Document Type
Professional Plan Capstone
Original Publication Date
2026
Client
Surry County Department of Planning and Community Development
Location
Surry County, Virginia
Date of Submission
May 2026
Keywords
Rural Development, Nodes, Scorecard, Cluster, Housing, Retail, Sustainable Rural Development, Smart Growth
Abstract
Surry County is a beautiful and historically agriculturally based community. Current residents have expressed the desire to expand their current grocery, retail, services, and amenity options while still retaining its rural character that they have grown to love. This rural character comes in the form of low cost of living, low cost of public services, and protection of farmland. However, Surry’s population has faced a decline over the last ten years and is seeking new and creative ways to retain and attract new residents. To facilitate this new growth while preserving Surry’s characteristically rural character, the County has decided to take a node approach which concentrates new development into specific area within the county. This plan provides a comprehensive analytical tool to help Surry County select and prioritize locations that are best suited for specific types of new development. Building on the goals set out by Surry County’s Comprehensive Plan and its 2026 update, this plan provides a scorecard that the County can utilize to prioritize development locations. The scorecard’s flexibility offers the County an opportunity to tailor based on their priorities and the market. If development costs alter, or if the County changes the importance it attaches to a specific component of development, it can change the scorecard. The scorecard seeks to provide a systematic approach to node site selection and offers a means of clear and consistent prioritization of development goals.
Surry County Department of Planning and Community Development
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects