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What do you want to come to Lunenburg County? What’s missing and what do town and county officials need to focus on bringing in? As we look at parts of the proposed comprehensive plan update for Lunenburg County, it’s time to highlight both what residents want to keep and what residents want officials to bring in. 

This data came from the community meetings about the comprehensive plan, the emails and cards sent in from residents wanting to see things change. And the biggest change, by that we mean the one most want to see, shouldn’t come as a surprise. By an overwhelming margin, the top request is for more retail and services. Residents don’t want to drive out of Lunenburg County for supplies. They want more options, when it comes to everything from restaurants to grocery stores. 

“(Residents) highlighted the need for various retail and service establishments to meet daily needs and support local businesses,” the comprehensive plan says. “This includes modern drive-through car washes, coffee/donut shops, auto parts stores, and hardware stores. Additionally, there were suggestions for professional services like seamstress/tailor and shared workspaces to foster business development.”

Trying to draw business to Lunenburg County

As we’ve detailed before, these requests aren’t easy for smaller communities like Lunenburg County. To move into an area, companies need to have some questions answered. As we covered last year, when Farmville went through similar arguments, companies look at income levels and they look at housing, as well as housing growth, before agreeing to move to a location. It’s not as simple as announcing that you want a Food Lion or a Publix. In order to make that happen, an area has to meet their requirements. 

Many national grocers, like Aldi or Whole Foods, are very transparent about their requirements and even post them online. Each has their own individual number in mind, in terms of what kind of community fits what they’re looking for. For example, Aldi requires a daily traffic count of more than 20,000 vehicles per day, as well as a “dense trade area population”. What’s that mean? It refers to the total number of people living within the area the business would draw from. Typically, they go for 1,000 people per square mile in urban areas and half that in rural towns and communities. The store itself needs to be at least 22,000 square feet, built on 2.5 acres of land.

Multiple studies back that up. In their paper “How Underserved Areas Attract Grocery Stores”, media research firm Buxton spells out that a company examines the population, visibility, the amount of traffic that goes by specific sites and local competition when considering a move into a new area. Does the company believe there’s enough people who will routinely visit the store to make expansion worth it?

A 2016 study by the University of Minnesota and a 2019 study by New York University echo that. And beyond population numbers, “two of the most frequently reported challenges are the lack of suitable sites and the higher development and operation costs in unproven locations,” the Buxton study says. 

Again, it’s not that this is impossible for Lunenburg County, but it will be a challenge. The first steps, as we’ve highlighted in other parts of the comprehensive plan, involve recruiting more residents and then presenting an educated workforce. 

Things to bring back from the past

But the community requests weren’t all about restaurants and shops. In fact, residents asked for several things to be brought back. Namely, they want some local festivals to return. 

“The Strawberry Festival and Cowboy Day, with suggestions for the latter to be held in cooler weather, were particularly mentioned,” the comprehensive plan states. “There is also a call for more seasonal events and festivals to celebrate various times of the year.” 

Beyond the festivals, residents want better parks and other recreational facilities. 

“Suggestions included adding campgrounds for outdoor activities, updating local pools to make them more appealing for families, and organizing town-wide yard sales to bring the community together and foster neighborhood interactions,” the comprehensive plan says. 

They basically want more activities to come together as a community, be it in Kenbridge, Victoria or just out in the county. This could be something based around deer hunting with dogs, something about antiques or yard sales or something around local sports. Residents also suggested preserving some more historical sites and turning them into possible tourist attractions. 

A larger project would involve finding a new building fo Community Resource Services, one that would “serve as a hub for various community needs such as a food pantry, nutrition and cooking classes, immunizations, and assistance with medical insurance. Senior citizen activities, such as congregate meal sites and holiday festivals, were also suggested.”  

Where can I read the Lunenburg County plan? 

If you want to read through the current proposed comprehensive plan, copies are available at the Lunenburg County Administration (434-696-2142), Kenbridge Town Office (434-676-2452), Victoria Town Office (434-696-2343), Ripberger Public Library in Kenbridge, and Victoria Public Library in Victoria. The file can also be viewed on the Lunenburg County website at www.lunenburgva.gov.