One of the most crucial steps towards facilitating public input is framing the discussion. Stafford’s Healthy Growth public engagement process consists of three public phases, one of which is complete.

On March 5, 2019, County staff presented the engagement process to the Board of Supervisors that detailed the stakeholder criteria used to collect feedback from community groups. Stafford County worked with a consultant to assist with these public conversations on Healthy Growth. At this point in the process, individual community stakeholders’ interviews and roundtable discussions have concluded, providing additional context for the public meetings later this month.

Again, stakeholders were selected from the criteria of those identified as being most impacted directly by the Healthy Growth priorities or retaining specific expertise around the matter. A group of stakeholders was selected for two different roundtable discussions held on Wednesday, April 10, 2019, at the George L. Gordon, Jr., Government Center. Participants included:

• Realtor (Jo Knight, Brad Johnson)
• Banker (Pete Humes)
• Home Owners association representative (Malini Davis, Lynne Conroe, Mike Rhodes)
• PTO representative (Stacey Bertotti, Karla Pray)
• Friends of the Rappahannock (Brian Hofmann, Zeke Moore)
• Residential Developer (Alex McCallister, Tim Hall)
• Residential Builder (Donn Hall)
• Large-scale property owners (John Harris, Tom Cropp, Jerry Silver, Clay Crocker, Bettina McWhirt, George McWhirt, Marty McClevery)

Stakeholders discussed: their views on what factors are contributing to the greater than desired amount of development in the rural areas; what types of initiatives they thought would incentivize and encourage the quality of life for citizens in the Targeted Growth Areas consistent with the desired urban form; and what type of zoning and rural preservation initiatives could move the County toward the desired preservation of rural character in Stafford’s Comprehensive Plan for the future.

The next step in the process includes public information sessions open for participation by all members of the public. Formal results of the interviews and roundtable discussions will be presented and there will be a public comment period. Participants are asked to consider the issues identified above for the roundtable discussions.

Public Information Sessions

Monday, April 22, 2019
7:00 p.m.
Margaret Brent Elementary School
2125 Mountain View Road
Stafford, VA 22556

Tuesday, April 23, 2019
7:00 p.m.
T. Benton Gayle Middle School
100 Panther Drive
Fredericksburg, VA 22406

For those unable to participate in person, there will be online opportunities available on April 22, 2019, on www.staffordcountyva.gov/healthygrowth. Other Healthy Growth info such as presentations, dates, times and all other information may be found on the same link.