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Alliance Task Force Charter

The Greater Williamsburg Chamber and Tourism Alliance (Chamber-Alliance) would like to be an effective participant in the development of comprehensive plans for its three municipalities. The organization's goals include encouraging the growth of existing and new businesses, coordinating the efforts of those involved in commerce, industry or the professions, promoting the area as a year-round travel destination, and supporting all activities believed to be beneficial to the area. In support of those goals, the organization has identified several specific responsibilities. One of those is to represent the interests of the business and tourism community by harnessing the collective power of its members and using the power in constructive ways as issues of interest to business arise. Another is to assist the municipalities in achieving their goals when business can be a productive partner.

The comprehensive planning processes in the three municipalities provide important opportunities to represent the views of the business and tourism community and to be an effective partner in achieving broader goals. The Chamber-Alliance has established a Comprehensive Plan Task Force to accomplish the following goals:

 

>Follow the progress of comprehensive plan discussions and share appropriate information within the Chamber-Alliance

>Formulate pros and cons related to areas of primary consideration, as determined by the Task Force

>Recommend Chamber-Alliance positions to the Executive Committee

Background

The City of Williamsburg, James City County and York County have adopted a process for coordinating the preparation of comprehensive plans for the three jurisdictions. They will each undertake a simultaneous comprehensive plan review in 2010. In order to do that Williamsburg will accelerate its cycle by one year, York will stay on its current cycle, and James City County will accelerate its cycle by three years.

James City County's last comprehensive plan was adopted in 2003 (http://www.james-city.va.us/government/administration/comp-plan.html). The County is working through a two-year planning process. According to the timeline dated April 24, 2007, the process will include rounds of public hearings in the spring and summer of 2008, continuing staff work throughout 2008, review and approval by the steering committee in February 2009, review and approval by Planning Commission in April 2009, and review and approval by the Board of Supervisors in 2009. As a result, the 2009 plan will be followed almost immediately by the simultaneous comprehensive plan reviews in all three municipalities in 2010.

The James City County 2008 Comprehensive Plan Methodology

On November 5, 2007, John Horne and other James City County staff discussed the comprehensive plan process with the Chamber-Alliance Economic Progress Committee. They handed out a five-page summary of the process and a timeline. The following notes quote from and paraphrase that summary.

The steering committee for the process will include six members; a liaison from the "community participation team," four Planning Commissioners, and a Board member. The community participation team, including three Planning Commission members and seven citizens, will encourage public participation in a series of "community conversations" with various start times and locations around the County. An internet site will be used to post information, announce meetings, and poll citizens on particular topics. County planning, neighborhood connections, and communications staff have developed a communications plan including various media. County staff will gather statistical information and develop background reports for each section of the plan. Staff will develop goals, strategies and actions for each section based on the public input and policy direction. The Steering Committee reviews and approves the goals, strategies and actions.

The land-use section of the plan will include revisions of the land-use map based on staff review and landowner requests. Landowner applications to re-designate their properties will be advertized, open for public comment, reviewed by staff, evaluated by the Steering Committee, and passed on to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors for approval.

The staff will begin this year coordinating the kinds and presentations of data it collects with the staffs of York County and the City of Williamsburg. The goal will be to make the information compatible for the 2010 collective update.

Preliminary Outline of Task Force Actions in Conjunction with the JCC Comprehensive Plan Review

Spring 2008

>Select approximately fifteen task force members. Membership should reflect the scope of major business categories in Chamber-Alliance membership.

>Review the 2003 Comprehensive Plan and identify major issues related to business and tourism.

>Identify Chamber-Alliance members to meet with the steering committee, participate in various "community conversations," and provide short reports of the key business issues under discussion. The conversations are currently scheduled to begin in April.

>Develop a preliminary summary of key business issues and present the findings to the Executive Committee.

Summer-Fall 2008

Develop a paper listing the pros and cons of major business and tourism issues for review by the Executive Committee.

>As approved by the Executive Committee, communicate the findings and recommendations in continuing "community conversations" and to the Steering Committee, Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors as appropriate.