New River Valley Planning District Commission

New River Valley Planning District Commission
Name	New River Valley Planning District Commission
Formation	1969
Type	Regional planning commission
Headquarters	Christiansburg, Virginia
Region served	New River Valley, Virginia
Membership	Montgomery County, Pulaski County, Giles County, Floyd County, Radford (city), Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Pearisburg, Pulaski (town)

Contents

New River Valley Planning District Commission is a regional planning commission serving the New River Valley region of southwestern Virginia including counties and towns around the New River. The commission conducts cooperative planning, technical assistance, and grant administration among localities such as Montgomery County, Pulaski County, and the town of Blacksburg while coordinating with state agencies like the Virginia Department of Transportation and federal agencies including the Economic Development Administration. Its work intersects with institutions such as Virginia Tech and Radford University and regional bodies such as the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission and the Blue Ridge Parkway corridor efforts.

History

The commission was established in 1969 amid regional planning movements alongside entities like the Virginia Regional Planning Districts Act and contemporaneous organizations such as the Tidewater Regional Planning Commission and the Northern Virginia Regional Commission. Its early projects aligned with statewide initiatives led by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development and federal programs under the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Economic Development Administration. Over decades the commission collaborated on transportation projects with the Virginia Department of Transportation and with higher education partners including Virginia Tech and Radford University to address growth related to institutions like the Radford Army Ammunition Plant and the expansion of the Interstate 81 corridor. The commission’s history reflects interactions with regional economic strategies associated with the New River Valley Regional Commission and national policy shifts such as the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991.

The commission’s board comprises elected officials and representatives from member jurisdictions including Montgomery County, Giles County, Floyd County, and the independent city of Radford. The governance structure is patterned after statutes like the Code of Virginia provisions used by other bodies including the Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional Commission and the Crater Planning District Commission. Staff includes planners, economic development specialists, and transportation analysts who coordinate with agencies such as the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. Committees and advisory boards work with stakeholders from Blue Ridge Community College, Montgomery County Public Schools, and regional chambers like the New River Valley Regional Commission and the Greater Roanoke Chamber.

Programming spans transportation planning tied to the Interstate 81 and U.S. Route 460 corridors, economic development support connected to the Economic Development Administration and regional Chamber of Commerce efforts, and land use assistance in concert with university partners such as Virginia Tech and Radford University. The commission administers grant programs leveraging funds from the Community Development Block Grant program and technical assistance tied to federal agencies like the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency. It supports broadband initiatives aligned with statewide efforts led by the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative and collaborates on housing strategies reflecting guidance from the Virginia Housing Development Authority and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Natural resource planning involves coordination with the New River Conservancy, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, and federal programs such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Member localities include counties and municipalities such as Montgomery County, Pulaski County, Giles County, Floyd County, the town of Blacksburg, the town of Christiansburg, the town of Pulaski, and the independent city of Radford. The region overlaps with geographic features and corridors like the New River, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the Interstate 81 and U.S. Route 460 transportation corridors, and is home to institutions such as Virginia Tech and Radford University. Adjacent regional entities include the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area, the Crooked Road music trail, and conservation areas tied to the Appalachian Trail regional planning initiatives.

Funding sources combine contributions from member localities such as Montgomery County and Pulaski County, state allocations through agencies like the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, and federal grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Economic Development Administration, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The commission administers project-specific contracts and grant-funded programs similar to those managed by the Crater Planning District Commission and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. Budgetary oversight involves audits and reporting consistent with Common Grant Rules and state financial reporting requirements under the Code of Virginia.

Major initiatives include regional transportation planning linked to Interstate 81 improvements and corridor studies for U.S. Route 460, broadband expansion projects coordinated with the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative, economic resiliency efforts partnered with the Economic Development Administration and local chambers such as the New River Valley Regional Commission, and watershed and conservation projects involving the New River Conservancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The commission has facilitated comprehensive planning efforts associated with land use and growth management in concert with Virginia Tech research, housing strategies informed by the Virginia Housing Development Authority, and disaster resilience planning reflecting guidance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

Category:Regional planning commissions in Virginia