Comprehensive Plan - City of Fredericksburg

Transcription

FREDERICKSBURG
COMPREHENSIVE
PLAN
Fredericksburg, Virginia
ADOPTED
September 25, 2007
CLARION ASSOCIATES | MCBRIDE-DALE CLARION | MARTIN/ALEXIOU/BRYSON
Fredericksburg
Comprehensive Plan
FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA
Adopted by the Fredericksburg City Council
September 25, 2007
ADOPTED – SEPTEMBER 25, 2007
FREDERICKSBURG COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
LAND USE
i
Acknowledgments
City Council
Thomas J. Tomzak, M.D., Mayor At-Large
Kerry P. Devine, Vice Mayor At-Large
Deborah L. Girvan, At-Large
Marvin J. Dixon, Ward 1
George C. Solley, Ward 2
Matthew J. Kelly, Ward 3
Hashmel C. Turner, Jr., Ward 4
Planning Commission
Vincent C. Ramoneda, Chair
Edward F. Whelan, III, Vice-Chair
Mary Katherine Greenlaw, Secretary
Paul D. Ware, M.D.
Roy E. McAfee
Joseph D. Henderson, Sr.
Roy F. Gratz
City Administration & Staff
Phillip L. Rodenberg, City Manager
Kathleen Dooley, City Attorney
Beverly R. Cameron, Assistant City Manager
Raymond P. Ocel, Jr., Director of Planning
Erik Nelson, Senior Planner
Edwin L. Allen, Jr., Fire Chief
Robert K. Antozzi, Director of Parks,
Recreation, and Public Facilities
Kathleen M. Beck, Transit Manager
Karen Hedelt, Acting Director of Tourism and
Business Development
Kevin Gullette, Director of Economic
Development and Tourism
David W. Nye, Chief of Police
Doug Fawcett, Director of Public Works
Phillip K. Brown, Graphics Coordinator
Consultants
Roger Waldon, FAICP, Clarion Associates
Leigh Anne King, AICP, Clarion Associates
Chris Duerksen, Clarion Associates
Dorothy Ariail, Clarion Associates
Greg Dale, FAICP, McBride-Dale Clarion
George Alexiou, PE, Martin/Alexiou/Bryson
Than Austin, AICP, Martin, Alexiou/Bryson
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I: SETTING THE STAGE…………………………………………………...1
Preface............................................................................................................................................................................. 3
Chapter 1: Vision......................................................................................................................................................... 5
Chapter 2: Fredericksburg Today .........................................................................................................................13
PART II: KEY AREAS…………………………………………………………….. 23
Chapter 3: Downtown ..............................................................................................................................................25
Chapter 4: Rappahannock River .............................................................................................................................31
Chapter 5: Corridors ...............................................................................................................................................35
Chapter 6: Neighborhoods.....................................................................................................................................39
Chapter 7: Suburban Business Districts...............................................................................................................43
PART III: KEY ISSUES……………………………………………………………. 45
Chapter 8: Transportation and Mobility..............................................................................................................47
Chapter 9: Public Facilities & Services..................................................................................................................57
Chapter 10: Environmental Protection................................................................................................................63
Chapter 11: Community Appearance ..................................................................................................................67
Chapter 12: Historic Preservation ........................................................................................................................71
Chapter 13: Housing.................................................................................................................................................76
Chapter 14: Institutional Partnerships .................................................................................................................79
Chapter 15: Sustainability ........................................................................................................................................83
PART IV: LAND USE…………………………………………………………….. 89
Chapter 16: City Land Use Map ............................................................................................................................89
Chapter 17: Planning Areas ....................................................................................................................................95
PART V: ACTION PLAN……………………………………………………… 149
Chapter 18: Actions with Priorities................................................................................................................... 151
Chapter 19: Monitoring ........................................................................................................................................ 163
PART VI: PLAN BIBLIOGRAPHY AND GLOSSARY ………………………… 165
A Technical Appendix with supporting data is provided under separate cover.
Page intentionally left blank.
SETTING THE STAGE
1
PART I:
SETTING THE
STAGE
Setting the Stage:
The City Council has adopted a Vision Statement
that describes Fredericksburg as a city animated by a
sense of unmatched, irreplaceable history, shaped by
civic involvement and economic vitality.
The
Comprehensive Plan provides a blueprint for the
community to achieve that vision - - addressing
current conditions, visions and goals for the future,
and strategies designed to achieve that future. This
is Part I of Fredericksburg’s Comprehensive Plan,
setting the stage with a clear statement of vision for
the future, and facts describing the present.

Preface

Chapter 1: Vision

Chapter 2: Fredericksburg Today
2
SETTING THE STAGE
3
SETTING THE STAGE
Preface
Fredericksburg, Virginia. June, 2007.
This Comprehensive Plan has been prepared as a guide to decision-making, to help the City of
Fredericksburg move toward its 300th Anniversary in manner that embraces local values and achieves
the City’s vision for its future.
The Fredericksburg City Council most
recently adopted a comprehensive plan
in 1999. A lot has changed since then
- new growth, new energy in
downtown, increasing
demands for
parking, new public
facilities,
increases in regional commuting,
changes at the university, new facilities
at the hospital, shifting transportation
patterns, and increasing concern about
neighborhood
and
environmental
protection. But the core values of the
community remain intact, as recently
re-confirmed by the Fredericksburg City
Council in a bi-annual Vision
Statement.
There has also been a lot of work to help shape the form of Fredericksburg’s future. The Economic
Development Authority completed a landmark initiative called JumpStart! (more on that below). There
is a major new plan for sidewalks and bikeways called Fredericksburg Pathways. Consultant studies
are underway for the Princess Anne Street corridor and a design firm is preparing plans for a portion
of the riverfront. Parking studies have been completed, and there is work underway to reevaluate
historic district guidelines . The City’s Planning Commission has been working on short-term and
long-term issues, and a Planning Advisory Committee was established to help guide work on this
Comprehensive Plan. Along the way, there have been multiple visioning initiatives to help citizens
articulate concerns about the present and hopes for the future.
Of particular note is the JumpStart! initiative. This document includes current market research and
projections of economic activity, and pulls together a vision of mixed-use developments along
Fredericksburg’s key corridors. Design concepts are included, along with an action plan to guide
implementation. This is the type of work that is best placed and best implemented within an overall,
comprehensive policy framework for the whole City.
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SETTING THE STAGE
This updated Comprehensive Plan provides that policy framework, establishing the context for
decision-making on projects like JumpStart!, and helping the community set priorities for action.
There is much more that can be done though. This Comprehensive Plan suggests how the issues in
different topical areas connect and reinforce each other (e.g., economic development and
transportation), and also suggests priorities for attention, resources, and action (short-term, mediumterm, and long-term). The plan both sets forth the long-term vision, and serves as a resource for dayto-day decision-making.
This Comprehensive Plan is organized as follows:
•
•
•
•
•
Part I describes current conditions and the City’s vision for its future.
Part II discusses the issues that focus on particular geographic areas of the City.
Part III discusses the issues that are city-wide in nature.
Part IV refreshes the City’s land use map and designation of planning areas.
Part V pulls together a Comprehensive Action Plan, with suggested priorities.
At the beginning of each part of this plan,
there is a summary page that describes the
contents of that part and the ways in which
the information in that part fits into the
whole – akin to series of short “Executive
Summaries.” A major feature of the plan
is that the articulated policies are linked
into a cohesive framework, with crossreferences when issues are related (e.g.,
neighborhood protection and historic
preservation).
At the end of each chapter are
recommended initiatives designed to help
achieve the goals. It is clear that resources
would not allow pursuit of all recommended actions at once. Accordingly, 2-3 initiatives are
highlighted at the end of each chapter as priorities for action. Initiatives listed after these bold-print
priority items do not appear in priority order. Also, the policies listed in each chapter do not appear
in any priority order.
Fredericksburg today, Fredericksburg tomorrow. This Comprehensive Plan shows the path to get from
here to there.
SETTING THE STAGE
5
Chapter 1: Vision
Introduction
When people seek to describe what makes Fredericksburg an attractive place to live and do business,
they often resort to phrases like “good quality of life,” “strong school system,” “small town
atmosphere,” and “strong sense of place.” These phrases say much about the values of the
community, but developing policies that can maintain and enhance them requires a more substantial
definition. Attention to the community’s physical, social, and economic attributes is the key.
Vision Statement
On February 20, 2007, the Fredericksburg City
Council adopted a Vision Statement and an
accompanying set of Goals and Initiatives to guide
City decision-making over the next two years. The
statement appears below, setting out the
fundamental values upon which this 2007
Comprehensive Plan is based.
This Comprehensive Plan looks out 20 years into the future, and accordingly is setting out a blueprint
for this community as it starts to approach its 300th Anniversary. Following is the Council’s statement.
Since the City’s founding in 1728, the citizens of Fredericksburg have overcome many challenges,
created the character of the City, and ensured its extraordinary role in our Nation’s history. During our
stewardship of this great City, we resolve to build on this heritage and add our mark on the City’s
history.
The City Council’s vision for Fredericksburg at its 300th Anniversary is:
• To be a city animated by a sense of its unmatched, irreplaceable history;
• To be a city characterized by the beauty of its riverfront, the vibrancy of its downtown,
and its safe and attractive neighborhoods;
• To be a city inspired by active arts, cultural, and education communities;
• To be a city shaped by civic involvement and economic vitality; and
• To be the city of choice for people of many income levels, cultures, ethnicities, and
physical abilities to live, work, and play.
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SETTING THE STAGE
This vision serves as the guide to the rest of the plan. The plan serves as the “genetic code” for the
goals, policies, recommendations, and actions for the future.
Plan Framework
This Comprehensive Plan lays out a specific framework for reaching this vision for the City. An
important component of this process is articulating a set of goals, which follow below. These goals
for Fredericksburg’s future are organized both by geography and by issue areas, in the same manner
that this Comprehensive Plan is organized. Here, then, is the list of goals for the future. In each
chapter that follows, these goals are made operational by an accompanying set of policies and
initiatives. At the end of this plan, the initiatives are collected together to create an action plan that will
help the City achieve its goals.
ISSUE: DOWNTOWN
Downtown Goal 1: City Center Character
The character of Fredericksburg’s historic area and city center
environment will be protected and enhanced to preserve our sense of place, promote economic
strength, and ensure the City’s continuing appeal to residents, business people, and visitors.
Downtown Goal 2: Downtown Serves as Center for Commerce, Culture, and Community
The core downtown area will continue to serve as a center of commerce, culture, and community,
government, courts, and the post office, and will increasingly generate revenues to ensure the
economic stability and longevity of the City, if advantageous.
Downtown Goal 3: Relationship to Other Business Centers
Commercial businesses in downtown will provide goods and services that complement those provided
in other centers of commerce, such as Central Park, Celebrate Virginia, and commercial corridors
identified in the JumpStart! initiative.
Downtown Goal 4: Well-Balanced Mix of Uses
Downtown will include a well-balanced mix of businesses, residences, services, arts, recreational and
historical assets, and government services, including courts (to remain downtown), city offices, and
postal services, if advantageous.
Downtown Goal 5: Riverfront
Downtown will be well connected to the Rappahannock Riverfront, capitalizing on the river as both an
economic and aesthetic resource that strengthens downtown.
Downtown Goal 6: Adequate Public Services
Downtown will be adequately served with efficient transportation, parking, and other public facilities.
Downtown Goal 7: Redevelopment
Redevelopment of downtown properties will occur in a manner that
reflects the character of the City.
SETTING THE STAGE
7
ISSUE: RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER
Rappahannock River Goal 1: Clean and Safe Water Supply
Ensure an adequate supply of clean and safe drinking water for the City.
Rappahannock River Goal 2: Natural Beauty and Historic Resources
Protect the natural beauty and historic
resources of the Rappahannock River.
Rappahannock River Goal 3: Natural Functions of River
Maintain the integrity of the Rappahannock River system and its tributaries for their biological functions
that protect the City’s raw water supply and wildlife habitat, as well as for drainage, recreational uses,
and other purposes. (See also Environmental Protection Goal #3.)
Rappahannock River Goal 4: Community Amenity
Capitalize on the Rappahannock River as a community amenity for enjoyment by residents and
visitors, including acquiring land to develop a riverfront park between Charlotte and Hanover Streets.
Rappahannock River Goal 5: Riverfront Linked to Downtown
Link the Rappahannock River to the downtown to provide mutual benefits for enjoyment of the river
and for the economic vitality of downtown.
ISSUE: CORRIDORS
Corridors Goal 1: Commercial Development
Allow sufficient levels of retail and office space development to occur along Fredericksburg’s
designated corridors, in order to accommodate the projected share of regional economic growth that
is contained in the JumpStart! Fredericksburg initiative.
Corridors Goal 2: Visual Character
Achieve designs and patterns of development and landscaping and street trees along Fredericksburg’s
designated corridors that enhance the City’s visual character.
Corridors Goal 3: Mixed-Use
Achieve mixed-use development patterns as redevelopment occurs within Fredericksburg’s designated
corridors, blending retail, office, and residential uses.
Corridor Goal 4: Complement Other Business Centers
Commercial businesses within corridors will provide goods and services that complement those
provided in other centers of commerce, such as Central Park, Celebrate Virginia, and downtown
Fredericksburg.
ISSUE: NEIGHBORHOODS
Neighborhoods Goal 1: Neighborhood Character
Preserve the character of the City’s existing neighborhoods.
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SETTING THE STAGE
Neighborhoods Goal 2: Quality of Neighborhoods
Enhance the quality of the City’s residential neighborhoods to promote livability and a strong sense of
community.
Neighborhoods Goal 3: Distinct and Attractive Neighborhoods
The residential areas of the City will comprise a collection of distinct and attractive neighborhoods,
each possessing a unique sense of place and shared identity.
Neighborhoods Goal 4: Adequate Public Services
The residential neighborhoods will be adequately served with efficient transportation, parking,
sidewalks, pathways, street trees, lighting, and other public facilities that are compatible with their
neighborhood scale.
ISSUE: SUBURBAN BUSINESS DISTRICTS
Suburban Business Districts Goal 1: Shopping and Entertainment
The suburban business districts will provide high quality shopping and entertainment opportunities to
the City and region for the long-term future.
Suburban Business Districts Goal 2: Economic Benefit
The suburban business districts will continue to provide a strong economic benefit to the City for the
long-term future.
Suburban Business Districts Goal 3: Complements Other Business Centers
New suburban business districts will complement the downtown and business corridors and will
contain a mix of retail businesses, offices, restaurants, and entertainment/education facilities that offer
a wide variety of goods, services, and jobs to residents.
ISSUE: TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY
Transportation & Mobility Goal 1: Surface Transportation System
Advance the development of a surface transportation system that is safe, functional, and attractive for
users of all modes of transportation, and makes the community accessible to all citizens.
Transportation & Mobility Goal 2: Alternative Forms of Transportation
Encourage the use of alternative forms of transportation city-wide to enhance mobility, minimize traffic
growth, and encourage healthy lifestyles.
Transportation & Mobility Goal 3: Walkability
Make Fredericksburg a walkable city.
Transportation & Mobility Goal 4: “Complete Streets”
Develop “complete streets” that are integrated, safe, and efficient for all modes of transportation.
SETTING THE STAGE
9
ISSUE: PUBLIC FACILITIES & SERVICES
Public Facilities & Services Goal 1: Efficient and Effective Public Services
The City’s public services will be provided in an efficient and effective manner to all residents of the
City.
Public Facilities & Services Goal 2: Safe and Secure Environment
Fredericksburg will provide a safe and secure environment for those who live, work, and visit the City
through high quality public safety facilities and systems.
Public Facilities & Services Goal 3: Educational System
The Fredericksburg School District will continue to provide an exceptional education to the City’s
students.
Public Facilities & Services Goal 4: Parks and Open Space
The City’s parks and open space facilities, as well as recreational programming, will meet the needs
of the full community, including families, youth, seniors, and citizens with special needs.
Public Facilities & Services Goal 5: Water Quality
The City will meet or exceed Virginia’s requirements to
improve water quality and help assure a safe drinking water supply, including implementing best
management practices for stormwater management, erosion and sediment control, and improving
treatment of wastewater. (See Environmental Protection Goal #4.)
Public Facilities & Services Goal 6: Public Lands and Facilities
Public facilities and public lands will be utilized at their highest and best use, except for public lands in
environmentally sensitive locations, where conservation should be the objective.
ISSUE: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Environmental Protection Goal 1: Balance Between Protection and Need for Development
The City will balance the protection of environmental resources and natural wildlife habitats with the
need for growth and development.
Environmental Protection Goal 2: Watersheds
The Chesapeake Bay and Rappahannock River watersheds will be protected from inappropriate
development, managed to ensure the highest water quality, and preserved for the benefit of future
generations.
Environmental Protection Goal 3: Natural Functions of River
Maintain the integrity of the Rappahannock River system and its tributaries for their biological functions
that protect the City’s raw water supply and wildlife habitat, as well as for drainage, recreational uses,
and other purposes. (See Rappahannock River Goal #3.)
Environmental Protection Goal 4: Water Quality
The City will meet or exceed Virginia’s requirements to improve water quality, including implementing
best management practices for stormwater management, erosion and sediment control, and
improving treatment of wastewater. (See Public Facilities and Services Goal #5.)
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SETTING THE STAGE
ISSUE: COMMUNITY APPEARANCE
Community Appearance Goal 1: Maintain Appearance
The City will maintain its overall appearance such that development and redevelopment results in a
cohesive and functional community.
Community Appearance Goal 2: High Quality Design
The City will achieve a high quality appearance in newly developing and redeveloping areas, such
that new and existing developed areas are visually compatible.
ISSUE: HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Historic Preservation Goal 1: Heritage Resources
The City will continue to recognize, protect, and interpret significant architectural, historical, and
archaeological resources that are part of the community’s heritage.
Historic Preservation Goal 2: Historical Experience
Fredericksburg’s cultural heritage will be preserved in a manner that enhances the active connection
between residents and the City’s past, and provides visitors to the City with an authentic historical
experience.
ISSUE: HOUSING
Housing Goal 1: Affordable Housing
All persons who live and work in Fredericksburg should have the opportunity to rent or purchase safe,
decent, accessible, and affordable housing.
Housing Goal 2: Variety of Housing
Fredericksburg will provide a variety of housing opportunities throughout the City, both in terms of the
housing type and the price of housing, that respect the existing character of the community.
Housing Goal 3: Homeownership
Homeownership in Fredericksburg should be encouraged, and opportunities sought to increase
homeownership.
Housing Goal 4: Housing Stock Maintained
The City’s housing stock will be maintained, protected, and expanded to ensure an adequate supply
of housing for future generations.
ISSUE: INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
Institutional Partnerships Goal 1: Information Exchange
The City and its institutional partners in Fredericksburg, the University of Mary Washington, MWH
Medicorp, and Fredericksburg City Public Schools will exchange information on a regular basis,
coordinate services, and arrange for joint use of facilities, as appropriate.
SETTING THE STAGE
11
Institutional Partnerships Goal 2: Joint Regional Planning
The City will work collaboratively and coordinate efforts with Spotsylvania and Stafford Counties, and
other regional partners, regarding planning issues of mutual interest, such as planning for regional
roads, the FRED transit system, and watershed conservation efforts.
12
SETTING THE STAGE
SETTING THE STAGE
13
Chapter 2:
Fredericksburg Today
Introduction
Fredericksburg, Virginia, encompasses
approximately 10.5 square miles of
land in central Virginia and is bordered
on the north by the Rappahannock
River. The City is conveniently located
50 miles south of Washington, D.C. and 50 miles north of Richmond, Virginia. Its proximity to the
D.C. metro area, its access to regional transportation service, and its historic and cultural character
are why the City is known for its strong community appeal.
The City lies within the George Washington Regional Planning District (Planning District 16). With a
population of approximately 300,000, this district is one of the fastest-growing regions in Virginia and
the fourth most populous of the Virginia Commonwealth’s 21 planning districts. Due to its location,
the City serves as a regional center for
Figure 1: Fredericksburg and the Regional Context
administration, professional services,
finance, higher education, medical
care, and retail services. In addition,
Fredericksburg has continued to take
advantage of its unique historic and
cultural character to maintain its
growing tourist industry.
The rich
history, abundant natural beauty, and
vibrant economy of the region
combine to make it an exciting place
to live and do business.
Summaries of population, economy
and land use patterns follow,
illustrating trends in the City’s growth
and
development.
Additional
technical information can be found in
the appendix.
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SETTING THE STAGE
Population History
According to information from the U.S. Census Bureau, Fredericksburg experienced significant
population growth between 1980 and 1990 due to new development and annexation, and slower
growth between 1990 and 2000. 2006 population estimates conducted by the Weldon Cooper
Center for Public Service indicate that there has been a slight increase in population growth over the
last six years.
Fredericksburg’s population growth over the last 66 years is shown in the bar chart
below.
Figure 2: Fredericksburg’s Historic Population Estimates
Historical Population Estimates
21,651
25,000
1970
19,279
14,450
1960
19,027
13,639
5,000
10,066
10,000
12,158
15,000
15,322
20,000
1990
2000
0
1940
1950
1980
2006
U.S. Census data show that Fredericksburg had steady, slow growth from the 1940s through the
1970s and exhibited an increase in growth rates in the 1980s, due to new development and
annexation activities during that time period (an increase from 0.53% to 1.99%). Fredericksburg’s
growth rate dropped significantly over the 90s to 0.12%, likely a response to the significant jump in
population that occurred in the previous decade. In general, Fredericksburg’s growth rate has been
consistently less than the overall growth rate for the Commonwealth over the last six decades, and
surpassed it in the 1990s. In comparison, Stafford County experienced constant high levels of growth
from the 1950s through the present, and has consistently had higher rates of growth than the
Commonwealth as a whole. . The table below charts the actual population changes and average
annual compounded growth rates over the last 6 decades for the City, Stafford County, and Virginia.
Table 1: Historic Population Counts - Fredericksburg, Washington Region, and Virginia
Year
Fredericksburg
Population
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
10,066
12,158
13,639
14,450
15,322
19,027
19,279
Average
Annual
Compounded
Growth Rate
1.73%
1.05%
0.53%
0.53%
1.99%
0.12%
Stafford
County
9,548
11,902
16,876
24,587
40,470
61,236
92,446
Average
Annual
Compounded
Growth Rate
2.02%
3.23%
3.48%
4.63%
3.84%
3.82%
Virginia
2,677,773
3,318,680
3,966,949
4,648,494
5,346,818
6,187,358
7,078,515
Average
Annual
Compounded
Growth Rate
2.00%
1.64%
1.45%
1.28%
1.34%
1.23%
SETTING THE STAGE
15
Population Projections
The Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) is a reliable, consistent information source for projected
population growth. Their data show that while the Commonwealth of Virginia is expected to
experience a decrease in population growth rates over the next 23 years, Fredericksburg is expected
to increase its growth rates. The City’s average annual growth rate for 1990-2000 was 0.12%. This
is expected to increase to 0.52% between 2000 and 2010, and then to slightly decrease to 0.42%
between 2020 and 2030. These average annual compounded growth rates are shown in the tables
and figure below.
Table 2: Population Projections - Fredericksburg and Virginia
Fredericksburg
Average Annual
Compounded
Growth Rate
Average Annual
Compounded
Growth Rate
Virginia
1990
19,027
2000
19,279
0.12%
6,187,358
7,078,501
1.23%
2010
20,400
0.52%
7,892,884
0.99%
2020
21,401
0.44%
8,601,896
0.79%
2030
22,402
0.42%
9,275,103
0.69%
Fredericksburg’s future population will likely include a larger percentage of seniors and lower
percentages of persons under 65 than the present population. This is due to the aging of the
population, specifically the baby boomer generation. As shown in the table below, the percentage of
the population within the 15-24 year old age bracket is likely to decline over the next two decades.
The number of persons between 40-64 years of age will also decline.
Table 3: Fredericksburg Population Projections by Age Group
Under 5 years
5 to 9 years
10 to 14 years
15 to 19 years
20 to 24 years
25 to 29 years
30 to 34 years
35 to 39 years
40 to 44 years
45 to 49 years
50 to 54 years
55 to 59 years
60 to 64 years
65 to 69 years
70 to 74 years
75 to 79 years
80 to 84 years
85 years and over
Total
2010
2020
2030
Actual
Change
% Change
1,175
845
750
2,203
3,319
1,477
1,080
925
987
1,123
1,219
1,136
1,104
866
664
558
470
499
20,400
1,200
884
806
2,070
2,859
1,740
1,300
906
811
881
1,066
1,198
1,274
1,249
1,196
806
553
602
21,401
1,204
883
819
2,048
3,128
1,642
1,177
1,070
963
863
890
967
1,116
1,295
1,353
1,249
915
820
22,402
29
38
69
-155
-191
165
97
145
-24
-260
-329
-169
12
429
689
691
445
321
2,002
2%
4%
9%
-7%
-6%
11%
9%
16%
-2%
-23%
-27%
-15%
1%
50%
104%
124%
95%
64%
10%
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SETTING THE STAGE
As shown in the pie chart below, one fourth of the 2030 population is expected to be age 65 and
older. This is 10 percent higher than the expected senior population in 2010.
Figure 3: Fredericksburg’s Population by Age Group in 2010 and 2030
2030 Population by Age Group
2010 Population by Age Group
65+
15%
Under 20
24%
Under 20
22%
65+
25%
40-65
27%
40-65
21%
20-40
34%
20-40
32%
Racial and Ethnic Diversity
The face of Fredericksburg has remained relatively unchanged since the last census. In 2000, 73% of
the City was white, 20% was African-American, and 7% were classified as other races. According to
Weldon Cooper Center estimates, current racial distributions found in Fredericksburg are similar to
the distributions in 2000. Fredericksburg’s racial diversity is very similar to the racial diversity found in
the Commonwealth.
In terms of ethnicity, approximately 4.9% of the City was defined as Hispanic or Latino in 2000. This
number increased in 2005 to 7%, a significant increase that will likely impact the community in many
ways, such as new housing and education needs.
The table below shows the racial diversity found in Fredericksburg and Virginia in 2005, and the
graph below illustrates the racial mix in Fredericksburg for that same year.
Table 4: Racial Diversity of Fredericksburg and Virginia, 2005
Race
White
African American
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
Other and Multi-Race
Total
Fredericksburg
15,690
4,298
73
349
22
300
20,732
% of Total
76%
21%
0.4%
2%
0.11%
1%
100%
Virginia
5,567,273
1,504,640
23,762
345,458
5,744
120,588
7,567,465
% of Total
73.57%
19.88%
0.31%
4.57%
0.08%
1.59%
100%
SETTING THE STAGE
17
Figure 4: Racial Diversity in Fredericksburg, 2005
Racial Diversity in Fredericksburg, 2005
1.4%
0.1%
1.7%
0.4%
21%
76%
White - 76%
African American - 21%
American Indian or Alaska Native - 0.4%
Asian - 1.7%%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander - 0.1%
Other and Multi-Race - 1.4%
Economic Context
Fredericksburg’s economy is based in four key areas:
1. The Central Park regional retail service hub;
2. The existence of two major institutions (University of Mary Washington and Medicorp Health
System);
3. Historic and cultural-based tourism; and
4. Economic activity related to the City’s strategic proximity to the Washington, D.C., metro area
and regional transportation lines.
The development of the future Celebrate Virginia complex is expected to augment the City’s economic
development potential by providing regional conference, hospitality, and educational services.
Each of Fredericksburg’s main industries is listed below in terms of the number of workers employed
and the number of businesses established. These industry figures are from VEC for the 1st Quarter of
2006. Health care and social assistance is the lead industry both in terms of number of workers
(22.5%) and establishments in the City (13.4%). Accommodation and Food Services, which provide
service to the local population as well as to tourists, is the second largest industry in terms of the
number of workers employed (16.4%).
Retail trade is a close third, employing 15.7% of the
workforce and 16.7% of the businesses in the City.
18
SETTING THE STAGE
Table 5: Major Industries in Fredericksburg, 1st Quarter 2006
Employees
% of
Total
Establishments
% of
Total
Health Care and Social Assistance
Accommodation and Food Services
Retail Trade
Education Services
Construction
Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services
Public Administration
Finance and Insurance
Admin., Support, Waste Mngmt, Remediation
Information
5,982
4,363
4,172
1,771
1,324
1,291
1,014
919
895
863
22.5%
16.4%
15.7%
6.7%
5.0%
4.9%
3.8%
3.5%
3.4%
3.2%
229
181
285
18
135
194
48
136
57
23
13.4%
10.6%
16.7%
1.1%
7.9%
11.4%
2.8%
8.0%
3.3%
1.3%
Other Services
Wholesale Trade
Management of Companies and Enterprises
Manufacturing
Transportation and Warehousing
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
849
755
558
527
477
426
373
3.2%
2.8%
2.1%
2.0%
1.8%
1.6%
1.4%
143
81
14
28
26
83
23
8.4%
4.7%
0.8%
1.6%
1.5%
4.9%
1.3%
53
26,612
0.2%
100.0%
4
1,708
0.2%
100.0%
Industry Group
Utilities
Total
The JumpStart! initiative reports that 64% of Fredericksburg’s workers are employed in white collar
positions, 22% are employed in service related positions, and 17% are employed in blue collar
positions. The figure below taken from the JumpStart! report illustrates the labor force distribution for
Fredericksburg and the larger Planning District 16.
Figure 5: Labor Force Distribution, City of Fredericksburg and Planning District 16
SETTING THE STAGE
19
Office and retail rents in Fredericksburg are lower, on average, than office and retail rents in Northern
Virginia. As a consequence of this fact and Fredericksburg’s proximity to the Washington D.C.
metropolitan area, the City is in a position to capture employment and population growth expected in
the region over the next 20 years. The JumpStart! initiative has assessed the expected growth and
development that will occur in Fredericksburg as a result of these factors. Office, residential, and
retail development growth forecasts provided in the JumpStart! report are outlined below. (See the
JumpStart! Final Report for more details.)
Key Findings – Office Development
Large increases in office-based employment are projected for the region, and the City of
Fredericksburg has the capacity to capture a share of the regional employment growth. VEC has
anticipated and projected this expected office development for the larger Fredericksburg Workforce
Investment Area, which includes the City of Fredericksburg and the Counties of Accomack, Essex, King
& Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Matthews, Middlesex, Northampton,
Northumberland, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Westmoreland. Per the JumpStart! report,
Table 6 below shows the expected changes in office-based employment for the larger Fredericksburg
Workforce Investment Area through 2012.
Table 6: Office-Based Employment Growth Projections for Fredericksburg Workforce Investment Area, 2002-2012
2002
Employment
2012
Employment
Change in
Employment
(2002-2012)
Percent
Change (20022012)
Annual
Growth Rate
(2002-2012)
Professional
61,327
94,044
32,717
53%
5.33%
Healthcare
30,282
47,839
17,557
58%
5.80%
Professional &
Healthcare
91,609
141,883
50,274
55%
5.49%
Industry
Given the strength of the regional office market, rapid absorption levels, low vacancy rates, and large
parcels of vacant land available for development as office space in the City (i.e., Blue and Gray
Parkway, Dixon Street south of Beaulah Salisbury), it is estimated that the City should absorb office
space at levels consisted with or higher than absorption levels that have been seen in the City over the
past two years. Between 35,000 and 70,000 square feet of office space could potentially be
absorbed per year in Fredericksburg from 2005 to 2010.
This office space absorption translates into a total increase of 175,000 square feet to 350,000
square feet of office space between 2005 and 2010, which would support 1,000 to 2,000 new
employees at 175 square feet per employee. Adjusted upward by five percent to account for new
employment in existing office space, the projected employment growth represents an annual growth
rate in office-based employment between two and four percent. Table 7 shows office-based
employment projections for moderate and aggressive growth scenarios in Fredericksburg.
20
SETTING THE STAGE
Table 7: Office-Based Employment Projections, City of Fredericksburg, 2005-2010
Growth
Scenario
No. of
Employees
(1st Quarter,
2005)
Projected
Employment
Increase
Projected No.
of Employees
(2010)
Employment
Growth Rates
(2005-2010)
Annual
Employment
Growth Rate
(2005-2010)
8,456
1,050
9,506
12%
2%
8,456
2,100
10,556
25%
4%
Moderate
Growth
Aggressive
Growth
The City of Fredericksburg has several opportunities for providing this new office development. Fall
Hill Avenue and Princess Anne Street, near Jefferson Davis Highway, are ideal locations for low-scale
infill office development, given their existing clustered office uses. Dixon Street south of Beaulah
Salisbury Drive, the Blue and Gray Parkway between Dixon Street and William Street, and Cowan
Boulevard adjacent to I-95 are also appropriate for large scale office parks.
Key Findings – Residential Development
Projected new office development in Fredericksburg will bring new employees and need for new
residences to the City. The JumpStart! plan shows that the development of new condominiums and
townhouses along the City’s commercial corridors is a viable strategy to respond to the projected
demand for housing from these expected new employees. This pattern aligns with the City’s goal to
expand mixed-use development along key corridors in the City.
Young professionals (age 25 to 34) and empty nesters (age 55 to 64) are specific market segments
that are expected to demand condominium and townhouse units throughout the region. Based on
home purchase income requirements, household growth projections in these target markets, and
personal income growth estimates, it is projected that there will be new demand in Planning District
16 for 2,038 new condominiums and 2,531 new townhomes between 2005 and 2010. This
translates into 408 condominiums and 506 new townhomes per year. Table 8 below outlines the
number of potential new units demanded, planned units in Fredericksburg, and the residual potential
for new residential development.
Table 8: Potential New Condominium and Townhouse Units for Planning District 16, 2010
Forecasts
Potential Demand
Planned Units
Residual Potential
Condominiums
Townhouses
2,038
2,531
416
191
1,622
2,340
Based on the City’s absorption levels, Fredericksburg could capture an estimated 15 to 20 percent of
the regional demand for condominium units and townhouses, or 45 to 70 condominium units and 65
to 100 townhouse units per year. This demand represents an opportunity to encourage residential
development as a component of mixed-use development.
21
SETTING THE STAGE
Key Findings – Retail Development
Fredericksburg is part of a highly competitive regional retail market, which includes several of the
largest retail destinations on the East Coast. Currently the City’s residents are well served by national
chain stores and retail shops. Opportunities to increase retail sales for existing residents of the City
will be found in specialty niche and neighborhood-serving convenience retail.
New households, employees, and tourists represent significant opportunities to increase retail sales.
As shown below in Table 9, annual retail expenditures by these market segments will likely be between
$27 million and $42 million. This translates into potential support for an additional 90,000 to
140,000 square feet of new retail by 2010.
Table 9: Potential New Annual Retail Expenditures in Fredericksburg (2010)
New Employees
(Professional)
New Households
(Condominiums and
Townhouses)
Projected Increase
in Market Group
Expenditure/Year
Total New Annual
Expenditure
1,050 to 2,100
$1,500
$1.6million to
$3.2 million
550 to 850
$23,574
$12.9 million to
$20 million
$14.5 million to
$18.4 million
Subtotal
Sales to Others (Tourists,
Visitors)
510 rooms
$24,090 to $36,150
Total
$12.3 million to
$18.4 million
$27 million to $42 million
William Street, Princess Anne Street, Lafayette Boulevard, and Dixon Street are key locations to target
new retail development, particularly convenience retail, such as new restaurants, food and beverage
stores, hair salons, and other goods and services that these corridors currently lack. The integration of
this retail with new residential and office space development should be considered as a strategy to
introduce mixed-use development and foster pedestrian-friendly communities.
Commuting Patterns
Because of Fredericksburg’s location within the larger region, there is much commuting into and out
of the City. The most current information on commuting patterns for the City’s residents and
employees comes from the 2000 Census. These data show that a vast majority of the City’s
workforce in 2000 (79%) commuted into the City from surrounding counties.
Table 10: Commuting Patterns, 2000
Commuter Classification
People who live and work in the area
In-Commuters
Out-Commuters
Net In-Commuters
# of Commuters
% of Local Workforce
4,065
21%
15,698
79%
5,586
n/a
10,112
n/a
22
SETTING THE STAGE
Of those workers commuting into the City, the majority came from Spotsylvania and Stafford
Counties. The top 10 locations where workers are commuting from are listed in the table below.
Table 11: Top 10 Places Workers are Commuting From (2000)
Area
Spotsylvania County, VA
Stafford County, VA
Caroline County, VA
King George County, VA
Orange County, VA
Prince William County, VA
Fairfax County, VA
Westmoreland County, VA
Prince George's County, MD
Culpeper County, VA
Workers
7,053
4,343
732
726
509
456
435
137
118
118
Fredericksburg’s residents who commute to jobs elsewhere are commuting to Spotsylvania and
Stafford Counties primarily, but also commuting as far as Alexandria and Arlington County. The
table below lists the top ten places that Fredericksburg residents commute to for work.
Table 12: Top 10 Places Residents are Commuting To, (2000)
Area
Spotsylvania County, VA
Stafford County, VA
Fairfax County, VA
District of Columbia, DC
King George County, VA
Prince William County, VA
Arlington County, VA
Alexandria City, VA
Caroline County, VA
Henrico County, VA
Workers
1,938
1,263
478
372
346
345
137
83
83
48
Conclusion
The next 20 years likely will bring much change to Fredericksburg. The population will continue to
increase as a response to regional economic growth in the office and retail sectors. Residents of the
City will age, creating more demand for public services for seniors and persons with disabilities.
Young professionals moving to Fredericksburg for employment opportunities and aging residents will
require new housing that meets their needs. These two sectors are both expected to demand more
compact housing types, such as condominiums and townhomes, that provide greater access to
destinations and services than traditional single-family homes. The percentage of Latino and Hispanic
members of the community likely will continue to increase, and may create new demands for the
educational system and other services. The policy framework provided in this plan addresses these
future changes while also maintaining the community character that is uniquely Fredericksburg.
KEY AREAS
23
PART II:
KEY AREAS
Key Areas:
Fredericksburg is a vibrant community made up of
distinctive neighborhoods and business districts.
The geography of this City revolves around
downtown and the river, supported by a network
of corridors that serve both transportation and
economic needs. A series of residential
neighborhoods house the population, and
concentrations of activity in key business districts
help fuel the economy of the City and the region.
This Part II of Fredericksburg’s Comprehensive
Plan discusses these key geographic areas.

Chapter 3: Downtown

Chapter 4: Rappahannock River

Chapter 5: Corridors

Chapter 6: Neighborhoods

Chapter 7: Business Districts
24
KEY AREAS
KEY AREAS
25
Chapter 3: Downtown
Background
Downtown is critical to the economic health
and well-being of Fredericksburg.
It
functions both as an economic engine as
well as providing a symbolic and physical
heart for the City.
Downtown is also valued as a focus of
Fredericksburg’s history, as an opportunity
for more emphasis on tourism, the center
for local arts, and as an evening venue for
entertainment.
The relationship of the
City’s downtown to the river offers an
opportunity to create a closer relationship
and connection between these two assets.
Maintaining the mixed-use character of
downtown is critically important. The core
downtown area has a long history of being home to commercial, residential, office, and institutional
uses, a fine-grained mix of uses at a pedestrian scale. This character is a cornerstone foundation of
this Comprehensive Plan.
The JumpStart! initiative recognizes the role of downtown as an economic development opportunity
for the City as a whole, and the JumpStart! strategy for downtown is embraced in this plan.
JumpStart! identifies strengths and opportunities for downtown and recommends tools for continued
and improved reinvestment. Following are key ideas about downtown that are drawn from the
JumpStart! initiative:
“The Downtown Commercial District has many strengths, including:
• Vibrant independent businesses,
• Historic architecture,
• Riverfront access,
• Proximity to the train station,
• Mix of uses offering a residential & employment base,
• Pedestrian-friendly layout,
• Active arts community, and
• Numerous special events.
The downtown area also exhibits room for improvement. The downtown area’s challenges include:
• A limited selection of convenience goods,
• A limited on-street and proximate off-street parking supply,
26
KEY AREAS
• Deferred city maintenance of the streetscape in some areas,
• Underutilized parcels, and
• Limited evening foot traffic and store hours.”
JumpStart! suggests that opportunities exist to increase sales revenues, to enhance the retail inventory,
and to improve the streetscape quality for existing and future residents, employees, and business
owners. Efforts should focus on bringing new customers to the downtown and to offer opportunities
for expanded sales at existing stores. Constraints to achieving these objectives are the dominance of
nearby Central Park retail businesses, which hinders the feasibility of competing stores in the
downtown area, and outdated parking policies that limit redevelopment of the many infill
opportunities downtown.
Downtown Fredericksburg is also the focal point of the City’s heritage tourism industry. Heritage
tourism allows visitors to experience places and activities that accurately represent the stories and
people of the past. It is a fast-growing segment of the travel industry that brings benefits to travelers
and to communities. The biggest challenge of heritage tourism is to ensure that success does not
destroy what attracts visitors in the first place. Effective and sustainable heritage tourism should
benefit both the visitors who experience the heritage resource as well as the community that hosts the
resource and maintains it. Careful and continuing planning is needed to sustain a heritage tourism
program in Fredericksburg. To fully benefit from heritage tourism, the City will need to develop a
comprehensive heritage tourism program and market it year round.
Another key policy document to incorporate is the report of The
Mayor’s Downtown Committee from 2006.
This report
emphasizes the importance of downtown to the City. It notes:
Our City is unique and wonderful. Downtown is a vital
portion of that uniqueness and continues to be a much
loved attraction for citizens, commerce, tourists, history
lovers and shoppers alike. It is also the second most
significant commercial revenue source for the City and it
has enormous potential to be an even greater economic
asset for the whole City.
This dual purpose function of downtown as an economic development asset and a focal point for
community identity is the key theme of this plan for downtown.
Downtown Goals
Goal 1: City Center Character
The character of Fredericksburg’s historic area and city center environment will be protected and
enhanced to preserve our sense of place, promote economic strength, and ensure the City’s
continuing appeal to residents, business people, and visitors.
KEY AREAS
27
Goal 2: Downtown Serves as Center for Commerce, Culture and Community
The core downtown area will continue to serve as a center of commerce, culture, and community,
government, courts, and the post office, and will increasingly generate revenues to ensure the
economic stability and longevity of the City, if advantageous.
Goal-3: Other Business Centers
Commercial businesses in downtown will provide unique goods and services that complement those
provided in other centers of commerce, such as Central Park, Celebrate Virginia, and commercial
corridors identified in the JumpStart! initiative.
Goal 4: Well-Balanced Mix of Uses
Downtown will include a well-balanced mix of businesses, residences, services, arts, recreational and
historical assets, and include government services, including courts (to remain downtown), City offices,
and postal services, if advantageous.
Goal 5: Riverfront
Downtown will be well connected to the Rappahannock Riverfront, capitalizing on the river as both an
economic and aesthetic resource that strengthens downtown.
Goal 6: Adequate Public Services
Downtown will be adequately served with efficient transportation, parking, and other public facilities.
Goal-7: Redevelopment
Redevelopment of downtown properties will occur in a manner that reflects the character of the City.
Downtown Policies
The following key policy statements provide guidance for future planning and development efforts for
downtown Fredericksburg. Many of these policies are linked to policies introduced in other chapters
of this plan, including policies related to historic preservation, community appearance, and parking.
1.
Promote downtown development initiatives, including options for providing housing
downtown, increasing evening use of downtown facilities, and taking advantage of
proximity to the Rappahannock River.
2.
Encourage development of “destination” activities and unique uses downtown.
3.
Assess the City’s planning and regulatory tools to ensure that they are consistent with the
goals, policies, and initiatives of this plan.
4.
Work cooperatively with the University of Mary Washington and MWH Medicorp to
identify possible joint initiatives encouraging downtown activity.
5.
Encourage residential and mixed-use developments that are compatible with the public
transportation service provided in downtown.
28
KEY AREAS
6.
Encourage an integrated approach to managing parking in key downtown commercial
locations and corridors to facilitate activity in those areas. (See also Transportation Policy
#17.)
7.
Encourage preservation of historic structures and site elements.
8.
Create better connections between the downtown and the river by investing in public
infrastructure improvements, such as sidewalks, paths, and crosswalks. (See also
Rappahannock River Policy #7 and Public Facilities and Services Policy #2.)
9.
Continue to maintain public facilities, public services, and public uses within downtown,
such as courts and other civic uses, if advantageous.
10.
Continue to encourage relocation of overhead utilities underground and into alleyways,
with an emphasis on key corridors. (See also Corridors Policy #4, Community
Appearance Policy #7, and Public Facilities and Services Policy #2.)
11.
Work with downtown merchants to improve accessibility to shops and restaurants for
persons with disabilities.
12.
Work cooperatively with Fredericksburg’s arts community to develop additional arts and
entertainment offerings downtown, and to establish Fredericksburg as a regional center
for the arts.
13.
Encourage and support development of arts events and festivals.
14.
Encourage and make provision for the arts community to be active in riverfront
development and redevelopment initiatives. (See also Rappahannock River Policy #13.)
15.
Encourage development of additional venues for performing and visual arts.
16.
Enhance heritage tourism by creating an authentic and quality experience for visitors and
residents, preserving and protecting historic resources, using skilled and creative
interpretation of resources, ensuring community goals align with tourism demands, and
ensuring that efforts are coordinated with other governmental agencies and appropriate
organizations.
Downtown Initiatives
These initiatives outline the key steps for implementing the long-term goals and guiding policies for
downtown Fredericksburg. The first two initiatives, highlighted in bold, are top priorities for action.
1.
Adjust current zoning districts in downtown and make adjustments where necessary to
encourage mixed-use development, provide for an appropriate level of parking, and offer
shared parking options.
KEY AREAS
29
2.
Assess and address, where necessary, new downtown parking
needs for the William Street corridor, and riverfront development.
Actions may include regulatory adjustments and/or capital
projects.
(See also Transportation Initiative #5 and
Rappahannock River Initiative #3.)
3.
Maintain and update, as appropriate, design guidelines that
articulate expectations for the form and nature of new
development in downtown.
4.
Develop a capital, operations, and maintenance plan, with a
sustainable funding source, for improving the historic downtown
streetscape. Improvements could include enhancements to
sidewalks, additional street furniture, landscaping and street
trees, the provision of additional public restrooms, and other improvements.
5.
Work with the Department of Economic Development and Tourism to continue to seek
out distinctive inns, bed & breakfasts, and small hotels to establish downtown as an
overnight destination.
6.
Pursue innovative financing strategies to encourage and facilitate development in the
downtown, such as establishing business improvement districts, tourism zones, and
technology zones.
7.
Develop a comprehensive heritage tourism program to be marketed year round.
8.
Take appropriate actions to ensure that the three courts in downtown stay in the core
downtown area, taking parking needs into consideration, if advantageous. (See also
Public Facilities Initiative #3.)
9.
Establish a Riverfront Park located between Hanover and Charlotte Streets. (See also
Rappahannock River Initiative #1.)
30
KEY AREAS
KEY AREAS
31
Chapter 4:
Rappahannock
River
Background
The Rappahannock River flows
for 185 miles from the Blue
Ridge Mountains, southeast to
the fall line at Fredericksburg
and ends as a wide estuarine
river that meets the Chesapeake Bay. The river is joined by the Rapidan River at a confluence ten
miles northwest of Fredericksburg and serves as the northern and eastern boundaries for the City.
The Rappahannock is a critical environmental resource with public health significance. It serves as the
City’s water supply and is a critical environmental resource that must be protected from degradation
and pollution. Because the Rappahannock is a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, it is subject to
stringent state and federal water quality regulations.
The original critical transportation role of the Rappahannock has evolved into a resource of historical,
environmental, cultural, and recreational importance. As a visual, environmental, and recreational
amenity, the river is a core component of life in this City.
An opportunity exists to extend downtown Fredericksburg to the river, and to use the river as a
downtown amenity – creating a legacy for future generations to explore and enjoy. Examples abound
of cities that have spurred economic development and downtown vitality through attention to
downtown river frontage.
Walkways, gathering areas, restaurants, entertainment venues,
environmental education facilities, and residences are all land uses whose value and interest are
greatly enhanced by being next to a river. A related effort is currently underway to develop public
amenities within a park setting along the downtown portion of the river. The City has already
acquired land to promote these riverfront objectives, and continuation of this land acquisition strategy
will be important.
Of related importance is attention to land use along the river above and below downtown. The City
owns miles of river frontage, but large stretches are in private ownership. Objectives for riverfront
development include protecting water quality, preserving/enhancing vistas, and developing trails.
32
KEY AREAS
Rappahannock River Goals
Goal 1: Clean and Safe Water Supply
Ensure an adequate supply of clean and safe drinking water for the City.
Goal 2: Natural Beauty and Historic Resources
Protect the natural beauty and historic resources of the Rappahannock River.
Goal 3: Natural Functions of River
Maintain the integrity of the Rappahannock River system and its tributaries for their biological
functions, that protect the City’s raw water supply and wildlife habitat, as well as for drainage,
recreational uses, and other purposes. (See also Environmental Protection Goal #3.)
Goal 4: Community Amenity
Capitalize on the Rappahannock River as a community amenity, for enjoyment by residents and
visitors, including acquiring land to develop a riverfront park between Charlotte and Hanover Streets.
Goal 5: Riverfront Linked to Downtown
Link the Rappahannock River to the downtown to provide mutual benefits for enjoyment of the river
and for the economic vitality of downtown.
Rappahannock River Policies
The following key policy statements provide guidance for
future conservation and development efforts for the lands
along the Rappahannock River. Many of these policies are
linked to policies introduced in other chapters of this plan,
including policies related to the environment and downtown.
1.
Preserve and protect the Rappahannock River
watershed and its water supply by controlling
increased flood discharges, non-point source
pollution, and streambank sedimentation, with special attention to stormwater
management, tree protection, and silt removal initiatives, if advantageous. (See also
Environmental Protection Policy #1.)
2.
Protect vistas and shorelines of the upper rivershed, with special attention to preservation
of shoreline land and wetlands areas west of I-95, to protect water quality and coordinate
with Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay water quality program.
3.
Preserve scenic value of the Rappahannock River and its floodway by establishing
undisturbed buffers on lands adjoining the river and wetlands, outside of the downtown
area. (See also Community Appearance Policy #11.)
KEY AREAS
33
4.
Along the downtown waterfront, make the Rappahannock River visually and physically
accessible by limited and careful clearing of underbrush and planting of soil-stabilizing
vegetation that will not obstruct views. (See also Community Appearance Policy #12.)
5.
Initiate a comprehensive planning process for the lands along the river that identifies land
use and design strategies to meet plan goals.
6.
Acquire and/or assemble downtown riverfront parcels in the area between Hanover and
Charlotte Streets for public uses such as trails, parks, and open space, as called for in the
Riverfront Park Concepts design prepared by Lardner-Klein Landscape Architects, 2007.
7.
Invest in public infrastructure in the downtown riverfront area, in order to create walkways
along the river, and to connect the existing downtown area to the river. (See also
Downtown Policy #8.)
8.
Actively encourage private efforts to develop property on the west side of Sophia Street,
such that future development would face the river.
9.
Continue the City’s stewardship through ownership of shoreline and wetland areas, both
within and outside the corporate limits of Fredericksburg and should continue to seek
opportunities to expand preservation efforts through additional public acquisition of land
or easements.
10.
In all aspects of riverfront development, provisions for public access to the river shall be
encouraged.
11.
Promote the implementation of the Rappahannock River Heritage Trail as proposed in the
2006 Fredericksburg Pathways Master Plan.
12.
Preserve historic sites on City lands up river, such as historic canal locks and other historic
sites.
13.
Encourage and make provision for the arts community to be active in riverfront
development and redevelopment initiatives. (See also Downtown Policy #14.)
14.
Emphasize the Rappahannock River’s historic values during development
Fredericksburg’s urban waterfront. (See also Historic Preservation Policy #7.)
15.
Explore possibilities for silt removal.
of
34
KEY AREAS
Rappahannock River Initiatives
These initiatives outline the key steps for implementing the
long-term goals and guiding policies for the
Rappahannock River and the lands surrounding the river.
The first two initiatives, highlighted in bold, are top
priorities for action.
1.
Design and develop a land use and design
plan for preservation and development of the
entire riverfront area within the corporate
limits of Fredericksburg and develop a riverfront park. The plan shall include both public
and private initiatives, including public acquisition of property and easements, and
standards for development on riverfront land. Conservation easements should be actively
pursued as a technique to preserve sensitive riverfront land. This plan should include the
Riverfront Focal Point on the river side of Sophia Street between George and Charlotte
Streets within the context of the larger riverfront area.
2.
Develop a strategic plan, with involvement of surrounding counties, for protecting and
managing the city-owned riparian lands under permanent conservation easement along
the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers, with emphasis on stormwater management,
wildlife habitat protection, tree protection, trespassing, preservation of historic and
cultural resources, and additional land acquisition. (See also Environmental Protection
Initiative #4 and Public Facilities & Services Initiative #17.)
3.
Review the need for parking along the river in the downtown business district, and
eliminate surface parking where feasible. (See also Downtown Initiative #2 and
Transportation and Mobility Initiative #5.)
4.
Strengthen the City’s zoning ordinance to protect the river (tree protection, river setbacks,
etc.), including a “no disturbance” zone along the river to protect water quality, natural
habitats, and scenic views.
5.
Explore options for dredging the river to remove silt.
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35
Chapter 5: Corridors
Background
The
geography
of
Fredericksburg is defined
by distinct, identifiable
areas
of
activity,
connected by a network of
transportation corridors.
In addition to serving the
important transportation
function, these corridors
also
represent
major
economic
opportunities
for the City. Focusing on land use and redevelopment within these corridors, with an emphasis on
mixed-use patterns and attention to appearance, will help the City achieve its objectives.
A major community initiative, JumpStart! Fredericksburg, was completed in July, 2006. Its purpose
was to forecast the need for future development in the commercial areas of the City and recommend
the form of new construction. A Market and Economic Analysis was conducted (referred to in Chapter
2), projecting job growth of about 2,100 jobs before 2012. To support this growth, additional office
space and retail space will be needed. JumpStart! produced design concepts for development in key
areas around the City, focusing on 11 defined corridors and focusing on mixed-use land use patterns.
The JumpStart! report contained a detailed Action Plan to guide implementation of the plan and its
recommendations. This Chapter 5 is constructed around the work of Fredericksburg’s Economic
Development Authority and its JumpStart! Fredericksburg 2010 report.
Eleven areas are identified in the JumpStart! report, of which eight are major transportation corridors:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Lafayette Boulevard
Princess Anne Street
William Street
Jefferson Davis Highway
Blue and Gray Parkway
Fall Hill Avenue
Cowan Boulevard
Dixon Street
The three other areas studied in JumpStart! are Sophia Street, Riverfront, and the Downtown
Commercial District.
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KEY AREAS
There are corridor-specific descriptions of development opportunities, proposed development
concepts, and design considerations in the JumpStart! report.
Goals for Corridors
Goal 1: Commercial Development
Allow sufficient levels of retail and office space
development to occur along Fredericksburg’s
designated corridors to accommodate the
projected share of regional economic growth
that is contained in the JumpStart!
Fredericksburg initiative.
Goal 2: Visual Character
Achieve designs and patterns of development
and landscaping and street trees along
Fredericksburg’s designated corridors that
enhance the City’s visual character.
Goal 3: Mixed-Use
Achieve mixed-use development patterns as
redevelopment occurs within Fredericksburg’s
designated corridors, blending retail, office, and residential uses.
Goal 4: Complement Other Business Centers
Commercial businesses within corridors will provide goods and services that complement those
provided in other centers of commerce, such as Central Park, Celebrate Virginia, and downtown
Fredericksburg.
Policies for Corridors
1.
Pursue mixed-use land development patterns along designated corridors, as identified in
the JumpStart! Fredericksburg report.
2.
Continue to develop corridor specific studies as recommended.
3.
Identify actions that can be taken by the City of Fredericksburg to encourage and
promote redevelopment of designated corridors.
4.
Encourage public and private efforts to improve appearance in designated corridors,
including initiatives to install street trees and landscaping, and to relocate existing
overhead utilities, as feasible and appropriate. (See also Downtown Policy #10 and
Community Appearance Policy #7.)
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37
5.
Encourage development patterns and site designs that incorporate features for transit,
walking, and bicycle modes of access.
6.
Require installation of pedestrian facilities (sidewalks, pathways, crosswalks) as
components of new development/redevelopment projects within the City.
Initiatives for Corridors
Design guidelines are already in place for the Princess Anne Street Corridor. Lafayette Boulevard
presents opportunities for near-term development activity, and should be the next corridor for which
corridor guidelines are developed.
The JumpStart! report lists a
series of short-term and longterm actions that would
advance the goals of mixeduse
development
and
redevelopment along the
designated corridors in a
manner
that
would
accommodate the projected
office and retail development.
These initiatives are listed
below and involve regulatory
adjustments,
specialized
plans, and City actions to encourage/promote redevelopment along these corridors. The first two
initiatives, highlighted in bold, are top priorities for action.
1.
Adjust zoning provisions to allow for and encourage mixed-use development within the
commercial corridors, allowing for greater densities and appropriate building heights,
scale, setbacks, and uses as part of mixed-use developments. Specifically define “mixeduse” with details regarding expectations for retail and office spaces. (See also
Neighborhoods Initiative #7.)
2.
Continue to develop corridor specific studies as recommended in the JumpStart! report,
with Lafayette Boulevard being the next corridor to study, from the Historic District to Blue
and Gray Parkway.
3.
Develop corridor specific design guidelines that articulate expectations for the form and
nature of new development along corridors, including expectations for landscaping along
all streets.
4.
Adopt form-based regulations as optional overlay regulations for use in selected, strategic
areas to encourage the submission of proposals that include desired height, scale,
massing, building setbacks, ground floor uses, building materials, façade design, and
signage.
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KEY AREAS
5.
Develop a strategy to define the elements of, and
limits of, public sector participation that the City
would be able to provide as development
incentives.
6.
Create a mechanism for streamlined review of
desired forms of development within the corridors.
7.
Regularly monitor and evaluate conditions along
identified corridors to determine which corridor
should next be studied after Lafayette Boulevard,
and which after that.
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39
Chapter 6:
Neighborhoods
Background
Residential Fredericksburg is made up
of a collection of neighborhoods. The
neighborhood concept is important to
the long-term health and welfare of the
City, because neighborhoods are the
building blocks for community – they
can serve as the first level of
community interaction.
Some of Fredericksburg’s neighborhoods are new, many are old, and all are important to the wellbeing of the City. The creation and preservation of neighborhoods is a central community value and
organizing principle for Fredericksburg.
Issues facing Fredericksburg’s neighborhood areas include infrastructure needs, tree protection and
installation, parking management, traffic control, and redevelopment pressures.
New neighborhoods are generally developed on tracts that are exclusively residential, which helps
protect their existing character. Older neighborhoods, however, often face intense pressures for
redevelopment because of location near downtown, a main transportation corridor, or the University.
Some of Fredericksburg’s older neighborhoods are within the designated historic district, but many are
not. Land values are often high in older neighborhoods and houses tend to be modest in size,
increasing pressures for tear-downs.
Goals for Neighborhoods
Goal 1: Neighborhood Character
Preserve the character of the City’s existing neighborhoods.
Goal 2: Quality of Neighborhoods
Enhance the quality of the City’s residential neighborhoods to promote livability and a strong sense of
community.1
One definition of “livability” or a “livable community” is provided by the American Association of Retired
Persons in their report entitled Livable Communities: An Evaluation Guide (2005). It defines a livable community
as one that “has affordable and appropriate housing, supportive community features and services, and
adequate mobility options, which together facilitate personal independence and the engagement of residents in
civic and social life.”
1
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KEY AREAS
Goal 3: Distinct and Attractive Neighborhoods
The residential areas of the City will comprise a collection of distinct and attractive neighborhoods,
each possessing a unique sense of place and shared identity.
Goal 4: Adequate Public Services
The residential neighborhoods will be adequately served with efficient transportation, parking,
sidewalks, pathways, street trees, lighting, and other public facilities that are compatible with their
neighborhood scale.
Policies for Neighborhoods
The following key policy statements provide guidance for
protecting and enhancing new and established neighborhoods
in Fredericksburg. A few of these policies are linked to policies
introduced in other chapters of this plan, including historic
preservation and public facilities and services.
1.
Maintain, enhance, and improve the character of
older neighborhoods. Neighborhood conservation
measures should be pursued to help address
redevelopment pressures and prohibit new
development that is out-of-character with existing
neighborhoods.
(See
also
Community
Appearance Policy #3.)
Figure 6: This photo illustrates a newly
developed residence within an existing older
neighborhood that enhances neighborhood
character (the new house is shown in the
background).
2.
Install measures to control and manage on-street
parking in residential neighborhoods, and monitor
to ensure effectiveness.
3.
Manage traffic on local streets in a manner that maintains the flow of vehicles that is in
keeping with the character of the neighborhood.
4.
Design and construct new streets and street improvements in a manner that avoids
excessive automobile traffic on residential streets. (See also Transportation and Mobility
Policy #3 and Public Facilities and Services Policy #7.)
5.
Consider re-opening and re-establishing use of existing alleyways in residential
neighborhoods.
6.
Take steps to protect or re-establish the appropriate tree cover or street vegetation in
existing residential neighborhoods, with attention to the location of overhead power lines.
7.
Improve the physical quality of housing and neighborhoods through appropriate
community development programs.
KEY AREAS
41
8.
Create connections between neighborhoods, the rail station, and employment centers
with consideration of alternative modes of transportation.
9.
Allow for greater housing density in mixed-use neighborhoods.
10.
Incorporate full public infrastructure, including sidewalks, into the design of all new
residential neighborhoods.
11.
Work with the University to minimize negative impacts on adjacent residential areas.
12.
Support rehabilitation of existing housing to preserve the character of existing
neighborhoods, while discouraging tear-downs to build larger homes. (See also Housing
Policy #3.)
13.
Prevent crime and promote personal safety by encouraging private developments to use
principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) in project design.
(See also Community Appearance Policy #13 and Public Facilities and Services Policy
#12.)
Initiatives for Neighborhoods
These initiatives outline the key steps for implementing
the long-term goals and guiding policies for
Fredericksburg’s neighborhoods.
The first two
initiatives, highlighted in bold, are top priorities for
action.
1.
Analyze neighborhood characteristics and
amend the Zoning Ordinance as needed
to protect older neighborhoods that are
now being threatened by inappropriate
redevelopment.
2.
Consider measures to discourage and limit
the tear-down of existing residential
structures, including a mechanism to limit
the construction/expansion of dwellings in
a manner that would be out-of-scale with
the surrounding neighborhood or lots.
(See also Housing Initiative #1.)
3.
Protect the housing stock of the City by increasing and streamlining oversight and
enforcement, paying particular attention to visibly intrusive violations. (See also Historic
Preservation Initiative #4.)
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KEY AREAS
4.
Develop a work plan to cooperate with owners of historic district properties identified in
the 2006 Koelzer Engineering Report to save these properties from neglect and disrepair.
(See also Historic Preservation Initiative #5.)
5.
Modify neighborhood parking permit areas and on-street parking time restrictions
according to the 2005 DESMAN Study. (See also Public Facilities and Services Initiative
#7.)
6.
Evaluate the current system of determining street improvement priorities including
landscaping so that roadways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, plantings, and other
neighborhood streetscape improvements are considered during the funding process.
Identify projects, priorities, and funding sources. (See also Public Facilities and Services
Initiative #1.)
7.
Establish general requirements for mixed-use neighborhood developments, such as
parking, acceptability of shared parking, maximum densities, design requirements, open
space percentages, transitional requirements for the “edges” of development, and other
appropriate design and development standards. (See also Corridors Initiative #1.)
8.
Address infrastructure needs of neighborhoods through the Capital Improvements
Program.
9.
Develop design standards that can be applied to redevelopment of property in “infill”
locations, to help assure that such redevelopment does not damage the visual character
of its context.
10.
Consider possible adjustments to regulations that would permit the establishment of bed
and breakfast facilities in downtown and historic neighborhoods, with restrictions on
operations and signage, and with requirements regarding minimum separation between
such facilities to minimize impacts.
11.
Continue to implement the City’s Rental Property Maintenance Program and address the
preponderance of rental properties affecting neighborhood stability, safety, and quality of
life.
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43
Chapter 7: Suburban
Business Districts
Background
Fredericksburg’s businesses tend to
be focused in three areas – the
downtown, along its corridors, and in
several suburban districts.
The
downtown and corridor businesses
are addressed in separate chapters.
This chapter focuses on the newer suburban business districts that have developed, or are in the
process of developing, in the western portion of the community.
Most notably, the Central Park area serves as both an important local and regional shopping area for
residents and as a major economic resource for the City. The Celebrate Virginia campus is being
developed as a major retail and hotel/conference center, to also include education and entertainment
services, providing another activity center for regional tourism within the City. It is important to the
City that these areas remain economically viable for the long-term future, that traffic and access is
provided in a safe and efficient manner, and that these business districts continue to develop in a high
quality manner that reflects well on the City image.
At this point, there is no reason to doubt the economic viability of the suburban business districts.
Given the importance of the new suburban business areas to the economy of the City and given the
ever changing dynamic of the retail industry, however, it will be important to monitor the health of
these business areas for longer range purposes. The City should promote the highest quality of new
development or redevelopment in order to promote long-term sustainability of the area and help
assure that these areas remain economically viable over time. The primary theme of this chapter is to
recognize the importance of these areas so that their health and vitality will be recognized as a longterm City goal. Given the long-range nature of this issue, several broad goals are included, and
initiatives are limited to a few items.
Goals for Suburban Business Districts
Goal 1: Shopping and Entertainment
The suburban business districts will provide high quality shopping and entertainment opportunities to
the City and region for the long-term future.
44
KEY ISSUES
Goal 2: Economic Benefit
The suburban business districts will continue to provide a strong economic benefit to the City for the
long-term future.
Goal 3: Complements Other Business Centers
New suburban business districts will complement the downtown and business corridors and will
contain retail businesses, offices, restaurants, and entertainment/education facilities that offer a wide
variety of goods, services, and jobs to residents.
Policies for Suburban Business Districts
The following key policy statements provide guidance for enhancing new and existing suburban
business districts.
1.
Monitor the economic health of the suburban business districts for the purpose of
detecting long-term economic prospects or problems.
2.
Stay in communications with the owners of businesses to assist with the monitoring of the
area.
3.
Implement state-of-the-art development standards for new development and
redevelopment related to site layout, building configuration, landscaping, signage,
parking lot design and layout, vehicular and pedestrian circulation, stormwater
management, environmental protection, and others.
4.
Provide adequate public facilities, such as roads and sidewalks to support the economic
viability of the area.
5.
Design and improve suburban business district areas to be as pedestrian-friendly as
possible.
Initiatives for Suburban Business Districts
Fredericksburg’s business districts. The first two initiatives, highlighted in bold, are top priorities for
action.
1.
Collaborate with the developer(s) of Celebrate Virginia South to ensure the successful
development and promotion of that tourism and retail campus.
2.
Improve commercial zoning standards during future updates to the City’s development
regulations. Standards could include building heights, setbacks, density ground floor
uses, floor area ratios, building materials, permitted special exceptions, and other design
standards.
3.
Promote the inclusion of business owners in local economic development activities and
monitoring.
KEY ISSUES
45
PART III: KEY
ISSUES
Key Issues:
Part II organized discussion around key areas of
the City. Beyond those, there are other issues
that affect the entire City without a particular
geographic focus, and these are identified and
discussed here in Part III. These are communitywide issues. Each is described, with
acknowledgement of existing conditions and an
eye on strategic policies and actions that would
address current concerns. In addition, the new
theme of “Sustainability” is identified for
attention in this Comprehensive Plan.

