Fluvanna County, Virginia

Ainsley Kirby, Elizabeth Tarkington Lee, Carrielyn Rhea & Rebecca Sudduth

December 2011

Using Anderson & McFarlane’s Community-As-Partner Model and the Assessment Wheel

HISTORY & DEMOGRAPHICS

History• Formed in the 1st year of the Commonwealth of

Virginia on June 19, 1777• Fluvanna is Latin for river or flowing Anne• Local museums: Old Stone Jail Museum, Fork Union

Military Academy Museum, Pace Family Museum• National Register of Historic Places: Bremo

Plantations, Bremo Slave Chapel, Fluvanna County Courthouse Historic District, Glen Arvon, Point of Fork, Point of Fork Arsenal

(Bearr, 1998)

2010 Demographics

• Population: 25,691 people (Va = 8,001,024)• 28.2% population increase since the 2000

census, is the fastest growing county in Virginia

• Ethnicity: – White = 80.7% (Va = 68.6%)– Black = 15.3% (Va = 19.4%)– Hispanic or Latino = 3.0% (Va = 7.9%)

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/51/51065.html

2010 Demographics - 2

• Gender: Females = 53.8% (Va = 50.9%)• Age: –6.2% under the age of 5 (Va = 6.4%)–23% under the age of 18 (Va = 23.2%)–15.7% who were 65 years of age or older

(Va = 12.2%)–The median age was 38 years

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/51/51065.html

THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

2010 Statistics

• Total land area = 286.01 sq. mi (Va = 42,774.2 sq mi)• Natural water = 2.8 sq. mi• Persons/sq. mile = 89.8 (Va = 202.6)• Housing units = 8,018 (Va = 3,364,939)• Persons below poverty level = 7.2% (Va = 10.6%)

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/51/51065.html

Physical Environment

• Towns: Palmyra, Fork Union, Bremo Bluff, Columbia, Dixie, Troy, Carysbrook, and a small part of Scottsville

• Beautiful rolling hills, dense with trees and waterways

• Large areas of valuable farmland• Great air quality• Fair water quality• Quiet and peaceful

Windshield survey, 2011Community profile, 2007

Lake Monticello• A large gated community located in Palmyra• Originated as a retirement community in 1970s and

later opened to people of all ages• Population: 6,852 people Size: 8.78 sq. miles• Has its own man-made lake with 5 sandy beaches, golf

course, stocked fishing pond, several playgrounds, swimming pool, tennis, basketball, & bocce courts, marina, clubhouse with dining, walking track, full-time security, an on location fire and rescue

• Majority of businesses in Fluvanna County are located outside of the gates of Lake Monticello

http://lmoa.org/index.htm

Physical Environment: Land Use

• Farmland = 25.6%• Forested land = 74.2%• Open space = 1%• Water = 0.5%

http://www.co.fluvanna.va.us/compplan/Comp%20Plan%202009/ch2%20-%20Land%20Use.pdf

EDUCATION

Fluvanna County Schools• Public School:

• 3 Elementary schools (Columbia, Cunningham, and Central)• 1 Middle school (Fluvanna MS)• 1 High school (Fluvanna HS)

• Preschools• 11 preschools throughout county

• Institutions of Higher Education• Close proximity to UVA and Piedmont

Community College

• Private Schools• 4 Private schools

www.co.fluvanna.va.us

Public Schools• 3,705 students enrolled• All schools fully accredited• Highest on-time graduation rate in state (93.3%)• Second lowest drop out rate in state (2.68%)• 76% of high school graduates go on to further

education• All classrooms equipped with

computers• New high school building due

to open in 2012http://www.fluco.org

SAFETY & GOVERNMENT

Transportation & Safety• 79% of residents commute to work• Average commute is 29.5 minutes• Fluvanna County offers other options for

commuting, such as:• Rideshare• JAUNT

• These options are under-utilized

http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/print/virginia/fluvanna

Transportation & Safety - 2• Road conditions:

• Two lane roads with no shoulders in most of the county• Poor or no lighting• Limited amount of guardrails

• High motor vehicle crash death rate in Fluvanna County (27 per 100,000 people vs. 13 per 100,000 for the state)

Windshield survey, 2011http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/print/virginia/fluvanna

Safety & Rescue

Fluvanna County has the following safety departments:

• Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office• Virginia State Police• Lake Monticello Police Department• Fire and Rescue• Local Emergency Planning

Committeehttp://www.co.fluvanna.va.us/compplan

Politics & Government

• County Seat: Palmyra• Board of Supervisors: 7 elected members

• Administration of state laws in the county• Approve and enforce county ordinances• Approve annual county budget• Determine and levy county taxes• Supervise county governmental affairs

http://www.co.fluvanna.va.us/planning/plancomm.htm

Politics & Government - 2

• Constitutional Officers – elected; serve Virginia and Fluvanna County

• Committees and Commissions – appointed by Board of Supervisors, includes the Planning Commission

• School Board – 7 elected members serve the Fluvanna County Public Schools

• 16,745 registered voters in county

http://lwvfluvannacounty.org/Federal_Officials.html

HEALTH

Health & Social Services - 2• 52 Healthcare providers including family

medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, dentists, psychiatrists, physical therapists & optometrists

