By Madeline Otten
Correspondent
Recently, Fluvanna County’s former community development director, Jason Stewart, was hired by Transylvania County, N.C., as their planning and community development director. This left a vacancy in Fluvanna’s government office, and Prince George County resident Douglas Miles took the opportunity to make it his.
Only a week into this position, Miles has big plans for the county.
One of the biggest projects going on right now is the water and sewer infrastructure improvements at Zion Crossroads. Since the goal for localities is to achieve a 70 percent residential and a 30 percent commercial tax base ratio, Miles plans to work with county administration, staff, and the business community to make continuous progress toward that goal.
“I have enjoyed assisting small business owners the most throughout my career and I look forward to doing that in Fluvanna County,” said Miles. “Small business owners may not be aware of the additional resources that are available to them to operate and expand their business to be more profitable and successful. We are able to help them find the resources or we will try to find a better way in the planning process to accommodate business owners.”
Before he transitioned to Fluvanna County, Miles started his career in Chesterfield County in the planning department at the front counter in November 1992. He learned how to provide good customer service during a very high-growth period in the county.
About 10 years later he went to Prince George County and undertook the role of planning manager and zoning administrator during the largest expansion of Fort Lee, which is also one of the largest employers in the Richmond region. In addition, he provided training through the Richmond region in the Virginia Association of Zoning Officials, a statewide zoning organization that deals with legal, technical and managerial skills.
Miles and his wife, Christine, are currently in the process of moving from Prince George County to Fluvanna. They chose Fluvanna because they wanted to live and work in a similar location and be in between the Charlottesville and Richmond metropolitan regions. Fluvanna was perfect.
Miles’ typical day in the office could include commercial site plans and resident subdivision plat reviews, assisting a county resident with questions about adding a deck onto her house, and responding to all zoning enforcement complaints.
“The planning department also prepares and implements the county’s comprehensive plan that deals with strategic and long–range planning initiatives that provide the foundation for many of the land use and budgetary decisions by the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors,” said Miles.
What some people may not know about planners is that they typically work in 10– or 20–year planning timeframes with other regional and state agencies, such as VDOT or surrounding counties that are all a part of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission.
Planners have to balance current planning tasks and long-range planning goals in order to properly achieve what the Board of Supervisors and the community envision for the county.
“Planners such as myself enjoy seeing our short-term and long-term goals realized as a team,” said Miles.
Miles earned his bachelor’s from Penn State University in political science in 1991 and earned his graduate certificate in public administration and planning from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1998. He also has certifications with the American Institute of Certified Planners and is a certified zoning administrator.
He earned his Eagle Scout in 1985 and he and his wife are members of the United Methodist Church. His personal interests include football, specifically the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Los Angeles Rams, and spending time with his family and friends.
“My wife and I also like to go to area farmer’s markets in smaller towns and purchase items from small business owners and artists,” said Miles.
They are both members of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond and enjoy attending live music events and theatrical performances in the region. They also have a black lab rescue mix named Sadie.
