Comprehensive Plan

Franklin County, Virginia, appreciating its rural, scenic Blue Ridge landscape and rich cultural and agricultural heritage, is a uniquely balanced, highly educated, prosperous, and diverse land of families, businesses, and communities of faith who thrive among interconnected neighborhoods where personal responsibility and community interdependence are cherished.

Purpose

The purpose of the Comprehensive Plan is found in the Code of Virginia Section 15.2-2223, which states in part:

• The Comprehensive Plan shall be general in nature
• The plan, with accompanying maps, plats, charts, and descriptive matter, shall show the localities long-range recommendations for the general development of the territory covered by the plan.

Overview

Franklin County's first Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 1975, showed how land within the County was used, recommended how it should be used, provided general guidelines for future development, and an implementation strategy. In 1985, the County updated the Plan and gave particular attention to growth around Smith Mountain Lake. The County adopted another Comprehensive Plan in 1995 and focused this plan on the rural nature of the County changing due to industrial growth and the attraction of Smith Mountain Lake for residential and commercial development.

In preparation of adopting the 2025 Comprehensive Plan, which was ultimately adopted by the Franklin County Board of Supervisors on May 22, 2007, Franklin County undertook several feasibility studies for water and sewer and began to reconsider its future road network, capital improvements plan, and its development standards in general. The 2025 Comprehensive Plan illustrates Franklin County's desire to maintain its rural character and scenic views, as well as to provide new job opportunities for its citizens. The Plan attempts to address new challenges that face Franklin County in the next twenty years and to provide a framework to help guide public officials to meet the goals, objectives, strategies, and policies established by the Franklin County Planning Commission.