Chapter 8: Transportation and Mobility
Chapter 9: Public Facilities and Services
Chapter10: Environmental Protection
Chapter 11: Community Appearance
Chapter 12: Historic Preservation
Chapter 13: Housing
Chapter 14: Institutional Partnerships
Chapter 15: Sustainability
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KEY ISSUES
47
Chapter 8: Transportation and
Mobility
Background
Transportation issues in Fredericksburg fall into two main
categories: 1) pass-through and commuter traffic, primarily
along the I-95 corridor; and 2) local transportation issues
that encompass various modes of transportation.
Fredericksburg’s primary transportation system includes a
coordinated hierarchy of roadways comprised of interstate highways, regional roadways, connector
roads, and local streets that serve the City’s neighborhoods. But just as important are the secondary
systems that provide walking, bicycling, and transit opportunities and generally enhance mobility
throughout the City. Attention to mobility issues reinforces other plan goals, including facilitating
mixed-use development patterns, promoting economic development opportunities, and implementing
environmental protection initiatives.
The City’s Trails Plan is incorporated as part of this
Comprehensive Plan.
A Multi-Modal System
The most sustainable transportation systems are those that are multi-modal. Multi-modal systems are
integrated and balanced systems that promote safety and efficiency without reliance on a single mode
of transportation. Streets that are multi-modal are often referred to as “complete streets.” Key
factors of Fredericksburg’s future transportation system are the development and promotion of a firstrate transit system, and the improvement of facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists. Encouraging and
facilitating travel modes other than the single-occupant vehicle pays multiple dividends to the
community. Efforts to decrease traffic congestion through alternative modes of travel result in health
benefits, both in terms of maintaining cleaner air and promoting healthy lifestyles. For example,
minimizing impervious surface devoted to surface parking lots minimizes negative impacts on water
quality. And increased accessibility resulting from sidewalks and paths expands mobility and
recreational opportunities.
Pedestrians
Like many cities, Fredericksburg’s pedestrian system has evolved over time. In general, the older
areas of the City, including the downtown, are very walkable, with complete and connected sidewalk
systems and provisions for safe street crossings. Other sections of the City, however, especially the
commercial areas along the City’s main transportation corridors, are designed primarily with the
automobile in mind. These areas lack sidewalks, are not inter-connected, have poor internal
pedestrian circulation, and do not have adequate infrastructure in place for crossing multi-lane streets.
The Fredericksburg community has placed a high priority on improving pedestrian circulation and
safety, and work has been done to make the City more walkable.
Implementing the
recommendations of the recently completed Fredericksburg Pathways Plan will help achieve walkability
in the community.
48
KEY ISSUES
ISSUES
KEY
Streets
Access to Fredericksburg is provided by a number of primary routes, illustrated in Figure 7. I-95
bisects the City running north-south, with Washington, D.C., to the north and Richmond to the south.
I-95 currently carries over 160,000 vehicles per day and is expected to carry 180,000 vehicles per
day by 2025. Other major routes through Fredericksburg include US 1, US 17, and VA 3. Daily
traffic volumes on all primary routes have increased since 2001.
The City also includes a comprehensive network of connector and local streets that provide mobility
within the City and access to the primary routes. There are a variety of street types and designs that,
like the pedestrian system, have evolved over time. Many of the primary streets are functioning over
capacity, and most were designed with the automobile as the highest priority.
The City of Fredericksburg participates in the transportation planning process administered by the
Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO). The FAMPO 2030 Constrained
Long Range Plan has identified numerous needed roadway improvements and has established a plan
for implementing the improvements. The improvements include widenings, capacity improvements,
safety improvements, and bike lanes and paths. Projects within the City of Fredericksburg urban
system and on I-95 in Fredericksburg are illustrated in Figure 8 and detailed in Table 13, below.
Other primary, secondary, and regional projects are listed in the technical appendix.
Table 13: FAMPO 2030 Constrained Long Range Plan – Interstate and Urban System Projects
Street Name
Location (From/To)
Description of Improvement
Cost
Interstate System
Interstate 95
Interchange at Rte 627 in Stafford
County
New construction – full clover-leaf
loops
$19,000,000
Rte 627 interchange to Rte 630
interchange
Connecting collector-distributor
lanes between interchanges
$36,000,000
Interchange at proposed
Spotsylvania Pkwy/17 Bypass
New construction
Engineering only)
$2,000,000
(Preliminary
Urban System – City of Fredericksburg
Fall Hill Avenue/ Mary
Washington Boulevard
West City Limits to Mary
Washington Blvd Extension
Widen Fall Hill Avenue to four
lanes, with bike path, and construct
connecting four lane roadway
$21,000,000
South City Limits to Rte 3
interchange
Widen to 6 lanes
$9,000,000
Jefferson Davis Hwy
Plank Road to Princess Anne Street
Widen to 6 lanes
$18,000,000
Jefferson Davis
Hwy/William Street
interchange
Reconstruct interchange
$38,000,000
Lafayette Blvd
South City Limits to Blue-Gray Pkwy
Widen to 4 lanes with bike paths
$14,000,000
Mahone Dr (extension)
Plank Rd to Fall Hill Ave
Construct new 4 lane divided facility
with bike path. Evaluate name of
street prior to extending.
$16,000,000
Princess Anne St
Jefferson Davis Hwy to Herndon St
Restripe and reconfigure for
efficiency
William St/Plank Rd
Mahone Dr to Jefferson Davis Hwy
Widen to 6 lanes
$300,000
$12,000,000
Source: FAMPO 2030 Constrained Long Range Plan
KEY ISSUES
49
Figure 7: Existing Transportation Facilities
50
KEY ISSUES
ISSUES
KEY
Figure 8: Planned Interstate and Urban System Projects – Fredericksburg (2030 FAMPO Constrained LRP)
95
Fall
Fall Hill
Hill Ave
Ave
LLaaf
faayy
eetttte
e
Bll
B
vvdd
Rte
Rte 33
Legend
Proposed interchange
reconstruction
Proposed new interchange
Proposed widening and/or
improvements
95
Proposed new construction
KEY ISSUES
51
Transit
The City of Fredericksburg operates the FREDericksburg Regional Transit System (FRED), the bus
transit system serving the greater Fredericksburg area. FRED routes serve the City and also extends
into the surrounding counties, to provide transit access to points in Fredericksburg. FRED has
continued to experience ridership increases over the last eight years, as well as increases in operating
revenue and vehicles. What started out as a small, local service has developed over the last few years
into a more regional service aimed at connecting people to jobs in the area. In the last few years,
deviated fixed routes and shuttle routes have been added to serve Spotsylvania County, Stafford
County, Caroline County, and King George County. Plans for a new bus maintenance facility are
currently in the design stage.
Recognizing the growth and development of the FRED service, plans are underway to assess the
existing system and plan for the future. One of the key questions is whether the system should
continue to expand as a regional provider, or whether FRED should focus on expanding the urban
routes and services within Fredericksburg.
Bicycling
The Fredericksburg community recognizes the need to provide better bike facilities to encourage
cycling as a viable mode of transportation and create safer cycling environments. Currently the City
has few on-street bike lanes. A number of off-street shared use trails and nature trails exist to provide
recreational opportunities for cyclists, but these off-street paths typically do not function well for bike
commuters. The Pathways plan is a comprehensive effort to improve cycling conditions and
opportunities in Fredericksburg by removing barriers and obstacles and significantly increasing the
number of bikeways and nature trails throughout the City. Bike lanes and paths are also planned as
part of roadway improvement projects identified in the FAMPO Constrained Long Range Plan.
Commuting
While Fredericksburg is a strong
attraction for regional workers, over
half of the workers who live in
Fredericksburg commute to jobs
outside of the City. I-95 carries a
tremendous portion of the commuter
load, but as roadway options have
become less attractive, commuters
have looked to other options. The
Virginia Railway Express (VRE) provides
commuter rail service to the Northern
Virginia and Washington, D.C. areas,
and has seen continued ridership
increases over the last five years. Its
southern-most terminus is located in downtown Fredericksburg, and over 1,200 riders board the VRE
there on any given work day. There are currently over 700 parking spaces for VRE riders around the
station. The influx of drivers coming to park at the VRE station during peak hours adds to traffic
congestion along the principal routes into the City. To relieve traffic congestion downtown during
peak hours, FRED routes should connect commuters from points around the City along major
commuter routes to the VRE station downtown.
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KEY ISSUES
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KEY
The Virginia Railway Express Strategic Plan (2004-2025) analyzed future commuter rail needs of the
region. Options include increasing parking around key stations, including Fredericksburg, additional
maintenance and storage capacity, and possible expansion of the network to points south. Specific
options for Fredericksburg include construction of a parking deck on the VRE lot (1,000-1,500 vehicle
capacity) with a new connection to the Blue and Gray Parkway, to avoid introducing more traffic into
a residential neighborhood.
Parking
Parking plays a critical role in a City’s development and land use patterns, especially in downtown
areas. Commercial and downtown areas require vehicular access and parking to some level to be
successful. But providing that parking often conflicts with other community goals. Parking impacts
traffic patterns and volumes, affects residential neighborhoods, impacts the community’s aesthetics
and streetscape, and has significant financial costs. An important question for this plan is how can
parking help achieve community and downtown goals?
The City commissioned a Comprehensive Parking Study in 2006 that analyzed parking demand and
supply, with a focus on Fredericksburg’s downtown. There are currently over 2,100 parking spaces in
downtown Fredericksburg, and a new parking deck was recently opened. There is higher weekday
demand for parking downtown than on the weekends, with weekday lunch hour being the peak
demand period. Overall, parking supply is adequate to meet the needs of the downtown, but parking
spaces are not always in locations of highest demand, causing some spaces to have a much higher
utilization rate than others. Parking continues to be an issue around the University of Mary
Washington and residential neighborhoods near the university and downtown. As the City continues
to grow and the downtown continues to develop, finding ways to effectively manage the City’s parking
supply will be critical.
Streets and Alleyways
Older areas of Fredericksburg contain streets and alleys, some of which have been used over time for
vehicle and/or pedestrian movements, some of which have remained unimproved and exist only as
un-opened public right-of-way. In some circumstances, these streets and alleys have the potential for
enhancing pedestrian, bicycle, and automobile mobility by providing additional travel routes. In other
cases, the dedicated public right-of-way does not offer any viable connection or travel route.
Periodically the City receives a request for vacation of an unused right-of-way. Action by the City to
approve or deny such a request should be based upon whether or not the subject right-of-way
appears on any plan as a possible street, sidewalk, path, or bikeway, and whether or not the subject
corridor has potential for such use.
Transportation & Mobility Goals
Goal 1: Surface Transportation System
Advance the development of a surface transportation system that is safe, functional, and attractive for
users of all modes of transportation, and makes the community accessible to all citizens.
Goal 2: Alternative Forms of Transportation
Encourage the use of alternative forms of transportation city-wide to enhance mobility, minimize traffic
growth, and encourage healthy lifestyles.
KEY ISSUES
53
Goal 3: Walkability
Make Fredericksburg a walkable city.
Goal 4: “Complete Streets”
Develop “complete streets” that are integrated, safe, and efficient for all modes of transportation.
Transportation & Mobility Policies
The following key policy statements provide guidance for achieving the transportation and mobility
goals for Fredericksburg.
1.
Encourage implementation of “complete street” designs for new development and
retrofitting of key transportation corridors throughout the City. Complete streets balance
and integrate all modes of transportation, including automobiles, buses, bicycles and
pedestrians, in a safe and efficient manner within the same right-of-way.
2.
Maintain the integrity of the City’s traditional street grid by keeping streets open, rather
than closing or altering them.
3.
Design and construct new streets and street improvements that avoid excessive
automobile traffic on residential streets. (See also Neighborhoods Policy #4 and Public
Facilities and Services Policy #7.)
4.
Provide a pedestrian-friendly environment, and include pedestrian accessibility as an
integral component of all new development and redevelopment designs.
5.
Provide for pedestrian safety at all street crossings. Designate and stripe crosswalks at
appropriate locations, and implement other pedestrian safety measures, such as signage
and pedestrian countdown signal heads, at
high pedestrian volume locations.
6.
Promote transit-oriented land use patterns.
7.
Explore opportunities to expand the transit
system to become more of a regional service
provider while also improving the quality of
the urban service in Fredericksburg.
8.
Improve the transit system by adding more
routes and service, reducing headways
between buses on key routes, providing
good transit service to and between key
destinations (such as downtown, the University of Mary Washington, Mary Washington
Hospital, the train station, Central Park, and other employment centers), and focus more
attention on the urban portion of the FRED transit system.
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KEY ISSUES
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KEY
9.
Locate bus stops adjacent to commercial areas rather than at the fringe of parking lots.
Design streets to ensure safe pedestrian crossings to bus stops.
10.
Provide bus service at peak commuting times from remote parking lots and
neighborhoods to the commuter rail station.
11.
Provide a coordinated system of bicycle/foot trails throughout the community. Link
pedestrian routes and bicycle trails to local destinations and building entrances, as well
as to other transportation modes. Include this design component in Site Design
Guidelines.
12.
Develop a comprehensive network of bicycle facilities to encourage bicycling as a viable
mode of transportation. Plan bicycle facilities (on- and off-street) for all types of bicyclists.
13.
Encourage bicycle amenities (e.g., racks) at bus stops as well as commercial and
recreational destinations.
14.
Develop parking policies that support broader land use and economic development
goals and that address the needs of all users.
15.
Encourage shared parking arrangements and adjust development regulations
accordingly. Work with employers to encourage employees to use non-prime parking
spaces.
16.
Encourage and provide incentives for structured parking.
17.
Further develop systems for managing parking in high-use areas, including the commuter
rail station and downtown. (See also Downtown #6.)
18.
Implement traffic management strategies that mitigate the impacts of traffic growth.
Strategies may include use of Intelligent Transportation Systems, signal timing upgrades,
alternative methods of intersection control, and developing neighborhood traffic calming
programs.
19.
New development should improve connectivity to reduce the traffic load on arterial and
collector streets.
20.
Develop, implement, and promote Travel Demand Management (TDM) programs to
reduce single-occupant vehicle trips.
21.
Require comprehensive traffic impact studies for new development, including identifying
impacts and mitigation strategies for all modes of transportation.
22.
Maintain, expand, and improve existing alleyway system to enhance mobility.
23.
Explore opportunities to provide para-transit services to support independent living
opportunities for persons with disabilities.
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Consider use of alleyways and unimproved rights-of-way for potential pedestrian and
bicycle paths. Requests for vacation of public right-of-way associated with alleys should
only be approved if (1) Such right-of way segment is not on any adopted plan for use as
sidewalk, bikeway, or street; and/or (2) There is no reason to believe that the segment
may be desirable for such use in the future.
Transportation & Mobility Initiatives
Fredericksburg’s multi-modal transportation systems. The first two initiatives, highlighted in bold, are
top priorities for action.
1.
Develop and implement a system for providing and maintaining crosswalks at every
pedestrian path and street crossing, as well as at other strategic and appropriate midblock locations.
2.
Work with FRED to significantly expand local bus service by extending the service area
locally and enhancing the efficiency and quality of the service.
3.
Continue a dialogue with Stafford, Spotsylvania, King George, and Caroline Counties
and reach consensus on whether FRED will be expanded to become more of a regional
transit provider.
4.
Develop a plan and roadway design for Fall Hill Avenue improvements. Identify funding
sources and project strategy.
5.
Adjust parking regulations. (See also Downtown Initiative #2 and Rappahannock River
Initiative #3.)
6.
Continue to participate in ongoing FAMPO planning for the regional transportation
system.
7.
Implement the FREDericksburg Regional Transit 2006-2007 Action Plan.
8.
Develop and implement a prioritized system for implementing pedestrian and bicycle
improvement projects, including those recommended by the Pathways plan.
9.
Develop and implement performance measures to track implementation of pedestrian
and bicycle improvement projects.
10.
Work with major employers and new developments to establish transportation
management programs that encourage use of alternative modes.
11.
Work with regional partners to develop region-wide travel demand management
programs to reduce reliance on single-occupant vehicles.
12.
Create incentives for structured parking, especially in the downtown area.
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13.
Continue to study a new potential interchange location north of the I-95/Route 3
interchange.
14.
Amend the regional long range transportation plan to show the Princess Anne Street
project as restriping and reconfiguring for efficiency (consistent with the Princess Anne
Street Corridor overlay.)
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Chapter 9: Public Facilities and Services
Background
The City of Fredericksburg provides the full range of
basic public facilities and services needed for modern
urban life: a top quality educational system, public
safety services, provision of water and sewer, refuse
collection and disposal, parks and recreation, and
others. The policy direction for providing future public
services and management of public facilities is clear -growth in population and service demands must be
managed as efficiently as possible, and the City’s
Capital Improvements Programs must plan for
expansion of facilities according to a schedule that will
satisfy demands in a fiscally efficient manner. Priorities
for public investment in infrastructure are developed in
consideration of community values and policies that
are articulated in this Comprehensive Plan and the
recommendations of this plan should be considered in
the City’s annual preparation of a Capital
Improvements Plan.
Goals for Public Facilities and Services
Goal 1: Efficient and Effective Public Services
The City’s public services will be provided in an efficient and effective manner to all residents of the
City.
Goal 2: Safe and Secure Environment
Fredericksburg will provide a safe and secure environment for those who live, work, and visit the City
through high quality public safety facilities and systems.
Goal 3: Educational System
The Fredericksburg School District will continue to provide an exceptional education to City students.
Goal 4: Parks and Open Space
The City’s parks and open space facilities, as well as recreational programming, will meet the needs
of the full community, including families, youth, seniors, and citizens with special needs.
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Goal 5: Water Quality
The City will meet or exceed Virginia’s requirements to improve water quality and help assure a safe
drinking water supply, including implementing best management practices for stormwater
management, erosion and sediment control, and improving treatment of wastewater. (See also
Environmental Protection Goal #4.)
Goal 6: Public Lands and Facilities
Public facilities and public lands will be utilized at their highest and best use, except for public lands in
environmentally sensitive locations, where conservation should be the objective.
Policies for Public Facilities and Services
The following key policy statements provide guidance for providing and managing public facilities and
services. A few of these policies are linked to policies introduced in other chapters of this plan,
including downtown.
1.
Keep existing public services that are located downtown in downtown. And all City
facilities located in downtown will be maintained in public use over the long-term.
2.
The City should, in partnership with private property owners, maintain and enhance the
visual aspects of downtown and other targeted areas of the City, including sidewalk
improvements, installation of street furniture, and relocation of overhead utility wires, as
feasible and appropriate, to enhance the City’s attractiveness to residents, visitors and
commercial enterprises. Particular emphasis should be placed on key corridors and
neighborhoods, such as Princess Anne Street in downtown. (See also Downtown Policies
#8 and #10.)
3.
In partnership with the Pathway Partners and other civic groups, the City should
implement the recommendations in Fredericksburg’s recently completed Fredericksburg
Pathways Plan to develop an interconnected system of pathways, sidewalks, and trails.
4.
Continuously work to identify the
most appropriate use for existing
public lands.
5.
Identify opportunities for private
developments to share in the
cost and provision of public
services and facilities that will be
utilized
by
the
new
developments.
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6.
Improve public parking by fully enforcing existing parking rules and by working with
private developers to provide additional parking facilities, as needed.
7.
Design construction of new streets and street improvements in a manner that avoids
excessive automobile traffic on residential streets. (See also Neighborhoods Policy #4
and Transportation and Mobility Policy #3.)
8.
Improve the City’s stormwater, wastewater, and erosion and sediment control systems in
a manner that meets or exceeds Virginia’s future program mandates, while maximizing
the City’s existing resources and limiting additional funding needed for improvements.
9.
Provide staffing and equipment within each of its departments to meet the public service
needs of the City’s residents.
10.
Provide public information and public services in an efficient and effective manner that
maximizes information technology opportunities and provides the City’s residents with
easy access to public information.
11.
Select sites for additional public school facilities that are consistent with City land use
plans and policies.
12.
Prevent
crime
and
promote personal safety
by using principles of
Crime Prevention Through
Environmental
Design
(CPTED) when designing
public
development
projects.
(See also
Neighborhoods
Policy
#13 and Community
Appearance Policy #13.)
13.
Encourage public and private efforts to reduce the volume of solid waste that needs to be
placed in landfills.
14.
Continue and expand City initiatives to provide for collection of materials to be recycled.
15.
Incorporate use of products made from recycled materials in new City buildings and
projects, as feasible.
16.
Require installation of pedestrian facilities (sidewalks, pathways, crosswalks, street
lighting) as components of new development/redevelopment projects within the City.
17.
Explore options for incorporating LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
standards set by the Green Building Council into planning and construction for all new
public facilities.
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18.
Explore options for making information regarding LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) standards available to all applicants seeking approval for
development and redevelopment within the City, encouraging incorporation of
environmentally sensitive design principles.
19.
Explore use of solar power for application to new and existing public facilities.
20.
Include energy-saving features where possible into all plans for renovations to existing
public buildings.
21.
Promote sustainability through public education of the following:
a. Energy conservation, including information about the positive economic development
impacts that accrue to the City when fewer consumer dollars are spent on utility bills;
b. Cost-efficient techniques for improvements to homes and buildings that reduce energy
consumption;
c. New energy efficiency technologies, including compact fluorescent lighting, biofuel,
solar power, and advances in heating and cooling systems; and
d. Water conservation techniques, including low-flow toilets and landscaping using
native plants that require little irrigation.
Initiatives for Public Facilities and Services
These initiatives outline the key steps for implementing the
long-term goals and guiding policies for the City’s public
services, facilities, and lands. A few of these initiatives are
linked to policies introduced in other chapters of this plan,
including neighborhoods. The first two initiatives, highlighted
in bold, are top priorities for action. In addition, there are two
non-discretionary initiatives that must be pursued, regardless
of other priorities. These are listed below as Initiative 3 and
Initiative 4.
1.
Evaluate and amend the current system of
determining street and streetscape improvement
priorities, including landscaping, so that
roadways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters,
plantings, and other neighborhood streetscape improvements are considered during the
funding process. Identify projects, priorities, and funding sources.
(See also
Neighborhoods Initiative #6.)
2.
Establish a program for emphasizing continuous improvement of City services.
Implement a program for recognizing employee and team excellence in service for
quality, innovation, leadership, safety, and cost savings. Improve the City’s information
technology services and continue to improve means of providing information to the
general public. Get the City’s Geographic Information System operational as soon as
possible.
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3.
Adopt a courts improvement plan for modernizing the City courts or constructing a new
courts facility, keeping the courts in the core downtown area. This needs to be a capital
improvements project.
4.
Improve the City’s wastewater treatment
service to a level that meets/exceeds federal
standards, including modernizing the City’s
existing plant or partnering with Spotsylvania
County to construct a new combined
treatment plant in the county. Develop a
final plan of action to meet the
Commonwealth’s future requirement that
wastewater be treated until potable.
5.
Develop a renovation and utilization plan
for the Executive Plaza.
6.
Pursue with the U.S. Postal Service the possible reuse of the downtown post office site for
other purposes.
Maintain a postal station in this location or an alternate location
downtown.
7.
Modify neighborhood parking permit areas and on-street parking time restrictions
according to the 2005 DESMAN Study. (See also Neighborhoods Initiative #5.)
8.
Improve parking enforcement.
9.
Develop a design (and funding) plan for the Dixon Park Community Center.
10.
Develop a plan to replace the Snowden Park ballfields.
Foundation to pursue other park development in the area.
11.
Pursue projects as recommended in the Fredericksburg Pathways Plan.
12.
Perform an assessment within the City limits of all current and potential locations for
parks, playgrounds, open space, and needed amenities therein.
13.
Determine changes to the subdivision and site development zoning ordinances that would
provide appropriate lands for new parks, open spaces, and other public lands as part of
private sector developments, and implement these changes.
14.
Evaluate the strategy for funding, operation, and maintenance of lands managed by the
Joint City/County Recreational Authority. Develop a funding plan that has the City
paying for no more than its fair-share of these public lands.
15.
Pursue development of Fire Station #3 on the Celebrate Virginia South site.
Work with the Cal Ripken
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16.
Develop a land use and property disposition plan for the inactive Cool Springs Landfill.
17.
Develop a management plan for city-owned lands along the river.
Rappahannock River Policy #2 and Environmental Protection Policy #4.)
(See also
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Chapter 10:
Environmental
Protection
Background
Protection of the sensitive
natural environments within
the City and in areas
surrounding Fredericksburg is a high priority. Fredericksburg exhibits a wide variety of natural
resources ranging from white water rapids on the Rappahannock River to pre-Cambrian rock
exposures along the fall line. These areas serve as wildlife habitats, natural ecosystems, places for
active recreation, and opportunities for quiet reflection. Environmental protection is a matter of
universal public interest that benefits all members of the community and the region.
Environmental protection goals in Fredericksburg focus primarily on maintaining a healthy watershed
system that feeds into the Rappahannock River. This includes managing stormwater, controlling
erosion of lands, preserving trees and natural vegetation, developing and implementing a tree plan,
ensuring the highest water quality, protecting flood prone lands from inappropriate development, and
protecting wildlife habitats (especially upstream habitats).
Environmental Protection Goals
Goal 1: Balance Between Protection and Need for Development
The City will balance the protection of environmental resources and natural wildlife habitats with the
need for growth and development.
Goal 2: Watersheds
The Chesapeake Bay and Rappahannock River watersheds will be protected from inappropriate
development, managed to ensure the highest water quality, and preserved for the benefit of future
generations.
Goal 3: Natural Functions of River
The integrity of the Rappahannock River system and its tributaries will be maintained for their
biological functions and wildlife habitat, as well as for drainage, recreational uses, and other
purposes. (See also Rappahannock River Goal #3.)
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Goal 4: Water Quality
The City will meet or exceed Virginia’s requirements to improve water quality, including implementing
best management practices for stormwater management, erosion and sediment control, and
improving treatment of wastewater. (See also Public Facilities and Services Goal #5.)
Environmental Protection Policies
The following key policy statements provide guidance for protecting the City’s environmentally
sensitive lands. A few of these policies are linked to policies introduced in other chapters of this plan,
including the Rappahannock River.
1.
Preserve and protect the Rappahannock River water supply watershed by controlling
increased flood discharges, non-point source pollution, and streambank sedimentation,
with special attention to stormwater management, tree protection, and silt removal
initiatives, if advantageous. (See also Rappahannock River Policy #1.)
2.
Restrict unnecessary grading and clearing of natural vegetation and use low impact
development criteria that incorporates existing natural features in site design.
3.
Strengthen the City’s tree protection provisions to minimize tree loss as new development
and infill redevelopment occur in the City. Encourage public and private tree planting
initiatives.
4.
Improve the City’s stormwater, wastewater, and erosion and sediment control systems in
a manner that meets or exceeds Virginia’s future mandates, while maximizing the City’s
existing resources and limiting additional funding needed for improvements.
5.
Maintain the Butnzer flats in its natural state, to ensure this area can provide a flood
control function that will continue to mitigate flood impacts on downtown Fredericksburg.
6.
Discourage the use of on-site sewage treatment methods that may adversely impact water
quality.
7.
Minimize nutrient loading and other non-point source pollution flowing into the
Rappahannock River and its tributaries.
8.
Avoid road development through environmentally sensitive areas, including Chesapeake
Bay Resource Protection Areas.
9.
Protect natural wooded areas such as are found in the City’s numerous stream valleys
and on the bluffs along the Rappahannock River. (See also Community Appearance
Policy #10.)
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10.
Incorporate indigenous vegetation into landscaping designs for new development to the
maximum extent possible.
11.
Require developers of new development and redevelopment projects to create stormwater
management systems using BMPs (best management practices) that manage stormwater
flows on-site, and that limit the rate of stormwater runoff to that which existed before
development occurred.
12.
Require, with approvals of new development or redevelopment, regular or periodic
maintenance
of
all
stormwater
management systems to insure their
continued function.
13.
Encourage property owners to coordinate
protection strategies and utilize the most
appropriate measures to reduce stormwater
flows and soil erosion, and to maintain
existing natural landscapes.
14.
Design development along the shoreline in
a manner that reduces structural erosion
problems.
15.
Encourage site-level water conservation tools and techniques, such as installation of lowflow toilets, reduced irrigation of private lawns, captured brownwater or rainwater for
reuse, and regular maintenance of plumbing systems to ensure no leakage is occurring.
16.
Develop an interconnected system of natural hubs (open spaces, wildlife habitats,
environmentally sensitive lands, and vistas) that are connected by natural corridors (the
city-wide pathways system).
17.
Use sensitive environmental areas for passive recreational uses, such as trails, where
appropriate.
Environmental Protection Initiatives
protecting the City’s environmental resources.
A few of these initiatives are linked to initiatives
introduced in other chapters of this plan, including the Rappahannock River. The first two initiatives,
highlighted in bold, are top priorities for action.
1.
Strengthen controls on development within flood-prone and wetland areas by improving
existing ordinances, such as the erosion and sediment control ordinance, zoning
ordinance, subdivision ordinance, flood plain regulations and other development
regulations.
Specifically, amend the zoning ordinance to include low impact
development (LID) methods, to encourage development of stormwater Best Management
Practices, (bioretention, green roofs, etc.), and to encourage developers to limit the
amount of impervious surfaces in developments.
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2.
Strengthen the City’s tree protection provisions to minimize tree loss as new development
and redevelopment occur. Expand current City tree planting initiatives, in appropriate
locations. Encourage private tree planting initiatives, in appropriate locations. Prepare
tree planting guidelines with information regarding recommended species, locations, and
planting methods. Prepare and implement a tree plan that sets goals for a tree planting
program with specifics regarding locations, species, planting standards, accommodation
of overhead utility lines, and maintenance guidelines. (See also Community Appearance
Initiative #5.)
3.
Protect the quality of surface and groundwater consistent with the guidelines established
by the Department of Environmental Quality, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the
Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Board, and the Virginia Department of Health, if
advantageous.
4.
Develop a strategic plan for protecting and managing the city-owned riparian lands
under permanent conservation easement along the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers.
(See Rappahannock River Initiative #2 and Public Facilities and Services Initiative #17.)
5.
Meet or exceed all requirements for stormwater management and erosion and sediment
control by the deadlines established by the Commonwealth. Finalize the MS-4
stormwater management plan and gain Virginia Department of Conservation and
Recreation approval. Inventory and improve the functioning of stormwater discharge
outfalls.
6.
Continue enforcement of the soil erosion and sediment control ordinances with frequent
inspections of construction sites.
7.
Inventory and improve the functioning of stormwater discharge outfalls to ensure
stormwater is not causing erosion or environmental degradation.
8.
Establish a system for providing incentives to developers to exceed erosion and
stormwater management regulations.
9.
Create a street tree inventory, to be used in preparation of the tree plan.
10.
Create a City Landscape Plan to help coordinate public and private landscaping efforts.
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Chapter 11: Community Appearance
Background
A community’s appearance is its first impression. When
prospective residents or business owners visit a community,
they are affected by the visual environment. As buildings age,
new roads are constructed, and growth and development
occurs, it is critical that Fredericksburg continue to work to
achieve a high level of community upkeep in order to maintain
a pleasant appearance.
This objective is infused in all of the policies included within
this plan. Future land use patterns, site designs, street layouts
and design, landscaping, and building designs all need to be
incorporated with attention to the existing fabric of this
community. From the broad decisions about where to allow new commercial areas to the window
details of a small home improvement in a historic district, development and redevelopment decisions
need to reflect and expand upon the existing form of this historic and unique community, for reasons
of continued economic vitality and the general welfare of the community.
Community Appearance Goals
Goal 1: Maintain Appearance
The City will maintain its overall appearance such that development and redevelopment results in a
cohesive and functional community.
Goal 2: High-Quality Design
The City will achieve a high quality appearance in newly developing and redeveloping areas, such
that new and existing developed areas are visually compatible.
Community Appearance Policies
The following key policy statements provide guidance for protecting the City’s community appearance.
A few of these policies are linked to policies introduced in other chapters of this plan, including the
Rappahannock River and Neighborhoods chapters.
1.
Build on the existing character of the City by respecting existing historic and architectural
characteristics in all development and redevelopment initiatives.
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2.
Design use guidelines to continue to inform citizens and property owners of community
expectations regarding appearance. Components of these guidelines should focus on
design issues related to Fredericksburg’s downtown waterfront, general infill development
standards, and commercial development in the City’s corridors.
3.
Conserve the charm and appeal of existing City areas, including those outside the historic
district, by recognizing their unique characteristics and by allowing neighborhoods to
become part of conservation overlay districts. (See also Neighborhoods Policy #1.)
4.
Improve entryways or “gateways,” such as Lafayette Boulevard, Route 3/William Street,
and others by developing design guidelines specific to each location. These guidelines
should address landscaping, pedestrian facilities, and design elements that help create a
smooth transition from major road corridors to neighborhoods and historic district.
5.
Maintain publicly owned spaces by providing high quality landscaping, regular removal
of temporary signs (e.g., advertising placards,) and clearing of trash and debris from
sites.
6.
Public and private signage should be maintained, and blighted, abandoned, and poorly
maintained signs should be removed and
replaced.
7.
Continue
overhead
emphasis
Corridors
#10.)
8.
Consider pedestrian accessibility in all
public facility improvements (sidewalks,
crosswalks, pedestrian lights).
9.
Maintain and enhance the existing tree canopy throughout the City, and encourage
planting of new indigenous trees and landscaping on private and public lands.
10.
Protect natural wooded areas such as are found in the City’s numerous stream valleys
and on the bluffs along the Rappahannock River to the greatest extent possible. (See also
11.
Preserve the scenic value of the Rappahannock River and its floodway should be
preserved by avoiding, outside of the downtown area, encroachment on lands adjoining
the river and wetlands. (See also Rappahannock River Policy #3.)
to encourage relocation of
utilities underground, with an
on key corridors.
(See also
Policy #4 and Downtown Policy
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12.
Along the downtown waterfront, make the Rappahannock River visually and physically
accessible by clearing underbrush and planting soil-stabilizing vegetation that will not
obstruct views. (See also Rappahannock River Policy #4.)
13.
Prevent crime and promote personal safety by encouraging private developments to use
principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) in project design.
(See also Neighborhoods Policy #13 and Public Facilities and Services Policy #12.)
Community Appearance Initiatives
The first two initiatives, highlighted in bold, are top priorities for action.
1.
Develop an upgraded “wayfinding” and signage system for installation along gateways
and corridors. Designate gateways for entrances to the historic downtown area of
Fredericksburg, and further develop plans for public improvements and landscaping in
the gateway areas.
2.
Develop commercial and residential site design guidelines that enhance community
character and appearance, to be used with special use permit and rezoning applications.
3.
Continue implementation of the JumpStart! initiative recommendations by selecting the
next corridor from the Jumptart! report for preparation of design guidelines and public
improvements to enhance appearance. Consider Lafayette Boulevard as the next
JumpStart! corridor for development of design guidelines. (See also Corridors Initiative
#2.)
4.
Continue efforts to achieve removal of remaining billboards in Fredericksburg by
monitoring the amortization period for these as non-conforming signs. Amortization of a
non-conforming sign’s value allows the owner a period of time over which to recover his
or her investment. At the end of identified amortization periods, the non-conforming sign
must be removed.
5.
Expand public and private tree planting initiatives in appropriate locations (See
Environmental Protection Initiative #2.)
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Chapter 12:
Historic
Preservation
Background
Fredericksburg’s distinctive
character is embodied in
historic resources that span
the
nation’s
history.
Aboriginal
campsites,
Colonial dwellings and
industries, Civil War battlegrounds, and a diverse urban center are just a part of the City’s rich
heritage. Continued identification and protection of historic resources is essential to maintaining a
vibrant community that retains its character and provides for long-term economic growth.
Preservation policy should drive respectful appreciation and responsible stewardship of
Fredericksburg’s historic assets as valuable components of its cultural and economic vitality.
Fredericksburg contains an impressive array of architecture, ranging from the mid-eighteenth century
to the present day. The City’s historic sites inventory includes Revolutionary War sites, Civil War sites,
African-American archeological sites, civil rights sites, George Washington’s childhood home, historic
residences and neighborhoods, historic commercial and industrial buildings, public spaces,
cemeteries, and other important developments. There is not a concentration of any one style, but
rather an impressive diversity that reflects the continuity of a community that has endured the
destruction of war as well as the prosperity of thriving commerce. The City’s resilience and
adaptability remains evident today in well-maintained historic homes and businesses that provide an
inviting context for new construction and activity.
An early appraisal of Fredericksburg’s historic buildings recognized that not all of them could be
considered as contributing to the integrity of the historic district. While it is paramount to protect
Fredericksburg’s authenticity and diversity of architecture, many buildings would benefit from
rehabilitation, including removal of incompatible improvements in favor of design that meets
established historic preservation criteria. In addition, there are many infill opportunities where
compatible new construction could enhance the physical streetscape as well as contribute to a
dynamic and growing community.
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Historic
preservation,
however, is not just an
effort to protect old
buildings and historic
sites. Equally important
is the community and
the range of activities
that occur in its urban
spaces
and
neighborhoods.
The
essential character of a
truly vibrant community
is
encounter
and
exchange—the
interplay of technology,
people, and regional
economics
in
a
dynamic that is often
more
social
than
monetary. The Historic
Fredericksburg District
(HFD) has traditionally
been the jurisdiction’s
center for government, religion, commerce, residency, and entertainment. In a region increasingly
characterized by suburbanization, downtown Fredericksburg remains a clearly defined urban center
that historically, is sometimes disorderly, always creative, an opportunity for entrepreneurs,
multicultural, and democratic. To preserve the historic aspects of Fredericksburg is to preserve its
social and economic vitality.
Historic Preservation Goals
Goal 1: Heritage Resources
The City will continue to recognize, protect, and
interpret significant architectural, historical, and
archaeological resources that are part of the
community’s heritage.
Goal 2: Historical Experience
Fredericksburg’s cultural heritage will be preserved
in a manner that enhances the active connection
between residents and the City’s past, and
provides visitors to the City with an authentic
historical experience.
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73
The City of Fredericksburg has adopted its preservation policies to enhance a living, growing
community with an active downtown and cohesive residential neighborhoods. Citizen participation
ensures the historic district continues to reflect community values. Historic preservation has thus
become the means to maintain the City’s dignity and vitality. The following policy statements are from
the 1999 Comprehensive Plan as well as current planning efforts.
1.
Continue to maintain existing historic overlay districts to protect residential
neighborhoods and other areas that contribute to the City’s overall attractiveness and that
give the community its special character.
2.
Designation of new historic districts should require a comprehensive review of the
potential positive and negative impacts on the area to determine whether designation is
advantageous.
3.
Maintain design guidelines for citizens, architects, and developers, to facilitate
restoration, construction, and other development that is appropriate to the City’s historic
areas.
4.
Improve the visual quality and continuity of the entranceways into the historic district.
Gateways to the City’s main historic district and to other designated historic districts in the
City should accentuate the character of the area through appropriate design features
such as signage, street trees, and street lamps.
5.
Protect historic resources in the City’s ownership, such as ziz-zag trenches, from
degradation and loss.
6.
Consider the viewsheds and historic vistas of battlefield lines-of-sight when evaluating
development or redevelopment in areas of the City that are visible from Lee Hill, Willis
Hill, and Chatham. Consider developing design standards for lands surrounding
battlefields to ensure the integrity of the sites.
7.
Emphasize the Rappahannock River’s historic values during development
Fredericksburg’s urban waterfront. (See also Rappahannock River Policy #14.)
8.
Work with preservation organizations to coordinate historic resource development and
link those resources with existing resources such as the Historic Fredericksburg District.
9.
Guide historic preservation efforts by using professional standards to ensure the integrity
of historic resources.
10.
Implement public and private improvements, such as sidewalks, roads and sewers,
consistent with heritage tourism goals. Minimize the negative impact of traffic, parking,
development, noise, and light on historic assets.
11.
Encourage University of Mary Washington and state officials to adhere to state
development guidelines and to respect the City’s character when making development
decisions.
of
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12.
Provide resources and guidance for enforcement of historic preservation ordinances.
13.
Promote historic and conservation easements.
14.
Establish policies to identify, preserve, and research archeological assets in the City.
15.
Examine ways to encourage the preservation and/or enhancement of historic assets
throughout the planning process.
16.
Use technical resources provided by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the
National Park Service, and other established organizations to help implement
preservation planning.
17.
Determine the extent of the City’s brick sidewalks program and install brick sidewalks
within those parameters.
Historic Preservation Initiatives
1.
Examine existing zoning requirements
to assure their consistency with the
goal of historic preservation. Amend
the City’s zoning ordinance to allow
for the following: more varied uses
to encourage reuse of historic
structures; greater flexibility in the
application of existing zoning
requirements;
and
traditional
development patterns that preserve
the City’s historic character.
2.
Develop local incentives, such as tax credits, to encourage the maintenance and
development of the City’s historic character.
3.
Develop and implement an Historic Preservation Plan.
4.
Protect the housing stock by increasing and streamlining oversight and enforcement. (See
also Neighborhoods Initiative #3.)
5.
Develop a work plan to cooperate with owners of historic district properties identified in
the 2006 Koelzer Engineering Report to save these properties from neglect and disrepair.
(See also Neighborhoods Initiative #4.)
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6.
Develop additional historic overlay districts to preserve, both in character and scale,
residential neighborhoods, commercial/industrial sites, and other areas that contribute to
the City’s overall attractiveness and gives the community its special character. Potential
areas for inclusion within new historic districts extend from the boundaries of the existing
historic district west to Sunken Road and north to the Rappahannock Canal.
7.
Continue efforts to identify and update the City’s Historic Assets Inventory and make the
information available to all City departments and the public.
8.
Encourage preservation groups to educate the public on the historic character of the City
and the benefits of preserving it.
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Chapter 13:
Housing
Background
From Colonial era homes
to modern-day houses,
Fredericksburg is home to
an interesting and varied
array of housing options.
Maintenance of the City’s
existing housing is critical
for both preserving the
unique character of the community, and for providing an adequate and varied supply of housing
options to residents. Also important is protecting the existing character of residential neighborhoods.
Fredericksburg is home to numerous historical and older neighborhoods. Some of the lots in these
neighborhoods are being redeveloped to create more modern housing choices. Ensuring that new
infill housing development fits the character of the existing neighborhood context is an important City
objective.
Attention to new residential developments is also critical. The City recently amended its zoning
ordinance to allow residential developers the ability to develop clustered housing as a “by-right”
option in certain zoning districts. Mixed-use and higher density housing opportunities are increasingly
being demanded by young professionals and empty nesters, and can be provided within downtown
and along future mixed-use corridors as depicted in the JumpStart! report.
The City prides itself on being an open and inclusive community, and encourages the development of
neighborhoods and residential developments that reflect those values. Gated communities that
prohibit shared access to neighborhood streets and walkways are not appropriate types of
development in Fredericksburg.
Another increasingly important issue in Fredericksburg is the scarcity of housing opportunities that are
affordable to the City’s workforce.
The supply of moderately priced housing within the City is
becoming inadequate. A significant proportion of new housing developments today are priced above
the affordable range that many young families, retired and elderly persons, female heads of
households, and lower income households can afford. The availability of housing that is safe, sound,
affordable, and accessible is a critical factor that impacts the community in many ways. The lack of
adequate housing can cause problems for retention of local employees, can limit opportunities for
homeownership and wealth creation, can result in regional commuting patterns that create traffic
problems, and generally lowers a community’s quality of life.
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Because of these concerns and the fact that almost 66% of households in Fredericksburg do not own
their homes, the City has identified increasing homeownership as a critical public goal. One way of
providing greater homeownership opportunities is to create more housing choices. Allowing for
mixed-use developments and a variety of types of housing (i.e., single-family homes, townhomes,
condominiums, etc.) in certain areas of the City will increase choices for prospective homeowners.
Unfortunately, some of the City’s residents live daily without housing. Fredericksburg is working with
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and local homeless shelters and service
providers to address this issue. The City creates a five-year Consolidated Plan for its Community
Development programs that address both homeless and affordable housing issues and implements it
through annual action plans. The goals and strategies outlined in that plan are included within this
Comprehensive Plan.
As the City works to implement its housing goals, it will be important to address all of these
community objectives -- some of which may compete -- and achieve a balance among them.
Housing Goals
Goal 1: Affordable Housing
All persons who live and work in Fredericksburg should have the opportunity to rent or purchase safe,
decent, accessible, and affordable housing.
Goal 2: Variety of Housing
Fredericksburg will provide a variety of housing opportunities throughout the City, both in terms of the
housing type and the price of housing, that respect the existing character of the community.
Goal 3: Homeownership
Homeownership in Fredericksburg should be encouraged and opportunities sought to increase
homeownership.
Goal 4: Housing Stock Maintained
The City’s housing stock will be maintained, protected, and expanded to ensure an adequate supply
of housing for future generations.
Housing Policies
In pursuit of these goals, the City sets out the following policies to serve as a guide to promote
additional housing opportunities in Fredericksburg.
1.
Develop strategies that increase homeownership opportunities while also ensuring the
City achieves an appropriate balance of other housing choices (rental housing, housing
for the aged, etc.)
2.
Maintain the supply of affordable housing through rehabilitation of existing owneroccupied housing, and improve the physical quality of housing and neighborhoods
through appropriate community development programs.
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3.
Encourage retention and rehabilitation of existing residential dwelling units as a means to
maintain affordable units. (See also Neighborhoods Policy #12.)
4.
Ensure residential rental properties are properly maintained in a condition that is safe and
sanitary.
5.
Eliminate vacant and abandoned housing through aggressive property maintenance
standards.
6.
Reduce the economic barriers to affordable housing through community development
programs.
7.
Continue to work with non-profit organizations to expand affordable housing
opportunities.
8.
Encourage the development of senior housing that allows seniors to “age in place” by
co-locating senior services with housing geared towards the aging. Adjust regulations to
permit development of accessory apartments associated with single-family dwelling units,
under restricted conditions.
9.
Provide for increased accessibility to housing for persons who are physically disabled.
10.
Address the unmet supportive housing needs of persons with special needs.
11.
Encourage owners of affordable housing, whose federal loan agreements will eventually
expire, to maintain their units as affordable over the long-term.
12.
Provide opportunities for mixed-use developments so that citizens can live close to places
of employment and local shopping venues. Include affordable units within mixed-use
developments.
13.
Do not allow development of gated communities with controlled access.
14.
Assure that infill development is compatible with established neighborhoods in terms of
mass, scale, and height.
15.
Promote the development of a variety of housing types (e.g., single-family units,
townhouses, loft apartments, accessory apartments, etc.) throughout the City, while
promoting homeownership.
16.
Develop a coordinated network of services and housing to meet the needs of homeless
individuals and homeless families with children, and to prevent low-income individuals
and families with children from becoming homeless.
17.
Coordinate the institutional structure through which housing and services are provided, to
ensure maximum efficiency and service to citizens.
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Housing Initiatives
These initiatives outline the key steps for implementing
the long-term goals and guiding policies for
preserving and improving the City’s housing stock
and for promoting homeownership opportunities.
1.
Consider measures to discourage and
limit the tear-down of existing residential
structures, including a mechanism to limit
the construction/expansion of dwellings
in a manner that would be out-of-scale
with the surrounding neighborhood.
(See also Neighborhoods Initiative #2.)
2.
Continue to implement the City’s Consolidated Plan for Community Development
Programs.
3.
Consider extending the City’s successful tax abatement program, which provides an
incentive for residential rehabilitation, beyond the limits of the historic district.
4.
Expand the program for monitoring housing conditions in City neighborhoods to continue
to track and address any problems that could result in neighborhood degradation.
5.
Work with The George Washington Regional Commission to explore establishing a
public housing authority for the region.
6.
Work with the University of Mary Washington to provide additional student housing on
campus to meet the needs of enrolled students, and relieve the burden placed on
neighborhoods surrounding the university. (See also Institutional Partnerships Initiative
#1.)
7.
Encourage initiatives to develop housing opportunities for senior citizens and persons with
disabilities. Adjust zoning requlations to permit accessory apartments associated with
single-family dwelling units, with limitations on the size and number of accessory
apartments, along with requirements that limit the number of such accessory apartments
to one per single-family dwelling, and that limit the size of such accessory apartments.
8.
Explore means to address issues related to affordable and workforce housing. Begin with
establishing a definition of affordable housing and workforce housing.
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Chapter 14: Institutional
Partnerships
Background
The municipal governance structure of
Fredericksburg is not the only public entity
affecting life in this City.
The University of
Mary Washington and MWH Medicorp,
including the Mary Washington Hospital, are
critical organizations that provide employment
and quality of life resources to the City.
Regional, state, and federal initiatives all come
together to form a network of services, and formal mechanisms are in place to manage that
coordination.
Goal for Institutional Partnerships
Goal 1: Information Exchange
The City and its institutional partners in Fredericksburg, the University of Mary Washington, MWH
Medicorp, and Fredericksburg City Public Schools will exchange information on a regular basis,
coordinate services, and arrange for joint use of facilities, as appropriate.
Goal 2: Joint Regional Planning
The City will work collaboratively and coordinate efforts with Spotsylvania and Stafford Counties, and
other regional partners, regarding planning issues of mutual interest, such as planning for regional
roads, the FRED transit system, and watershed conservation efforts.
Policies for Institutional Partnerships
Mechanisms are not fully in place to assure information exchange and to encourage joint initiatives
among the City’s leadership, and their counterparts in neighboring jurisdictions and partner
organizations. Accordingly, the following policy statements are newly included in the City’s
Comprehensive Plan:
1.
Information shall regularly be shared among leadership and staff of the City of
Fredericksburg, the University of Mary Washington, MWH Medicorp, and Fredericksburg
City Public Schools regarding plans for facilities and services.
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2.
Collaborative initiatives regarding transportation, downtown development, and oncampus housing, will be jointly undertaken as appropriate by the City, MWH Medicorp,
and the University.
3.
The City will continue to coordinate regional planning efforts with neighboring
jurisdictions through the George Washington Regional Commission, the Fredericksburg
Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO), the FRED Public Transit Advisory
Board, the Potomac Rappahannock Transportation Commission, and the Tri-County/City
Soil and Water Conservation District. Topics such as river sedimentation, changes to the
regional transportation system, and watershed conservation efforts should be addressed
through these coordinating agencies.
Initiatives for Institutional Partnerships
The first two initiatives, highlighted in bold, are top priorities for action.
1.
Establish a committee made up of the Mayor of Fredericksburg, the City Manager, and
the Chair of the Planning Commission, along with the President of Mary Washington
University, representatives from the University’s Core Planning Group, representatives
from MWH Medicorp, and representatives from Fredericksburg City Public Schools. This
committee will meet regularly to share information and identify and discuss issues of
mutual concern to the City, the university, and the hospital.
2.
Establish and encourage mechanisms for peer-to-peer communication between the City
and the university for regular information sharing on an as-needed basis. Examples of
peer-to-peer contacts might be:

City Council – Board of Visitors
Mayor of Fredericksburg – President of the University of Mary Washington
City Manager – UMW Vice-President for University Relations, Communications,
and Legislative Affairs
Department Head Equivalents
3.
Once a year convene a joint meeting of the Fredericksburg City Council and the
University Board of Visitors. The purpose of this meeting will be to share information and
encourage joint understanding of the goals, objectives, and policy initiatives of each
entity, particularly as they relate to each other. Presentations from each entity would be
offered to highlight key goals and initiatives. Emphasis would be on identifying issues of
joint concern for possible coordination of efforts, along with possibilities for actions of
one entity that might support the goals of the other.
4.
Promote information sharing with the U.S. National Park Service.
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Chapter 15:
Sustainability
Background
The concept of “sustainability” involves the
ability of a community and society to meet the needs of the present population while ensuring that
future generations have the same or better opportunities. There are increasing concerns that as a
culture we are using resources at a faster rate than we
are replenishing them and are creating communities
“Then I say the earth belongs to each
that are not sustainable in the long run. The City of
generation during its course, fully and in
Fredericksburg seeks to move into its future in a
its own right, [but] no generation can
manner that conserves natural resources and
contract debts greater than can be paid
minimizes degradation of the natural environment.
during the course of its own existence.”
-Thomas Jefferson
One of the challenges in addressing sustainability in a
community comprehensive plan is that many of the issues are global in nature – air quality,
biodiversity, ozone depletion and climate change, food production, and others – and it is often
difficult to identify how local planning policies can address these issues. It can be overwhelming for
community leaders to come to grips with how a relatively small local government can address these
issues, particularly when the community has its hands full with local development issues.
However, there are important local implications of the concept of sustainability that can be
considered, particularly with respect to conserving natural resources, and the City of Fredericksburg
believes it is important to act responsibly and do its part to address these issues. The City desires to
work to determine how best to “think globally, act locally,” while also recognizing that these efforts
must be balanced with other local demands on government time and resources.
Historic Roots of Sustainability in Fredericksburg
The idea of being a sustainable community is not new to Fredericksburg. Fredericksburg has a long
historic tradition of sustainability. For its entire history, there has been a full range of land uses that
have met the living, working, shopping, education, worship, health, and recreation needs of its
residents. As the region has grown and its economy has become more interdependent and complex,
it has lost some of its self sufficiency, but unlike many of the bedroom communities have developed
elsewhere, it has retained many of its characteristics of a full community.
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Also, Fredericksburg has embraced, and continues to embrace, many sustainable growth themes
without using that terminology. For example, the protection of natural resources is a fundamental
principle of sustainability, as is the encouragement of pedestrian facilities and mass transit as
alternatives to the automobile. In today’s world, the concept of a sustainable community has evolved,
but this comprehensive plan recognizes the importance of the City doing its part to contribute to a
larger sense of sustainable culture.
For the purposes of this plan, the following themes are embraced as desired sustainable growth
policies for the future. Each of these is addressed in the appropriate places in previous individual
chapters, and is so noted. The purpose of this chapter is, in part, to recognize sustainability as an
overall theme and to create a framework for thinking about the idea, and planning for it as a
community. It is intended to provide a summary of the issues in order to integrate them under the
sustainability umbrella.
Sustainable Policy Action Areas
RECYCLING
Recycling involves the reprocessing of materials into new products, and is a fundamental practice that
promotes sustainability. Another component of recycling is encouraging the use of products made
from recycled materials. The City of Fredericksburg will continue to promote recycling and will work
to explore new and better opportunities to spread the practice. The City will maximize feasible
recycling practices in municipal facilities.
Policies to promote recycling:
1. Encourage public and private efforts to reduce the volume of solid waste that needs to be
placed in landfills. (See also Public Facilities and Services Policy #13.)
2. Continue and expand City initiatives to provide for collection of materials to be recycled. (See
also Public Facilities and Services Policy #14).
3. Incorporate use of products made from recycled materials in new City buildings and projects,
as feasible. (See also Public Facilities and Services Policy #15.)
PROMOTING WALKABILITY
The support, design, and development of pedestrian facilities promotes sustainability on several levels.
First, it promotes a healthier community by encouraging walking as a form of exercise. Second, it
promotes more personal interaction which can reinforce a stronger sense of community. Finally, it
can provide opportunities for movements that can avoid automotive uses, saving fuel and avoiding
additional air pollution.
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Policies to promote walkability:
1. Where possible, require installation of pedestrian facilities (sidewalks, pathways, crosswalks) as
components of new development/redevelopment projects within the City. (See also Corridors
Policy #5, Downtown Policy #8, Neighborhoods Policy #10, and Public Facilities and
Services Policy #16.)
2. As outlined in the Pathways Plan, continue to construct new sidewalks and pathways within
Fredericksburg to connect existing facilities and to provide for pedestrian movements along
streets and between major community destinations. (See also Public Facilities and Services
Policies #2 and #3.)
3. Encourage land use patterns that involve a mix of uses, enhancing possibilities for walking as
a means of transportation between destinations. (See also Corridors Policies #1 and #5,
Downtown Policy #5, and Neighborhoods Policy #8.)
DESIGNING BUILDINGS
The technology for the design of environmentally-friendly buildings has continued to improve, making
it more feasible and affordable to design “green” buildings. The City will work to identify feasible
practices to promote or require the design of municipal buildings to meet environmentally sensitive
guidelines, such as those published by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) through
their Green Building Rating System. The City will also explore methods of encouraging privately
constructed buildings to be built according to environmentally sensitive principles.
Policies to promote environmentally sensitive design:
1. The City will explore options for incorporating LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design) standards into planning and construction for all new public facilities. (See also Public
Facilities and Services Policy #17.)
2. The City will explore options for making information regarding LEED (Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design)standards available to all applicants seeking approval for
development and redevelopment within the City, encouraging incorporation of
environmentally sensitive design principles. (See also Public Facilities and Services Policy
#18.)
CONSERVING ENERGY
Energy conservation is another fundamental tenet of sustainability, and is interrelated to many of the
other issues discussed here. For example, a more walkable community that reduces automobile traffic
can save on fuel, and “green” buildings can save on heating and air conditioning. The City will
continue to explore means of saving energy, particularly involving municipal government operations.
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Policies to promote energy conservation:
1. The City will consider incorporating energy-efficient designs into all new public facilities. (See
also Public Facilities and Services Policy #17.)
2. The City will explore use of solar power for application to new and existing public facilities.
(See also Public Facilities and Services Policy #19.)
3. The City will include energy-saving features where possible into all plans for renovations to
existing public buildings.
(See also
Public Facilities and Services Policy #20.)
PROTECTING NATURAL
RESOURCES
The protection of the natural environment is both
a long-standing policy priority for the City as well
as a fundamental principle of sustainability. This
is an example of where current City policy aligns
very well with the sustainable growth theme.
Environmental protection policies occupy a full
chapter in this plan and represent a major policy
focus.
In addition to the policies that have been the subject of planning in the past, such as river
preservation, water quality, wastewater treatment, stormwater management, tree protection, and
others, this plan adds emphasis to the idea of water conservation. For example, encouraging water
conservation measures such as use of low-flow plumbing fixtures and minimizing the irrigation of
private lawns is established as a policy in Chapter 10.
Policies to promote environmental protection:
1. The City will continue to pursue initiatives to further preserve and protect the Rappahannock
River and its shoreline. (See also Environmental Protection Policy #1 and Rappahannock River
Policies #1, #2, and #3.)
2. Unnecessary grading and clearing of natural vegetation should be restricted.
(See also
3. Road development through environmentally sensitive areas should be avoided. (See also
4. The City’s tree protection provisions should be strengthened.
Protection Policy #8.)
(See also Environmental
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5. Developers of new development and redevelopment projects should create stormwater
management systems using best management practices. (See also Environmental Protection
Policy #11.)
6. Where appropriate, sensitive environmental areas should be utilized as passive recreational
uses, such as trails. (See also Environmental Protection Policy #17.)
PUBLIC INFORMATION AND EDUCATION
Finally, one of the things that a local community such as Fredericksburg can do to promote both local
and global sustainability is to help educate citizens on sustainability issues. The City will explore the
use of its newsletter, its web site, and other tools to educate local residents and businesses on
sustainable practices that they can employ.
Policies to promote sustainability through public education:
1. Prepare and distribute information about energy conservation, including information about the
positive economic development impacts that accrue to the City when fewer consumer dollars
are spent on utility bills. (See also Public Facilities and Services Policy #21.)
2. Compile and distribute information on the most cost-efficient techniques for improvements to
homes and buildings that reduce energy consumption.
(See also Public Facilities and
Services Policy #21.)
3. Compile and distribute information regarding new technologies including lighting, biofuel,
solar, and HVAC advances. (See also Public Facilities and Services Policy #21.)
4. Compile and distribute information on water-saving ideas including plant lists that require little
irrigation. (See also Public Facilities and Services Policy #21.)
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PART IV:
LAND USE
Land Use:
Fredericksburg’s Land Use Plan translates the
vision, goals, and policies into a desired future
pattern of land uses. It establishes the City’s
vision and expectation for how land will develop
and be used. A set of land use categories is
defined, and every parcel of land within the City
carries a Land Use Designation. This Part IV
adjusts the City’s previous Land Use Plan in
specific areas as described in Chapter 16. Six
Planning Areas are defined in Chapter 17, with
adjustments from the previous Comprehensive
Plan boundaries.

