1971, classifiesallTown Limited Residential R-1)-asingle-family classification that restricts manufactured or pre-fabricated housing. General Residential R2)-adasifiationthat: allowsawide range of residential uses, including stick-built and multifamily structures as well as some commercial and institutional uses. R-2 is the most widely applied district in the Town, including most undeveloped land. General Business (B-2) = a commercial classification that permits retail businesses, office buildings and some institutional uses (e.g. churches, libraries). It allows for commercial uses that generate traffic and deliveries but General Industrial (M-1) - an industrial classification that permismanuracturng and! heavy goods storage that can be located near residential areas without creating a nuisance. Prior to issuing a building permit for a new use, plans must be submitted that demonstrate the proposed use will not General Agricultural (A-1) - a classification that allows agriculture, dairying andi forestry uses, as well as al broad list of residential uses, limited commercial uses and limited Special Conservation (C-1)-ac classification that is intended the Town has chosen to put in mixed zoning with three very place manufactured single-family residences, townhomes, the established districts. Any specifically permitted excludes industrial uses. create a nuisance. recreational uses with conditions. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 have been zoned for future commercial or industrial uses. In some cases, these areas are intact residential neighborhoods and historic districts. In addition to nonconforming residential uses, there are also a few commercial and industrial nonconforming uses located in Local governments have statutory authority per the Code of Virginia to enact and enforce zoning ordinances. The enabling legislationi for zoning is amended on a fairly regular basis and local zoning ordinances should be reviewed periodically to ensure that they are inc compliance with state law. The Richlands Zoning Ordinance has not been reviewed recently and in light of ongoing changes in the enabling legislation, should be updated in the very near future. There are areas where the Town's historic development patterns do not match up with the allowable uses and the geography assigned to the various zoning districts. Additionally, the Town's most prevalent residential zoning district is very permissive and allows a wide range of residential uses, including manufactured, stick-built and multifamily housing. Finally, the Richlands Zoning Ordinance the Town considers locations for economic development, residential neighborhoods that are zoned for commercial or Finally, the Town should consider including development standards in the Zoning Ordinance that protect sensitive environmental areas such as creeks, rivers, floodplains and steep slopes in accordance with the Uniform Statewide Building Code and Erosion and industrial uses should be rezoned. the area that was annexed into the Town. Sediment Control Act. Summary likely needs to be reviewed and updated. Key Takeaway The Town needs to add additional residential categories to encourage and guide the development of the housing stock that is needed for the future, particularly townhomes, apartments, and The Town must continue to balance a need for an expanded economic base through commercial and industrial development and a need to protect established single-family neighborhoods. As housing appropriate for senior adults. EAISTING ZONING COMPREHENSIVE PLANS STUDY TOWN OF VIRGINIA LEGEND C2CONSERVATION HIGHWAY ROUTE SIGNS USHIGHWAY 460 609 NONCONFORMING LAND USES COMPREHENSIVE PLANS STUDY TOWN OF RICHLANDS, VIRGINIA LEGEND TOWN OF CEDAR BLUFE TOWN OF RICHLANDS Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 2.6 ECONOMY Figure 14: Employment by Industry Quarter III, 2016 The economy in Richlands is tied to statewide, national and nternatonaimanetrend: Itsl location alongt the Norfolk Southern Railroad connects the coal fields of the Appalachian Plateau to the Port of Norfolk and to markets around the globe. Additionally, its catoninwesterlarewe. County, onthe U.S. Route 460 and near the U.S. Route 19 corridors ties its local economy with the economies of Russell and Buchanan Counties as well as greater Within this three-county region, Tazewell County has the largest employment base with 14,282 employees inQuarterllof2016v with Retail Trade jobs being the largest sector at 2,729 employees. Health Care and. Social Assistance comes in a close second at 2,363 employees. Buchanan Countyhasamuchsmaleremployment base with 6,383 employees. Even with the decline in coal mining, Buchanan's largest employment sector continues to be Mining, Quarrying, and Oil/Gas Extraction with 1,032 employees. Russell County's employment base is very similar to Buchanan's with 6,789 employees, but its largest employment sector is Health Care and Figure 15 on the next page shows the Location Quotient for each industry sector. The Location Quotient (LQ) measures the saturation of an industry sector as compared to the national economy: as awhole. The LQ helps determine the number of dollars that an industry is drawing or not drawing from outside the market area. For example, with an LQ of 39.73, the Mining, Quarrying, and Oil/Gas Extraction industry is nearly forty times more concentrated within Buchanan County than the nation and is the economic driver Tazewell Buchanan Russell County County County 1,206 274 265 445 38 15 167 ND ND 581 368 549 ND 776 593 355 149 219 2,363 765 1,071 86 28 60 306 66 19 986 159 437 553 1,032 274 895 129 158 373 272 582 1,014 708 498 141 26 21 2,729 725 867 317 236 225 32 24 48 ND ND ND 478 116 39 14,282 6,383 6, Industry Accommodation & Food Services Administrative, Support, & Waste Mgmt. Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation Construction Educational Services Finance & Insurance Health Care & Social Assistance Information Management of Companies & Enterprises Manufacturing Mining, Quarrying, & Oil/Gas Extraction Other Services (except Public Admin.) Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services Public Administration Real Estate, Sales, Rental, & Leasing Retail Trade & Transportation Warenousing Unclassified Establishments Utilities Wholesale Trade Total, All Industries Wages, Q 1,2016 Tazewell County. Social Assistance at 1,071 employees. Source: Virginia Employment Commission, Quarterly Census of Employment ND: Non-disclosable, indicating ani industry that is comprised of only a small number ofe employers andi information is withheld to protect company specific data. 25 Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 oft the local economy. Industries with an LQ over1 1.0 are called Basic Industries because they draw money from outside oft the community and form the base of the economy. This base is typically where a locality's better paying. jobs are created in a good economy and lost Figure 15: Location Quotient by Industry 2015 Tazewell Buchanan Russell County County Count 1.00 1.00 0.95 ND 0.24 0.85 0.36 0.31 0.66 ND 0. 0.87 1.49 1.65 ND 1.45 ND 0.66 0.62 0.85 ND 0.81 ND 0.23 ND 0.40 1.43 0.91 0.19 0.94 0.34 0.73 9.37 39.73 8.59 1.04 0.77 0.82 0.46 0.61 1.58 0.73 0.28 0.25 1.83 1.05 1.18 ND 1.27 0.94 0.16 ND 1.06 ND ND ND 0.86 ND Industry ina a bad economy. Base Industry: Total, All Industries Accommodation & Food Services Administrative, Support, & Waste Mgmt. Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation Construction Educational Services Finance & Insurance Health Care & Social Assistance Information Management of Companies & Enterprises Manutacturing Mining, Quarrying, & Oil/Gas Extraction Other Services (except Public Admin.) Protessional, Scientific, & Technical Services Real Estate Sales, Rental, & Leasing Retail Trade Transportation & Warehousing Unclassified Establishments Utilities Wholesale Trade An industry sector with a Location Quotient less than 1.0 indicates that an industry is less concentrated in the local area than the national economy as a whole and is solely reliant on dollars present int the local economy. Additionally, an LQ less that 1.0 means that dollars in that industry are flowing to other localities as area residents spend their money elsewhere. These industries are considered Non-Basic Industries. In any economy, there will be a mixo ofbothtypes, but thei impact ofaminer losing a job in Buchanan County is much greater than a waiter at a local restaurant losing a job because the miner's job was bringing wealth from outside the county and the waiter's job was being supported only locally by the miner's disposable income. The Location Quotient for the Mining, Quarrying, and Oil/Gas Extraction industry is the largest in all three counties. In Buchanan County in particular, this sector has an oversized impact on the overall economy. Fluctuations sint this sector can have al huge impact on all other job holders in Buchanan. It should be noted that for Tazewell County, the Retail Trade sector has the second largest LQ, most likely because of the concentration of retail clustered in and around the Towns of Bluefield, Tazewell, and Richlands and the Claypool Hill area. For Russell County, the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector has the second largest LQ due to the Source: Bureau ofL Labor Statistics, Location Quotients, 2015; ND: Non-disclosable. presence of Northrup Grumman and CGI. 26 Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 As can be seen in Figure 16 to the right, private sector employment dropped in all three counties int the region from 2005 to 2015. Both Tazewell County and Russell County lost over 1,000 jobs. Tazewell County lost 12.3% of its jobs (13,700 to 12,010); Buchanan County lost 9.4% of its jobs (5,809 to 5,263); and Russell County lost 17.9% Figure 16: 2005-2015 Employment Changes Tazewell Buchanan Russell County County County -1,690 -546 -31 ND -4 ND 5 -13 28 ND -101 -167 -182 ND ND ND -94 -3 -1 ND ND ND -79 ND -490 169 ND -49 -594 -149 -972 135 -379 408 -169 -19 25 -157 74 487 -67 -9 -21 -288 -53 -114 ND -7 7 ND ND ND ND ND ND -134 ND Industry Base Industry: Total, All Industries Accommodation & Food Services Administrative, Support, & Waste Mgmt. Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation Construction Educational Services Finance & Insurance Health Care & Social Assistance Information Management of Companies & Enterprises Manufacturing Mining, Quarrying, & Oil/Gas Extraction Other Services (except Public Admin.) Professional, Scientific, & Technical: Services Real Estate Sales, Rental, & Leasing Retail Trade Transportation & Warehousing Unclassified Establishments Utilities Wholesale Trade of its jobs (6,804 to! 5,587). The largest increase in employment for Tazewell County came from the Management sector with an increase of169 jobs and the second largest increase came in the Mining, Quarrying, and Oil/Gas Extraction sector with an increase of 135 jobs. Russell County lost 972 Manufacturing sector jobs, but showed a significant gain in Mining, Quarrying, and Oil/Gas Extraction sector jobs with an increase of 408 jobs. Russell County also experienced a significant increase in Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services jobs with the arrival of Northrup Grumman and CGI during this timeframe, gaining 487 jobs in this sector. These gains equal the losses in the Manujacturing sector. However, these new jobs require more technical skills and many of those losing factory. jobs were likely not positioned to move into these new fields. Natural Resources and Mining As noted above, the Mining, Quarrying, and Oil/Gas Extraction sector remains the strongest Basic Industry across the region even as employment has shifted within the industry. This is likely due to the growth of hydraulic fracking of natural gas. However, in to the coal industry specifically, the tonnage of coal produced and the number of mining jobs have been steadily falling in Virginia as a Source: BureauofLabor. Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment: and Wages, Ann whole (see Figure 17 on the next page). Average, 2005 &2 2015; ND: Non-disclosable. 27 Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 Figure 17: 1980-2016 Virginia Coal Industry Trends the Town has a lower percentage of jobs in retail than the County overall. Annual Tonnage 42,794,010 46,636,708 33,259,580 22,149,326 8,325,855 Total Employees 18,688 10,265 4,948 4,671 2,318 Health Care and Social Assistance Sector 1980 1990 2000 2010 2016 In the 24641 Zip Code (northwestern Tazewell County), an estimated 30% of all civilian employment is in the Health Care & Social Assistance sector according to Census Bureau County Business Pattern estimates (see Figure 19 on page 30). Notably, Clinch Valley Heath (CVH) employs 687 persons with an annual payroll of over $43 million. CVHis.comprised off four entities: Clinch Valley Medical Center, a 175-bed acute care hospital offering cancer services and specialty care for the heart, lungs, and vascular systems, emergency services, physical rehabilitation, pediatrics, obstetrics, and advanced diagnostics; Clinch Valley Physician Practices, a comprenensive group of physicians and surgeons; Preferred Home Health Services, a full-service healthcare agency providing quality home healthcare for patients in Southwest Virginia; and Clinch Valley Urgent Care providing walk-in care during early and late hours and weekends including X-ray, drug testing, and The Clinch Valley Medical Center was recently designated a Duke LifePoint Quality Affiliate, a recognition of the Center's enrollment in the LifePoint National Quality Program and success in trans- forming its culture to focus on safety and achieving high standards of quality care, performance improvement, and patient engage- ment. The various components of Clinch Valley Health are a key player in the local economy and pay $512,652 in local taxes Source: Virginia Department of Mines Minerals and Energy Manufacturing Sector Compared to some other communities, the Manufacturing sector is not very strong in Tazewell County at 6.9% of all employment and even lesser SO in the surrounding counties. However, with a Location Quotient of0.94, the Manufacturing sector comes close to hitting a 1.0 LQ which would indicate a balanced presence in the Tazewell County economy. Per the 2014 edition of County Business Patterns produced by the U.S. Census Bureau, Richlands had a few small manufacturing firms and one larger construction machinery laboratory services. manufacturer. Retail Sector In Tazewell County, the Retail Trade sector has al Location Quotient of 1.83, meaning that the County's retail outlets serve more than just local residents and bring money into the County from residents who reside outside of the County. It also represents 19.1% of all employment ini the County. Retail employment in Richlands is more centered on small businesses, with only 1 of every 44 retail establishments employing more than 50 people and because ofthis, annually. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 Figure 18: Total Town Employment this number has most likely begun to increase again. Given its impact as aj job creator, thet trending growth or decline of this sector will be important to monitor as well as any other medical employment centers in the region and their impact on Richlands as The most noticeable decline has been in Mining, Quarrying, and Oil/Gas Extraction sector jobs, though it should be noted that the numbers in both Figure 18 and 19 are for the entire 24641 ZIP Code Similarly, the Retail sector has also declined. The impact of the construction of a Walmart, Lowe's, and other retail outlets in Claypool Hill over the last two decades is reflected in a loss of retail employment within the Richlands zip code. Though noti ini the 24641 ZIP Code, the closing of the K-Mart at the will likely have an impact on retail jobs in the overall area. The Manufacturing and Information sectors are two industry sectors that do not currently contribute a large percentage ofj jobs to the local economy, but could become growth opportunities in the near future. The town has a strong transportation network of highways, rail and air connections, strong internet infrastructure, competitive utility ratesand opportunities to connectton naturalg gas. These assets are being promoted in order to attract manufacturing The attraction of Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector companies like those that have located in Russell Counties would be a large asset to the Town. In addition to providing. jobs, these industries are also high volume consumers of electricity, which could be provided by the Town's local utility. 3200 3000 2800 2600 2400 2200 2000 al healthcare destination. -Total Employment Linear (Total Employment) that includes areas outside of Town. Hill Mall in 2016 Source: Town Employment Claypool U.S. Census- - County Business Patterns (24641. ZIP Code) Private sector jobs in the Town of Richlands fell by 24.7% between 1998 and 2014. Figure 18 shows this negative trend despite employment shifting upward on two different occasions. Itisunclear whether or not future employment will continue to increase and reverse this long-term negative trend. Figure 19 on page 30 shows the estimated number of private sector jobs for the top local employment sectors and their variation from 1998 to 2014. The Town's largest employment subsector, Health Care and Social Assistance, has seemingly peaked, but is still a driving force in the The Health Care and. Social Assistance sector is projected to grow nationwide and with the continued success of Clinch Valley Health, companies to the Town. local economy. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 Figure 19: 1998-2014 Estimated Town Employment Trends 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 Social Assistance 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 Health Care& Retail Trade Accommodation Mining, Finance8 & Manuracturing Other Services Information Professional, Adminstrative, &F Food: Services Quarrying, & Insurance (except Public Admin.) Scientific & Support, Waste Technical Mgmt. Services Oil/Gas Extraction Industry Sector Source: U.S. Census - County Business Patterns (24641 ZIP Code); employment estimates extrapolated from number of businesses and business size range data by Community Planning Partners, Inc. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 Enterprise Zone Figure 20: Richlands Subarea Tazewell County Enterprise Zone The Town of Richlands cooperates with Tazewell County on the Tazewell County Enterprise Zone which includes a subarea in the Town as shown on the following page. In addition to state incentives, Richlands provides to qualifying business in the Enterprise Zone: 1. A declining Rehabilitated Real Estate Tax Exemption Incentive for qualifying improvements of 80%, 60%, and 2. ABuilding Permit and Development Fee Refund Incentive. 3. Adeclining Lodging Tax Refund Incentive of 80%, 60%, and 4. Ad declining Meals Tax Refund Incentive of 80%, 60%, and 5. Ad declining Business License Fee Abatement of 80%, 60%, These Enterprise Zone Incentives were new in 2016 and it is hoped that they will help incentivize new business and industry start-ups in the Town. There is asmall trend developing where businesses in more distressed areas of Southwest Virginia are looking to be in a larger, more dynamic markets such as the Town of Abingdon and Richlands. It is hope that these Incentives will also help pull some of those relocating businesses to the Town. Appalachian One-Stop Center 40% over three years. 40% over three years. 40% over three years. and 40% over three years. Source: Tazewell County Office of Economic Development tunities Act of 2014, the One-Stop Center streamlines job search and job training efforts by coordinating the efforts of a number of agencies including the Workforce Development Board, Virginia Employment Commission, and the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services to offer referrals, career counseling, job listings, and other employment-related services under one roof. Though it still plays a central part in the local economy, the Natural Resources & Mining sector is declining in the region. Town employment is also declining, impacted by the loss of these mining jobs and the loss of Retail Trade jobs that have moved to the U.S. Route 19 Corridor. Currently the Health Care & Social Assistance subsector, and more specifically, Clinch Valley Health, is the larges private employer in the Town. The Manufacturing and Information Summary Richlands is home to Southwest Virginia's first American Job Center also known as One-Stop Centers, housed in the Richlands Business Incubator facility. Established under the Workforce Investment Act and reauthorized under the Workforce Innovation and Oppor- Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 sectors may offer the strongest opportunities for growth in Richlands duet to the presence of assets needed by these industries. Key Takeaway Despite the decline oft the coal miningi industryand lossofretail jobs, the Town boasts infrastructure assets that could support Manufacturing, information and data driveni industries. Though too new to tell, iti is very likely that the recently adopted Enterprise. Zone Incentives will pay significant dividends in the future if the Town is able to support business start-ups and attract businesses to relocate within the Town. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 2.7 COMMUNITYS SERVICES, FACILITIES & UTILITIES The Williams Park Complex is located on Farmer Street, on the southern side of the Clinch River, opposite of downtown. The complex provides four basebal/softbal. fields, two basketball courts, a picnic pavilion and playground. Funds for acquisition and development of the park came from the Town and County, local donations, and the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. The park is located in the 100-year floodplain and connects to the Clinch River Pedestrian Walkway and Bike Trail. The trail extends approximately 1,500 feet from the Williams Park Complex and follows the Clinch River downstream and westward but ends betorereaching the Front Street Bridge. Thet trail wasfunded inj part byaTransportation Enhancement Grant oft the Virginia Department An extension of the Clinch River Pedestrian Walkway and Bike Trail has been proposed that would extend the existing trail the river for approximately 2 additional miles until it reached the swinging bridge located near the intersection of Page Street and Matney Lane. Asite analysis and proposed route was completed in the fall of 2013 with assistance from the Community Design Assistance Center of Virginia Tech. In addition to identifying a course, the analysis also includesr recommended locations for future public access, parks and open space along the river. It should be noted that the users of the Town's recreation facilities include Tazewell County residents and residents of other nearby towns. Town staff estimate that the ratio of in-town versus out-of- town users to be 30% in-town and 70% out-of-town. 2.7.1 Recreation & Tourism The Town currently has two primary recreation facilities and a pedestrian and bike trail. A voluntary nine-member Recreation Commission is established to "provide, conduct, and supervise" the Town's recreation facilities and activities. The Department of Parks and Recreation is tasked with daily operations for its two park facilities and recreational trail. The department focuses primarily on providing opportunities for leisure activities for town residents. The staff includes two full-time employees: the Executive Director and a supervisor. Part-time employees include a facility maintenance worker, life guards during the summer months, and others that work year-round to provide additional services such as The expenses for the Department in FY 2015 was just under $300,000. The Department is partially self-funded in that it collects approximately $35,0001 to $50,000 annually from fees and services. The Richlands Recreation Park provides a gym, weight room, two community rooms as well as an outdoor pool, three tennis courts, a soccer field and a basebal/softbal. field. This facility, built in 1976 is currently in the midst of an extensive renovation. Phases 1 and 2 are completed and included the renovaton/epacement of the entire roof, gym floor and partitions, bleachers, and scoreboards and upgrading of the electrical system. Phases 3 and 4 are scheduled to begin in FY17 and include the expansion of the weight room as well as the renovation of the restrooms. currently ofTransportation in 2000. coaching for local youth sports teams. along Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 Summary Communications Center are severely outdated. The cost for police All of the Town's existing and proposed recreational opportunities are located along or within walking distance to the Clinch River. As such, the river plays an important role in the quality of life of local residents and serves as a great local asset to attract others to the Town. Expanded access to the river also provides a high value use for land located within the 100-year floodplain that should and protection in FY2016 was $1.82 million. Fire and Rescue The Fire and Rescue Department serves all areas within the Town limits and the Western and Northwestern Districts of Tazewell would not be developed otherwise. Key Takeaway By seeking to complete its portions of the Clinch River Pedestrian Walkway and Bike Trail and supporting the Clinch River Valley Initiative the Town is able to serve residents and visitors by providing recreational opportunities, making the Town a more attractive location for business and residents looking to relocate, and improving the environmental quality of the Clinch River. Additionally, the Town is the hub of much of the region's recreational events. This is a real plus for the Town in that it draws people in, but it does come at some expense. 2.7.2 Public Safety Police TOMNICERRAIDS Engine 504 in Front of Town Hall Source: Richlands Fire & Rescue County. Made up of thirty-eight (38) full and part-time staff, the Department has nine (9) fire trucks and other fire equipment, five (5) ambulances, and two (2) SUV's for the Fire and EMS Chiefs. The strength of the staff and training, the newness of the equipment, response times, distances traveled to a fire, and water availability and pressure have helped the Town achieve an ISO Rating of 6, thus helping keep insurance rates down for the community. In 2015 (calendar year) the Department responded to 307 fire call and 2,486 calli for emergency medical services (EMS) at a cost ofj just The Police Department serves the entire Town and occasionally responds to requests for assistance from neighboring departments through a mutual aid agreement. Average emergency response time for 2015 was three (3)tofour (4) minutes and, as such, no need forasubstation! has been identified. The Department has seventeen (17) sworn officers and currently has twenty-one (21) vehicles in its inventory that range in age from one (1) to eleven (11) years. The radio consoles and radio paging systems at the Police Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 over $770,000 (fiscal year). As with the other Town: services, 70% of the fire and EMS calls are to areas outside of the Town of Richlands in an average year. Tazewell County contributes $60,000 annually to the Town for fire protection services and $10,500 for EMS The Fire and Rescue Department also maintains a 1,730 square foot Burn Building for the purpose of training more than 300 firefighters from the Town of Richlands and surrounding communities. 2.7.3 Public Works Streets & Roads The Streets and Roads Department is in charge of maintaining, rehabilitating, and plowing the Town's roadways and maintenance and repair of storm sewers, drains, culverts and street markings/signs in Richlands. Generally speaking, maintenance equipment, roads, and sidewalks are not in optimal condition. The department is in possession of snow removal equipment that is fairly worn out, and some of the Town's sidewalks and curbs could greatly benefit from refurbishment. The Streets and Roads Depart- ment operates with a staff of twelve (12) and expended just under $920,000 inl FY2015 supported by approximately $900,000annually in Urban Maintenance Program funds from the Virginia Department services. ofl Transportation. Sanitation The Town's Sanitation Department is responsible for collecting and disposing ofresidential garbage, household trash and bulk items. It operates with a staff of six (6) and four (4) refuse trucks. The cost for sanitation services in FY2015 was just under $400,000 with just over $407,000 collected in fees. 2.7.4 Water/Wastewater Utilities Richlands Fire & Rescue Department Burn Building Water Source: Richlands Fire & Rescue The Town owns and operates the Richlands Regional Water Treatment Facility, a 2.5 million gallons per day (MGD) facility that utilizes conventional methods to treat and deliver potable water to the Town's distribution system. Partnering with the Town of Cedar Bluff and the Tazewell County Public Service Authority, the was constructed in 1994 and currently furnishes water to the Tow The Fire and Rescue Department has successfully maintained an ISO Public Protection Classification rating of 6 in recent years which helps keep hazard insurance rates low for its residents and businesses. facility Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 of Cedar Bluff, the communities of Raven and Doran and other rural areas in the Northwestern district of Tazewell County through a contract with the Tazewell County Public Service Authority (PSA) and portions of Russell and Buchannan Counties as a wholesale supplier of treated water. The water treatment plant is currently operating at about 48% capacity and serves 2,465 in-town and 77 out-of-town customers. The plant also provides water treatment services to approximately 10,000 customers outside of the Town through the agreements with the Tazewell County PSA and Water distribution is accomplished through the use of booster pumping stations and storage tanks located throughout the service area. Water reliability is sustained through interties with other wastewater treatment services to approximately 10,000 customers outside of the Town through agreement with the Tazewell County In FY 2015 Richlands' operating revenue from water and sewer utilities was $2.3 million and expenses were $2.4 million. The water and wastewater utilities and line maintenance staff number fifteen PSA. (15) employees. 2.7.5 Electric Utility neighboring counties. The Town owns and operates its own user-supported electric utility that provides service to most residents and businesses within the town. It purchases energy wholesale from American Municipal Power and is able to provide electrical service at very competitive rates. Approximately 2,500 electric customers are served by the Town. Operating revenue for FY 2015 operating revenue matched expenses at just over $6 million. Additionally, 500 electric cus- tomers are served by AEP (Appalachian Power), mainly in the areas incorporated into the Town ini the 2005 Boundary Adjustment. The Town's power supply portfolio consists of owned asset capacity, contracted assets, block purchases, and market purchases. The Town owns capacity in the following generation facilities: 1):2.588 kilowatts (kWs)i in the Prairie State Energy Campus,atwo unit, 1,600 megawatt (MW) mine mouth coal fired plan located in Southern Illinois with a 30-year coal reserve on site; 2) 2,208 kWs in the Freemont Energy Center, a 6751 MW natural gas combined cycle unit in Ohio; 3) 1,499 kWs in the Smithland, Cannelton & Willow Island complex, a 208 MW run-of-the-river hydroelectric plant in West Virginia; and 4) "behind the meter" generation through a 1.2 MW adjacent water producers. Wastewater Richlands owns and operates the Richlands Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility, a 4.0 million gallons per day (MGD) facility. The plant, located at 425 Plant Road, treats wastewater received from both the Town and the Tazewell County Public Service Authority's sewage collection system. Partnering with the Town of Cedar Bluff and the Tazewell County PSA, the facility was constructed in 1990 and currently serves the Town of Cedar Bluff and the communities of Raven, Doran and Banes Bottom. Treated wastewater is discharged into the Clinch River while sludge is disposed of naturally. The wastewater treatment plant is at approximately 30% capacity and serves 2,403 in-town and 60 out-of-town customers. Almost all potential users in the town with access to ar nearby sewer line are connected to the system with the exception of a small number of households on West Fork Road. The plant also provides generator. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 The Town has contracted assets with the Southeastern Power Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy for hydroelectric units in Virginia owned and controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers. These units provide 500 kWs of the Town's needed The remaining kWs needed by the Town for its customers are provided through block purchases (contractual obligations with utilities and energy brokers of financial institutions) and market The Town of Richlands is committed to seeking, evaluating, and pursuing power supply opportunities in order to maintain service ties and services, including those provide by the Parks and Recreation Department, get mostly high marks from its citizens per the community: survey and public input session. Key Takeaway capacity. The Town has the necessary infrastructure and utility capacity in place to support efforts at bringing in much needed additional employers. This infrastructure and capacity can also handle additional businesses and households, both within the Town if internal growth was to occur and outside the Town if a future boundary adjustment was to occur. As with any utility that has additional unused capacity, additional users would go far to help cover the costs of providing the in real time and over time as operational costs and the cost of ongoing capital improvements to purchases. reliability at cost competitive rates. 2.7.6 Gas Utility utility the system climb. Appalachian Natural Gas Distribution Company, a private utility, currently provides natural gas to the Clinch Valley Medical Center and the Lake Park community immediately behind it. Within (one) 1r mile of the Town of Richlands is an open-access, high capacity Transco pipeline which could supply the Town with an unlimited supply of natural gas produced from coal bed methane. The Town and Appalachian Natural Gas continue exploration of a partnership to develop a town-wide natural gas distribution system. Summary Public water, wastewater and electrical utilities are provided throughout the large majority of the Town. Water and wastewater are treated at plants that are operating at less than half of their capacity. The Police and Fire and Rescue Departments do an admirable job keeping Richlands citizens and ctizensorsurrounding communities safe given limited resources. The Town's public utili- Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 2.8 TRANSPORTATION Figure 21: VDOT Functional Classifications in Richlands 2.8.1 Roadway Functional Classifications The Town's road network includes routes classified by VDOT as principal or minor arterials and major or minor collectors. These classifications denote the kind of function each roadway serves. Arterials are intended to emphasize mobility, the efficiency by which traffic can move. Collectors are intended to emphasize access, connecting different uses along the route. Each functional classification exists on a scale between providing efficient mobility and access via points of entry and exit. The VDOT Functional Classifications are represented graphically in Figure 21 to the right and on a VDOT Functional Classifications Map that follows page 38. U.S. Route 460 Bypass and Business are the primary arteries in Richlands. Route 460 is part of the Heartland Corridor, a designated Corridor of Statewide Significance. A major function of the corridor is to transport freight from the coalfields to Hampton Roads. In addition to moving freight towards the east coast, Route 460 also connects the coalfields to markets in the Midwest. The segment of Route 460 parallel to the railroad and adjacent to the Clinch Valley Medical Center is typically the most congested stretch of road int the area. Mobility along Route 460isa al high priority and as such, access points are tightly managed, especially along this segment. 2.8.2 Roadway Traffic' Volumes Route 460-Governor George C. Peery Highway Principal Arterial Business 460 -Front Street and Second Street Route 67, (South of Rt. 460) Railroad Street Route 67- Raven Road Minor Arterial Route 67, (North of Rt. 460) Railroad Street Route 609 Kent Ridge Road and Veteran Drive Major Collector Norfolk Street Edgewater Drive Minor Collector points are the most frequently used entrance and exit in and out of downtown. Route 460 Business where 2nd Street merges with Front Street is the busiest non-Bypass segment. There are several access points along this segment including fast food and convenience uses that create a tension between road mobility and access. To accommodate the high traffic volumes and increase accessibility, this segment has been identified for road widening and two-way let turn lanes. (An Average Annual Daily Traffic Map follows page 38.) Traffic volume data from 2014 shows the Town's busiest roadways. The Route 460 Bypass carries the largest loads, particularly at the eastern and western Town boundaries. A reduction in total traffic volume on the Route 460 Bypass between thei intersection with Front Street and the exit onto Railroad Street demonstrates that these two Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 2.8.3 Alternative Transportation Options Ina addition to local and regional roads, Richlands' transportation network includes railroads for freight and a local bus system operated by Four County Transit. Sidewalks are available in most commercial areas of town, in a few of the older residential neighborhoods and along some major roads. The town has no designated bike lanes and, perhaps due to topography, biking is not As noted in Figure 22, private vehicles are the most common means of transportation to work. The sample size of the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey means that the margin of error is especially large for the underutilized means of transportation. Despite the lack of precision, the findings demon- strate that there are currently very few workers in Richlands that are using modes of transportation other than personal automobile awidely used means of transportation. when commuting to work. Walking and Biking Figure 22: Means of Transportation to Work 2009-2013 The commercial district and neighborhoods surrounding Richlands Town Hall as well as the entire lengths of 2nd Street and Front Street are well lined with sidewalks. Front Street from downtown to the school complex provides a key connection along a heavily trafficked road. In other areas sidewalks are less available. The Alternate Transportation Options map that follows page 38 identifies key sidewalk extensions needed along busy roads that could serve to Margin Estimate ofError 2,044 +/-192 94% +/-4.4 87% +/-5.1 7% +/-3.4 5% +/-3.1 2% +/-1.2 0% +/-1.7 104% +/-0.02 0% +/-1.7 2% +/-1.6 0% +/-1.7 1% +/-0.8 3% +/-3.5 Workers 16 years and over Car, truck, or van Drove alone Carpooled In2 2-person carpool In 3-person carpool In 4-or-more person carpool Workers per car, truck, or van Public transportation (excluding taxicab) connect residential areas with jobs and retail and service centers. There are currently no bike lanes in Richlands. Per the data to the left, bike ridership is very low in Richlands. If bike usage increases, especially on busy roads with narrow or Walked Bicycle Taxicab, motorcycle, or other means Worked at home Source: U.S. Census, American Community Survey 2009-2013. Estimates A Bike Sharrow Source: Flickr.com, Michael Andersen Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 no shoulders, bike "sharrows" can be installed to signal to drivers that they must be alert and share the road with bicyclists. Pounding Mill Connector have risen steadily since service began in 2010. Rail Public Transit The bus service provided by Four County Transit is deviated fixed route service throughout the Town and connecting to the region. The Town contributes $7,200 annually to Four County Transit in support of its citizens' usage of the system. The Alternative Transportation Options Map shows the current fixed routes within the Town and a route that connects Richlands residents to retail destinations in Claypool Hill and Pounding Mill. Figure 23: Total Bus Trips per Year Many of Norfolk Southern's freight rail lines which run through Virginia's coalfields converge in Richlands and connect to wider markets on the east coast and Midwest. In 2010, Norfolk Southern completed improvements that increased freight capacity on the Heartland Corridor, which runs from the Port of Virginia in Hampton Roads to markets in the Midwest. The corridor's mainline does not pass through the Town, but it is easily accessible from Norfolk Southern's network of rail lines that do enter the Town. Amtrak's passenger rail corridors in Virginia do not provide access to Richlands Pounding Mill Route 15,008 15,672 14,949 16,294 11,935 Richlands. Summary Fiscal Year 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 Connector *4,141 7,635 8,532 9,750 10,648 Richlands' transportation network is very robust, but does not adequately promote and support walking and bicycling as maintaining additional pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure would be challenging given the ongoing expense of maintaining the road network that is already in place. Road maintenance costs will bes significant tinfutureyears: andthe support and regular and special funding provided by the Virginia Transportation Department is alternative means of transportation. and However, constructing Source: Four County Transit *Route. began in November. 