Although Staunton is beginning to look as historic as a movie set, not all the emphasis is on recapturing the past. The city’s new Green Hills Industry and Technology Center is more than half full, with a Diebold manufacturing plant and a Best Buy distribution center among its tenants. Anderson & Associates has done site engineering in the Green Hills Center and a second business park, encompassing 128 acres on the eastern edge of the city.

     When Hamilton was hired as the city’s economic development official 12 years ago, just after the city had doubled its size in a major land annexation, there had been no major new business in the city in 25 years and the tax rate was on the verge of skyrocketing.

     "The city council set up goals for a citywide economic development program, the development of business parks, and a public investment in the central business district," Hamilton says. "We already had a strong private building preservation effort—built around five federal historic districts with federal and state rehabilitation income tax credits, local property tax abatements, and technical assistance from Historic Staunton Foundation." Since then, Staunton has created a coordinated economic development plan, established a convention and visitors bureau, and set up a very successful Main Street program.

     "The credit goes to the Staunton community, who accomplished this without sacrificing the quality of life we have here," Hamilton says. Hamilton is a former aide to Kentucky Senator Wendell Ford and worked for the National Association of State Development Agencies and the Urban Institute before coming to Staunton. In his free time, he tutors reading to elementary school students, coaches youth soccer, and goes on camping and beach vacations with his wife, Jackie, and daughter, Sara, 6.

     The family recently received Staunton’s Residential Renovation of the Year Award for spending seven months rebuilding their historic home after a fire swept through it in December 1998. Modest as always, Hamilton says: "It was more a perseverance award.

Innovative Partnerships Showcased
Environmental Success Stories Shared Across the Country

     If somebody asked you how to improve your transportation system while protecting the environment at the same time, you might think of many things, but providing free child care at public meetings might not be one of them. Creating a GIS database of all environmental resources throughout the state might not be one of them either. Yet these are just a few of the many innovations recognized in the first annual Best Practices in Environmental Partnering competition sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The competition was held to recognize and promote exemplary collaborations between consulting firms, state DOTs, and environmental regulatory organizations.

    In partnership with the American Consulting Engineers Council (ACEC), AASHTO recently showcased eight award-winning projects from across the country in order to publicize what made them stand out. "The goal of the workshop was to bring together people involved with the award winning environmental projects and have them share their ideas with the rest of the community so that we could all build on their successes," said Tim Stowe, A&A Vice President of Transportation, Surveying, and Planning. As Chair of the ACEC’s Transportation Committee, Stowe suggested holding the conference because he wanted to bring all these parties together, and he wanted to get the word out about what works as quickly and efficiently as possible. Improving environmental practices and expediting the project approval process are two of the greatest challenges facing state departments of transportation today. The working partnerships demonstrated in this conference show how both imperatives can be served. "We had a lot of positive feedback from attendants," said Stowe. "I believe this has helped the DOTs recognize that they can protect or enhance the environment while still providing their underlying mission of improved and safe mobility."

Funding Application Process Altered

by Christine Parcell

Stream crossings are an important aspect of environmental assessments.

     If you plan to apply for project funding from Rural Development (RD), you should be aware of new regulations governing the application process. Effective April 15, Environmental Reports (ER) must be submitted along with Preliminary Engineering Reports (PER) and funding applications. "We remain informed of RD standards to help streamline the application process, help our clients secure funding, and move the project along to construction," said Chip Worley, A&A Chief Operating Officer.

     As funding regulations have become standardized, A&A can save clients time and money by knowing the maximum allowable costs for a project and how clients may be reimbursed. The primary change is that consultants must now complete ERs during the application process—RD no longer funds or performs them after reviewing submitted applications and PERs. Applicants may now have to secure additional funds for environmental work because they will only be reimbursed for $3,500 of related expenses.

     Rural Development funds projects such as water lines, water tanks, wastewater collection, and wastewater treatment
plants. As funding applications increased, RD needed to out-source environmental research and reviews to consultants. If you need an Engineering Report to accompany your application, or if you have any questions regarding RD’s new environmental regulations, send an email to Gary Crouch, A&A Vice President, in the Blacksburg office, or call (800) 763-5596.

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