Developing land within this special setting comes with two significant responsibilities: first to respect the physical and natural resources of the region; and second to honor and reflect the architecture and rural characteristics of the Piedmont’s historic towns and villages. Therefore, the development envisioned for the 125 acre site at the intersections of Routes 211 and 229 in northern Culpeper County is a traditional Piedmont village clustered on to about half of the site allowing the balance of the site to remain in its natural state. Clevenger’s Corner village will create a strong sense of place with diverse business and residential uses.

Why a village? Because a village is, in part, about dimension, scale, and design appropriate to the region. It is about how buildings, streets, and open space relate to each other. It is about the bank, the medical clinic, the library, the dry cleaners, and the grocery store. It is about a family restaurant, an open air market, a day care center, and a quiet place in the woods. But a village is also about people. It is a place where residents of the area and travelers passing through gather to shop, play, converse, and share ideas. It is a place welcoming to children, families, and elders. Just as ‘it takes a village to raise a child,’ it takes a community to build a village. To succeed, a collaborative effort is needed, requiring the participation of local citizens with widely differing perspectives, needs, and aspirations. The planning process, therefore, has encouraged participation and integrated input so as to reflect the goals and aspirations of the whole community.

Guiding Principles for Development

A new perspective has emerged within the development and planning professions, recognizing the importance of good design to creating of vital, active communities. Designers, planners, and developers now have a set of principles combining features of traditional town planning with new ways of organizing daily life in a changing world. These principles create communities, not just buildings. The fundamental idea is that the neighborhood is the organizing structure of a healthy village. In such a neighborhood, everyone can walk to nearby shopping, schools, and parks. Public facilities serve as focal points. Housing types allows for a mix of family sizes, ages, and incomes. Citizens can take pride in their community as well as their home.

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