The Northern Neck of Virginia has a regional Hazard Mitigation Plan that is updated every five years. The plan includes aspirations and specific courses of action that the localities intend to follow to reduce vulnerability and exposure to hazards, and to increase resilience against future hazard events. The current plan…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development division offers more than 40 loan, grant, and technical assistance programs to help improve the economy and quality of life in rural America. Many of these programs can also support community-based entrepreneurial planning and growth. The Rural Development division partners closely with community…
The Town of White Stone received a $1,000,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to revitalize its business district based on the White Stone Business District Revitalization Plan. Planned Activities 1 – Business District Revitalization Façade improvements centered at the intersection of Route 3 (Rappahannock…
Since 2005, the Northern Neck Planning District Commission (NNPDC) has administered grants through the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to provide financial assistance to low- and moderate-income (LMI) households and allow them to comply with septic-tank pump-out requirements. As part of the application process, the NNPDC must verify an…
The Federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 included provisions for a new revitalization tool, the Opportunity Zone and Opportunity Fund. The designated zones and funds allow investors to receive tax benefits on currently unrealized capital gains that are invested through Opportunity Funds in eligible census tracts designated as…
Throughout the Northern Neck and coastal plain, homes and businesses are experiencing increased erosion from winds, waves, currents, tides and recreational activities making homes and businesses more vulnerable. To minimize long-term damage, an updated Shoreline Management Handbook is available from the Virginia Coastal Policy Center (VCPC), the Center for Coastal Resources…
The premise of flood-hazard mitigation is this: Spend federal funds now to remove the risk of flooding, and the federal government will save money in the long term because the mitigated property will generate no flood-damage insurance claims in the future. This is because flood insurance is provided not by…
The Assign-a-Highway Program assigns non-violent probationers to pick litter on various state-maintained Northern Neck roads. Probationers can thus fulfill their community-service obligations. District courts in Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond, and Westmoreland Counties participate in the program, which was created in January 2007. For more information, call Ben Lewis, Litter Control Coordinator, at…