Chapter 16: City Land Use Plan
Chapter 17: Planning Areas
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Chapter 16: City Land Use Map
Background
Fredericksburg’s Land Use Plan has
been an important policy document
for the City, reflecting a blend of
existing land use patterns and goals
for future land use. The Land Use
Plan is the foundation for projecting
future population and employment
growth, expected traffic patterns, and
future infrastructure needs.
This chapter provides an overview in
its description of
historic and
existing land use patterns, offers
observations on the Fredericksburg’s
regional setting, and presents a
revised Land Use Plan.
More
detailed information is included in
Appendix A.
Basic land use policies have not changed since the adoption of the last Comprehensive Plan in 1999.
The City continues to value its downtown and riverfront, its neighborhoods, its environmentally
sensitive lands, its commercial areas, its educational institutions, and its rich historical areas.
Accordingly, no new substantive changes are included in this revised land use plan.
There are changes that need to be made to the land use plan, however, because of land development
patterns that have taken place since 1999. An area that was designated for office and mixed-use
development in 1999, for example, is now home to residential subdivision. The new 2007 Land Use
Plan has been adjusted to incorporate those kinds of changes that have already taken place, on the
ground.
A Land Use Plan is not the same thing as a zoning map, and adjustments to the City’s Land Use Plan
are not rezonings. The Land Use Plan designates desirable future land use patterns; a zoning
designation is more specific than a land use designation, and carries the force of law regarding
permitted uses and standards. The Land Use Plan should be used as a decision-making guide when
the City Council is faced with a proposal to re-zone land.
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HISTORIC AND EXISTING LAND USE PATTERNS
The City of Fredericksburg's current land use patterns have resulted primarily from its transportation
links, first along the Rappahannock River and then along major roadways. In addition to
transportation issues Fredericksburg’s land use patterns have been significantly influenced by two
major institutions that have had a major impact on the City's economy. The first is the University of
Mary Washington, the second is Mary Washington Hospital, which established the City as a regional
health center in the early 1900s and stimulated employment in related professional operations. Both
The University of Mary Washington and Mary Washington Hospital continue to play major roles in the
City's overall growth and development. Construction of Interstate-95, in the 1960s, linked the City
firmly with the Northern Virginia-Washington, D.C. area, but drew commercial activity and housing
development away from downtown Fredericksburg.
In 1984, the City annexed approximately 4.4 square miles from Spotsylvania County, bringing the
total land area within City boundaries to about 10.5 square miles. Portions of the annexed area
include commercial development in the Route 3 corridor and the strongest new development is
occurring where Route 3 and Interstate-95 intersect.
MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS OUTSIDE THE CITY
From the 1980's to the present, the Fredericksburg area has been one of the fastest growing regions
in the state, with Stafford and Spotsylvania Counties leading the way in many respects. In
Spotsylvania County, the Spotsylvania Town Center and additional shopping centers have been
developed along Route 3, just outside the City boundary. A major expansion of the Spotsylvania
Town Center has increased its size to well over one million square feet. South Point and Cosner’s
Corner, south of Four Mile Fork, in Spotsylvania County have also been developed during the past
several years.
Like Spotsylvania County, Stafford County has
experienced rapid population growth during
the last decade, with its attendant commercial
and industrial expansion. The Route 17
corridor, and the Route 610/Garrisonville
area have developed into significant
employment/service centers and commercial
areas. A regional airport has also been
established in Stafford County.
These and other changes occurring outside
the City will continue to affect the City's
economy, transportation network, and land
use patterns.
THE LAND USE PLAN
Of the major components that make up the Comprehensive Plan, the Land Use Plan has the greatest
impact upon the City's form and development. This document takes into account the elements that
comprise the community's overall growth pattern and includes the goals and objectives established by
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the Planning Commission and City Council. The land use planning process determines the amount of
land area which will be needed for development of the City during the period covered by the Plan
(15-20 years).
This Comprehensive Plan calls out seven general land use categories (residential, commercial, etc.)
and 14 land use classifications within those categories. These categories and classifications are
summarized below, and explained in detail in Appendix A.
LAND USE CATEGORIES
RESIDENTIAL
Low Density Residential
This category permits up to four (4) dwelling units per acre
and pertains generally to conventional subdivision
development.
Clustering concepts and innovative
development lay-out planning are encouraged to achieve
open space and sensitive lands preservation and
conservation.
Medium Density Residential
This category permits up to eight (8) dwelling units per acre
and may include a planned mixture of single family detached
and attached units This residential density is applicable to
many infill and transition areas, to permit new development to be consistent with existing
neighborhood residential patterns.
High Density Residential
This category permits up to 12 dwelling units per acre and is typically associated with the garden
apartment type of development. Although denser residential developments already exist in the City,
no additional land is anticipated to be designated or zoned to allow development in excess of 12
units per acre.
Planned Development/Residential
By definition, mixed use development consists of activities which could function independently, but
which benefit from proximity to one another. This approach also applies to locations requiring
compatible design elements (including signage), maximum open space preservation, and related
concepts. The planned development/residential district is a flexible land use category characterized by
a combination of residential development with a supporting commercial element that is adapted to
specific site conditions.
COMMERCIAL
Commercial-General
Areas with this designation are generally characterized by retail and wholesale trade activities, services
(including financial institutions), offices, and restaurants. The City has developed a separate
Commercial Shopping Center district to encourage development of local shopping centers with
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neighborhood-oriented retail uses such as grocery stores, personal service establishments, and similar
operations that serve specific community or neighborhood areas. The City also incorporates Highway
Retail Commercial zoning, although it discourages further strip retail development.
Commercial-Downtown
The commercial downtown district promotes harmonious development and redevelopment within the
downtown areas of the City. Emphasis is placed upon enhancing pedestrian circulation, minimizing
vehicular and pedestrian conflicts, respecting the downtown streetscapes and traditional development
pattern, and maintaining continuity with the architectural character of the historic area. Infill
development and redevelopment should also serve these objectives.
Commercial-Transitional/Office
This category provides for the location of predominantly non-retail commercial uses such as smallscale office developments with a floor area ratio (FAR) of up to 0.50. These less intensive uses, with
appropriate landscaping and screening, are intended to serve as suitable transitions between
residential areas and more intensive commercial development.
Planned Development/Commercial
This land use category is designed to encourage a wide range of commercial retail and service uses
oriented to serve a regional market area. Planned employment centers that combine office and
professional business development are also encouraged. This district should be reserved for largescale development on at least 150 acres of land, adjacent and easily accessible to major
transportation arteries, and within a landscaped, high quality setting.
INDUSTRIAL
Industrial-General
This designation is associated with the City/Battlefield
Industrial Park where manufacturing, wholesale and limited
ancillary retail uses, warehousing, office uses, and distribution
facilities are located.
Industrial-Light/Research & Development
This classification provides for a broad range of clean
industries operating under high performance standards. Such
uses could encompass areas of research, development and training, as well as offices where light
manufacturing is incidental and accessory to the main use. The objective is to promote a park-like
atmosphere for research-oriented activities on well-landscaped sites, where quality development and
design will be compatible to all types of adjoining land uses.
PLANNED DEVELOPMENT/MEDICAL CENTER
The objective of the Planned Development/Medical Center district is to permit closely related medical
uses around a general hospital, in a campus-style setting.
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INSTITUTIONAL
95
This land use category includes public and semi-public uses such as City-owned buildings, schools
and churches as well as larger institutions such as The University of Mary Washington.
PARKLAND
This category includes open space that is used or intended for use as a recreational area. Existing
and proposed City parks, as well as State and National Parks, fall into this category.
PRESERVATION
Land which is expected to remain in an essentially undeveloped state has been designated under this
general category. This designation acknowledges the existing constraints and limitations in floodplain
areas and Chesapeake Bay resource protection areas along the Rappahannock River and along
designated streams. Single-family detached residential units may be permitted within some
designated Preservation land use areas, but at a density not to exceed one unit per two acres.
FUTURE LAND USE
RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS
Over the next 15-20 years, the City’s population is projected to increase from approximately 21,651
persons in 2006 to approximately 22,402 persons by the year 2030. This population figure translates
into roughly 1,682 new households. As residential communities are developed, the City will seek to
promote homeownership and achieve an appropriate balance between single-family detached
housing construction and other types of housing, to create the necessary population base of support
for essential urban services.
NON-RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT
The bulk of the City’s commercial development is located along major roadways. Central Park, for
instance, has been able to take advantage of a sizable area where Interstate-95 and State Route 3
intersect. Other significant commercially designated property occurs in the Route 3 corridor and in
the Route 1 Bypass corridor. Smaller concentrations of commercial activity are designated on
Lafayette Boulevard, the Princess Anne Street corridor and Dixon Street.
The downtown is a mixed-use area where a diversity of activities allows this traditional business district
to retain its vibrancy. These mixed uses should continue and opportunities for strategic expansion
should be aggressively pursued.
The general industrial designation will continue and be concentrated in the City/Battlefield Industrial
Park, with its access to the Blue and Gray Parkway. Industrial research designations will be reserved
for the Blue and Gray Parkway corridor as well as for those areas where access difficulties and
proximity to Interstate-95 dictate a longer-range development picture. Research and development
industries and corporate office locations constitute the desired uses in these areas.
The City recognizes that much of the downtown commercial area has been developed within
floodplain lands. The floodplains and designated resource preservation areas within the less
developed areas of the City (generally west of the Route 1 Bypass will be designated as Preservation
areas for future land use purposes.
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LAND USE
LAND USE PLANNING AREAS
One of the ways that this Comprehensive Plan turns general land use principles into clear on-theground policy is by identifying the multiple and distinct character areas that exist within the City, and
describing specific policies and recommendations within each of these planning areas.
This
Comprehensive Plan designates ten distinct planning areas to more readily evaluate specific
conditions and to make clear recommendations for each one. These planning areas are described in
the following chapter.
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Chapter 17: Planning Areas
Background
The Land Use Plan incorporates ten distinct
planning areas to more readily evaluate specific
conditions and to make clear recommendations
for each one. These planning areas are as
follows (numbers correspond to the map at the
right:
1. Celebrate Virginia
2. Central Park
3. Route 3/Cowan Boulevard
4. Fall Hill/Mary Washington Hospital
5. University / College Heights
6. Downtown Neighborhoods
7. Downtown
8. Mayfield / Fairgrounds
9. Battlefield Industrial Park
10. Lafayette Boulevard / National Park
Each of these areas has a distinct and identifiable character, and land use objectives vary by Planning
Area. Accordingly, information follows for each area, starting with a description of existing conditions,
summary of key issues for that area, summary of environmental and historical considerations, land use
potential, and status of infrastructure.
At the end of each section below are land use
recommendations specific to that Planning Area.
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LAND USE
Land Use Planning Area 1:
Celebrate Virginia
Planning Area 1 is bounded on the north
and west by the Rappahannock River and by
River Road, Fall Hill Avenue, and Interstate95 on the south and east. This part of the
City is characterized by an upland plateau,
developing as a tourism campus, and a
large natural area and floodplain.
KEY ISSUES

Integrate the Celebrate Virginia
tourism campus with natural and
historic attractions
Protect the Rappahannock River and
scenic vistas
Protect environmentally sensitive
areas such as floodplains and
resource protection areas
Protect historic sites
Develop greenways and nature trails
Improve access to the planning area
from Interstate-95
Enhance this highly visible gateway,
which is a first impression to travelers
driving south on Interstate-95.
EXISTING LAND USE
This area is predominantly commercial, consisting of a tourism campus known as Celebrate Virginia.
This development includes multiple hotels, an exposition and conference center, a museum site, retail
activities, and services. A conservation easement is in place covering 129 acres along the river and
its floodplain. This natural area is part of the visitor campus and will include outdoor recreational
opportunities as well as historic interpretation areas. In addition, this area includes approximately 38
acres of City-owned riparian land. The area along River Road includes a low density residential
neighborhood and a townhouse development.
Table 14: Land Use Summary - Planning Area 1
Corridor/Type
Development Name
Size
Fall Hill Avenue/Commercial
Celebrate Virginia
497 acres
Fall Hill Avenue/Residential
River Manor
188 townhomes
Unnamed
3 single-family homes
River Road/Residential
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Table 15: Preservation Areas - Planning Area 1
Name
Size
Celebrate Virginia conservation
easement
129 acres
City-owned riparian land
38 acres
Description
Floodplain, wooded stream banks, and slopes between the
floodplain and the uplands. Area is replete with Confederate
earthworks and antebellum roads. There is also a Native
American site.
Wooded lands adjacent to the river. Area includes the old
Taylor Canal and lock, components of the Rappahannock
Navigation system.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
This planning area is characterized by erodible soils, moderate to steep slopes, highly permeable
soils, a large floodplain, a large abandoned quarry, and some wetlands. Most of the property drains
to the Rappahannock River, but a portion drains to Fall Quarry Run, which flows under Interate-95 to
the east. The entire planning area is within designated Chesapeake Bay resource protection areas.
This planning area includes excellent views of the river and the adjacent landscape. The 129 acres in
easements will screen development on the upland plateau from in-stream activities on the
Rappahannock River. The easements are held by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF).
HISTORIC RESOURCES
Planning Area 1 includes a large inventory of Civil War sites as well as remnants of a canal along the
river. The uplands include a scattering of archaeological sites which have either been formally
investigated prior to development or left intact in designated protection areas.
Table 16: Historic Resources - Planning Area 1
Site Name
Banks Ford
Taylor’s Canal/
Rappahannock
Navigation
Scott’s Ferry
Quarry
Description
Ownership
Civil War
(1861-1865)
Road segments, stream
crossings, earthworks
City
Antebellum (1830-1861)
Stone
canal lock and canal
City
Civil War
(1861-1865)
Confederate Defenses
Confederate winter
encampments
Period(s) of Significance
Civil War
(1861-1865)
Civil War
(1861-1865)
Unknown, possibly antebellum
origins (1830-1861) used
through Reconstruction (18651917)
Aboriginal sites
Archaic/Woodland Period
Extensive trenches, picket
posts, and artillery
emplacements on the slopes
overlooking the river
Hut holes near Fall Quarry
Run
Pontoon bridge site
Private (VOF
easement)
Private (VOF
easement)
Private (VOF
easement)
Stone quarry
Private
Prehistoric camp sites
Private (VOF
easement)
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LAND USE POTENTIAL
This planning area is being developed as Celebrate Virginia, an extensive tourism campus. Other key
parcels include the following:
Table 17: Land Use Potential - Planning Area 1
Parcel
Acres
Current Zoning
Recommended Land Use
1-A
120
R-1 Residential
Mixed use development, office park
1-B
12
R-1 Residential
Visitor Center / Telecommunications tower
site
Parcel 1-A
This 120 acre site is adjacent to the Celebrate Virginia development. The terrain is relatively flat, with
grade differentials of around 30 feet, until abruptly dropping toward the river. These river bluffs are
environmentally stable as well as picturesque and should be maintained in their natural state.
Proposed development is mixed-use and/or office park.
Parcel 1-B
The Virginia Visitor Center, off Interstate-95, is a 12 acre site controlled by the Commonwealth. The
Visitor Center has recently been upgraded for the Jamestown 400-Year Anniversary. No land use
changes are recommended. A study is underway to determine if a modified interchange is feasible in
this vicinity, to provide interstate access to this area.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Roads
Substantial improvements are necessary to properly serve the commercial development in Celebrate
Virginia.
The City’s Comprehensive Transportation (Roadways) Plan (1991) specifies road
improvements on Fall Hill Avenue. A joint City/County effort has already planned to improve the Fall
Hill Avenue/Bragg Road corridor, from Carl D. Silver Parkway to State Route 3. Improvements to Fall
Hill Avenue east of Carl D. Silver Parkway are still needed and may be a project undertaken through
the Public-Private Transportation Act (PPTA). The City Council has also endorsed a PPTA High
Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes project on Interstate-95 and both of these projects are included in the
regional plan of the Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO). A new
project proposed by a private developer is a modified interchange to provide access to Celebrate
Virginia and Spotsylvania County from Interstate-95. This proposal is being studied by FAMPO for
possible inclusion in the regional transportation plan (if approved by the governing bodies).
Trails
Plans for bicycle/pedestrian links between Celebrate Virginia and other sections of the City are
contained in a trails plan called Fredericksburg Pathways (2006). One proposed trail would course
along the Rappahannock River, passing under the Interstate-95 bridge and connect to the larger trail
network at the Rappahannock Canal Path, at Fall Hill Avenue. The second trail will be developed
when Fall Hill Avenue is improved and will include a crossing over Interstate-95.
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LAND USE
Table 18: Transportation Summary - Planning Area 1
Project Name
Project Location
Fall Hill Avenue
West City limits to Mary Washington
Boulevard (extended)
Fall Hill Avenue Bridge
Fall Hill Avenue and Interstate-95
High Occupancy Toll (HOT)
Lanes
Interstate-95
Celebrate Virginia Interchange
(proposed limited access)
Embrey Dam/
Rappahannock Canal Trail
Interstate-95
Along river, between Celebrate Virginia
and Fall Hill Avenue
Description
Widen from 2-lane undivided to 4lane divided roadway, with separate
multi-use trail.
Replace bridge over interstate with
4-lane divided bridge with bicycle
trail on one side and sidewalk on
the other
Establish toll facilities to
accommodate automobile
commuting
Proposed interchange to facilitate
access to Celebrate Virginia
Independent trail on its own right of
way along Rappahannock Canal
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PLANNING AREA 1
1.
Facilitate the continued development of a regional commercial activity center, focusing
on improving the City’s position as a visitor destination.
2.
Ensure that developers fund major infrastructure, including water, sewer, stormwater
management and road improvements, when such needs are generated by their
development projects.
3.
Continue to secure partnerships to ensure the FREDericksburg Regional Transit system will
link a visitor destination complex with the community and downtown.
4.
Promote the City as a visitor destination by facilitating related private development in
coordination with public amenities.
5.
Protect and maintain the natural and scenic qualities of the Rappahannock River.
6.
Support upgrades to the State Visitor Center on Interstate-95.
7.
Protect historic resources in this planning area by participating as a consulting party in a
Programmatic Agreement for the Celebrate Virginia property.
8.
Coordinate the City’s trail projects with the greenways and trails to be developed on the
Celebrate Virginia site.
9.
Ensure an improved Fall Hill Avenue includes provisions for bicycle/foot travel, as
specified in current transportation plans.
10.
Ensure a new Fall Hill Avenue bridge over Interstate-95 includes bicycle/foot travel ways
(similar to the Cowan Boulevard bridge).
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LAND USE
Land Use Planning Area 2: Central Park
Planning Area 2 is bounded by Fall Hill
Avenue on the north, Interstate-95 on
the east, State Route 3 on the south, and
the City/County boundary on the west.
There are approximately 400 acres
within these limits, most of which have
been developed for commercial use.
This major retail area is a significant
source of revenue for the City. The
western half of the I-95/Route 3
interchange is located in this planning
area.
KEY ISSUES

Ensure
Central
Park
is
appropriately integrated with
Celebrate Virginia, north of Fall
Hill Avenue.
Work with property owners to
keep this area a vital component
of the City’s tax base.
EXISTING LAND USE
Central Park (310 acres) consists of
major retail, service, and office uses.
The zoning is Planned DevelopmentCommercial.
Several single-family
detached homes are scattered along Briscoe Lane. The Graves Farm remains in agricultural use.
Table 19: Land Use Summary – Planning Area 2
Corridor/Type
Route 3, Fall Hill Avenue, and
Cowan Boulevard/Commercial
and Agricultural
Development Name
Size
Central Park
310 acres
Briscoe Lane
58 acres
Aside from a collection of stormwater management ponds, there is no dedicated open space in this
planning area.
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LAND USE
The environmental character of this planning area is defined by man-made features, such as Central
Park, Interstate-95, and Route 3. The headwaters of two streams, however, are considered sensitive
land areas. Smith Run and North Hazel Run traverse residential subdivisions outside the planning
area. Stormwater management facilities in Central Park mitigate the impact of the extensive
impervious surfaces and ensure that flooding and erosion are avoided in the downstream
neighborhoods.
HISTORIC RESOURCES
This planning area does not contain any known historic sites or resources.
LAND USE POTENTIAL
The three east-west corridors that cross Interstate-95 in Fredericksburg are located in this planning
area. Extensive infrastructure and roadway improvements have been completed on State Route 3 and
Cowan Boulevard and are proposed for Fall Hill Avenue. As a consequence, this planning area will
continue to experience intense commercial development and redevelopment. The 310-acre
commercial development known as Central Park dominates this planning area, but other key parcels
include the following:
Parcel
Acres
Current Zoning
2-A
21.5
R-1 Residential
2-B
37
R-1 Residential
Recommended Land
Use
Business Park Offices,
Planned Development/
Commercial
Business Park Offices,
Planned Development/
Commercial
Parcel 2-A
This 21.5 acre parcel extends from Fall Hill Avenue to Interstate-95, but will be able to have access
from Fall Hill Avenue only. The terrain is relatively flat and the proposed land use is planned
development-commercial.
Parcel 2-B
This tract is 37 acres in size and has frontage on both Fall Hill Avenue and Cowan Boulevard. The
terrain is relatively flat and the proposed land use is planned development-commercial.
Consideration should be given to establishing a shared access onto Fall Hill Avenue when Parcel 2-A
and 2-B are developed.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Roads
Central Park has benefited from enhanced access from State Route 3 and Cowan Boulevard. The
City’s Comprehensive Transportation (Roadways) Plan (1991) calls for road improvements to Fall Hill
Avenue, which connects to Bragg Road, in Spotsylvania County, and which extends to State Route 3.
As noted under Infrastructure, in Planning Area 1, the City Council has endorsed High Occupancy
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105
Toll (HOT) lanes for Interstate-95 and this project has been included in the regional plan developed
by the Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO).
Trails
Cowan Boulevard includes a bicycle trail on its south side and sidewalks on the north side, which
provides a critical east-west connection across the interstate. A similarly designed bridge is
recommended to replace the very inadequate Fall Hill Avenue bridge.
Project Name
Project Location
Fall Hill Avenue
West city limits to Mary Washington
Boulevard (extended)
Fall Hill Avenue Bridge
Fall Hill Avenue and Interstate-95
Lanes
Interstate-95
Description
Widen from 2-lane undivided to 4lane divided roadway, with separate
multi-use trail.
Replace bridge over interstate with
4-lane divided bridge with bicycle
trail on one side and sidewalk on
the other
Establish toll facilities to
accommodate automobile
commuting
1.
Continue to support major commercial centers in this area, to boost local employment
opportunities.
2.
Ensure sufficient right-of-way is reserved to widen Fall Hill Avenue, including related
bicycle/foot trails, when development plans are finalized.
3.
Improve stormwater management facilities, consistent with evolving standards, to reduce
downstream drainage and erosion problems.
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107
Land Use Planning Area 3: Route 3 / Cowan Boulevard
Planning Area 3 extends to Interstate-95
to the west, Cowan Boulevard to the
north, the Route 1 Bypass (Jefferson
Davis Highway) to the east, and the
south city limits, defined by Hazel Run,
to the south. This area includes a
significant portion of the Route 3
corridor as well as major commercial
and residential developments north and
south of this roadway. The Economic
Development Authority’s JumpStart!
report includes two proposed projects in
this
planning
area,
including
redevelopment of the Greenbrier
Shopping Center and commercial
development off Cowan Boulevard,
adjacent to Interstate-95.
KEY ISSUES

Promote
mixed-use
development along corridors
and on vacant land.
Preserve the integrity of historic
resources, including the Idlewild
mansion and Civil War sites.
Avoid degradation of natural
resources such as Hazel Run and Smith Run. Seek appropriate stormwater management
upstream, to protect the environmental integrity of these stream valleys.
Development along Interstate-95 will require a new road (Mahone Street, extended) between
Route 3 and Cowan Boulevard, which could extend to Fall Hill Avenue.
Establish a bicycle/foot path along the old Virginia Central Railway right-of-way greenway.
Make Cowan Boulevard a tree lined corridor between the Route 1 Bypass and Smith Run.
EXISTING LAND USE
This planning area includes the eastern half of the Interstate-95/Route 3 interchange, which
concentrates development along Route 3 and Gateway Boulevard.
Additional commercial
development occurs along the Route 1 Bypass. Areas beyond the commercial corridors are usually
residential in nature. Residential uses north of Route 3 extend to the apartments along Cowan
Boulevard. Residential development south of Route 3 has become extensive, with major construction
underway in the Idlewild neighborhood.
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LAND USE
Corridor/Type
Development Name
Size
Route 3/Commercial
Westwood Shopping Center
101,000 square feet
Route 3/Commercial
Westwood Office Park
67,100 square feet
Route 3/Commercial
Westwood Village Center
29,214 square feet
Route 3/Commercial
Greenbrier Shopping Center
162,000 square feet
Route 3/Commercial
Gateway Village
215,000 square feet
Route 3 – Gateway
Boulevard/Commercial
Home Depot
135,000 square feet
Route 1 Bypass/Commercial
Townsend Center
23,600 square feet
Route 3/Residential
River Woods Apartments
187 units
Route 3/Residential
Westwood Commons
42 condominiums
Route 3/Residential
Westwood
Route 3/Residential
Oakwood Terrace
Route 3/Residential
Great Oaks
Route 3/Residential
Altoona
Route 3/Residential
Westmont
Route 3/Residential
Huntington Hills
32 residences
Route 1 Bypass/Residential
Estates at Idlewild
Kings Mill
24 townhouses
Townsend Apartments
200 units
Cedar Ridge Apartments
130 units
Route 3 - Gateway
Boulevard/Residential
Idlewild
785 single-family homes and
town houses
Cowan Boulevard/Residential
Snowden Village Apartments
254 units
Belmont at Cowan Place
300 units
Madonna House
260 units
Evergreens at Smith Run
130 apartments
Cowan Boulevard / Governmental
Hugh Mercer School
Cowan Boulevard / Governmental
Police Station
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LAND USE
Name
Hazel Run/Virginia Central
Railway corridor
Hugh Mercer School/
Police Station easement
Size
Description
151 acres (125 in City; 26
in Spotsylvania County)
Natural area along stream valley and historic railway
bed
Natural/historic area related to the Smith Run
battlefield
4.5 acres
Smith Run battlefield
11 acres
Wooded/historic area to be deeded to City for a park
North Hazel Run
13 acres
Natural area along stream valley
Smith Run Valley
approximately 15 acres
Dedicated open space for apartment projects on
Cowan Boulevard – battlefield terrain and walking
trail
Hazel Run forms the southern boundary of this planning area. Its headwaters are in Spotsylvania
County, but inadequate stormwater management creates increased flooding in the City. Appropriate
erosion and sediment control and stormwater management are needed upstream to protect the
environmental quality of this waterway, which flows through an attractive area of steep slopes and
rock outcroppings visible from the trail right-of-way along the Virginia Central Railway.
North of Route 3, Smith Run serves as a major drainage system, and this stream valley also suffers
from increased stream bank erosion. A large regional stormwater pond has been established on this
stream, but continued implementation of best management practices and Low Impact Development
(LID) will reduce the risk of flooding and minimize stream bank erosion.
HISTORIC RESOURCES
No historic dwellings have survived in this planning area. Instead, there is a historic railway bed,
battlefield terrain, Confederate winter encampments, and a fire damaged ante-bellum mansion. Of
note is the historic ground along Smith Run, which saw Civil War action on May 4, 1863, during the
Chancellorsville Campaign. At that time, three Confederate brigades slammed into Union forces in
the area where Hugh Mercer School and the Police Station are located. This battlefield remains
relatively intact in the Smith Run valley and a representative area has been acquired by the Central
Virginia Battlefields Trust, in partnership with the City.
Site Name
Virginia Central
Railway
Downman House
(Idlewild)
Confederate winter
encampment
Civil War (1861-1865)
Reconstruction (1865-1917)
Civil War (1861-1865)
Civil War (1861-1865)
Smith Run Battlefield
Civil War (1861-1865)
Smith Cabins (site)
Civil War (1861-1865)
Reconstruction (1865-1917)
Description
Ownership
Graded railway bed
with stone culverts
City
Brick Gothic Revival
mansion ca. 1859-1860
Hut holes near Hazel
Run
Wooded terrain that is
representative of this
extensive battleground
African-American
domestic site
City
City
Private non-profit
Private
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LAND USE POTENTIAL
Planning Area 3 contains several undeveloped parcels. Development north of Route 3 has become
more feasible, since completion of Cowan Boulevard. Development south of Route 3 could occur
after sale of City-owned property in the Idlewild development. The JumpStart! report also
recommends redevelopment of the Greenbrier Shopping Center as a high density mixed use project.
Land use recommendations for large parcels in this planning area include the following:
Parcel
Acres
Current Zoning
3-A
78
34 (including Idlewild
mansion)
R-1 Residential
Planned Development –
Residential (PDR)
3-B
Mixed-use development, office park
Planned development – mixed use
Parcel 3-A
This 78-acre site is located behind the Route 3 frontage of businesses in the vicinity of Ramseur and
Mahone Streets. The tract is adjacent to Interstate-95, but marginal visibility and access make the
area undesirable for general highway commercial development. Instead, a mixed-use development
would be more compatible with adjoining residential uses.
Parcel 3-B
The City of Fredericksburg owns 34 acres that includes the fire-damaged Downman House, known as
Idlewild. This Gothic-Revival mansion (built in 1859) sits atop a hill, which is visible from as far away
as Route 3. There are also several outbuildings on the site. The mansion was essentially gutted by a
fire in 2003, but its intact brick walls have been fully braced with steel supports. The City intends to
sell this property for development, but with deed restrictions that will ensure the historic house is
adaptively reused. Most of this site is flat, wooded terrain that has excellent access and is readily
developable.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Roads
New roadways have made land in this planning area accessible for development. A recently
completed Cowan Boulevard provides an east-west link across the interstate and Gateway Boulevard
and Idlewild Boulevard course through the extensive Idlewild development, providing ingress and
egress at Route 3 as well as at the Route 1 Bypass. Improvements are proposed for Interstate-95, the
Route 1/Route 3 intersection and to portions of Routes 1 and 3. A new roadway (Mahone Drive
extended) will entail an improved intersection at Route 3 and Gateway Boulevard, a new intersection
on Cowan Boulevard, and an improved intersection at Fall Hill Avenue. The name of this extended
street should be evaluated prior to its extension.
Trails
Construction of Cowan Boulevard includes a separate shared use trail, between Carl D. Silver
Parkway and Powhatan Street. This bicycle/foot path needs to be extended across the Route 1
Bypass, to link up with other proposed trails. A similar trail is proposed to extend from Cowan
Boulevard, across Route 3, to the Virginia Central Railway (VCR) trail. The VCR trail will course along
an old railroad bed and eventually provide a bicycle/foot link to the downtown rail station. Finally, a
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111
separate shared use trail is proposed to provide for pedestrian/bicycle access across the Route 1
Bypass when the Route 1/Route 3 interchange is upgraded.
Traffic Calming
Gateway Boulevard and Idlewild Boulevard are characterized by four traffic circles, which are meant
to discourage excessive speeds between Route 3 and the Route 1 Bypass. Additional traffic calming
measures are needed on Westwood Drive/Keeneland Road to reduce cut-through traffic in that
residential neighborhood.
Project Name
Project Location
William Street/Plank Road
Improvements
From Mahone Drive to Route 1 Bypass
Route 1/Route 3 Interchange
At interchange
Route 1 Bypass
From south city limits to Falmouth
Bridge
Mahone Drive (extended)
From Route 3 to Fall Hill Avenue
Virginia Central Railway Trail
From downtown rail station to the west
city limit, at Interstate-95
Cowan Boulevard/William Street
Connector (trail)
From Powhatan Street to William Street
North-South Trail
William Street/Plank Road Trail
Westwood subdivision traffic
calming
Virginia Central Railway trail to Cowan
Boulevard
Woodlyn Drive to William Street/Old
William Street intersection
Westwood Drive/Keeneland Road,
between Route 3 and Cowan
Boulevard
Description
Upgrade existing roadway from 4
and 5 lanes undivided to 6 lanes,
divided
Reconstruct interchange to support
planned improvements to Routes 1
and 3
Upgrade existing roadway from 4
and 5 lanes divided to 6 lanes
divided
Construct 4-lane divided roadway,
with separate bicycle/foot path.
Evaluate name of street prior to
extending.
Separate shared use trail, 1.4 miles
long in Planning Area 3
Extend the Cowan Boulevard shared
use trail across the Route 1 Bypass
to tie in with sidewalks on William
Street (approximately 0.6 miles)
Separate shared use trail, 2.17 miles
long in Planning Area 3
Separate shared use trail 0.6 miles
long
Traffic calming features in strategic
locations
1.
Project historic sites within this planning area, including winter encampments and the
battlefield terrain along Smith Run.
2.
Improve protection measures and Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area designations, to
enhance water quality in Smith Run and Hazel Run.
3.
Encourage a balance of mixed use development and carefully designed residential areas.
4.
Use berms and other landscaping measures to shield large parking areas.
5.
Require that ground signs proposed within the planning area be low-level monument type
signs.
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LAND USE
6.
Extend Mary Washington Boulevard to Fall Hill Avenue.
7.
Establish bicycle/foot trails between new developments and adjacent areas.
8.
Plant trees along Cowan Boulevard, from the Route 1 Bypass to Smith Run.
9.
Accept the Smith Run historic area from the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, for use as a
City park.
10.
Support redevelopment of the Greenbrier Shopping Center into a more productive and
efficient mixed-use development.
11.
Construct Fire Station #3 in Celebration Virginia South.
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113
Land Use Planning Area 4: Fall Hill / Mary Washington Hospital
Planning Area 4 is bounded by the
Rappahannock
River
and
the
Rappahannock Canal on the north,
the Route 1 Bypass (Jefferson Davis
Highway) on the east, Cowan
Boulevard on the south, and
Interstate-95 to the west. This area
includes the portion of the Fall Hill
Avenue corridor between I-95 and the
Rappahannock Canal, and the Mary
Washington Hospital campus. The
Economic Development Authority’s
JumpStart!
report
recommends
specific projects on the Route 1
Bypass (Jefferson Davis Highway), Fall
Hill Avenue, and Cowan Boulevard.
KEY ISSUES

Protect the Rappahannock
River and scenic vistas
Protect
environmentally
sensitive areas such as
floodplain and designated
resource protection areas
Develop
greenways
and
nature trails
Preserve the Rappahannock
Canal, its adjacent Canal
Path, Snowden Pond, Snowden Marsh, and other wetland resources
Protect historic sites
Expand the Mary Washington Hospital medical campus and surrounding supportive services
and office development
Ensure Mahone Drive extended provides a well planned link between Fall Hill Avenue and
Cowan Boulevard. Evaluate the street name prior to extending.
EXISTING LAND USE
The planning area is characterized by multi-family residential development along Fall Hill Avenue and
Cowan Boulevard, and by commercial development along the Route 1 Bypass. The greatest influence
on both existing and future development in this planning area is the Mary Washington Hospital
campus. Mary Washington Hospital is a full service facility that serves this entire region. It is licensed
for 412 beds. The hospital is also the largest employer in the region, with over 2,800 employees. All
of the preservation areas in this planning area are City-owned.
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LAND USE
Table 27: Existing Land Use Summary - Planning Area 4
Corridor/Type
Development Name
Size
Fall Hill Avenue/Commercial
Bragg Hill retail center
small storefronts
Park and Shop Center
235,000 square feet
Fredericksburg Shopping Center
94,000 square feet
Snowden Office Park
48,000 square feet
Snowden Executive Center
65,500 square feet
The Park at Snowden
100,000 square feet
Stratford Square
121 apartments
Park and Shop
235,000 square feet
Snowden Office Park
48,000 square feet
Snowden Executive Center
65,000 square feet
The Park at Snowden
100,000 square feet
Mary Washington Boulevard
Mary Washington Hospital
412 beds
Heritage Park
200 apartments
Central Park Townhouses
264 townhouses
Crestview
180 apartments
Riverside Manor
189 townhomes
Riverview Apartments
96 apartments
River Walk
Monticello Apartments
263 apartments
Hills at Snowden
Preserve at Smith Run
183 units
(133 single-family homes;
50 townhomes)
Name
Size
Zig zag trenches
4.8 acres
Uplands-deposition site
48 acres
Upland natural areas
28.5
Description
Confederate trenches dug in a unique zig-zag
pattern
Partially cleared site with deposits from Embrey
Dam removal project
Wooded natural area
LAND USE
115
This planning area is characterized by highly erodible soils, moderate to steep slopes, highly
permeable soils, the river, and some wetlands. Material dredged from the river during the Embrey
Dam removal project was deposited on the uplands. Environmentally sensitive areas include the
following:

Rappahannock Canal
Snowden Pond
Snowden Marsh
Unnamed tributaries and ponds
HISTORIC RESOURCES
Planning Area 4 contains a variety of Confederate earthworks as well as two prominent historic
homes. The trenches and the dwellings all have Civil War associations. The Fall Hill mansion, built
around 1779, is located on a hilltop overlooking the Rappahannock River valley. This property
anchored the Confederate left flank during the 1862 and 1863 battles of Fredericksburg. The
vantage point includes several Confederate trenches. The Snowden mansion (also known as
Stansbury) is a Greek Revival building on a rise overlooking the Rappahannock Canal, just east of
Mary Washington Hospital. The original structure, built c. 1815, burned down in the early twentieth
century. The existing structure, built in 1926, replicates the original dwelling. Snowden now serves as
executive offices for the Mary Washington Hospital Foundation. Additional resources near the
Rappahannock River relate to the area’s industrial history.
Table 29: Summary of Historic Resources - Planning Area 4
Site Name
Fall Hill
Snowden
(Stansbury)
Description
Ownership
Colony to Nation
(1750-1789)
Civil War (1861-1865)
Early National Period
(1789-1830)
Civil War (1861-1865)
World War I to World War II
(1917-1945)
Brick dwelling, with
outbuildings built c. 1779,
Civil War trenches
Private
1926 Reconstruction of c.
1815 Greek Revival mansion
Medicorp
Rappahannock Canal
Canal and a stone lock
City
Embrey Dam (site)
Reconstruction and Growth
(1865-1917)
Concrete abutment on
Stafford shore
City
Crib Dam (site)
Stone abutments
City
Zig zag trenches
Civil War (1861-1865)
Lane’s Battery
Civil War (1861-1865)
Huger’s Battery
Civil War (1861-1865)
Earthen double gun pit
Medicorp
Whitworth position
Civil War (1861-1865)
Gun pit cut into hilltop and
supporting infantry trench
Private
Distinctive Confederate
earthworks
Two earthen gun pits extant
(out of four)
City
Private
LAND USE POTENTIAL
This planning area includes significant development parcels along Cowan Boulevard as well as along
Fall Hill Avenue. The Economic Development Authority’s JumpStart! report notes that Fall Hill Avenue
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LAND USE
could be enhanced as a tree lined parkway and that commercial development on Cowan Boulevard,
adjacent to Interstate-96, would help to screen nearby residential areas from excessive traffic noise.
The most ambitious JumpStart! project proposed for this planning area is the Jefferson Davis Highway
project, which envisions mixed use redevelopment where strip shopping centers are currently located,
between the Rappahannock River and Cowan Boulevard.
Other key parcels include the following:
Parcel
Acres
Current Zoning
4-A
32
R-1 Residential
Planned Development – Residential
4-B
48
R-1 Residential
Public recreation area
4-C
5
C-T
Medium density-residential
4-D
46
C-T
Offices and medical related facilities
4-E
5
C-SC
4-F
28
R-2 Residential
Public recreation area
4-G
20
Part of parcel
3-A
R-1 Residential
Cluster residential
R-1 Residential
See Planning Area 3
4-H
Neighborhood-oriented commercial and/or
offices
Parcel 4-A
This 32 acre site is located just north of the Central Park Townhouses (formerly Bragg Hill), adjacent
to Interstate-95. The topography is relatively flat, but there are steep slopes where a small stream
drains to the north. The proposed land use is planned development–residential.
Parcel 4-B
The City of Fredericksburg owns this 48 acre site. Four to five acres on the uplands have been used
for the deposition of material dredged from behind the Embrey Dam prior to its removal from the
river. Approximately half of this acreage consists of steep slopes, which are adjacent to the river and
should be kept in their natural state. The uplands are proposed to be developed as a park.
Parcel 4-C
This 5 acre parcel is located just east of the Riverview Apartments and has frontage on Fall Hill
Avenue. The property is recommended for medium-density residential development.
Parcel 4-D
This 46 acre tract is part of the Medicorp/Mary Washington Hospital medical campus. It fronts on
Cowan Boulevard, but is already served by Sam Perry Boulevard and Mary Washington Boulevard,
which connect Cowan Boulevard and the Route-1 Bypass. The terrain is relatively flat on the plateau
where Cowan Boulevard is located, but drops off to the northeast, toward the main hospital building.
Proposed development is offices and medical related facilities.
LAND USE
117
Parcel 4-E
The western corner of Parcel 4-D abuts a 5 acre parcel that fronts on Cowan Boulevard. The
topography is flat. Proposed development is neighborhood-oriented commercial uses and/or offices.
There are no other areas along Cowan Boulevard, east of Interstate-95, that are zoned for
commercial use, so development of this site should be a welcome addition for the many residential
neighborhoods in this area.
Parcel 4-F
The City of Fredericksburg owns this 28 acre tract on the south side of Fall Hill Avenue, near
Interstate-95. Much of this site is level enough to accommodate playing fields, but there are still many
steep slopes along a small stream that drains to the east. Recommended use of this land is as public
recreation space although a portion of this tract may be necessary for the new road that is proposed
to connect Route-3 and Fall Hill Avenue.
Parcel 4-G
This 20 acre parcel is cut in two by the Rappahannock Canal. The topography on the portion west of
the canal includes steep slopes. The portion east of the canal is low lying wooded ground. At least
half of this eastern section is within the Rappahannock River floodway. This parcel has only a single,
narrow access point on Fall Hill Avenue, just west of the Rappahannock Canal. This access could be
improved, though, when Mary Washington Boulevard is extended to Fall Hill Avenue and an
intersection established in this vicinity. Recommended land use is medium-density residential
development.
Parcel 4-H
This limited acreage, north of Cowan Boulevard, is part of Parcel 3-A, a 78 acre tract discussed under
Planning Area 3.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Roads
Proposed road construction and road improvements are contained in the City’s Comprehensive
Transportation (Roadways) Plan (1991) and incorporated into the regional plan of the Fredericksburg
Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO). Recently completed improvements include the
extension
of
Sam
Perry
Boulevard
and
Mary
Washington
Boulevard
to
Cowan Boulevard. The proposed improvements to Fall Hill Avenue absolutely must be linked to an
extension of Mary Washington Boulevard. The existing and anticipated traffic on Fall Hill Avenue
needs to be diverted to the Route 1 Bypass rather than routed through the residential neighborhood of
Normandy Village. The proposed interchange access for Celebrate Virginia does not include access
to the east side of Interstate-95.
Trails
There are three trails in this planning area. Cowan Boulevard includes a bicycle/foot trail (completed
in 2005), the Rappahannock Canal includes a bicycle/foot trail (resurfaced in 2006), and Sam Perry
Boulevard includes pedestrian links between these two routes. Additional improvements are needed
at the link to the Canal path and a pedestrian crossing will be needed when Mary Washington
Boulevard is extended to Fall Hill Avenue.
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LAND USE
Traffic Calming
There is a traffic circle where Sam Perry Boulevard and Mary Washington Boulevard intersect near
Cowan Boulevard. Additional traffic calming measures may become necessary on the portion of Fall
Hill Avenue that extends through Normandy Village, when that roadway is improved west of the
Rappahannock Canal and linked to Mary Washington Boulevard.
Project
Location
Fall Hill Avenue
West city limit to Mary
Washington Boulevard
(extended)
Rappahannock Canal Bridge
Fall Hill Avenue and
Rappahannock Canal
lanes
Interstate-95
(extended)
(existing) to Fall Hill Avenue
Mahone Drive (extended)
From Route 3 to Fall Hill
Avenue
Route 1 Bypass
From south City limits to
Falmouth Bridge
Trail link
From Mary Washington
Boulevard to the Canal Path
North-South Trail
Virginia Central Railway trail
to Cowan Boulevard
Description
Widen from 2-lane undivided to 4-lane divided
roadway, with separate bicycle/foot path
Replace bridge over Rappahannock Canal,
incorporating bicycle/foot crossing underneath to
accommodate travel along the Canal Path
Establish toll facilities to accommodate automobile
commuting
Extend a 4-lane divided roadway to a new
intersection on Fall Hill Avenue, west of the
Rappahannock Canal
Construct 4-lane divided roadway, with separate
bicycle/foot path
Upgrade existing roadway from 4 lanes divided to
6 lanes divided. Evaluate name of street prior to
extending.
Establish trail connection between Mary
Washington Boulevard trail and the Canal Path,
including a pedestrian crossing of an extended
Separate shared-use trail, 0.75 miles long in
Planning Area 4
1.
Preserve the surroundings of the Fall Hill mansion.
2.
Protect the historic sites and earthworks in this planning area.
3.
Improve the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area designations and other protection
measures, to enhance water quality in Smith Run and in the Rappahannock River.
4.
Project and maintain the natural and scenic qualities of the Rappahannock River.
5.
Ensure a network of natural greenways is established and maintained for passive
recreation and bicycle/foot trails.
6.
Ensure an improved Fall Hill Avenue includes bicycle/foot trails, as specified in current
transportation plans.
7.
Protect sensitive land and provide expanded natural and open spaces through clustering
of residential units and other development.
8.
Establish bicycle/foot trail linkages between new developments and adjacent areas.
9.
Provide for the continued development of medical offices and support services on MWH
Medicorp/Mary Washington Hospital medical campus.
LAND USE
119
10.
Plant trees along Cowan Boulevard, from the Route 1 Bypass to Smith Run.
11.
Support redevelopment of shopping centers along the Route 1 Bypass into more
productive and efficient mixed use developments, as shown in the JumpStart report.
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LAND USE
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LAND USE
Land Use Planning Area 5: University / College Heights
Planning Area 5 is a triangular shaped
area bounded by the Route 1 Bypass
(Jefferson Davis Highway) to the west,
Sunken Road and Willis Street to the
east, and Hazel Run and Lafayette
Boulevard to the south.
This area
consists primarily of the University of
Mary Washington, the College Heights
neighborhood,
and
the
National
Cemetery/Sunken Road area of the
Fredericksburg-Spotsylvania
National
Military Park.
KEY ISSUES

Encourage appropriate screening
of commercial activity along
Route 1, to buffer it from the
College Heights neighborhood.
Maintain
the
integrity
of
residential
neighborhoods
through revised infill regulations
that respect the existing character
of the community.
Respect the battlefield line-ofsight from Willis Hill.
EXISTING LAND USE
This planning area includes the Fredericksburg campus of the University of Mary Washington and the
residential neighborhood called College Heights. The traditional street grid that characterizes the
downtown area was carried over to College Heights. The Route 1 Bypass, which defines the western
edge of this planning area injects a limited amount of commercial development into the fringe of the
residential area. There are wooded areas on the University of Mary Washington campus, but most of
the open space in this planning area is found south of Hanover Street.
Corridor/Type
Development Name
Size
Various
Individual parcels
Lafayette Boulevard/Commercial
Various
Individual parcels
College Avenue – Hanover Street –
Rappahannock Avenue – Route 1
Bypass/Residential
College Heights
400+ residential units
Lafayette Boulevard/Residential
Cobblestone Square
374 Condominiums
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LAND USE
Corridor/Type
Development Name
Size
Spotsylvania Avenue/Residential
Trailer Park
30+ trailers
College Avenue – Hanover
Street/Institutional
University of Mary Washington
Name
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania
National Military Park
Cobblestone Square/Hazel Run
Nature Area
Size
Description
28+ acres
Battlefield terrain
10 acres
Natural area along Hazel Run
This planning area is located on a plateau. Stormwater runoff from the University and College
Heights is primarily toward the Kenmore valley, to the east. The Kenmore flume and the
Rappahannock Canal have been retrofitted to be as effective as possible in handling this runoff, but
additional stormwater management may be needed if new development will strain the existing
capacity. Additional drainage is toward Hazel Run, to the south.
HISTORIC RESOURCES
Historic resources in this planning area are either in Federal or state ownership. The National Park
Service administers a relatively small, but historically important area at the south end of Sunken Road.
The University of Mary Washington owns the antebellum house called Brompton, which it uses as the
residence for the University president. A Confederate battery position is also on the University
grounds. The National Park Service is engaged in an aggressive scene restoration program in the
Sunken Road area.
Site Name
Fredericksburg and
Spotsylvania National
Military Park
Civil War (1861-1865)
Brompton
Civil War (1861-1865)
Maupin’s Battery
(Donaldsonville
Artillery)
Civil War (1861-1865)
Rose Hill
Civil War (1861-1865)
Description
Ownership
Battlefield terrain, restored
Sunken Road area, Willis
Hill, and National
Cemetery
Brick mansion
(c. 1830s)
Earthen gun emplacement
at corner of College
Avenue and William Street
Brick mansion (1852)
much altered by later
addition (c. 1900)
Federal
University of Mary
Washington
University of Mary
Washington
Private
LAND USE POTENTIAL
This planning area has been extensively developed. The College Heights neighborhood is attractive
and accessible, due to its traditional street grid. Any development or redevelopment should continue
this established pattern.
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LAND USE
INFRASTRUCTURE
Roads
Completion of the Blue and Gray Parkway has effectively diverted much traffic from the William Street
corridor. The City’s transportation plan calls for improvements to the Route 1 Bypass as well as to the
Route 1/Route 3 interchange.
Trails
Most of this planning area is interconnected by sidewalks. Trails are specified in the City’s Pathways
Plan (2006) to link Cowan Boulevard to William Street and to provide pedestrian access across the
Route 1 Bypass when the Route 1/Route 3 interchange is rebuilt.
Traffic Calming
College Avenue is a busy connector, but densely parked vehicles on either side of this roadway serve
a traffic calming function by narrowing the perceived travel lanes. Effective traffic calming measures
are still needed on Stafford Avenue, as the existing effort is not sufficiently visible.
Project
Route 1 Bypass
Cowan Boulevard/William
Street Connector (trail)
William Street/Plank Road
shared-use Trail
Stafford Avenue traffic calming
Location
From south city limits to
Falmouth Bridge
At interchange
From Powhattan Street to
William Street
From Woodlyn Drive to the
William Street / Old William
Street intersection
Route 1 Bypass to William
Street
Description
Upgrade existing roadway from 4 and 5 lanes
divided to 6 lanes divided
Reconstruct interchange to support planned
improvement to Routes 1 and 3
Extend the Cowan Boulevard shared-use trail
across the Route 1 Bypass to tie-in with sidewalks
on William Street (approx. 0.6 miles)
Construct a shared-use trail when the roadway is
improved, adjacent property is redeveloped, or the
Route 1/Route 3 interchange is improved
Install appropriate traffic calming devices in
strategic locations
1.
Revise infill development regulations to maintain
neighborhoods while accommodating new growth.
2.
Continue to evaluate and provide for the diverse parking needs in the College Heights
neighborhood.
3.
Continue to work with the University of Mary Washington regarding any adverse impacts
on the surrounding community, such as parking and the need for student housing.
4.
Improve pedestrian linkages between downtown activity centers and the University and its
surrounding neighborhoods.
the
integrity
of
residential
124
LAND USE
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LAND USE
Land Use Planning Area 6: Downtown Neighborhoods
Planning Area 6 includes the many
neighborhoods that surround the
downtown business district.
It is
bounded on the north and east by the
Rappahannock River, on the south by
Hazel Run, and by Sunken Road and
the Rappahannock Canal, to the west.
This area includes most of the Princess
Anne Street corridor, a portion of the
Lafayette Boulevard corridor, and a
portion of the Route 1 Bypass
(Jefferson Davis Highway) corridor, all
of which are referenced in the
Economic Development Authority’s
JumpStart! report. This report also
recommends redevelopment along
Caroline Street, in the vicinity of the
Embrey Power station and other riverpowered mills.
KEY ISSUES

