| The Community Improvement Program is a cost-sharing
program that preserves and improves older, yet stable residential
neighborhoods. The Board of Supervisors established the program
in 1978 to prevent those areas from becoming blighted and deteriorated
by providing needed public improvements, such as roads, curbs
and gutters, and storm drainage systems, that were absent in the
original development. Incidental improvements include sidewalks,
trails, streetlights, streetscape, and utility upgrading. The
property owners and the County share the costs of sidewalks, curbs
and gutters, and driveway entrances.
There are currently two active community improvement neighborhoods:
| Community Improvement
Neighborhoods: |
| Holmes Run Valley |
| Mt. Vernon Hills |
Although the steps are simple, the successful implementation of
the Community Improvement Program depends largely on the dedication
and hard work of the residents in each neighborhood. This program
is designed to rely heavily on citizen volunteers to disseminate
information to the community, inform the County staff of the neighborhood’s
concerns, develop consensus among disparate elements, review plans
and drawings, and explain the neighborhood’s concerns to various
public bodies. In most neighborhoods, a core group of citizens
is willing to perform these tasks, although all residents are
normally involved at one time or another in the meetings about
the projects.
The implementation of a community improvement project starts with
the expression of interest from the community and moves through
six basic stages:
- Initial Community Screening
- Project Selection
- Community Planning
- Detailed Engineering
- Construction
- Billing
To date, 45 project phases have been constructed in 29 neighborhoods
throughout the County, and approximately $76 million has been
expended since 1979. Funding for the program has been primarily
from general obligation bonds for neighborhood improvements.
In addition to the projects mentioned above, there are currently
30 neighborhoods on the waiting list. Preliminary cost estimates
prepared a number of years ago indicate that approximately $130
million would be needed to implement all of the projects on the
waiting list. However, no new funding has been allocated since
approval of the 1989 neighborhood improvement bond.
For more information about the Community Improvement Program,
please call 703-246-5169. |
