The Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA Virginia) recently named Lancaster County the Resilient Virginia Community of the Year for its Windmill Point County Maritime Recreational Campus.
The project reflects coordinated planning across hazard mitigation, resilience, recreation and capital improvements, establishing a model that other Virginia communities can replicate, according to an APA Virginia press release.
Windmill Point, once home to a public beach, fishing pier, hotel and restaurant, experienced severe erosion for decades, leading to the loss of waterfront amenities. The county began addressing this challenge as early as 2000 and later elevated the project through the Resilience Adaptation Feasibility Tool (RAFT), the Northern Neck Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan, the county’s comprehensive and strategic plans, and the 2024 Virginia Outdoors Plan—making the restoration of Westland Beach a priority.
The project expanded the county’s only public beach by a factor of 20….
