The Clarke County Comprehensive Plan maps the future of land use in the county. This long-range Plan captures the county’s vision, projects the necessary resources to make this vision happen, and provides strategies and recommendations to make the vision a successful reality. Such long-range planning, as set out in the Comprehensive Plan, anticipates future impacts of land use choices, and guides all present and future decisions regarding land use. The Code of Virginia requires every county to adopt a comprehensive plan and to review it at least once every five years to determine whether it needs to be updated.

The purpose of this plan is to guide land-use decisions, both public and private, as they relate to the specific goals of the county. The Plan is for Clarke County citizens and, for this reason, considers many diverse interests. It cannot satisfy every citizen’s particular interest, but does provide a mechanism for the protection of the health, safety, and welfare of everyone. Most importantly, it provides an outline for future decisions on land use, natural resource protection, capital improvements, and economic growth while attempting to balance the community’s diverse interests. 

Clarke County adopted its initial Comprehensive Plan on June 15, 1974. The Plan has been updated several times over the years, most recently in March 2014. The current version was adopted by the Board of Supervisors on Sept. 20, 2022. Revised guidance and innovations were added with each update, but the following guiding principles have remained consistent:

• Manage residential and business growth in designated areas where it can be supported by public infrastructure in a fiscally-responsible manner.
• Allow low-density residential growth in rural areas consistent with the county’s sliding-scale zoning system.
• Ensure the prosperity of agriculture by protecting farmland from development pressures and supporting the right to farm. 
• Develop and refine strategies and regulatory approaches to account for the challenges of developing in county’s karst terrain and potential for groundwater contamination.
• Recognize that the county’s mountain areas and the Shenandoah River have different ecosystems from the valley requiring different planning and regulatory approaches to preserve the natural beauty and ecology of these areas.
• Protect Clarke County’s unique natural, historical, and cultural resources. 
• Encourage compatible business activity to broaden the tax base, particularly businesses related to agriculture.

The Comprehensive Plan is a document first and foremost for Clarke County residents. It is designed to protect and enhance the quality of life and sense of community valued by the people who have chosen to live and work here.

• 2022 Clarke County Comprehensive Plan 

Implementing Component Plans

The Comprehensive Plan consists of two components: a base Plan document (2022 Clarke County Comprehensive Plan) and various implementing component plans (below). The base Plan document contains background information on the county’s history and characteristics, demographic and statistical information, and general goals, objectives and policies. The implementing component plans are separate specialized documents that provide detailed implementation strategies on specific topic areas outlined in the base Plan.

Implementing component plans are reviewed every five years, and the update processes are informed by the Comprehensive Plan’s guidance and by guidelines enumerated in Chapter III.

• Agricultural Land Plan (2016)
• Berryville Area Plan (2016)
• Double Tollgate Area Plan (revised 2022)
• Historic Resources Plan (revised 2018)
• Mountain Land Plan w/ Color Maps (2005)
• Mountain Land Plan without color maps (2005)
• Recreation Component Plan (2020)
• Transportation Plan (2024)
• Waterloo Area Plan (2016)
• Water Resources Plan (revised 2018)