Initiate revitalization of key
corridors
through
public
investments in infrastructure
improvements, street trees, and
design guidelines.
Encourage adaptive reuse and
redevelopment of the river-powered mills district.
EXISTING LAND USE
This planning area, with Planning Area 7, is the heart of the City and reflects the development patterns
established when the streets were laid out in 1728. These areas, combined, include the downtown
Historic Fredericksburg District, the Old Mill Historic District, as well as all other designated historic
districts. The area is also characterized by clearly defined neighborhoods.
Corridor/Type
Development Name
Size
Fredericksburg Shopping Center
94,000 square feet
Various
Individual Parcels
Princess Anne Street/Commercial
Various
Individual Parcels
Lafayette Boulevard/Commercial
Various
Individual Parcels
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LAND USE
Corridor/Type
Development Name
Size
Wallace and Woodford Streets/Commercial
Various
Individual Parcels
Fall Hill Avenue/Governmental
James Monroe High School
Name
Size
Description
Old Mill Park
50 acres
Open space, playing fields, picnic areas, restrooms,
riverfront, historic canal and mill sites
Riverside Drive Park
8.0 acres
Open space along river – not yet fully developed as a park
Memorial and Mary Washington
Monument Parks
9.0 acres
Open space, tennis courts, basketball courts, playground,
Mary Washington monument, veterans memorial
Washington Avenue Mall
Four blocks
Rappahannock Canal
1.8 miles
Multi-use trails, historic waterway
Cobblestone – Hazel Run Nature
Area
10 acres
Wooded area with wetlands
Grassy median with various monuments
Much of Planning Area 6 is adjacent to the Rappahannock River and many sites are within its
floodplain. Environmentally sensitive areas include the following:

Rappahannock Canal
Rappahannock River shoreline
Gayles Pond
College Marsh
Old Mill Park floodplain and adjacent wetlands
The Kenmore flume is also located in Planning Areas 6 and 7. This drainage system has been
extensively improved to be as effective as possible in handling runoff from the University of Mary
Washington and the residential neighborhood between Sunken Road and Kenmore Avenue.
HISTORIC RESOURCES
Planning Areas 6 and 7 include the Historic Fredericksburg District and other areas of historic
importance. Development and redevelopment in designated sections of these areas will need to
adhere to the City’s historic district regulations.
Table 38: Historical Resources - Planning Area 6
Site Name
Fredericksburg Historic
District
Historic continuum
(all periods)
Old Mill Historic District
Historic continuum
(all periods)
Fredericksburg Gun
Factory (site)
Colony to Nation
(1750-1789)
Description
Ownership
Downtown Business District and
surrounding neighborhoods (40
blocks)
Mills, mill sites, and the City’s
lower canal
Archaeological site, previously
excavated but poorly
documented
Various
City-private
City
LAND USE
Site Name
Description
Washington Avenue
Historic District
(1865-1917)
Falmouth Ford
Colony to Nation
(1750-1789)
1200-1500 blocks of Washington
Avenue and 620 Lewis Street
River crossing – used by French
Expeditionary Force on way to
Yorktown (1781) and enroute
back to NY (1782)
Elmhurst
Stratton House
Rowe House
Old Walker-Grant
School
Warehouse District
Railroad Freight
terminal
Rappahannock (upper)
Canal
Washington Woolen
Mills
(1865-1917)
Antebellum
(1830-1860)
Civil War (1861-1865)
Antebellum
(1830-1860)
Civil War (1861-1865)
(1917-1945)
(1865-1917);
(1917-1945)
(1917-1945)
Antebellum
(1830-1860) through
The New Dominion (1945Present)
Antebellum
(1830-1860)
127
Ownership
Various
State
Private
Brick house on Littlepage Street
(built 1855). Battlefield
landmark.
Brick house on Hanover Street
(built 1850s). Battlefield
landmark.
Racially segregated public
school (built 1935).
Private
Private
City
Collection of warehouses and
industrial buildings
Private
Industrial building related to
railroad improvements in 1920s
Private
Navigation canal converted to
raceway
City
Masonry industrial building (still
in use)
Private
LAND USE POTENTIAL
Fredericksburg is a City of attractive and accessible neighborhoods and every effort should be made
to continue this pattern of growth and development. Neighborhood conservation has become a
comprehensive City policy to address housing conditions, infrastructure, crime prevention, and
maintenance of community character. Maintaining the integrity of the Historic District and
implementation of mixed use zoning has also resulted in an active downtown. Opportunities for infill
development, redevelopment, and rehabilitation will continue to occur.
Table 39: Land Use Potential – Planning Area 6
Parcel
Acres
Current Zoning
6-A
9.4
R-2 Residential
Park
6-B
4.4
C-H Highway Retail Commercial
Mixed use
6-C
1.1
C-H Highway Retail Commercial
C-T Transitional Commercial
Mixed use
Parcel 6-A
The City of Fredericksburg owns this 9.4 acre tract adjacent to the Rappahannock Canal. The
municipal water treatment facility that once occupied this site has been removed. The related settling
pond remains in place, as does a second pond farther west. A portion of this acreage is currently in
use as a dog park and the proposed land use for the rest of the site is park as well, including use of
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LAND USE
the settling pond for fishing. A limited amount of acreage could be considered for sale for residential
development, to extend the existing row of houses along Mary Ball Street.
Parcel 6-B
This riverfront property consists of the poured concrete Embrey Power Station (constructed in 1909) on
a 4.4 acre site. A portion of this site is within the Rappahannock River floodway. The City of
Fredericksburg holds an easement on a small portion (less than an acre) for a pump station that keeps
water in the Rappahannock Canal, which cannot be fed from upstream since the Embrey Dam was
removed. The property fronts on Caroline Street and the proposed use is mixed-use commercial. This
property is also within a historic overlay and is subject to design review by the City’s Architectural
Review Board.
Parcel 6-C
This 1.1 acre parcel fronts on Caroline Street but has an access to Princess Anne Street. The terrain is
sloped, with a difference of 27 feet between Caroline and Princess Anne Streets. This site includes
several mill sites, including a small municipal hydroelectric plant (a DC power plant built in 1901) and
the Germania Mill, also known as the Myer and Brulle Mill. These mills were powered by raceways
that extended from the Rappahannock Canal. As a consequence, the City holds a drainage easement
across this site. Since the Embrey Dam has been removed, however, the easement no longer serves a
useful function. Development of the site could occur with the easement in place, using it as a private
road for instance, or a developer could seek to have the easement abandoned. In addition, access to
the site can be accommodated at both Caroline Street as well as at Princess Anne Street, where a
public right of way extends across the front of a commercial structure to connect with the upper
portion of this parcel.
This planning area also has several redevelopment opportunities along well traveled corridors. The
Economic Development Authority’s JumpStart! report recommends a riverfront redevelopment project
in the vicinity of the old Embrey Power Station and other historic mills. The JumpStart! report also
outlines mixed use redevelopments projects along Lafayette Boulevard. One project, between the
Blue and Gray Parkway and Jackson Street, would compliment the Cobblestone condominium
development already under construction. Another project relates to the Warehouse District, discussed
further, below. Mixed use projects on the Route 1 Bypass (Jefferson Davis Highway) are also
envisioned in this report, extending from the Rappahannock Canal to the Rappahannock River.
Finally the JumpStart! report illustrates the potential of mixed use development along the Princess
Anne Street corridor, which the City has already established as the Princess Anne Street Historic
Corridor Overlay District.
There are also other areas where development and redevelopment opportunities are found, as
follows:
Warehouse District
For planning purposes, the Jackson Street/Kenmore Avenue area has been called the Warehouse
District. This collection of early twentieth century industrial/structures is experiencing an increase of
activity, although some non-conforming uses and unsightly outdoor storage persists. Several
warehouses have been renovated and adaptively reused and a new office building constructed for the
Rappahannock Area Community Services Board. This positive pattern should be encouraged. The
JumpStart! report emphasizes the opportunities for mixed uses.
LAND USE
129
Princess Anne Street Corridor
Princess Anne Street is a key entryway into the City’s historic district. It has been designated as the
Princess Anne Street Historic Corridor because the route provides a transition that appears to step
travelers back in time as they enter the older sections of town. This corridor is characterized by
buildings and business that are reminiscent of this roadway as the Old Route 1, with its many post
World War II automobile oriented businesses. A short section that includes several mill sites pushes
back time to the Reconstruction period and then several blocks called the Transition District bring the
traveler past Colonial period houses into the Historic District.
Lafayette Boulevard Corridor
Major road improvements are planned for Lafayette Boulevard, but this work would only extend from
the south city limits to the Blue and Gray Parkway. That portion of Lafayette Boulevard in Planning
Area 6 would not be widened for vehicular traffic. Instead, the City will enhance pedestrian safety in
this corridor, which is a mix of residential and commercial uses. A major bicycle/pedestrian route will
be established along the Virginia Central Railway, which parallels Lafayette Boulevard. The roadway
itself, though would benefit from street trees and continued redevelopment.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Roads
No new road projects are proposed for this planning area, although improvements are planned for
several existing routes. The Route 1 Bypass is proposed to be expanded, for instance, and plans for
the Princess Anne Street corridor include consolidating curb cuts, enhancing on-street parking to
support JumpStart! initiatives, and installation of street trees. The proposed improvements to Fall Hill
Avenue in Planning Area 4 will not extend into this planning area. Instead, this improved roadway will
connect to Mary Washington Boulevard, to direct traffic to the Route 1 Bypass, rather than into the
Normandy Village neighborhood.
Bridges
This planning area includes four of the five bridges that cross the Rappahannock River in
Fredericksburg. These crossings are as follows:
Falmouth Bridge – U.S. Route 1 (Jefferson Davis Highway)
Chatham Bridge – State Route 3 (William Street)
Rappahannock River Bridge – CSX rail line (2 tracks)
Ferry Farm/Mayfield Bridge – State Route 3 Bypass (Blue and Gray Parkway)
Trails
Existing bicycle/pedestrian trails in this planning area include the Canal Path, which runs along the
Rappahannock Canal. A proposed trail to close the Canal Path loop is the Rappahannock River
Heritage Trail, which would connect to both ends of the Canal Path with a shared-use path along
Caroline Street and Riverside Drive. A portion of the Virginia Central Railway Trail will also extend
through this planning area, between the Lafayette Boulevard/Hazel Run crossing and the downtown
rail station.
Traffic Calming
This planning area consists of a traditional street grid, which effectively diffuses traffic. No specific
traffic calming measures are proposed, although specific problem areas could be addressed on a
case by case basis.
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Project
Route 1 Bypass
Princess Anne Street
Location
From south City limits to Falmouth
Bridge
From Route 1 to Herndon Street
Chatham Bridge
William Street/Rappahannock River
Rappahannock River
Heritage Trail
Virginia Central Railway
Trail
Ford Street to intersection of Canal
Path and Fall Hill Avenue
From downtown rail station to the
west City limits, at Interstate-95
Description
Upgrade existing roadway from 4 and 5 lanes
divided to 6 lanes divided
Reconfigure existing roadway to consolidate
curb cuts and provide on-street parking to
serve redevelopment
Structure will be redecked with four vehicle
lanes and wider bicycle paths
Separate shared-use trails, 1.6 miles long,
along Caroline Street and Riverside Drive
Separate shared use trial, 0.9 miles long in
Planning Area 6.
1.
2.
Implement the public improvements component of the Princess Anne Street Historic
Corridor Overlay District.
3.
Work with property owners to redevelop selected sites without adversely impacting
residential neighborhoods.
4.
Continue to work with the Virginia Railway Express to provide additional parking for rail
commuters, including structured parking.
5.
Work with the Virginia Railway Express to explore ways to reduce vehicular traffic in
residential neighborhoods, possibly through a new access off the Blue and Gray Parkway
directly to the VRE lot.
6.
Continue to promote redevelopment along Lafayette Boulevard that directs the
redevelopment away from auto-oriented uses.
7.
Support redevelopment within the Warehouse District that respects the historic structures.
8.
Support redevelopment in the Embrey Power Station area.
the
integrity
of
residential
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Land Use Planning Area 7: Downtown
This land use area, which includes the
downtown core of the Historic District, is
bounded by Amelia Street on the north,
the Rappahannock River to the east,
Frederick Street to the south, and
Kenmore Avenue to the west. The
Economic
Development
Authority’s
JumpStart! report recommends three
specific projects in this urban setting,
including
a
vision
for
the
riverfront/Sophia Street, a plan for that
portion of Lafayette Boulevard at the rail
station, and redevelopment of the
downtown Post Office site.
KEY ISSUES

Enhance the viability of the
downtown
business
district
through
effective
parking
policies.
Invest in downtown infrastructure
such as parking facilities, brick
sidewalks, and street trees and
furniture.
Upgrade strategic corridors such
as Kenmore Avenue, George
Street, and Hanover Street, to
better integrate new activity
centers, such as the Central
Rappahannock Heritage Center (in Maury Commons) with the downtown business district.
Acquire three parcels of land on Sophia Street (between Hanover and Charlotte Streets) to
accommodate the riverfront focal point design.
Encourage adaptive reuse of historic buildings and infill development of vacant parcels.
EXISTING LAND USE
This planning area is the oldest part of the City and reflects the development pattern established when
the streets were laid out in 1728. Caroline and William Streets are the primary corridors for
commerce. Princess Anne Street is on a plateau above river flood levels and is historically the
community’s religious and governmental center. From north to south, this corridor includes the
Fredericksburg Baptist Church, the old Town Hall (now the Fredericksburg Area Museum), St.
George’s Church, the National Bank of Fredericksburg, the Presbyterian Church, the Circuit Court
House, the old Post Office (now City Hall), additional courts, the current Post Office, and the Shiloh
Baptist Church (New Site). Beyond this activity are residential neighborhoods, cemeteries, and
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LAND USE
schools, although school activities are now limited to athletics since the related school building has
been converted to condominiums.
The Rappahannock River constitutes the eastern boundary of this planning area, which requires that
most development and redevelopment must provide for flood hazard mitigation. In addition, there
are historic resources throughout this planning area, which requires that development and
redevelopment occur in a manner consistent with the City’s adopted historic preservation policies.
HISTORICAL RESOURCES
Most of this planning area is within the historic zoning overlay called the Historic Fredericksburg
District (HFD). In establishing historic districts, the best practice is to include both sides of a street,
respecting the entire streetscape. As a consequence, the western boundary of the HFD is comprised
of the rear boundary lines of the properties that front on the western side of Prince Edward Street.
Table 41: Historical Resources - Planning Area 7
Site Name
Historic Fredericksburg
District
Historic continuum
(all periods)
Maury School
(1917-1945)
Mill Race Commons
World War I to World
War II (1917-1945)
Description
Ownership
Downtown business district
and surrounding
neighborhoods
Former school building built in
three stages – 1919, 1929,
1936
Early twentieth century
industrial building
Various
Private
Private
LAND USE POTENTIAL
Fredericksburg’s emphasis on maintaining the integrity of its historic district has resulted in a vibrant
downtown that is economically viable and a desirable place to work, shop, eat, and visit. A recent
emphasis on the historic riverfront has resulted in a design to establish the area between Hanover and
George Streets as the riverfront focal point.
Because of its urban characteristics, this relatively small planning area has many redevelopment
opportunities. The Economic Development Authority’s JumpStart! report recommends several
projects, all of which are already in some stage of implementation. The riverfront/Sophia Street
section of the JumpStart! report, for example, reflects the City’s 1995 Station Community Plan as well
as the City’s efforts to provide downtown parking. JumpStart!’s Lafayette Boulevard/Train Station
District also reinforces the City’s 1995 Station Community Plan, calling for pedestrian orientation, infill
development, and mixed uses. Finally, JumpStart! looked at redevelopment of the downtown Post
Office site, consistent with the City’s exploration of acquiring that parcel for a new courts facility.
There are also other areas of emphasis for continued redevelopment, as follows:
George Street Walk
The Central Rappahannock Heritage Center is located in Maury Commons, a former school on a 7.3
acre site. A variety of community activities occur at Maury Field and George Street is the primary link
between Maury and the downtown business district. Its six blocks extend from the Rappahannock
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133
River up onto a prominent plateau where much of the City’s government, religious, and professional
activity has historically established itself. This corridor is already well traveled and inviting, but should
be enhanced with additional street trees as well as visitor wayside exhibit panels that highlight its
varied history.
Few other streets can match the kind of history to be found along a short six-block walk on George
Street. The Rappahannock River, the Wells House, Goolrick’s, St. George’s Church, the former
Wallace Library, the National Bank, the Presbyterian Church, the Masonic Cemetery and adjacent
James Monroe law office/library, Hurkamp Park, Liberty Town and Potters Field are all located along
this route.
Downtown/Adaptive Reuse Projects
The three guiding principles for continued downtown redevelopment will be:

Attract more tourism revenue into the downtown area.
Enhance the downtown as the area’s hub by providing expanded center-city amenities that
serve the greater regional community.
Protect and improve the unique character and historic integrity of the district.
Downtown Fredericksburg encompasses a healthy business district as well as numerous residential
neighborhoods. Preservation of historic buildings has been a significant part of downtown’s
revitalization and these efforts have included the adaptive reuse of older buildings to meet
contemporary needs. In additional there are numerous vacant lots that invite infill development. The
City of Fredericksburg has deliberately enhanced the review process for infill projects to maintain the
historic integrity of the downtown area while accommodating new growth.
Riverfront/Sophia Street Corridor
Fredericksburg has been connected to the Rappahannock River since its founding in 1728. The river
provided a link to maritime shipping, powered mills and other industries, and served as a route to the
west. Since the 1980s, a riverfront walk between the City Dock and the downtown library has been
planned and patiently implemented as opportunity allowed. The current riverwalk includes sidewalks
between the City Dock and Charlotte Street and river overlooks around municipal parking lots
between Charlotte and William Streets. Plans are in place to provide connecting sidewalks between
William Street and the library. Two buildings on Sophia Street are City-owned and are proposed to
be removed for library parking.
Sophia Street (once known as Water Street) runs adjacent to the river and could serve as a link
between the riverfront and the main commercial/tourism area on Caroline Street. The City
constructed a parking garage on Sophia Street, establishing a solid edge to the west side of the
streetscape that should be continued as other parcels are redeveloped. The east side of Sophia Street
is open, however, providing visual access to the river. The east side of this roadway is more difficult to
develop anyway because it lies within the Rappahannock River floodway. A riverfront focal point will
be established on the east side of Sophia Street, between Charlotte and Hanover Streets, by acquiring
three parcels of land and redeveloping the block.
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LAND USE
INFRASTRUCTURE
Roads
There are two sets of one-way streets that constitute the primary automobile routes through the
downtown area. These routes include Amelia and William Streets, for east-west travel, and Caroline
and Princess Anne Streets, for north-south travel. This arrangement accommodates twenty-first century
automobile traffic in an eighteenth century community design. One way streets are also necessary to
facilitate curbside management in the downtown commercial district. Without adequate alleys or
loading zones, motor carriers must be allowed to load and unload while blocking a lane of traffic, in
order to effectively serve the downtown economy. The Blue and Gray Parkway (Route 3 Bypass) has
effectively diverted through-traffic away from the historic downtown area. There are no major
roadway improvements programs for this planning area.
Trails
Every street in this planning area includes sidewalks for pedestrians. A regional trail called the East
Coast Greenway will cross the Rappahannock River on the Chatham Bridge. The East Coast
Greenway is the urban version of the Appalachian Trail and is heavily focused on cyclists. The route
will be a paved multi-use trail that will extend from Maine to Miami. Programmed repairs to the
Chatham Bridge include widening the existing sidewalks on either side of the bridge.
Traffic Calming
As the riverfront focal point is developed, the traffic along Sophia Street will need to be slowed down,
to ensure pedestrian safety. Raised intersections at Hanover and Charlotte Streets will accomplish this
task, but other measures should be evaluated as well.
Project Name
Project Location
Description
Chatham Bridge Repairs
Chatham Bridge (Route 3 Bypass)
Redeck existing bridge
Sophia Street traffic calming
Sophia Street, at Hanover and
Charlotte Streets
Raised intersections or other
appropriate measures
1.
Protect the historic aspects of the downtown business district, while accommodating
growth through adaptive reuse of existing buildings and appropriate construction on infill
sites.
2.
Continue to improve the appearance of parking lots along Sophia Street and enhance
the pedestrian linkages between the riverfront/Sophia Street corridor and the primary
downtown shopping areas.
3.
Acquire three lots in private ownership, on the east side of Sophia Street, between
Charlotte and Hanover Streets to accommodate a riverfront park.
4.
Implement the riverfront design developed in 2007.
5.
Continue to develop the pedestrian walk along the downtown waterfront, connecting key
public spaces between the City Dock and the downtown library.
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135
6.
Continue to improve the George Street walk between the downtown business district and
Maury Commons/Central Rappahannock Heritage Center.
7.
Continue to evaluate parking needs in the downtown business district and develop
appropriate remedies that accommodate new growth and redevelopment.
8.
Ensure the FREDericksburg Regional Transit system continues to seek ways to improve the
service to the downtown community.
9.
Explore the feasibility of acquiring the U.S. Post Office site for redevelopment as a court
facility, ensuring that the Post Office will retain a customer service facility downtown.
10.
Support development of the East Coast Greenway and establish a route through the City
in coordination with neighboring jurisdictions.
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Land Use Planning Area 8: Mayfield / Fairgrounds
railway to the west, Hazel Run to the
north, the Rappahannock River to the
east, and the City/County line to the
south. This area includes residential
neighborhoods, Dixon Park, and the
fairgrounds. This area also includes
portions of the Blue and Gray Parkway
and the Dixon Street corridor, which are
also referenced in the Economic
Developments Authority’s JumpStart!
report.
KEY ISSUES

Continue
to
improve
the
recreation complex at Dixon Park
Construct community center
EXISTING LAND USE
Planning Area 8 is characterized by
several residential neighborhoods, the
agricultural
fairgrounds,
and
a
recreational complex called Dixon Park.
The municipal wastewater treatment
plant is also in this planning area,
adjacent to the river.
Corridor/Type
Development Name
Size
Dixon Street/Commercial
Agricultural fairgrounds
Approx. 30 acres
Dixon Street/Residential
Mayfield
200+ houses
Airport Subdivision
140 houses
New Kent Subdivision
69 houses
Dixon Street/Recreational
Dixon Park
37 acres
Dixon Street/Industrial
Various
Individual parcels
Name
Size
Description
City-owned Riparian lands
22 acres
Riverfront lands near Hazel Run
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LAND USE
Hazel Run constitutes the north boundary of this planning area and the stream valley merits special
attention and protection. The southern portion of this planning area is traversed by a tributary to
Deep Run and there are extensive areas of adjacent wetlands.
HISTORIC RESOURCES
There are no known historic resources in this planning area.
LAND USE POTENTIAL
The Mayfield neighborhood has many opportunities for infill development. New houses, however,
should be kept compatible with this well kept residential community. Similarly, the Dixon Street
corridor includes lots that could accommodate commercial infill development. The Agricultural
Fairgrounds property, located south of Mayfield, is zoned for industrial uses.
The JumpStart! report recommends that Dixon Street be developed commercially at its southern end
and kept residential/pedestrian friendly where existing neighborhoods are already established.
The City of Fredericksburg is exploring the feasibility of developing a joint wastewater treatment plant
in partnership with Spotsylvania County. If this effort results in the abandonment of the City’s existing
treatment plant, an expansion of Dixon Park on to this additional acreage should be considered.
The following land remains undeveloped:
Parcel
Acres
Current Zoning
Recommend Land Use
8-A
41
R-4 Residential and
I-1 General Industrial
Mixed uses – preserve wetlands and
industrial
Parcel 8-A
This 41 acre tract includes frontage and access off Lansdowne Road. It is adjacent to the CSX railway
as well as the Canterbury subdivision. This site includes extensive wetlands and is a challenge to
develop. Providing any sort of road link between Lansdowne Road and the Canterbury subdivision is
not recommended as this would bring cut-through traffic through a residential neighborhood.
Recommended land use is industrial, with due attention to wetlands preservation.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Roads
This planning area is well served by Dixon Street as well as the Blue and Gray Parkway. There are no
needed improvements or new projects planned. Dixon Street is a significant route into town and
corridor overlay zoning could be considered to enhance its visual qualities.
Trails
Pedestrian access is already provided between downtown and Dixon Park, along sidewalks that line
both sides of Dixon Street. A riverside trail between lower Caroline Street and Dixon Park is contained
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LAND USE
in Fredericksburg Pathways (2006), but this route encounters a host of natural obstacles that will
require careful attention when the trail reaches the planning stage.
Traffic Calming
The residential areas in this planning area are laid out in a traditional grid pattern, which precludes
the need for traffic calming measures. If any new roads are extended from the neighborhoods to
Lansdowne Road, then traffic calming devices would be useful to discourage cut-through traffic.
1.
2.
Continue to plant trees, as practicable, between the Mayfield neighborhood and the
railroad tracks.
3.
Continue to promote redevelopment activity.
4.
Consider expanding Dixon Park toward the river, if the municipal sewage treatment plant
is relocated.
the
integrity
of
residential
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LAND USE
Land Use Planning Area 9: Battlefield Industrial Park
National Military Park to the west, a
portion of Lafayette Boulevard and
Hazel Run to the north, the railway to
the east, and the City limit to the
south. This area encompasses the
City’s industrial park. The Economic
Development Authority’s JumpStart!
report
recommends
rezoning
portions of the Blue and Gray
Parkway corridor from industrial to
commercial uses, which reflects
long-term City planning.
KEY ISSUES

Provide
for
appropriate
commercial
development
along the Blue and Gray
Parkway.
Continue to develop the
City/Battlefield Industrial Park
Ensure drainage and runoff
does not impair Hazel Run.
EXISTING LAND USE
The City’s heavy industrial uses are
located in the City/Battlefield Industrial Park.
remaining active farm within the City limits.
In addition, this planning area includes the last
Corridor/Type
Development Name
Size
Blue and Gray Parkway/Industrial
City/Battlefield Industrial Park
Various
Blue and Gray Parkway/Agricultural
Snead Farm
84 acres
There are no preservation areas within Planning Area 9.
Special attention and protection should be afforded the Hazel Run valley when drainage is addressed
on specific industrial sites. Other areas of the industrial park include wetlands, which should be
protected as well.
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LAND USE
HISTORIC RESOURCES
During the 1862 battle of Fredericksburg, Union troops deployed on ground now developed for
industrial uses and attacked across the open terrain toward the Confederate position to the west. The
only identifiable historic feature in this planning area is an ante-bellum road trace adjacent to Tyler
Street and extending to Lee Drive, within the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.
Site Name
Period(s) of
Significance
Description
Ownership
Old grain road
Civil War
(1861-1865)
Ante-bellum road trace
Private
LAND USE POTENTIAL
This planning area has development and redevelopment possibilities within the City/Battlefield
Industrial Park. Several sites are large enough for major industrial uses.
Parcel
Acres
Current Zoning
9-A
84
I-2 General Industrial
Industrial/Office
Parcel 9-A
This 84 acre tract is the remaining portion of the Snead Farm that remains in agricultural use. The
terrain is flat, but there are extensive wetlands. The proposed use is industrial and access will be off
Tyler Street, within the City/Battlefield Industrial Park. There are no plans, at present, to extend
Belman Road into Spotsylvania County.
There are also other areas where development and redevelopment opportunities exist, as follows:
Blue and Gray Parkway Corridor
The Blue and Gray Parkway stretches across the center of the City, but is only minutes from the
downtown business district and downtown rail facilities. These attributes have the potential to attract
professional offices that seek to locate near an active downtown area, without actually being
downtown, and who also want to avoid the traffic congestion of more outlying locations.
This section of the Blue and Gray Parkway is less than one mile from Interstate-95 and is also readily
accessed from major roads, including Dixon Street (Route 2/17), Lafayette Boulevard (Business Route
1), and Jefferson Davis Highway (Route 1 Bypass).
The City should work with key landowners and community development leaders to change the entire
face of the Blue-Gray Parkway corridor between Lafayette Boulevard and Dixon Street—promoting the
development of a unique, upscale professional business office park to take the place of the existing
unsightly outdoor storage areas. The JumpStart! report reflects this preferred development.
LAND USE
143
INFRASTRUCTURE
Roads
The road network of the City/Battlefield Industrial Park has two points of ingress and egress at the Blue
and Gray Parkway, on the north edge of the park. Further access to and from the industrial park is
blocked by a railway to the east and by the National Park to the west. There are no formal or
conceptual plans to extend any of the industrial park’s internal roads to the south, to Lansdowne Road
in Spotsylvania County.
Trails
There are no planned trails in Planning Area 9, but a pedestrian link is needed between the industrial
park and residential areas north of Hazel Run.
Traffic Calming
There are no areas in Planning Area 9 where traffic calming measures are proposed.
1.
Redevelop industrial sites along the Blue and Gray Parkway to commercial offices
uses and supporting ancillary uses.
2.
Ensure redevelopment along the Blue and Gray Parkway does not require new
entrances on the Parkway itself. Professional office development will need to
provide access from existing streets.
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LAND USE
Land Use Planning Area 10: Lafayette Boulevard / National Park
This planning area is bounded by
the Route 1 Bypass (Jefferson
Davis Highway) to the west, Smith
Run to the north, the boundary of
the
Fredericksburg
and
Spotsylvania National Military
Park to the east and the
City/County line to the east and
south. This area includes a large
section of the Lafayette Boulevard
corridor and numerous residential
neighborhoods. The Economic
Development
Authority’s
JumpStart! report recommends
commercial development in the
Blue and Gray Parkway corridor.
KEY ISSUES

