RRRC Update: September 2018

RRRC September 2018 Newsletter

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September 2018 RRRC News

Meetings this Month

September 11th
Food Council
RRRC Board Room | 5:30pm

September 21st
Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan Review
RRRC Board Room | 1pm

September 24th
Farm-to-Table Showcase
Rock Hill Farm | 2pm
*In Coordination with Piedmont Environmental Council

September 27th
RRRC Annual Meeting
Stoneridge Events Center, Warrenton
5:00pm
Registration Information
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Register Today for RRRC's Annual Meeting on Thursday, September 27th

Please join the Regional Commission members and staff on Thursday, September 27th at Stoneridge Events Center outside of Warrenton for the Regional Commission's Annual Meeting. The event will begin at 5:00 p.m. with registration and networking. Registration is $20 prior to September 20th and can be completed online or by calling the Regional Commission at (540) 829-7450.

We are also pleased to have Pete Eshelman, Director of the Roanoke Outside Foundation and Director of Outdoor Branding for the Roanoke Regional Partnership, join us to give a keynote address on Leveraging Your Region's Natural Assets for Economic Development. With numerous ongoing and planned initiatives based on outdoor recreation in the Rappahannock-Rapidan region, the lessons learned and successes from the Roanoke region promise to be timely and informative!

The Regional Commission will also present the 2018 Regional Distinguished Leadership Awards recognizing the contributions of citizen and government stewards of the region, and present a summary of the Commission's initiatives and work over the past year.

We look forward to seeing you on September 27th!

RRRC Annual Meeting

When
Thursday, September 27th

5:00 - 6:15 p.m. - Registration, Networking, Heavy Hors D'oeuvres, Cash Bar

6:15 p.m. - Keynote Address - Pete Eshelman
Leveraging Your Region's Natural Assets

7:00 p.m. - Presentation of 2018 Leadership Awards

Where
Stoneridge Events Center
7373 Comfort Inn Drive
Warrenton, VA 20187
Google Maps

Registration
Register Online or call RRRC at (540) 829-7450

$20 prior to September 20th; $30 thereafter

Click Here to Register

Reminder: Farm-to-Table Showcase Event is September 24th

The Regional Commission is partnering with Piedmont Environmental Council on a Farm-to-Table Showcase event on Monday, September 24th beginning at 2pm at Rock Hill Farm in Culpeper.

Local food producers and buyers are invited to network and build new purchasing relationships!

Producers are invited to set up tables with displays of their products, food samples and information about their farm and growing methods. Buyers -- ranging from restaurant chefs and grocers to wholesale and institutional buyers -- will have the opportunity to meet producers and learn what local products are available.

The event is casual, with vendors set up from 2pm to 5pm and buyers invited to attend and mingle at any time.

Click here for additional details and registration information!

Smart Scale Applications From the Region Now Under Review

The third round of the Smart Scale transportation prioritization process is now in the validation and review phase under the direction of the Commonwealth Transportation Board, Secretary of Transportation's office, and Virginia Department of Transportation. Applications for this round were submitted by the August 8th deadline from eligible local governments and regional organizations.

From the Rappahannock-Rapidan region, applications for 15 projects will be under consideration for funding through the High-Priority Projects and Construction District Grant programs. Applications for funding to support projects in Culpeper County, Fauquier County, Madison County, and Orange County, as well as the Town of Culpeper and Town of Gordonsville were submitted.

Validation and review will be completed in the Fall and preliminary scores for each application are expected to be released in January 2019. Following review and public participation in the Spring, the Commonwealth Transportation Board will consider selected projects for inclusion in the FY 2020-2025 Six-Year Improvement Program.

Commission Continues Analysis of Solar Potential in Region

In follow-up to the April Shedding a Light on Solar workshop held in Remington, RRRC staff recently completed a draft Utility Scale Solar Suitability Analysis and presented for discussion at the August meeting of the Regional Commission. The GIS-based analysis utilized available spatial data and existing research to develop a high-level utility scale solar PV site suitability assessment.

The assessment includes data on wide-ranging land suitability needs and constraints at a regional scale, but is not to be utilized as a site-specific assessment of the potential for solar development for individual parcels or sub-county areas. Similar assessments for individual jurisdictions may benefit from additional data or refined data sets based on local input. Based on the data sets included in the assessment, the analysis finds that proximity to substations and high-capacity transmission lines are the greatest limiting factors for utility scale development, while most suitable areas are generally found in the eastern areas of the region.

You may view the summary of the Utility Scale Solar Analysis on RRRC's website and may contact Joe Costello at jcostello@rrregion.org to discuss how the analysis was completed.