The City of Staunton has created a Neighborhood Action Plan for the historic community of Uniontown in partnership with a steering committee of community members and stakeholders. This effort was the first holistic planning process for the neighborhood, whose recorded past began soon after the Civil War. The plan details community goals and specific actions that are Strategic, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART). The Uniontown Steering Committee guided this community driven process, and:

• Guided the overall planning process,
• Organized a dialogue with neighborhood residents and property owners,
• Developed community goals and actions, and
• Reviewed planning materials.

Recent Milestones

December 2023
City Council adopted the Uniontown Neighborhood Action Plan as an addendum to the City's Comprehensive Plan. This included an update to the city's Future Land Use Map and incorporated various objectives into the Comprehensive Plan to address action items noted in the plan. 

February 2024
City Council adopted a new zoning district, Traditional Residential Development District (TRD1) to accommodate the residential characteristics that are currently in Uniontown. 

March 2024
The Governor signed House Bill 136 into law granting the City of Staunton the authority to waive or reduce utility connection fees.

April 2024
The adopted FY2025 Budget includes $100,000 for surveying the Uniontown community. This project includes surveying that will be critical during the initial water and sewer design phase. This is one of the first steps of the Preliminary Engineering Report for the sewer design.

The adopted Capital Improvement Plan for FY2025-2029 includes $750,000 in FY 2027 to prepare a Preliminary Engineering Report and design the water and wastewater utility services to parcels in the Uniontown community. 

May 2024
City Council approved mass rezoning of 55 parcels in Uniontown from industrial to the newly created Traditional Residential Development District. 

September 2024
The City of Staunton is partnering with the Timmons Group to perform a land survey of the Uniontown Neighborhood. The comprehensive land boundary survey will identify existing conditions of the neighborhood, focusing especially on the lots recently rezoned to Traditional Residential Development. It will also include a topographic survey of surrounding areas. This work is imperative for general planning and future design initiatives, specifically for the contemplated improvements to infrastructure (water utility upgrade and extension, sanitary sewer service, and roadway expansion). The survey is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

Survey and Plat Review:

Fieldwork for the necessary survey has been successfully completed. The survey work is currently under review by the City Engineering Department. Following this review, the final plats will be recorded, marking a significant step forward in the project's development.

BUILD Grant Application:

The city, with assistance from the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission and our on-call engineer, submitted an application for the 2025 Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program through the U.S. Department of Transportation to address many of the recommendations in the Uniontown Neighborhood Action Plan. The grant application was officially submitted on January 30, 2025. The requested grant amount is $8.9 million, with a City cost share of $5.5 million. The City expects to find out if the grant has been awarded in summer 2025.

FY 2026 Capital Improvements Plan

The City Council continued an annual reserve fund for future improvements in Uniontown. In the FY26 budget, a General Fund Operating Budget Transfer of $287,261 is allocated to this reserve and will be added to the existing reserve which is at $574,522. The fund is expected to reach $2,010,827 by FY30.

The $750,000 in funding expected in FY 2027 to prepare a Preliminary Engineering Report and design the water and wastewater utility services to parcels in the Uniontown community has now been moved up to FY 2026.  

News & Updates

Neighborhood Action Plan and Comprehensive Plan Amendment 

City Staff and the Steering Committee reviewed multiple revisions of the Neighborhood Action Plan.  The Plan was presented at the Planning Commission’s August 17, 2023 meeting and City Council’s August 24, 2023 meeting.  Upon receiving the presentation, City Council directed the Planning Commission to conduct a public hearing on the Uniontown Neighborhood Action Plan to be included as an addendum to the City of Staunton Comprehensive Plan.  Staff has also prepared an update to the Future Land Use Map and incorporated various objectives into Chapter 1 – Goals and Objectives to address the action items noted in the Uniontown Neighborhood Action Plan.  City Council approved the Comprehensive Plan amendment on December 14, 2023. 

Uniontown Neighborhood Action Plan 8.9.2023 Final Draft
City Council Resolution adopting the Comprehensive Plan Amendment 
Comprehensive Plan Amendment Exhibits, as presented

Rezoning of Uniontown

During the development of the Uniontown Neighborhood Action Plan, a physical neighborhood analysis was conducted.  This analysis noted that although the community preferred R-2, Low Density Residential District designation, a significant number of the existing lots would not accommodate the minimum area and/or width requirements.  

At the Planning Commission’s August 17, 2023 meeting, upon receiving the Uniontown Neighborhood Action Plan, the Commission authorized staff to proceed with drafting amendments to Title 18 Zoning of the Staunton City Code, to consider a new zoning district to accommodate the residential characteristics that are currently in Uniontown.  

August 17, 2023 Planning Commission Agenda Item Documents 

The draft TRD-1 Traditional Residential Development District was presented to the Planning Commission at the November 16, 2023 meeting.  The Commission directed staff to address some of their concerns and return in December. 

November 16, 2023 Planning Commission Agenda Item Documents 
November 16, 2023 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes

The Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing on Thursday, January 18, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. to review the proposed final draft of the zoning amendment for the proposed TRD-1 zoning district.

 For any questions or concerns in regards to this approval, you can contact Rodney Rhodes, Senior Planner, rhodesrs@ci.staunton.va.us