Provide for appropriate
commercial development
along the Blue and Gray
Parkway.
Provide bicycle/pedestrian
connections
between
residential
areas
and
downtown Fredericksurg.
Respect the battlefield’s
line-of-sight from Lee’s
Hill.
EXISTING LAND USE
This planning area includes two public schools, scattered commercial uses on the Route 1 Bypass and
Lafayette Boulevard, numerous residential neighborhoods, and a portion of the Fredericksburg and
Spotsylvania National Military Park.
Corridor/Type
Development Name
Size
Various
Individual parcels
Route 1 Bypass/Governmental
Lafayette School and
Walker-Grant School
43 acres
Wellington Lakes
160 apartments
Confederate Ridge
75 houses
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LAND USE
Corridor/Type
Development Name
Size
Fox Run
17 houses
Blue and Gray Parkway/
Commercial
Blue and Gray Parkway/
Residential
Lafayette Boulevard/
Commercial
Residential
Residential
Residential
Residential
Residential
Residential
Residential
Residential
Residential
Residential
Residential
Residential
Residential
Residential
National Guard Armory
Greenbrier
258 apartments
50 condominiums
Various
Individual Parcels
Kensington Hills
47 houses
Browns
19 houses
Arcade Court
6 houses
Braehead Woods
103 houses
Morningside
96 houses
Hillcrest
82 houses
Jackson Park
91 houses
Alum Springs
20 houses
Twin Lakes
39 houses
Wellington Woods
114 apartments
Cedar Lane Terrace
12 townhomes
Dillard
82 houses
Courtland Heights
58 houses
Olde Greenwich
130 townhomes
Name
Size
Description
National Military Park
64.5 acres
Battlefield Terrain
Alum Spring Park
34 acres
Natural area with picnic facilities and
playground
Attention should be directed to the Hazel Run valley, Twin Lakes, and the wooded Lee Drive corridor.
Runoff from the many developments needs to be managed so as not to overwhelm and erode the
receiving streams.
HISTORIC RESOURCES
Planning Area 10 includes a portion of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.
Within the park boundary, but in private ownership, is the Braehead mansion, where General Robert
E. Lee had breakfast on the day of the battle of Fredericksburg. Any significant development on
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LAND USE
Lafayette Boulevard, opposite Lee Drive, will need to be carefully coordinated with the National Park
Service.
Site Name
Period(s) of
Significance
Description
Ownership
Fredericksburg and
Spotsylvania National Military
Park
Civil War
(1861-1865)
Wooded area with Confederate
earthworks
Federal
Braehead
Civil War
(1861-1865)
Brick dwelling (built 1850s) that
became a battlefield landmark
Private
LAND USE POTENTIAL
This planning area is characterized by its numerous distinctive neighborhoods, most of which have
opportunities for infill projects. Similarly, infill sites are evident along Route 1 and Lafayette
Boulevard. An exceptionally significant site is located in the southwest quadrant of Lafayette
Boulevard and the Blue Gray Parkway. Its development, however, will need to respect the National
Park property at Lee Drive. This site is also referenced in the JumpStart! report.
Parcel
Acres
Current Zoning
Recommended Uses
10-A
58.0
R-4 Residential, I-1 and I-2 Light and
General Industrial
Mixed use
10-B
34.7
R-2 Residential
Institutional use or parkland
Parcel 10-A
This 58 acre site is situated in the southwest quadrant of the intersection of Lafayette Boulevard and
the Blue and Gray Parkway. Much of the terrain is relatively flat, but rises toward the south. The site
is bisected by power lines running north-south. Access is currently at Alum Spring Road, but
redevelopment of this acreage will require an access point that is further removed from the Blue and
Gray Parkway/Lafayette Boulevard intersection. This parcel has extensive frontage along Lafayette
Boulevard, but only a few areas are suitable for a new intersection. The Fredericksburg-Spotsylvania
National Military Park has a major gateway on the east side of Lafayette Boulevard, opposite this
parcel and a careful coordination with the National Park Service will be necessary when development
plans are considered. The proposed use of the site is mixed use. This site is also referenced in the
Economic Development Authority’s JumpStart! report.
Parcel 10-B
The University of Mary Washington controls this 34.7 acre tract that includes frontage on the Route-1
Bypass as well as Geenbrier Drive. Possible land uses are university housing, other institutional uses,
or as parkland.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Roads
The City’s transportation plans call for improvements to the Route 1 Bypass, to Lafayette Boulevard,
and to the Route 1/Route 3 interchange. This extensive investment in infrastructure is contained in the
City’s Comprehensive Transportation (Roadways) Plan (1991) which has been carried over to the
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LAND USE
regional transportation plans developed by the Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning
Organization.
Trails
Fredericksburg Pathways (2006) includes plans for a multi-use trail to be established along the historic
Virginia Central Railway cut. Also included are bicycle/pedestrian facilities to be established along
Lafayette Boulevard when that road is reconstructed. A connecting link between both bicycle routes is
proposed to be established along Springwood Drive.
Traffic Calming
Twin Lakes Drive has four excellent traffic calming features that proved to be exceptionally effective in
providing for pedestrian safety. Similar features could be constructed in the Confederate Ridge
neighborhood if traffic becomes a problem there.
Project Name
Route 1 Bypass
Lafayette Boulevard
Springwood Drive Trail
Project Location
From south city limits to
Falmouth Bridge
At interchange
From south city limit to Blue
and Gray Parkway
From downtown rail station to
the west city limit, at I-95
From Lafayette Boulevard to
Description
Upgrade existing roadway from 4 and 5
lanes divided to 6 lanes divided
Reconstruct interchange to support
planned improvements to Routes 1 and 3
Upgrade the existing roadway to 4 lanes,
undivided, with provisions for bicycle/foot
traffic
Separate shared use trail, 0.95 miles long
in Planning Area 10
On road bicycle route entire length of
street, with link to VCR Trail
1.
Revise infill development regulations to maintain the integrity of residential
2.
Redevelop the area at Lafayette Boulevard and the Blue and Gray Parkway in
close coordination with the National Park Service.
Ensure an improved Lafayette Boulevard includes bicycle/pedestrian facilities, as
specified in current transportation plans.
3.
ACTION PLAN
149
PART V:
ACTION PLAN
Action Plan:
Given Fredericksburg’s vision for its future, and
the description/analysis of current conditions and
strategic objectives, the path to that future begins
to come into focus. This Part V includes a specific
Action Plan with priorities in Chapter 18. The
Action Plan compiles the initiatives for each key
area and key issue described previously, provides a
timeline for completing the initiative, and
identifies a party responsible for undertaking the
initiative. This Comprehensive Plan closes with
recommendations for continued monitoring of
progress and updating of the Comprehensive Plan
in Chapter 19.

Chapter 18: Actions with Priorities
Chapter 19: Monitoring
150
ACTION PLAN
ACTION PLAN
151
Chapter 18: Actions
with Priorities
Introduction
The policies and initiatives identified
in the plan will be made real only
through concerted, consistent, and
highly
focused
attention
to
implementation.
Effective
implementation will require that the
City administration, present and
future City Councils, and other
governmental entities actively and continuously use the Comprehensive Plan as a key reference for all
decisions and actions.
The City is undertaking a strategic plan of action to achieve the goals discussed in this plan. The
Action Plan provided here outlines the strategy for achieving all of the initiatives discussed in previous
chapters, through identification of priorities and designation of responsibilities.
Priorities outlined in the following Action Plan matrix include the following:

Top Priority initiatives should be initiated upon adoption of the Plan and should be well
underway within two years of Plan adoption.

Ongoing Initiatives are existing projects or actions that should continue to be a priority for the
City.

Initiatives that Need Attention are important actions which should be pursued as resources
and circumstances permit.
Overlaying many of these recommended initiatives is the fundamental need to revise Fredericksburg’s
entire Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Ordinance in order to make those regulatory instruments
consistent with and able to implement the objectives of this Comprehensive Plan.
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ACTION PLAN
Plan Initiative
Action
Lead Agency/Entity
Priority
Planning Department
Top Priority
Downtown Initiatives
Downtown #1
Assess downtown zoning districts and amend as needed.
Downtown #2 &
Rappahannock River #3 &
Transportation #5
Assess parking needs in strategic areas and adjust development
regulations as needed.
Planning and Public Works
Departments
Top Priority
Downtown #3
Maintain and update design guidelines for new development in
downtown.
Planning Department
Ongoing
Initiative
Departments
Needs
Attention
Economic Development Authority
Needs
Attention
Downtown #4
Develop a capital, operations, and maintenance plan for
improving historic downtown streetscape.
Downtown #5
Work with Department of Economic Development and Tourism
to seek out appropriate lodging accommodation businesses to
locate in downtown.
Downtown #6
Pursue innovative financing strategies, such as business
improvement districts.
Downtown #7
Downtown #8
Downtown #9
Develop a comprehensive heritage tourism program to be
marketed year round.
Take action to ensure that courts in downtown stay downtown, if
advantageous.
Establish a riverfront park.
Planning and Fiscal Affairs
Departments and
City Manager’s Office
Department of Economic
Development and Tourism
Planning Department
Needs
Attention
Needs
Attention
Needs
Attention
Needs
Attention
Rappahannock River Initiatives
Rappahannock River #1
Develop a land use and design plan for riverfront development.
Planning Department &
Riverfront Task Force
Top Priority
Environmental Protection #4 &
Public Facilities & Services #17
Develop a strategic plan with county to protect and manage
city-owned lands under conservation easement along the rivers.
Public Works Department
Top Priority
ACTION PLAN
Plan Initiative
153
Action
Lead Agency/Entity
Priority
Downtown #2 &
Transportation #5
Departments
Top Priority
Strengthen the zoning ordinance to protect the river through tree
protection standards, river development setbacks, and a nodisturbance zone.
Planning Department
Needs
Attention
Explore options for dredging the river to remove silt.
Needs
Attention
Planning Department
Top Priority
Economic Development
Top Priority
Corridors Initiatives
Corridors #1 &
Neighborhoods #7
Corridors #2
Corridors #3
Corridors #4
Corridors #5
Corridors #6
Corridors #7
Adjust zoning ordinance standards to allow for and encourage
mixed-use development within commercial corridors.
Develop corridor specific studies as recommended in the
JumpStart! report, starting with Lafayette Boulevard.
Develop corridor specific guidelines that articulate expectations
for new development along corridors, including landscaping.
Develop a form-based code as optional overlay design
regulations for use in strategic corridors.
Develop strategies for providing private sector development
incentives.
Create a mechanism for streamlined review of development
proposals within corridor.
Evaluate and monitor JumpStart! corridors to determine which is
next in line for study following Lafayette Boulevard.
Planning & Building and
Development Services Departments
Economic Development and
Tourism / Planning Departments
Needs
Attention
Needs
Attention
Needs
Attention
Needs
Attention
Needs
Attention
Planning Department
Top Priority
Planning Department
Planning Department
Economic Development
Neighborhoods Initiatives
Neighborhoods #1
Adopt a process for designating Neighborhood Conservation
Districts to provide specialized protection to older
neighborhoods threatened by redevelopment.
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Plan Initiative
ACTION PLAN
Action
Neighborhoods #2 &
Housing #1
Neighborhoods #3 &
Historic Preservation #4
Neighborhoods #4 &
Neighborhoods #5 &
Public Facilities and Services
#7
Neighborhoods #6 &
#1
Neighborhoods #7 &
Corridors #1
Consider measures to discourage and limit tear-downs of
existing structures.
Increase and streamline oversight and enforcement of housing
regulations, including those located in historic districts.
Develop a work plan to implement the 2006 Koelzer
Engineering Report.
Neighborhoods #8
Address infrastructure needs of neighborhoods through CIP.
Neighborhoods #9
Neighborhoods #10
Neighborhoods #11
Modify neighborhood parking permit areas and on-street
parking time restrictions according to the 2005 DESMAN Study.
Evaluate the current system of determining street improvement
priorities and amend process so that these can be considered
during funding process.
Adjust zoning ordinance standards to allow for and encourage
mixed-use development within commercial corridors.
Develop design standards that can be applied to redevelopment
of property in “infill” locations.
Consider possible adjustments to regulations that would permit
the establishment of bed and breakfast facilities in downtown
and historic neighborhoods, with restrictions on operations and
signage, and with requirements regarding minimum separation
between such facilities to minimize impacts.
Continue to implement the City’s Rental Property Maintenance
Program, and address rental properties affecting neighborhood
stability, safety, and quality of life.
Lead Agency/Entity
Priority
Planning Department
Top Priority
Building and Development
Services Department
Services Department
Ongoing
Initiative
Needs
Attention
Public Works and Police
Departments
Needs
Attention
Top Priority
Planning Department
Top Priority
Planning Department
Ongoing
Initiative
Needs
Attention
Planning Department
Needs
Attention
Services Department
Needs
Attention
Tourism Department
Top Priority
Suburban Business Districts Initiatives
Suburban Business Districts #1
Collaborate with the developer(s) of Celebrate Virginia South to
ensure the successful development and promotion of that
tourism and retail campus.
ACTION PLAN
Plan Initiative
Action
Improve commercial development standards.
Promote the inclusion of business owners in local economic
development activities and monitoring.
155
Lead Agency/Entity
Priority
Planning Department
Top Priority
Tourism Department
Needs
Attention
Top Priority
Transportation and Mobility Initiatives
Transportation and Mobility
#1
#2
Develop and implement a system for providing and maintaining
crosswalks.
Work with FRED to significantly expand local bus service by
extending the service area locally and enhancing service.
Continue a dialogue with member jurisdictions, and reach
Transportation and Mobility #3
consensus on future of FRED and the nature of its service.
Develop a plan and roadway design for Fall Hill Avenue
improvements.
#5 & Downtown #2 &
Continue to participate in ongoing FAMPO studies of the
regional transportation system.
Implement the Fredericksburg Regional Transit 2006-2007
Action Plan.
Develop and implement a prioritized system for implementing
pedestrian and bicycle improvement projects.
Develop and implement performance measures for pedestrian
and bicycle improvements.
Work with major employers and new developments to establish
transportation management programs that encourage alternate
#10
modes of transportation.
City Manager’s Office and
Transit Department
City Manager’s Office and
Transit Department
Departments
Departments
Top Priority
Ongoing
Initiative
Needs
Attention
Top Priority
Departments
Departments
Ongoing
Initiative
Ongoing
Initiative
Needs
Attention
Needs
Attention
Departments
Needs
Attention
Transit Department
156
Plan Initiative
ACTION PLAN
#11
#12
#13
#14
Action
Work with regional partners to develop region-wide travel
demand management programs to reduce reliance on singleoccupant vehicles.
Create incentives for structured parking, especially in the
downtown area.
Continue to study a new potential interchange location north of
the I-95/Route 3 interchange.
Amend the regional long range transportation plan to show the
Princess Anne Street project as restriping and reconfiguring for
efficiency (consistent with the Princess Anne Street Corridor
Overlay.)
Lead Agency/Entity
Priority
Departments
Needs
Attention
Departments
Needs
Attention
Ongoing
Initiative
Needs
Attention
Top Priority
City Manager and Planning
Department
Top Priority
City Manager and
Assistant City Manager
Top Priority
Top Priority
City Manager and Assistant City
Manager
Needs
Attention
City Manager and
Assistant City Manager
Needs
Attention
Public Works and Police
Departments
Needs
Attention
Public Facilities & Services Initiatives
#1 & Neighborhoods #6
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7 & Neighborhoods #5
Evaluate the current system of determining street improvement
priorities and amend process so that these can be considered
during funding process.
Improve the City’s information technology systems. Get the
City’s geographic information system operational as soon as
possible.
Adopt a courts improvement plan for modernizing all three City
courts.
Improve the City’s wastewater treatment service to a level that
meets/exceeds federal standards. Develop final plan that meets
Commonwealth’s future requirement that wastewater be treated
until potable.
Develop a renovation and utilization plan for the Executive
Plaza.
Pursue with the USPS the possible reuse of the downtown post
office site for other civic purpose and find alternative downtown
location for post office.
Modify neighborhood parking permit areas and on-street
parking time restrictions according to the 2005 DESMAN Study.
ACTION PLAN
Plan Initiative
#8
#9
#10
#11
#12
#13
#14
#15
#16
#17 & Rappahannock River
#2 & Environmental Protection
#4
Action
Improve parking enforcement.
Develop a design and funding plan for the Dixon Park
Community Center.
Develop a plan to replace the Snowden Park ballfields and work
with Cal Ripken Foundation to pursue park development in the
area.
Pursue projects as recommended in the Fredericksburg Pathways
Plan.
Perform an assessment within the City limits of all current and
potential locations for parks and opens spaces.
Determine changes to the subdivision and site development
zoning ordinances that would provide new public spaces as part
of public sector developments.
Evaluate the strategy for funding operation and maintenance of
lands managed by the Joint City/County Recreational Authority.
Pursue development of Fire Station #3 on the Celebrate Virginia
south site.
Develop a land use and property disposition plan for the
inactive Cool Springs Landfill.
Lead Agency/Entity
157
Priority
Parks, Recreation, and Public
Facilities Department
Needs
Attention
Needs
Attention
Needs
Attention
Ongoing
Initiative
Needs
Attention
Facilities & Planning Departments
Needs
Attention
Needs
Attention
Needs
Attention
Needs
Attention
Police Department
Fire Department
Top Priority
Departments
Top Priority
Departments
Top Priority
Environmental Protection Initiatives
Environmental Protection #1
Community Appearance #5
Strengthen controls on development within flood-prone and
wetland areas by improving existing ordinances. Specifically
amend the zoning ordinance to include low-impact development
methods, to encourage stormwater BMPs, and to encourage
developers to limit impervious surfaces on developments.
Strengthen the City’s tree protection provisions to minimize tree
loss as new development and redevelopment occur.
158
Plan Initiative
ACTION PLAN
Action
Lead Agency/Entity
Priority
Protect the quality of surface and groundwater consistent with
the guidelines established by the Department of Environmental
Quality, Army Corps of Engineers, the Chesapeake Bay Local
Assistance Board, and the Virginia Department of Health.
Ongoing
Initiative
#17
Top Priority
Meet or exceed all requirements for stormwater management
and erosion/sediment control by the deadlines established by
the Commonwealth.
Ongoing
Initiative
Continue enforcement of the soil erosion and sediment control
ordinances with frequent inspections of construction sites.
Ongoing
Initiative
Inventory and improve the functioning of stormwater discharge
outfalls.
Needs
Attention
Establish a system for providing incentives to developers that
preserve environmentally sensitive areas, use BMPs, or exceed
erosion and stormwater management regulations.
Departments
Needs
Attention
Create a street tree inventory, to be used in preparation of the
tree plan.
Needs
Attention
Create a City Landscape Plan to help coordinate public and
private landscaping efforts.
Departments
Needs
Attention
Tourism Department
Top Priority
Planning Department
Top Priority
Community Appearance Initiatives
Develop an upgraded “wayfinding” and signage system for
installation along gateways and corridors.
Develop commercial and residential site design guidelines that
enhance community character and appearance, to be used with
special use permit and rezoning applications.
ACTION PLAN
Plan Initiative
Community Appearance #5 &
Action
Continue implementation of JumpStart! recommendations by
selecting the next corridor from the JumpStart! report for
preparation of design guidelines and public improvements.
Consider Lafayette Boulevard as the next corridor for
development of design guidelines.
Continue efforts to achieve removal of remaining billboards in
Fredericksburg by monitoring the amortization period for these
as non-conforming signs.
Expand public tree planting initiatives and encourage private
tree planting initiatives.
159
Lead Agency/Entity
Priority
Tourism / Planning Departments
Top Priority
Planning and Building and
Development Services Departments
Needs
Attention
Departments
Top Priority
Planning Department and Historic
District Task Force
Top Priority
District Task Force
Top Priority
Planning Department
Ongoing
Initiative
Services Department
Ongoing
Initiative
Services Department
Needs
Attention
District Task Force
Needs
Attention
District Task Force
Needs
Attention
District Task Force
Needs
Attention
Historic Preservation Initiatives
Examine existing zoning requirements to assure their consistency
with the goal of historic preservation. Amend the zoning
ordinance, as necessary.
Develop local incentives, such as tax credits, to encourage the
maintenance and development of the City’s historic character.
Develop and implement an Historic Preservation Plan.
Historic Preservation #4 &
Neighborhoods #3
Protect the housing stock by increasing and streamlining
oversight and enforcement.
Develop a work plan to cooperate with owners of historic district
properties identified in the 2006 Koelzer Engineering Report to
save these properties from neglect and disrepair.
Historic Preservation #5 &
Neighborhoods #4
Develop additional historic overlay districts.
Establish a process to identify and update historic assets in the
City and make the information available to all City departments
and the public.
Encourage preservation groups to educate the public on the
historic character of the City and the benefits of preserving it.
160
Plan Initiative
ACTION PLAN
Action
Lead Agency/Entity
Priority
Planning Department
Top Priority
Planning Department
Top Priority
Planning Department
Needs
Attention
Building and Development Services
Department (and Community
Policing Officers, if applicable)
Needs
Attention
Planning Department
Needs
Attention
Needs
Attention
Planning Department
Needs
Attention
Top Priority
Top Priority
Housing Initiatives
Housing #1 & Neighborhoods
#2
Housing #2
Consider measures to discourage and limit tear-downs of
existing structures.
Continue to implement the City’s Consolidated Plan for
Community Development Programs.
Housing #3
Consider extending the City’s successful tax abatement program,
which provides an incentive for residential rehabilitation, beyond
the limits of the historic district.
Housing #4
Expand the program for monitoring housing conditions in City
neighborhoods, to continue to track and address any problems
that could result in neighborhood degradation.
Housing #5
Housing #6
Housing #7
Work with The George Washington Regional Commission to set
up a public housing authority for the region.
Work with the University of Mary Washington to provide
additional student housing to meet the needs of enrolled
students and relieve the City’s neighborhoods.
Encourage initiatives to develop housing opportunities for senior
citizens and persons with disabilities. Adjust zoning requlations
to permit accessory apartments associated with single-family
dwelling units, with limitations on the size and number of
accessory apartments, along with requirements that limit the
number of such accessory apartments to one per single-family
dwelling, and that limit the size of such accessory apartments.
Institutional Partnerships Initiatives
Institutional Partnerships #1
Form a standing leadership committee comprised of City and
university representatives.
Establish peer communication contacts and vehicles for regular
information sharing between the City and university.
ACTION PLAN
Plan Initiative
Action
Annually convene a City-University forum.
Promote information-sharing with the U.S. National Park
Service.
Lead Agency/Entity
City’s Manager’s Office
161
Priority
Needs
Attention
Needs
Attention
162
ACTION PLAN
BIBLIOGRAPHY
163
Chapter 19: Monitoring
Plan for Monitoring
If the Fredericksburg Comprehensive Plan is to be
successful over the next 20 years, it is important to
develop ways of monitoring progress in achieving the
many initiatives it calls for, measuring its success in
reaching plan goals, and keeping the document
current as new information becomes available and
circumstances change.
For this reason, the
Comprehensive Plan should be thought of as a “living
document,” that serves as the foundation for on-going
planning within the City.
Virginia law (15.2-2230, Code of Virginia) recognizes the need to keep the Comprehensive Plan
current and relevant, generally requiring that it be reviewed by the Planning Commission at least once
every five years “to determine whether it is advisable to amend the plan.” In light of this requirement,
the City of Fredericksburg plans to meet or exceed the following objectives for plan monitoring:

The City will conduct an annual evaluation of implementation of the Comprehensive Plan
to report on the status of priority initiatives; and

The City will formally update the Comprehensive Plan every five years.
The annual evaluation of the Comprehensive Plan should include the following components:

An annual report from the Planning Commission to the City Council that outlines all
actions taken to implement the goals, policies, and initiatives outlined in the plan, and any
recommended adjustments to the plan.

An annual report from the Economic Development Authority to the City Council describing
the status of implementation of the JumpStart! report, and recommending which corridors
should next be considered for study.

An annual report from the City Council to Fredericksburg’s citizens, transmitting the status
report on Comprehensive Plan implementation and commenting on initiatives for the next
year.

Annual review of the plan shall be coordinated with the development of the update to the
Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for the City to ensure that priority capital improvement
projects identified in the plan are included in the City’s CIP.
164
ACTION PLAN
In addition, the City Council may initiate a complete or targeted revision of the Plan at any time
should circumstances deem that appropriate. Citizens seeking amendment to the Comprehensive
Plan prior to a regularly scheduled update may make that request to the City Council for
consideration.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
165
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The Fredericksburg Comprehensive Plan incorporates various reports, studies, plans, and policy
documents that have been previously developed by the City. The following list identifies many of these
key documents. This list is in no way exhaustive of all documents reviewed during the planning
process, but it does identify many of the key documents that helped to shape this Plan.
Briefing of the Fredericksburg City Council by the Mayor’s Downtown Committee (October 20, 2006)
City of Fredericksburg Affordable Housing Policy (September, 1989)
Comprehensive Sewerage Facilities Plan (February, 1989)
Comprehensive Water Facilities Plan (February, 1989)
Consolidated Plan for Community Development Programs (May, 2005)
Downtown Retail Marketing, Incorporated Top 10 Wish List for Downtown – Presented to the
Fredericksburg City Council (October, 2006)
Fredericksburg City Council Goals and Initiatives (February, 2007)
Fredericksburg Community Profile by the Virginia Employment Commission (July 2006)
Fredericksburg Comprehensive Plan (1999)
Fredericksburg Pathways: A Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (January, 2006)
Fredericksburg Station Community Plan (July, 1995)
Jumpstart! Fredericksburg 2010: Final Report (July, 2006)
Mission, Goals, and Objectives for Fredericksburg Regional Transit (August, 2006)
Options Paper: FRED Fare Levels and Structure (March 2007)
Street Tree Plan (2005)
Recommendations from the Historic Preservation Taskforce Concerning Historic Preservation in the
Comprehensive Plan (May, 2007)
Resolution Adopting the City Council Vision of Fredericksburg at its 300th Anniversary (February,
2007)
Restoration and Protection of the Chesapeake Bay - Presentation by the Virginia Department of
Conservation and Recreation to the Fredericksburg City Council (November, 2006)
166
GLOSSARY
GLOSSARY OF PLAN TERMS
Below are a list of urban planning terms that are used within the Plan, their respective definitions, and
relevant links to websites.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Excellence)
Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 1998, LEED provides a suite of
development standards for environmentally sustainable construction. LEED is also a certification that
development professionals can acquire that identifies their environmentally sustainable construction
expertise.
http://www.usgbc.org
Low Impact Development (LID)
Low impact development is a term that has come to describe best management practices for
stormwater runoff management through on-site design, such as a rain garden. This contrasts with
traditional stormwater techniques that divert water off a development site and into a traditional
stormwater system.
Mixed-Use Development
A building or development that incorporates two or more different uses such as, but not limited to,
residential, office, retail, public, or entertainment. Vertical mixed-use developments incorporate a mix
of uses within the same building, typically with different uses on different floors. Horizontal mixed-use
developments incorporate a mix of different uses within different buildings in a common development.
Pedestrian-Friendly / Pedestrian-Oriented Development / Walkable Development
Pedestrian-friendly developments are designed with an emphasis primarily on the sidewalk and on
pedestrian access to the site and building, rather than auto access and parking areas.
Sustainability / Sustainable Development
Sustainability describes the concept of a community meeting the needs of the present population while
ensuring that future generations have the same or better opportunities. The sustainability concept
traditionally incorporates economic, social, and environmental themes and can be used as a way of
guiding development policy within a community.
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
Transit-Oriented Development typically describes a mixed-use development that includes moderate
and/or high-density housing located along transit routes. The location, design, and mix of uses in a
transit-oriented development emphasize pedestrian-oriented environments and encourage the use of
public transportation.