Varina Goes to the Beach

   At the edge of the city of Richmond, eastern Henrico County has begun to experience burgeoning growth and development.  With the realization that eastern Henrico's land may be at risk and that time for exploring growth management is crucial, area residents and officials rallied to meet the challenge in a responsive and informative manner.  On March 25, 1999, approximately 275 citizens gathered at Varina High School for a program organized by Marilyn Paschke, president of the Varina Environmental Protection Group, and Varina resident Jane Koontz, and sponsored by Varina Supervisor Jim Donati, the Sierra Club and area civic organizations.  Entitled "Choices About Growth," the program presented and discussed strategies for protecting farmland, forests, and open spaces.

After a slide presentation by the Sierra Club entitled "A Tale of Two Counties," a look at the different approaches to managing growth in Clarke and Stafford Counties, Ms. Mary Heinricht, chief architect of the Agricultural Reserve Program and currently Mid-Atlantic Director of American Farmland Trust, and Mr. Louis Cullipher, Director of Agriculture for Virginia Beach, shared information about the ARP and how it is working in Virginia Beach.

Designed and promoted by a coalition of farm, conservation, business, and civic organizations, the program has been in use in Virginia Beach since 1995.  During that time Virginia Beach citizens and landowners have received economic benefits from the ARP program while sprawl is contained, open space remains green, and farmers keep farming their land.  Development rights have been purchased on 4,009 acres.  Had the land been developed the city would have been required to supply infrastructure services to 354 housing units.  The total cost of ARP has come in at less than one-half the capital cost of the infrastructure it avoided.

A committee of volunteers from the meeting was formed to investigate strategies for growth management and prospects for the development of an ARP program in Henrico County.  Varina farmers will be visiting participating Virginia Beach farmers on July 22.  Scenic Virginia salutes Varina for its grassroots initiative.
Contacts for more information on eastern Henrico efforts: Jane Koontz (804) 795-2117; Marilynn Paschke (804)795-2214; Nelda Snyder (804)795-1446; Ellen Powers (804)225-9113