The City Council’s work session on March 25 focused on reviewing the comprehensive plan, which serves as a roadmap for the city’s future.
Virginia requires all localities to have a comprehensive plan, which must be reviewed every five years. The plan updates reflect recent changes and help adjust land use roadmaps for the city’s development.
The plan is currently in the data-gathering and community input phase.
“It’s just as much about the process as the final product,” said Caroline Vanterve, senior planner for Berkley Group LLC.
The project webpage is available for citizens to review, and the entire process is expected to take 18 to 20 months.
Community feedback will be gathered through pop-up events, an interactive map, a community-wide survey, eight focus groups and community forums.
The interactive map allows residents to drop pins marking community assets.
“All the feedback that we get through this will be anonymous,” Vanterve said. The pins are visible in real-time, and any inappropriate content will be removed.
Residents can complete paper copies of the survey or access it online.
“We take the survey results very seriously.”
Two pop-up events were already held in February at Martinsville Middle School and the Martinsville-Henry County YMCA.
Another pop-up event is scheduled for May at The Ground Floor.
Additionally, community drop-in sessions will be held:
- April 15, 12 – 2 p.m. at New College Institute
- May 6, 6 – 8 p.m. at New College Institute
“These are open to anyone in the community,” Vanterve said.
Each focus group will examine a different aspect of the comprehensive plan, including transportation, students, and land use.
The council and planning commission were asked to provide feedback to help move the plan forward.
The drafting process begins in May or June and will continue through the end of the year.
There will be three additional joint meetings to review drafts of the plan, ask questions and provide feedback.
A public open house will allow residents to review the full plan before its finalization.
The comprehensive plan is expected to be adopted by June 2026.
