Introduction
Shepherdstown’s Comprehensive Plan is a written expression of the community’s vision and goals for the future, serving as a dynamic guide for decision making by the Corporation’s elected officials and staff. This update to the 2001 Comprehensive Plan is the result of a twelve month process that began in August 2013. As with the 2001 plan, this plan update has established a framework for achieving immediate, mid-range and long-term strategies that will ensure implementation of the plan. Shepherdstown is committed to a long-range planning process adopting its first comprehensive plan in 1978.
THE SETTING
A town steeped in over 250 years of history, Shepherdstown, the oldest town in the state of West Virginia, is located in the lower Shenandoah Valley and Eastern Panhandle along the storied banks of the Potomac River. The town contains many Federal-style structures from the late 18th century period and is well-known for its vibrant downtown that is established along German Street (Shepherdstown’s “Main Street”). Contributing to the success of Shepherdstown are the many restored historic homes surrounding German Street and the vital influence of Shepherd University, which has direct frontage onto the center of German Street. Shepherdstown is connected to the region by West Virginia highway routes 45, 230 and 480, the PanTran (Eastern Panhandle Transit Authority) and by the MARC train (Maryland Rail Commuter train), which provides connection to the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. Over its recent history, the town has been a popular regional tourism destination for its arts and cultural offerings.