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Varied effects
On the positive side, agricultural-oriented goods and services in Rappahannock County might find an upscale market close by for landscaping services, nursery and truck farm products, day-trip tourism, and the trades: electricians, plumbers, carpenters, etc.
The visual impact of transitioning from a developed Clevenger’s Comer to the rural open space of Rappahannock County at the boundary fine could be stunning if handled properly.
The potential build-out within the water and sewer service area at Clevenger’s Comer will result in a population of 4,416 people. When these 4,416 people are added to the current and expected growth within a two-mile radius of Clevenger’s Comer, which could amount to another 4,650 people, there will be a maximum potential population of 9,066 people right next to Rappahannock County.
This surpasses the July 1, 2002 estimated population of Warrenton (7,413) and Luray (4,852) and nears that of the Ibwn of Culpeper (10,138). By comparison, the Ibwn of Washington in Rappahannock County had an estimated population of 177 on July 1, 2002, and 7,206 people for the county as a whole.
Village concept
How did Clevenger’s Comer come about? The story goes back over a quarter of a centuiy, and it is a cautionary tale for Rappahannock County.
In the early 1970s, Culpeper County was increasingly on the radar screen of developers. Decisions had to be made on how to handle growth. Culpeper County’s Comprehensive Plan for 1975 noted the need to preserve the villages in the county, but neighborhood schools lacked modem facilities, and the land could not support their water and sewer needs. The school population was shifted close to the Tbwn of Culpeper, to tap onto their central facilities.
With local schools gone, villages started to die and a study was undertaken on how to preserve the economy of these rural areas.
The village of Jeffersonton, an historic crossroads southeast of Clevenger’s Comer named after Thomas Jefferson, was the first community selected for study in 1976.
Its school had closed in 1971, and people from Northern Virginia were moving in who left early for work, returned late, and shopped elsewhere. Residential developers were eyeing the South Wales area, close by along Route 229, but away from the town of Jeffersonton.
By the 1984 Comprehensive Plan, Culpeper had identified a hierarchy of community centers to save, consisting of seven “village centers” and 15 “convenience centers.”
A village center usually had some historic identity, fire and rescue, a post office, a general store or two, and a meeting place.
A convenience center had much less. Jeffersonton was designated a village center, it had eveiything except fire and rescue. Clevenger’s Comer was called a convenience center; it had nothing but a gas station.
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