View the DRAFT Plan

The Comprehensive Plan lays out the community’s future vision for Mecklenburg County. The Plan identifies goals for where the County should grow and develop and what areas should be preserved and protected. It also identifies steps that the County should take to implement the vision, both in the short term and long term. The name Mecklenburg 2044 is used because the Plan is anticipated to be adopted in 2024 and it envisions what the County might be like in 20 years, in the year 2044.

Mecklenburg 2044

What is the Comprehensive Plan?

  • Often called the ‘Comp Plan’ for short.

  • Sets a long-term vision for what parts of the County should be developed for housing, businesses, and civic uses as well as what parts of the County should be preserved for farms and forests.

  • Includes a list of short-term actions that serve as a to-do list related to policy changes and investments in public infrastructure and facilities, such as where to improve roads and locate new trails and parks.

  • Serves as a guide to help property owners and developers determine where to locate new housing, businesses, and which areas of the County should remain undeveloped.

Is the County required to have a Comprehensive Plan?

  • § 15.2-2223 of the Code of Virginia requires local governments to adopt a Comprehensive Plan.

  • § 15.2-2230 of the Code of Virginia requires local governments to review the Comprehensive Plan every 5 years to determine if an update is needed, and if so, to complete a Plan update.

  • § 15.2-2232 of the Code of Virginia requires that public facilities, buildings, streets, utilities, and other public features be reviewed by the Planning Commission and be found to be “substantially in accord” with the adopted Comprehensive Plan prior to being established or changed.

Relationship between Mecklenburg County and the towns.

  • The Mecklenburg County Comp Plan covers portions of the County that are outside of the County’s six towns (Boydton, Brodnax, Chase City, Clarksville, La Crosse, and South Hill). Each town has its own Comp Plan and has jurisdiction over land use and zoning regulations within its boundaries.

  • The County and towns are close partners and want to ensure they are working towards common goals related to land use and economic development.

  • Part of the County’s economic development policy is to direct retail and commercial land uses towards the Towns, such as shops and entertainment uses. Mecklenburg County’s economic development vision focuses on attracting large scale employers, such as information technology and manufacturing, and supporting a robust tourism economy.  

  • To learn more about the County’s economic development plan, visit: http://investinmeckva.com

Why are we updating the Comp Plan?

The County is facing development pressure from emerging industries and wants to ensure that new development occurs in a smart, well-planned manner. The current Mecklenburg County Comp Plan was drafted in 2012 and last amended in 2017. It’s important to update the Plan on a regular basis to address emerging issues and to take advantage of opportunities for the future.

Project Goals:

  • Identify opportunities to support the County’s economic growth, including designating appropriate locations for housing so that residential growth can keep pace with job growth.

  • Provide strategic direction about the future of the County’s lakes and waterways regarding water quality, recreation, and lakeside land uses.

  • Provide clear guidance about rural land uses, including siting and design criteria for utility scale solar.

  • Improve Plan readability by using clear and concise language and graphics to convey Plan recommendations.

  • Conduct an update process that provides convenient opportunities for Mecklenburg County residents and business owners of all backgrounds to participate and provide input.

How will we update the Plan?

Mecklenburg County is updating the Comprehensive Plan to guide its future decions related to growth, development, and conservation. Final Plan approval is the responsibility of the County Board of Supervisors with a recommendation from the Planning Commission. However, community input is pivotal to the update process to ensure that the Plan reflects the community’s vision for the future of the County. The update process will include 4 phases of work and is expected to be completed in Fall of 2024.

The phasing graphic below summarizes the steps and topics we will cover within each phase of the project. To learn more about current and past work, click the graphic below.

Why should you get involved?

The Comp Plan impacts decisions about where new housing, shops, parks, streets, and trails should be built. It also impacts decisions about what features should be preserved and protected within the County.

The Comp Plan update process gives you the opportunity to participate in shaping the future of Mecklenburg County and your participation helps ensure that the County will continue to evolve in ways that align with the values and needs of the community.

There will be online and in person opportunities to lend your voice to this important process. See the “Get Involved” button up top to learn about upcoming events, and sign up for email updates below.

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