Page 49 - High Knob Master Plan

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS
The High Knob Regional Initiative (HKRI) public outreachprocessgeneratedhundredsofideasforprojects, initiatives, and programs to benefit the region. Benefiting from a Stormboard data gathering process, the Capital Improvements Action Team strategically chose a handful of these ideas for the consultant team to design and develop in detail. Capital improvement projects are categorized as Regional Initiatives, Signature Projects, and Local Projects. While Regional Initiatives will span multiple jurisdictions and have broad regional impacts, Local Projects will complete the system of infrastructure necessary to sustain High Knob as an outdoor tourism destination. The HKRI envisions the identified capital improvement projects encouraging economic development around existing assets through public-private partnerships.
Capitalizing on the unique outdoor recreation themes identified in the High Knob Region, eight Signature Projects are planned to enhance local economies and promote the region as a whole. These projects seamlessly blend business development with outdoor recreation, providing diverse activities that are accessible to all.
Signature projects emerged as the result of the public engagement process described in Chapter 2. The Stormboard process proposed hundreds of potential projects, large and small. Using a delphi winnowing technique, citizens who attended the Big Stone Gap in April 2018 narrowed the projects down to the eight visionary programs. With the support of market research and potential land available at the time, the design team set out to show the kind of designed projects that would launch High Knob substantially into the great outdoors economy. Most importantly, all the signature projects show potential developers and land managers examples of how to incorporate the High Knob Guiding Principles and Goals, shown in Chapter 3.
All of the Stormboard projects that were not incorporated into the Signature projects are incorporated and listed in the local projects list at the end of this chapter. A coordinated slate of local projects is planned to imbue the HKRI brand throughout the towns and reach every citizen as part of the regional effort.
REGIONAL INITIATIVES
> High Knob National Recreation Area
> Thomas Jefferson Scenic Byway
> Powell River Trail
SIGNATURE PROJECTS
> Cultural Center: Big Cherry Reservoir
> Dark Sky: Dark Sky Lodge and Telescope
> Horse Town: Equestrian Resort
> Coal Heritage: Coal Heritage Interpretive Exhibit
> Adventure Town: Four Seasons Adventure Park
> ATV Town: Leeman Field Park
> High Knob Outdoors Incubators: North Side
LOCAL PROJECTS
> See page 72
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