2010 As demonstrated in Figure 23, ridership levels for the Richlands Route have remained relatively constant until FY 2014-2015 when total number of trips ont the Richlands Route felll by 27%. Partofthis reduction may be due to the fact that some bus stops along the Richlands Route were moved to the Pounding Mill Connector ini that year. Even accounting for this change, total ridership between the two routes dropped in FY 2014-2015. Ridership levels for the Richlands. crucial to the future success of Key" Takeaway Richlands needs to continue working with its local, regional, and state partners, both public and private, to ensuret that resources are made available to keep the Town well-connected to national and international markets via a modern transportation network. VDOT FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATIONS COMPREHENSIVE PLANS STUDY TOWN OF RICHLANDS, VIRGINIA LEGEND EXISTING FUNCTIONAL HIGHWAY VAPRIMARY 509) VASECON DARY Route 460 460 SFront 609 AVERAGE ANNUAL DAILY TRAFFIC COMPREHENSIVE PLANS STUDY TOWN OF RICHLANDS, VIRGINIA AVERAGE DAILVT TRAFFIC (AADD) 40000- 20000 19999- 10000 9999- 5000 VEHICLES 4999- 1000 EB- EASTBOUND WB- VPD. Railroads St, VA67 2183.VPD Route 460EB 10773 VPD UTEve Route 460EB 460 13355VPD Route460WB 13355VPD 67 Secopd PD BUS Par, VA67 VPD Norfolkst 160 460EB 13355 VPD 460 Route 4601 WB 13355) VPD BUS Route4 460BUS A 460 6242VPD Route 460EB 13450VPD Route 13450 460WB VPD Route460 BUS Route t 460 Route-460WB 8639 VPD Road 5233V VPD KentRidgeRd 4671 VPD 609 Route 460BUS, 10684 VPD 5521 tRidgeRd 609 4002 VPD Kent RidgeRd 3098 VPD Kent Ridge Rd 2896 VPD ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS COMPREHENSIVE PLANSTUDY TOWN OF RICHLANDS, VIRGINIA LEGEND TRANSITR ROUTES RICHLANDS BUSROUTES OPOUNDINGMILL BUS STOPS GHWAY ROUTES SIGNS USHIGHWAY 09 Route 460 460 m0 609 POUNDINGI MILL RICHLANDS TO POUNDING MILL TRANSIT ROUTE INSET Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 3 THE PLAN 3.1 VISION list of goals, objectives, and strategies; a list of policy initiatives; illustrative plans and conceptual drawings of particular public improvements or areas targeted fori transformation; and/oral listof capital improvements needed to move the locality forward. Ata minimum and as required by the Code of Virginia, it must include generalized land use plan that encourages an orderly, harmonious arrangement of land that will meet the present and future needs of the locality. This is typically done through a Future Land Use Map that represents the vision the locality has for the development and/or redevelopment of the land within its boundaries. Additionally, in Virginia, a Comprehensive Plan must contain a transportation plan that lines up with regional and statewide road planning efforts and funding priorities as promulgated by the The remainder of the Plan has been structured with a combination off forms/formats. Sub-sections 3.2, 3.3, and 3.4 that follow are set upas goals, objectives, and strategies that line out broad directions and specific strategies that need to be undertaken to move the Town of Richlands forward in the areas of land use and development, housing and neighborhoods, and economic development. For the most part, the strategies outlined in these sub-sections are not very capital intensive or depend on thei infusion of outside capital via grants available through the Commonwealth of Virginia. They are also strategies that take a number of years to fully implement or are implemented in distinct stages. Sub- section 3.2 also contains the Future Land Use Map as referenced Sub-section 3.5 addresses the capital needs related to communit services, facilities, and utilities and is set up as al longer-term Capita One of the most compelling themes to emerge from this Comprehensive Planning process is that even with its challenges, the Town of Richlands is better poised than many towns in Southwest Virginia to take advantage of the shifts in the regional economy. It sits at a hub for both the regional highway and rail transportation networks. It is home to a large regional hospital. It isar more developed locality with levels of public services often reserved for much larger communities. It is located well to take advantage of the growth in natural gas exploration and extraction. From this opportunity emerges a vision statement: Virginia Department of Transportation. Building on our rich history, ideal location, & "can do" attitude, Richlands will strive to be a premier community in Southwest Virginia. This vision statement serves as a challenge toi the Town of Richlands and as a reminder that it has what it takes to grow and advance in the future. It is an aspirational statement, intentionally short on details. The details come in the remainder of the Plan component that follows. 3.2 PLANSTRUCTURE above. Beyond the vision, the Plan component of a Comprehensive Plan can take on many forms and formats including a visionstatementya Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 Improvement Plan (CIP) that provides guidance to the annual CIP planning process in future years. Italso sets forth goals, objectives, and strategies to increase the sustainability and resiliency of the Town in light ofthe chalengingfinanclalatmosphere Richlands finds Sub-section 3.6 outlines the transportation projects previously identified by the Town and regional leaders as priorities and Proxbesaditionaimomastonaboutashitint funding priorities for the Virginia Department ofTransportation. Because this shift is still a work in progress, this Comprehensive Plan can highlight its potential impact, but can not fully line up project needs and funding opportunities at this time. Therefore, this sub-section also includes a set of goals, objectives, and strategies aimed at developing more concrete transportation plans in the near future. itself in these days. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 3.3 LAND USE & DEVELOPMENT Objective: An increase in the amount of vacant land and existing retail, commercial, and industrial buildings being Objective: A decrease in the number of underutilized parcels Objective: Anincrease ini the annual number of issued Building Permits as a measure of eveopmenv/redeveopment activity. Objective: An expansion of the Town's boundary as warranted by a continued shift of development to nearby unincorporated Tazewell County lands and concurrent loss of business and As a community located in an economically challenged region of Virginia, Richlands has to walk a fine line of having land use and development guidelines and regulations that are both specific enough to guide development and flexible enough to not scare away new development. In Southwest Virginia competition is keen for the limited amount of growth that comes to the region in any given year. When it becomes too burdensome to undertake a project in one locality, a developer can move just down the road to where the development atmosphere is friendlier, either in a nearby town or in an unincorporated portion of Tazewell County or some The following goal, objectives, and strategies do more closely regulate the development environment in Richlands. At the same time, they also include provisions that if implemented would incentivize development and redevelopment in Richlands. An example of an incentive is the Real Estate Property Tax Partial Exemption for improvements to older structures. Even delineating more clearly the zoning districts and uses is in itself an incentive to build a new house or develop a new business where you knowthere will not be incompatible uses or ongoing nuisances in close Goal: To spur the development of vacant land and the redevelopment of underutilized parcels and dilapidated structures by implementing forward-looking land use and development actively marketed. and dilapidated structures. other nearby county. industry in the Town of Richlands. Strategy #1: Utilize the Future Land Use Map included in this Comprehensive Plan as a platform for making additional future land use designations in order to improve the Town's existing land use patterns and to encourage and Strategy #2: Update and upgrade the Town Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Mapi to provide stronger guidance to the proper development of land and structures including the elimination of split zoning and the creation of new zoning categories/districts such as Mixed Use. Strategy #3: Additionally update and upgrade the Town Zoning Ordinance to allow for targeted economic development and redevelopment projects to be sited via one or more new "floating" zones similar to the typical Planned Unit Development floating zone utilized by man communities today. Such floating zones might be of three accommodate new development. proximity to each other. policies, ordinances, and strategies. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 types: Economic Development, Mixed Use, and Mixed Strategy #4: Adopt and implement a Real Estate Property Tax Partial Exemption Ordinance fori improvements to older structures [100% exemption of increase in assessment or 50% of actual cost of improvements phased out over a period of up to 15 years (as allowed under the Code of Strategy#5: Adopt and implement al Land Use Assessment Ordinance to allow for reduced property assessments for land in agricultural, horticultural, forestal, or open-space use (as allowed under the Code of Virginia, S 58.1-3230ff). Strategy #6: Undertake a boundary adjustment study to determine the feasibility and efficacy of pursuing a future boundary adjustment with Tazewell County. Because of the amount of land constrained by environmental factors (floodplain and steep: slopes) [see Environmental Constraints mapl, the Future Land Use Map that follows this page does contain future land use designations indicating the extent to which currently vacant parcels can be developed. Those designations include: Constrained - parcels where approximately 75% or more of the land is int the floodplain or contains steep slopes. Mixed Constanea/Deveopabe = parcels where approx- imately 25% to 75% of the land is in the floodplain or Developable - parcels where approximately 25% or less of the land is in thei floodplain or contains steep slopes. An additional factor in determining the uses outlined above was the isolation of certain parcels due to their distance from a public road or their location behind an already developed parcel. The Future Land Use map that follows this page is hereby established as the Land Use Plan for the Town of Richlands. Itmay be amended from time to time through action of the Town of Richlands Planning Commission and subsequently approved by Town Council or by alterations made under at future comprehensive Residential. Virginia, 558.1-3220))- plan for the Town of Richlands. contains steep slopes. FUTURE LAND USE COMPREHENSIVE PLANS STUDY TOWN OF RICHLANDS, VIRGINIA TOWN OF CEDAR BLUFF TOWN OF RICHLANDS Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 3.4 HOUSING & NEIGHBORHOODS Strategy# #1: Secure a Planning Grant from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (VDHCD) to conduct a town-wide Housing Needs Assessment that prioritizes neighborhoods for housing rehabilitation and identifies new housing development Strategy #2: Secure a second Planning Grant from VDHCD to plan, apply for, and if awarded implementation funding, undertake a specific Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)-funded housing rehabilitation project in a targeted Strategy #3: Work with a recognized and capable non- profit community development corporation to determine the opportunities for the development of additional low- and moderate-income housing communities with the assistance of various grants such as the Virginia Housing Trust Fund and various incentives such as the Low-Income Strategy #4: Secure grant funding from the Virginia Housing Development Authority al Mixed Use-Mixed Income (MUMI) Planning Grant to study the feasibility of adaptively reusing one or more downtown structures as a mixed use Even though Richlands' population is projected to stay relatively flat ini future years, new and rehabilitated housing will still be needed as the housing stock continues to