Wilderness Battlefield, Gateway Study

STACH established a vision for the highly contested lands surrounding the Wilderness Battlefield when the Walmart Corporation sought to build a commercial center within the battlefield’s historic boundaries. Designed to encourage new and innovative thinking about conservation, and economic development, the Gateway Study established preservation-friendly land development patterns that support heritage tourism while providing much-needed services for residents and improved economic vitality to the area. Project lead Hill Studio; economic study by Kennedy Smith, of CLUE Group; cultural resource inventory by Jennings Gap Partnership. Following the successful release of the Phase I study, Stach facilitated a measurable and thoughtful approach to reach consensus on a preferred plan for implementation. The precepts of the Phase II consensus plan were subsequently incorporated into the Orange County Comprehensive Plan update.