A preservation planning consultant appeared in Bedford's Historic Meeting House Thursday evening to discuss how community members may take part in shaping the future look of Bedford County. The meeting preceded town-hall meetings at locations around the county as a new "comprehensive plan" is scheduled to be put into place.

Dr. Shelley Mastran holds a doctorate in geography from the University of Maryland and is a former director of the Rural Heritage Program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She said that Bedford County (with the exception of northern Virginia) is the fastest growing county in the state, west of Interstate 95. According to Mastran, the county has "a high growth rate -- three percent a year for a number of years."

 


She spoke of six principles in an effort to cover all aspects considered central to good community planning.

The first principle -- preserving and protecting agricultural, natural, and scenic resources -- was offset by her taking into account that Virginia has lost almost a half million acres of farmland in the last few years. Citing studies that found agricultural land, when compared to residential and commercial development, "always pays its way," she added that even in the case of development, "people pay more for a view, whether it's from a high rise or overlooking a golf course."

She noted that a recent study by the National Associations of Homebuilders stated that "people will pay 20 to 30 percent more for a lot that has trees on them."

The use of conservation easements (voluntary deeded agreements that permanently protect land from subdivision and development) can also be used to preserve the scenic beauty of land.

The second principle is to maintain a clear edge between town and countryside. Mastran maintained that the costs of sprawl are to be accounted in fiscal, environmental, and social terms.

"It costs more to service [the needs of people in a] sprawling development than compact development," Mastran said. "The more asphalt we lay down the more we're causing bad runoff to affect our rivers, streams and bays."

She also referred to how much time people, living in these conditions, waste sitting in an automobile. An ugly environment can raise one's blood pressure, contribute to ulcers and the loss of sleep and even promote obesity, said Mastran.

She said that Randall Arendt, a private consultant for the National Lands Trust in Pennsylvania, and the current director of the Rural Heritage program, asserts that though communities 'can't rule out subdivisions, there are better ways to develop.'

According to Mastran, Arendt proposed that developers plan a new community as if building a golf course community, when the first thing considered is laying out the golf course. One of the first things to do is "chart out what you don't want to lose, a hillside here, a historic row of oak trees there."

The third principle, building liveable communities, is important because of the ways it promotes "a sense of togetherness."

Mastran said that, "Beautiful architecture, trees, smaller streets, sidewalks, front porches, small lots with the houses closer to the street," coupled with "enhancing streetscapes with signs, plantings, and benches" through private investment, also increases property values faster. She added that since the trend started in the mid-1980s, more than $120 million has been put to use in beautification projects in "Main Sreet" communities nationwide. Bedford is one of those communities.

The fourth principle, Mastran said, is recognizing that the act of protecting historic resources makes sense for the local economy.

According to Mastran, "heritage tourists" pay more and stay longer -- shelling out $625 opposed to $415 per visit and spending 4.5 nights instead of 3.3 nights on the average -- than tourists who go to places for reasons other than exploring historic sites.

The fifth principle is respecting local character in new construction.

"Eighty percent of buildings in the U.S. have been built since World War II and they are not built to last," said Mastran. "They resemble boxes, are garish, and are surrounded by seas of ashphalt."

Mastrain said that communities can develop guidelines and work with franchises, but at the top of the list is setting standards with public buildings in the community.

"If you accept the lowest common denominator that's what you'll get," said Mastran. "Franchises and new developers choose a location because they've deemed it to be economically profitable."

To Mastran, that means a bargaining chip in which a community may say, "'We welcome you but we'd like for you to do this.'" A community may ask, and get, a franchise and new developers to relocate inside historic buildings or adhere to certain looks that support the community's character and "sense of place" as a whole.

She added that in Virginia, state legislation allows communities to impose design guidelines off highway corridors leading into historic districts. As an example, Mastran said that Charlottesville's "Toys R' Us" outlet uses a Jeffersonian-style facade, in keeping with the community's image, and has "corridor design guidelines" on all roads leading to it, cutting down on "billboard blight."

In fact, Mastran said that there's no reason why a community needs to accept signs, or even billboards for that matter. According to Mastran, the states of Maine, Vermont and Hawaii have completely banned billboards. Vermont has also introduced a special signage system that prevents business owners from putting up a big sign as a way to advertise.

The sixth principle is to reduce the impact of automobiles.

"When streets are wider, people tend to drive faster," said Mastran. Of course, it follows, "narrower streets are safer for children."

Mastran advocated converting old railroad beds into walking trails. She said that trails generate income, bring in money and may help support a community's scenic beauty, along with the benefit of cutting down in some ways on the use of automobiles.

Through it all, she said that issues important to the community have to be emphasized in a "Comprehensive Plan, a blueprint laying out goals and objectives," that details "areas you want to protect, places you want to be developed, a wish list."

Going hand-in-hand with such a plan, a community should "tailor a zoning ordinance to follow the plan and put into law rules and regulations" that may be enforced, said Mastran.

Steve Stevick, president of the Bedford Citizens for Land Preservation, a volunteer organization which co-sponsored Mastran's visit, said that "change is inevitable," but "it's a change we can have a fair amount of control over to determine where we're headed and how we'll get there."

Lonnie Bailey, a City Planning Commission member and real estate appraiser, agreed that the character of Bedford is something worth preserving.

"Why is this place special?" asked Bailey, noting that she moved here from Colorado 14 years ago. "It's for each person to ask themselves, along with why they want to stay. We can be Anywhere, U.S.A., with a McDonald's, a Hardee's, or a car dealership on each corner."

"I may hate Wal-Mart in principle but you'll see me shopping there," said Kathy Overstreet, co-owner of R-U-Up, a coffee and baked goods shop on Main Street. "We can have the Wal-Marts, but we need specialty shops, too. I want Bedford to continue to grow, and change, but not lose its hometown flavor."

"I can write a Comprehensive Plan, but if there isn't citizen buy-in, the plan stays on the shelf," said Phil Thompson, the director of planning for Bedford County. He added that a review of the plan is required by Virginia every five years, but a new one needs not be developed to replace the old plan.

However, setting the stage for a new Comprehensive Plan, Thompson said that many "factors have to be weighed." He added that a detailed schedule of approximately two dozen community meetings (to be held at locations around the county starting in January and running through March) will be released shortly.

"For instance, we have Bedford, an independent town; Forest, a suburban area; the Peaks of Otter, a scenic view; Smith Mountain lake, a retirement community," said Thompson, adding that a one-size-fits-all approach may not be workable.

"We have to decide, as a community, where it is we want to go," he said.

For more information, Bedford Main Street Inc. can be reached at 540-586-2148 and toll free at 1-866-586-2148, or, online at www.centertownbedford.com. Information from the

Bedford Citizens for Land Preservation can be found at www. bedfordpreservation.org.

Dr. Mastran has authored a number of books, including Better Models for Development in Virginia (co-authored with Ed McMahon); Dollars and Sense of Community Planning, and Saving America's Countryside: a Guide to Rural Conservation.