The Town of New Market is updating its Comprehensive Plan and preparing an Economic Development Strategy. Your ideas will help guide what comes next.
About The Plan
Comprehensive plans are long-term planning documents that define a community’s priorities, goals, and actions for the next 20 years. New Market’s plan will address land use, housing, economic development, and transportation.
An Economic Development Strategy will be prepared alongside the Comprehensive Plan. It will focus on revitalizing the downtown corridor and identifying the Town’s economic drivers.
Plan Process
Each step builds on the last. Public involvement and stakeholder engagement will inform the work throughout the planning process.
01 / Learn From Our Past
The Town, its consultants, Steering Committee, and volunteers will document New Market’s history and past experiences so the plan can build on that rich history. This includes stakeholder interviews and the collection of past data and documents.
02 / Understand Today
Residents and visitors will share how they feel about the Town today. The Town, its consultants, Steering Committee, and volunteers will use that input to understand current conditions and assess the feasibility of community needs and aspirations.
03 / Define Our Direction
A clear understanding of trends and needs will help the community define its vision, goals, and objectives. These will guide the development of specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound recommendations.
04 / Put The Plan To Work
Completing the plan is only the beginning. The document will provide directions and details for achieving the community’s vision, one step at a time.
State Of The Town
Research on the Town’s people, places, housing, economy, and infrastructure helps ground the community’s choices for the future.
Draft / June 15, 2026
The first phase of research brings together the Town’s people, housing, services, and resources. It provides a shared starting point for community engagement and further analysis.
Read The Introduction
Draft Review Edition / October 2026
The pattern book considers New Market’s houses, architectural details, and the streets they shape. Local examples help inform discussion about housing and the character of the Town.
Read The IntroductionThese are excerpts from working drafts. Findings may be revised as the planning process continues.
A Closer Look At Land Use
This project graphic compares total assessed property value per acre. Taller parcels represent more assessed value on each acre, helping show how different patterns of development use land.
Assessed value is one measure to consider alongside community needs, services, and the character of a place.
View The Full Graphic
Get Involved
Comprehensive planning relies on the community’s insights and vision. The team is working with citizen groups to establish relevant, achievable goals and actions.
The project’s first round of outreach includes National Night Out and Crossroads events. You can also share your perspective online between events.
A public engagement plan will provide meeting schedules, engagement goals, and feedback from the Steering Committee.
Meeting notes and survey results from past efforts will be reviewed and cataloged so previous community input remains part of the planning record.
This website will be updated at major milestones and as events are scheduled. Return to learn about the work and where the project is in the planning process.
Meetings with County staff and the School Board will address data needs and shared planning responsibilities.
A public kick-off meeting will introduce the project, schedule, and engagement opportunities.
A community-wide survey, developed with Town staff and the Steering Committee, collects input on residents’ priorities, perceptions, and needs. Take The Town Survey
Up to five public events are planned to gather feedback on draft findings and recommendations. These may include open houses and pop-ups at local fairs and festivals. Event details will appear as they are scheduled.
Three rounds of stakeholder meetings will raise awareness and help develop the survey, brainstorm goals and recommendations, and refine tasks and actions.
For current Town announcements and event information, visit the Town Of New Market Website .
Explore New Market
Scroll through the topics to explore New Market. The map will follow the topic you are reading. Open the legend to explore its symbols at your own pace.
01 / Our Setting
Explore New Market and its town boundary within the Shenandoah Valley.
02 / Town Connections
Start with an overview of New Market’s transportation network and connections to the surrounding area.
03 / Everyday Destinations
Explore commonly visited destinations, including emergency services, education, recreation, and community infrastructure. These places connect residents to resources and support their quality of life.
04 / Land & Water
View prime farmland, Agricultural and Forestal Districts, conservation easements, and waterways. The wildlife corridor connects valuable habitats and helps reduce conflicts between people and wildlife.
05 / Environmental Conditions
Explore the 100-year and 500-year floodplains around the Town and critical slopes that may be susceptible to erosion.
06 / Our Shared History
Discover battlefield areas, historic buildings and districts, and barns that reflect New Market’s history. These resources help connect the Town’s past to its future.
07 / How Land Is Used
Explore public lands, forests, residential areas, downtown parking, and other existing land uses in and around New Market.
08 / Investment & Resources
See Shenandoah County’s identified future economic development sites and long-range change areas. The map identifies New Market for infill and investment, with surrounding areas identified for agriculture and public resources.
09 / Zoning & Development
Explore current zoning and zoom in for details such as address points and parcel lines. Zoning establishes the types of uses allowed on land.
New Market In 3D
Explore New Market’s terrain, buildings, and streets in three dimensions. The town boundary follows the ground so you can see where it sits within the landscape.
Make Your Voice Heard
Tell us what you value and what could improve. Your input will help the team understand New Market’s needs, priorities, and goals.
Stay Connected
Return for project milestones, engagement summaries, and opportunities to get involved.
Leave A General Comment
Have Something Else To Share?
Between public engagement events, use the project’s original comment box to share your thoughts on New Market.
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