age. Additionally, additional housing types achieved through new construction will be needed to maintain a healthy mix of ages within the Town limits, particularly for young families and the elderly. The following goal, objectives, and strategies are established to address these issues and to hopefully position the Town for growth in the future as the local economy continues to adjust to the decline in coal mining in the Goal: To provide a strong mix of housing options by promoting the rehabilitation of existing housing and the development of new housing for persons of varying income levels, household size, and opportunities. region. neighborhood of high need. stages of life. Objective: A decrease in the number of households living in substandard housing in the Town of Richlands. Objective: An increase in the annual number of major housing rehabilitations and additions in the Town of Richlands. Objective: An increase in the annual number of new housing Objective: The development of additional housing types in the senior apartments, well-built affordable housing units, and new orr rehabbed small units for millennials. Housing Tax Credit program. starts in the Town of Richlands. (residential rental/retail) facility. Strategy #5: In cooperation with local and maintain a section of the Town of Richland's website as ar means of promoting "housing opportunities available Richlands" that promotes housing ready for occupancy "fixer-uppers," and land available for residentia Richlands Town of realtors, develop including townhomes, upscale apartments, Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 development. This strategy should have multiple target markets including young families and persons who grew up in Southwest Virginia that are seeking to return to the area in their retirement years. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 3.5 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Objective: An increase in employment and a commensurate decrease in unemployment and underemployment within the Objective: A pattern of growth in median household income in the Town of Richlands in excess of the rate of inflation. Strategy #1: Secure a Planning Grant from VDHCD to plan, apply for, and if awarded implementation funding, undertake a specific Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)-funded downtown revitalization project for the section of Downtown Richlands west of the Clinch River Strategy #2: Continue to develop natural gas as a town- wide utility and explore at the appropriate stage of development the efficacy and feasibility ofas stronger Town role in expanding the delivery of natural gas to residential, retail, office, commercial, and industrial users. Strategy #3: In cooperation with the Tazewell County Development Partnership, actively promote the Town of Richlands' Enterprise Zone and other key economic development opportunities to regional, statewide, and Strategy #4: In cooperation with the Tazewell County Tourism Department and Clinch River Valley Initiative, actively promote the historic, environmental, and cultural assets in Downtown Richlands including the Coal Miner's Memorial, Section House, Clinch River Pedestrian Walkwa In our modern world, local economies are more connected to and impacted by regional, state, national, and international economies than ever before. Because of this, local economic development efforts can never be undertaken in isolation. Securing resources, both private and public, and expertise from outside of the immediate community is key to building a strong local economy. This is even more true as localities seek to land larger companies and develop basic industries that bring new wealth into the At the same time, there has been a burst of entrepreneurial development in America in recent years, particularly among younger people. Much of this new entrepreneurial. development has occurred ini the larger cities which serve as magnets, pulling Gen Xers and Millenials away from rural and small town communities. Countering this trend through supporting entrepreneurial development in non-urban settings is a very challenging, but essential part of developing the local economy. Such support also provides the benefit of helping keep at least some of the younger residents of the community at home instead of watching them all Thei following goal, objectives, and strategies keep these two trends Goal: To expand economic opportunities for the citizens of Richlands by encouraging and supporting the development of new retail, commercial, office, tourism, and industrial enterprises within the Town of Richlands and on its doorstep through regional Town of Richlands. community. along 2nd Street and Front Street. Office of Economic and the Economic Virginia Development migrate to the big cities. in mind. national markets. economic development partnerships. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 and Bike Trail and river access, downtown businesses and architecture, and the downtown murals. Strategy#5: In cooperation with the Small Business Development Center at Southwest Virginia Community College, the Tazewell County Economic Development Department, the Appalachian One Stop Workforce Center, and the Richlands Area Chamber of commerce, create an Entrepreneur "Boot Camp" and pursue all funding opportunities available to support the program and its graduates such as the Virginia Department of Housing and Economic Development's "Building Entrepreneurial Strategy #6: In cooperation with the Richlands Area Chamber of Commerce, host a twice yearly forum of realtors, developers, and business leaders within the Town of Richlands to keep them abreast of developments within the Town, solicit their input, and gain their commitment as promoters of the Town of Richlands. Strategyt #7: Develop and maintain a section of the Town of Richlands' website as a means of promoting "economic opportunities available in Richlands." Strategy#8: Maintain an awareness of the state resources available for economic development and where opportunity arises, vigorously pursue all state funding available for economic development projects. Strategy #9: Prioritize the participation of key Town staff and elected officials in regional and statewide economic development forums, training events, and promotional events. Economies" grant funding. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 3.6 COMMUNITY SERVICES, FACILITIES & UTILITIES The following information is set up as a longer-term Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that provides guidance to the annual CIP planning processi ini future years. The costs cited represent the best estimate of the various department heads for the Town of of a new truck is estimated at $1.2 million, but it can also be purchased used for $300,000. Figure 24-b: Fire Projected Capital Costs 2017 2022 $4,265,000 $6,465,000 2018 Total 2019 2020 2021 $0 $0 $650,000 $1,550,000 $30,000 Richlands. 3.6.1 PublicSafety Police Capital needs for the Rescue Squad are related to expanding capacity. The needi for two new trucks and new staff hires have also The Police Department is funded mainly through the General Fund, but also receives categorical aid/grants from the Commonwealth of Virginia and to a lesser degree, fines and asset forfeitures. The Department identified two primary capital needs: upgraded technology and replacement of its vehicle fleet. Costs for these investments have been programmed through 2021. Figure 24-a: Police Projected Capital Costs been identified. Figure 24-c: Rescue Projected Capital Costs 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Total $171,840 $22,000 $13,000 $160,000 $25,000 $391,840 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Total $64,000 $178,500 $190,500 $128,000 $138,000 $699,000 3.6.2 Water/WastewatewaterUtilities Water Treatment The Richlands Regional Water Treatment Facility is in condition and operates under capacity. Nevertheless, regularly scheduled maintenance and improvements needed to keep up with current standards are having a growing impact on the Water Utility budget. Repair/painting costs for the Airport tank that is a part of the water treatment plant are estimated at $250,000. and Fire Rescue good The Fire and Rescue Department is funded through the General Fund and categorical aid/grants from the Commonwealth of Virginia, but also receives funding from Rescue Squad fees of $550,000to 5600,000annualy. Upcoming capital expenses include anew Fire/EMS building estimated at $4.2 million. Additionally, the Department hasi identified the needi for anew ladder truck. The cost Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 Figure 24-d: Water Treatment Projected Capital Costs 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Total Figure 24-f: Water/Wastewater Line Projected Capital Costs 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Total $230,800 $65,000 $70,000 $100,000 $40,000 $505,800 $334,750 $37,000 $25,000 Wastewater Treatment $0 $0 $371,750 3.6.3 Streets and Roads Projected capital costs are identified through 2019 and are primarily focused on the maintenance of the existing system. The largest upcoming capital needs are a dump truck for bio-solids ($85,000) and an upgrade for the plant's ultra-violet (UV) disinfection system Figure 24-e: Wastewater Treatment Projected Capital Costs 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Total $167,650 $435,000 $5,000 $30,000 Water/Wastewater Lines The largest capital expense on an ongoing basis for the Streets and Road Department is repaving of existing roads. Additional capital expenses include equipment purchases, such as a new street sweeper scheduled for FY2019 at $75,000 and other facilities, such asar new salt building scheduled for $250,000 in FY2019. Figure 24-g: Streets Projected Capital Costs ($250,000). $0 $637,750 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Total $540,000 $40,000 $755,000 $27,500 $80,000 $1,442,500 Included in the projected capital costs below is a sewer line extension along West Fork Road, a water line extension to the Hill Creek area, and a water line extension on Sagewood Drive off of Route 629 (Daw Road). These extensions are programmed to be accomplished through 2022. The largest expense, however, is line replacement and enlargement on Clinch and Patterson Streets ($100,000). Further extension of water and sewer lineswithin Town boundaries is limited because of topographical constraints. Repair costs for the Farmer tank are estimated at $150,000. Al long- term solution needs to be identified for the School tank. The tank will need to be repaired or, if replaced, the Downtown tank could be moved and consolidated with a new School tank. 3.6.4 Sanitation The largest capital expense for the Sanitation Department is the replacement of garbage trucks and other equipment. A grapple truck is scheduled for FY2019 at $125,000 and a new garbage truck is scheduled for FY2020 for $150,000. Figure 