• PCP: citizen ratio is 1,968:1 (Va = 806:1)• No hospitals in county; close proximity to Martha

Jefferson Hospital and UVA Medical Center• County Health Department• Department of Social Services• In the Thomas Jefferson Health

District

http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/virginia/fluvanna/

Health Statistics• Life expectancy = 77.1(US = 76.5)• Binge drinking = 15% (Va = 17%)• Drunk driving fatalities 15 per 100,000

(Va = 5 per 100,000)• Obesity = 28% (Va = 27%)• Smoking = 10% (Va = 20%)• Teen pregnancy = 30 per 1,000

(Va = 36 per 1,000)

http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/virginia/fluvanna/

COMMUNICATION, ECONOMICS & RECREATION

Communication• Four Newspapers

• The Daily Progress• Fluvanna Review• The Central Virginian• The Rural Virginian

• Informal: telephone, internet, limited cell phone service & cable tv

• Social gatherings at churches, schools, library, sporting events, and commercial centers

• Board of Supervisors meetings and decisions are published

• 5 Post Officeswww.co.fluvanna.va.us/econdev/FluvannaJan07.pdf

Economics

• Most residents commute outside the county to work• Number of new businesses in the county is rising

faster than anywhere else in Central Virginia• Rotating door of local businesses within the county• Major employers within the county include local

schools, jail, Fork Union Military Academy, forestry, family farms

• Unemployment rate 5.2% (Va = 6.3% & US = 9.1%)• Cost of living index = 86.9 (US = 100)

http://www.city-data.com/county/Fluvanna_County-VA.html

Recreation• Fluvanna County Parks and Recreation offers:

• Youth and Adult Sports• Driver Improvement classes• CPR classes• Fitness and wellness classes for adults and seniors• Preschool socialization and education classes• Seasonal movie nights, workshops, & celebration

Fluvanna County Parks and Recreation, 2011

Recreation - 2• Camp Friendship – retreat center & youth and

adult camps• Fluvanna Heritage Trail – walking, biking, &

equestrian trails• Farm activities – apple, peach, & pumpkin

picking, seasonal farm festivals, Old Farm Day• Carysbrook - plays and music shows• Several waterways & parks for

recreational activities

STRENGTHS & STRESSORS

Strengths of Fluvanna County• Environment– Good air quality– Variety of natural resources– Recreational opportunities

• Education– Well-funded– High graduation rate– Most students go on to further education and have several

nearby institutions to choose from• Low cost of living• Low unemployment rate• Longer life expectancy

Stressors in Fluvanna County• Limited transportation options• High binge drinking rate, high drunk driving

rate, & high MVA rate• Poor water quality • Low PCP to citizen ratio and lack of specialists• Shortage of major employers in the county• Population growth threatens small

government infrastructure & environmental development

Community DiagnosesI. Potential for increase or lack of improvement in rate of

motor vehicle crashes in Fluvanna County related to:1. 2 lane roads with no shoulders2. Poor or no lighting3. Limited guardrails4. Non-enforcement of speed limits5. High rate of drunk driving and binge drinking6. Limited transportation options outside of private vehicles

As demonstrated by:• Motor vehicle crash death rate of 27 per 100,000 (Va = 13

per 100,000)• Resident concern• Limited county police patrols

Community Diagnoses - 2II. Risk for Contamination: Community: Accentuated

risk of exposure to environmental contaminants from water contamination in doses sufficient to cause adverse health effects in Fluvanna County residents as reflected by:

1. Cases of folliculitis from swimming in Lake Monticello seen in area health clinics

2. High coliform count in Lake Monticello3. Soil erosion from county wide logging4. Use of private vehicles as mode of transportation5. Aging septic systems6. Sustained high rate of population growth and housing

development

Community Diagnoses - 3As demonstrated by:• Water quality score of Lake Monticello

2.1 out of 10• Most common household well/spring/cistern

water quality found high sodium and manganese, low pH, and presence of coliform bacteria

• Worsening water quality in bodies of water when water has high flows. Water has high phosphorus, total suspended solids, and fecal coliform

ReferencesBearr, D.W.C. ed. (1998). Historic Fluvanna in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Fluvanna County Historical

Society. Palmyra Press, Palmyra, VA. Community profile: Fluvanna county, VA (2007). Retrieved from http://www.co.fluvanna.va.usFall recreation program guide. (2011). [Data Source]. Fluvanna County Parks and RecreationFluvanna County 2011 Census Data. Retrieved on October 5, 2011 from http://quickfacts.census.gov.Fluvanna County City Data. Retrieved on November 11, 2011 from

http://city-data.com/county/Fluvanna_County-VA.html.Fluvanna County Comprehensive Plan 2009. Retrieved November 7, 2011 from

http://www.co.fluvanna.va.us.Fluvanna County Health Rankings. Retrieved on October 5, 2011 from

http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/virginia/fluvanna/.Fluvanna County Planning Commission. Retrieved on November 11, 2011 from

http://www.co.fluvanna.va.us/planning/plancomm.htm.Fluvanna County Public Schools. Retrieved on November 6, 2011 from http://www.fluco.org/.Lake Monticello: Lake management plan. (2004). Retrieved from http:// www.lmoa.comWindshield Survey (October 2011). Old Farm Days on October 1 and drive around Fluvanna County on

October 4 by assessment group members.