24-h: Sanitation Projected Capital Costs 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Total $0 $0 $125,000 $150,000 $0 $275,000 Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 3.6.5 Electric Utility The Town handles many of its capital expenses on a "pay as you go" basis through its Capital Improvement Plan, but an expense such as a new Fire/EMS Building requires taking on new debt. Every year, the budgeting processes for the General Fund, Utilities, and Capital Improvement Budgets are quite challenging. Town leadership anticipates that budgeting will be an ongoing challenge, short of having a large amount of new residential, commercial, or industrial The following goal, objectives, and strategies are offered as a means of putting the Town of Richlands on better footing to handle the current and future capital needs and expenditures, as well as smooth out any ups and downs in General Fund revenue and Goal: To raise and set aside the operational and capital resources needed to undergird the growth and development of the Town of Richlands as a premier Southwest Virginia Community. Objective: Ani improvement in the sustainability and resilience of the Town of Richlands to weather the continuing shift in the Southwest Virginia regional economy, any future regional and economic downturns, man-made and natural disasters, and Objective: A better and smoother transition to any increases in taxes and/or fees that might become necessary to continue functioning as av well-tuned local government. The cost of smaller capital improvements to the Electric Utility can be funded with minimal adjustments to the electric utility fees charged to the customers of the system. Larger and unanticipated capital costs that may be encountered in the future would likely require much larger adjustments in these fees. Ifthe Electric Utility were able to expand to take in those AEP customers that remain within the Town's boundary from the previous boundary adjustment or through a new boundary adjustment, these costs could be spread out over a larger customer base. However, AEP assets or any other electric company assets would have to be acquired at significant cost. This would be a difficult and expensive proposition and not necessarily included as part of any negotiated poundaryadjustment since the assets are privately held. Figure 24-i: Electrical Utility Projected Capital Costs. 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Total growth come to the Town. expenses that might be encountered. $45,750 $106,000 $0 $0 $0 $151,750 The total of all the capital expenses outlined above and on the previous two pages is $10.3 million over the next five (5) to six (6) years, or approximately $1.75 to $2.1 million per year. While not large by some standards, this amount can represent a challenge for a smaller community like the Town of Richlands. Additionally, having sufficient capital funds on hand is very important in that more and more of the funding agencies require matching funds to other unanticipated events. Strategy #1: Regularly develop a more robust Capital Improvement Plan that anticipates annual and five-year capital needs and expenditures and outlines sources access their grant funds Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 funding for each expenditure (General Funds, any applicable state and federal grants, partnering entities, Strategy #2: Determine on a five-year basis an annual General Fund allocation to be set aside to fund the Capital Improvement Plan and adjust revenues and/or other expenditures to provide the funding needed. Strategy#3: Create a "rainy day" General Fund reserve and a' "rainy day" Capital Improvement reserve to be funded at percentages of the annual General Fund Budget and Capital Improvement Budget set by the Town Council and fund them from any revenue over expenses on an annual basis Strategy #4: Undertake a boundary adjustment study to determine the feasibility and efficacy of pursuing a future boundary adjustment with Tazewell County. (Repeated private donations, etc.). until the percentages are met. from page 41.) Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 3.7 TRANSPORTATION shown on the Transportation Improvement Plans map that follows Transportation planning for Richlands is chiefly influenced by of Transportation (VDOT) VTrans 2035 Surface Transportation Plan was the statewide plan that guided the most recent regional transportation planning effort of the Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission (PDC) in partnership with its allied local governments. The projects identified in this plan were determined cost limits. Seventeen road projects in Richlands were identified for implementation over a 25-year planning horizon, divided into: short- term, mid-term, and long-term timeframes. The replacement of the U.S. 460 Business/Front Street bridge over the Clinch River was the highest priority short-term road improvement project and work has been completed. Short term goals also include increased road signage for secondary roads that Front Street/Business Route 460 to three lanes between the convergence of Second Street and Front Street and the western Clinch River Bridge. Over the mid-term, the condition of Town the Clinch River, as well as the Veterans Drive overpass have all been recognized as in need of repair. Long-term improvements include improvements to the railroad grade at the crossings that connect Clinch Street to Route 460, expanding the width of Big Creek Road intersectionwith. Second Street to connect to the Route 460 Bypass. The full list of desired improvements put forward in this Regional Plan is shown in Figure 25 below and on the next page and are page 51. statewide and regional planning efforts. The Virginia Department Figure 25: Richlands Priority Road Projects in Current Regional Plan Location 460 Bus. (FrontSt.) Timeframe Description US 460 (Richlands Bypass)/US Short Improve US 460 Bus. approach to intersection as part of bridge replacement at west end Clinch River. (COMPLETED) approaches. (COMPLETED) by locally identified needs and are not necessarily constrained by 2 US 460 Bus. (Front St.)/Bridge Short Replace bridge and reconstruct nearby over west end Clinch River 460 Bus. (front St.)/Scott St. Short Add street name signs onto mast arms. 4 Second! St./Scott St. Second! St./Suffolk Ave. Short Add street name signs ontor mast arms. Short Add street name signs, "No U-turn" signs westbound approach, and speed limit sign west ofi intersection. Short Add street name signs and "No U-turn" for westbound: approach. west ofi intersection. intersect with Front Street and Second Street and the widening of 6 Second! St./Railroad. Ave. US 460 Bus. (Front St./Railroad Short Add street name signs and speedI limit signj just Ave. St. bridges has beeni identified as al high priority. Two bridges that cross 8 US 460 Bus. (front St.)/Allegheny Short Add street name signst tor mast arms. US460E Bus. (front St.)/Floyd St. Short Add street name signs tor mast arms. 10 Second St./Rockbridge Ave. Short Adds street name signs tor mast arms. to modern standards, and extending Veterans Drive beyond the 11 US 460 Bus. (front St.) from Short Widen roadway tot three-lane urban stan bridge over west end Clinch River to Seconds St. top provide two-way! left turn lanes. (COMPLETED) Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 12 US 460 Bus. (Front St.)/Bridge Mid over east end Clinch River 13 US 460 Bus. (Second St.)/Bridge Mid over east end Clinch River 14 VA 609 (Veterans Dr.) at Bridge Mid w. ofl Incubator Altizer) Lake Park Dr.) Upgrade bridge. Upgrade bridge. Upgrade bridge. Figure 26: Richlands Road Projects in Previous SYIP through 2022 Description (values in $ thousands) Street (Bus. 460) over Big Town Hill Creek House Restoration maintenance Estimate Previous FY17 FY18-22 Balan 1A Bridge Replacement Front $3,770 $2,095 $- $1,675 $- 2A Railroad Section Foreman's $532 $604 $- $- $(71) 3A Pavement overlay and $700 $700 $- $- $- 15 Clinch St./railroad crossing (near Long Lower railroad toe eliminate humped crossing. 16 Clinch St./railroad crossing (near Long Lower railroad to eliminatel humped crossing. 17 VA 67 (Big Creek Rd.) from Long Reconstruct tot two-lane urban standards. Kentucky Ave. to 0.62 Mi. SWof NCL 18 VA 67 (Big Creek Rd.) from 0.31 Long Mi. SW OfNCLtONCL 19 Veterans Dr. Ext. from Second St./Veterans Dr. intersection to US460E Bypass There is also a STARS (Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions) Program safety study being conducted by VDOT concurrent with this comprehensive planning process along U.S. 4601 from Route 67 to Front Street and Front Street Reconstruct tot two-lane urban standards. Veterans Dr. from Second! St. tol US460 Extend' Long River. (U.S.460 along Bypass and construct to two-lane urban Business) from U.S. 460 to Second Street. STARS studies and standards, including new bridge over Clinch projects are initiated out of the VDOT District offices which for Richlands is the Bristol District. Richlands' transportation projects currently scheduled in the Six Year Improvement Plan that was approved under the VTrans 2035 planning process are listed in the next column. Project 1A on this list is also shown on the Transportation Improvement Plans map that follows this page. TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PLANS COMPREHENSIVE PLANSTUDY TOWN OF RICHLANDS, VIRGINIA Location Front Street (Rt 460) overBig Town HilCreek FY19-20 Bridge ent Identifiedi Sixy Year US4 460 Bypassl/US 460Bus. (Front Short St.) Us 460E Bus. (Front St./Bridged over Short Replaceb ClinchRiver 460E Secondst/Scoltst Second Ave. Timetrame Description repla Short Adds Short Est. Cost Plan) INPROGESS 460E Bus. approacht tothei intersectiona aspartofbridge COMPLETED COMPLETED TBD TBD signs ontor masta arms. Short Adds signs, "NoU-turn" signsf for westbounda approach, and TBD limits intersection. Short Add signs and" "NoU-tum" signsfor westbounda approach. TBD US460 Bus. (front St./RailroadAve. Short Adds street signs and speed limit signjusty westo ofintersection. TBD US460Bus. (fronts St/AlleghenySt. Short Adds street name signstomasta arms. TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD US460Bus. (fronts St/Hoydst. Ave. US460Bus. (fronts St)frombridge over west Short endClinchR 12 US4 460Bus. (front: overE. endo Clinch Mid. Upgradebridge. River US 460Bus. (Seconds St./Bridgeo overE E.end Mid Upgradebridge. ClinchF VACOetDAaNs ofincubator Mid Upgradebridge. Clinchst/rairoad crossing InearA Altizer) Long Lower 16 dinchs/alioadarosing! (nearl lake/ParkDr) Long Lower raliroadtoeliminatel humpedo crossing. 17 VA67( (BigCreekRd.) fromk Kentucky Ave. to0.62 Long Reconstruct totwo-laneu urbans standards. 18 VA67( (Big Rd.from 0.31Mi. SwofNCLto Long Reconstructt urbans standards. Short Adds Short Adds arms. standardstop provide two-wayleftt turn COMPLETED nate humpedo crossing Mi. SWOFNCL VeteransDr Ext. froms Secondst/ /VeteransDr. Long Extend froms Secondst tous4 Bypassa and constructtolwo, TBD touS 460 Bypass 19 including new bridgeo Clinch River. 1A 15 16 12 OCTOBE Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 VDOT'snew VTrans 2040 Vision has been put forward thati identifies statewide visions and funding priorities that will help direct future regional planning efforts. A more detailed transportation plan, the VTrans 2040 Multimodal Transportation Plan will replace the existing 2035 plan in 2016. In the future, improvements identified in each regional plan will be prioritized for funding based on their connection to these specific funding priorities. The Six Year Improvement Plan (SYIP) has long been used as a means of listing the transportation improvements that have been selected by' VDOT and scheduled for implementation over six years. Under VTrans 2040, moving a project from the planning stage to being programmed and funded under the SYIP will be on competitive basis according to these new priorities: A. Economic Competitiveness and Prosperity: invest in a transportation system that supports a robust, diverse, and B. Accessible and Connected Places: increase the oppor- tunities for people and businesses to efficiently access jobs, services, activity centers, and distribution hubs. Safety for All Users: provide a safe transportation system for passengers and goods on all travel modes. D. Proactive System Management: maintain the transport- ation system in good condition and leverage technology to optimize existing and new infrastructure. Healthy and Sustainable Communberapportavaley of community types promoting local economies and healthy multi-modal lifestyles that minimize vehicle travel, while preserving agricultural, natural, historic and cultural Additionally, the VTrans 2040 Multimodal Transportation Plan serves to delineate how funding decisions will be made in the future, particularly as related to the funding that are available according to the terms of House Bill 2 (HB2) approved in 2014, now called SMART SCALE. This competitive process has already begun with round one funding being awarded in 2016 and added to the Six Year Improvement Plan. Though a match is not required for SMART SCALE funding, in the first round, 321 applications were submitted requesting $6.95 billion in funding with $7.93 billion in other funds Future applications will be due in the fall of each year for funds to be awarded the following year through inclusion in the Six Year Improvement Plan as either a VDOT High Priority Project (category #1 and #2 below) or through the Construction District Grant Program (all categories below). SMART SCALE funded projects fall 1. Corridor of Statewide Significance - key multimodal travel corridors that move people and goods within and through Virginia, serving primarily ongdstane/mteregona 2. Regional Networks = multimodal networks that facilitate intraregional travel within highly urbanized areas. 3. Urban Development Areas (UDA) - areas where dictions intend to concentrate future population growth and development consistent with the UDA definition in th resources. also included for the projects. competitive economy. into four (4) categories: travel. E. juris- Code of Virginia. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 4. Transportation Safety Needs - statewide safety needs SMART SCALE funded projects are scored and awarded funds based on their impact on the following evaluation critera/measures: Of particular concern to the Town of Richlands is the number of bridges in the Town and the need for significant maintenance and upgrades that they require. Given this looming need, Town and Tazewell County staff and elected leaders and representatives from the Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission will need to make a strong case for local improvements using the funding priorities identified in VTRANS 2040 and by the SMART SCALE identified in VTrans2040. 1. Safety 2. Congestion Mitigation 3. Accessibility 4. Environmental Quality 5. Economic Development funding process. The following goal, objectives, and strategies are intended to help the Town of Richlands take the lead in meeting its transportation Goal: To improve the quality, viability, connectivity, and safety of the existing transportation network in the Town of Richlands indludingimprovements that promote a "multi-modal lifestyle"and expand the economic opportunities and prosperity of the needs for the future: 6. Land Use Coordination for Areas Over 200,000inF Population Though SMART SCALE applications are scored objectively on the criteria listed above, the criteria are weighted based on the location of the project. In Southside and Southwest Virginia, the weighting factor is skewed toward projects that generate economic Itis very important to note that U.S. 460 is a Corridor of Statewide Significance. Such Corridors include parallel roads and other adjoin- ing transportation facilities such as airports and ports. Being on the U.S. Route 460 Corridor is a very big plus for the Town of Richlands. Beyond projects funded through the Six Year Improvement Plan and the SMART SCALE funding process, the Town of Richlands will continue to receive an annual allocation of Urban Maintenance Program funds. The Town will also be able to apply for Revenue Sharing funds, but these funds must be matched dollar for dollar. community and its citizens. development. Objective: Areframing of alle existing and future transportation improvements per the priorities established byt the VTrans 2040 Multimodal Transportation Plan. Objective: A repositioning of the Town of Richlands as a key part of the U.S. Route 460 Corridor of Statewide Significance as delineated in the VTrans 2040 Multimodal Transportation Plan and the funding protocols and scoring criteria for SMART SCALE funding as established by VDOT in order to secure needed resources. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 Strategy #1: In cooperation with the Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission (PDC), Tazewell County, and the VDOT Bristol District Office, update the Town of Richlands' portion of the PDC's Regional Long Range Transportation Improvement Plan. Strategy #2: On annual basis and in consultation with the VDOT Bristol District Office, seek to submit a SMART SCALE funding application for new, expanded, and significantly improved roadways and other components of the transportation network as a part ofa Corridor of Statewide Significance with a goal of improving the economic competitiveness and prosperity of the Town and region or to alleviate unsafe conditions. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 [This page is intentionally left blank.] Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 4 MPLEMENTATION The success of a Comprehensive Plan depends on a scheduled implementation of the Plan's goals, objective, and strategies that is monitored and adjusted as needed over the life of the Plan. The following Implementation Schedule outlines out how the "on the ground" work of this Comprehensive Plan is to unfold. It serves the purpose of pacing the work in order that planning proceeds expenditures to make sure funds are secured and expended in a This Implementation Schedule also lines out the less capital intensive actions that reflect changes in focus or priorities, in the budgeting process, and in how the Town publicizes development opportunities within the Town. While not capital intensive, these actions could be just as impactful. It is hoped that these actions become imbedded in the DNA of the Town of Richlands and are repeated on a regular basis as long as they prove useful to the timely and prudent manner. Town's growth and development. Richlande Comprehensive Plan 2017 [This page is left intentionally blank.] Richlands Comprehensive Plan 2016 implementation Schedule Land Use & Development 227222777 Strategy #1: Utilize Future Land Use Map asa platform for futurel land use decisions. Strategy #2: Update and upgrade the Town Zoning Ordinance and Map. Strategy #3: Develop new' "floating zone" zoning categories for inclusion int thez Zoning Ordinance. Strategy #4: Adopt andi implement a Real Estate Property Tax PartialE Exemption Ordinance. Strategy #5: Adopt andi implement al Land Use Assessment Ordinance. V V - V V Strategy #6: Undertake al boundary adjustment study to determine the feasibility and efficacy ofafuture adjustment. Strategy #1: Conduct a town-wide housing study utilizing a Planning Grant from VDHCD. Strategy #2: Plani for, submit an application, andi implement: a CDBG- funded neighborhood housing rehab project. Strategy #3: Work with a non- -profit community development corporation1 to develop new low- tor moderate-i -income housing. Strategy #4: Secure VHDAI Mixed Use- -Mixed Income (MUMI) Planning Grant for downtown adaptive reuse. Strategy #5: Develop and maintain a' "housing opportunities available in Richlands" section oft thel Town's website. Strategy #1: Plan for, submit an application, andi implementa a CDBG-funded downtown revitalization project west oft the Clinch River. Strategy #2: Continue to develop natural gas asat town-wide utility and at ther right stage take a stronger role inc developing the asset. Strategy #3: In cooperation with Tazewell County and' VEDP, promote the Town of Richland's Enterprise Zone. Strategy #4: In cooperation with Tazewell County and the CRVI, promote Downtown! Richland's historic and cultural assets. Strategy #5: Incooperation: with the SBDC of SVCC, Tazewell County, and the Workforce Center, develop an Entrepreneur "Boot Camp." Strategy #6: Inc cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce, host atwicey yearly forum ono development opportunities inF Richlands. Strategy #7: Develop and maintain an" "economic development opportunities available in Richlands" section oft thel Town's website. Strategy #8: Maintain an awareness ofa and vigorously pursue alls state funding available for economic development. Strategy #9: Regularly participate in economic development: forums, training events, and promotional events. Strategy #1: Regularly developa a more robust 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan. Housing & Neighborhoods Economic Development Community Services, Facilities & Utilities Strategy #2: Determine onas 5-year basis an annual General Fund allocation tof fund the Capital Improvement Plan. Strategy #3: Create "rainy day" General Fund and Capitall Improvement reserves tob bef funded atp percentages set by Council. Strategy #4: Undertake: al boundary adjustment study to determine the feasibility and efficacy ofa af future adjustment. Strategy #1: In cooperation with local/regional partners, update thel Town's portion of the Regional Transportation Improvement Plan. Strategy #2: On annual basis, seek tos submit a SMART SCALE application for funding toi improve and expand thet transportation network. Transportation 61