Campbell navigates with GIS aerial map


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July 17, 2006

The News & Advance

Campbell navigates with GIS aerial map

BY ZACK SMITH
MONDAY, JULY 17, 2006

Want to find something in Campbell County?

Just head to the Web.

The county recently launched a new geographic information system that will allow the public, including non-county residents, to access an aerial map of Campbell County containing road, property and other information.

Community Development Director Paul Harvey said the system, which was developed by Timmons Group of Richmond, cost about $900,000 to develop over three years.

“It provides people with immediate information in a self-service manner,” Harvey said.

“It’s much more user-friendly for the people to be able to go access the information they want from anywhere, at any time.”

Both Bedford County and the city of Lynchburg have similar features on their Web sites. Bedford also has a GIS, while Lynchburg uses an interactive city map.

Campbell County’s system, which went online June 30, allows users to customize the aerial map to see different “layers” containing such information as where they can find public schools, how county roads are laid out or information on property addresses and ownership.

For example, a user wishing to find Rustburg High School could customize the map to highlight public schools, then zoom in on the Rustburg area, then zoom in on the area’s schools.

The user could also use the map to measure the distance between Rustburg High School and their house, or find where it is located in relation to other schools.

The map can only be accessed by “guests” at this point, though Harvey said there were plans to possibly allow local law enforcement officials greater access in the future.

“We haven’t set up the parameters yet,” Harvey said.

“We plan to meet with the sheriff and the public safety director to decide if additional access is necessary.”

Hugh Pendleton of the board of supervisors said he was “very impressed” with the system.

He said that it could be used by not only county residents and visitors, but also businesses looking to locate in the area.

“If someone wants to look for a tract of land for industrial development, they can go ahead and find out who owns it and how it is zoned,” Pendleton said.

Harvey said that he has received positive feedback on the system since it opened.

“This is something citizens have been waiting for,” Harvey said.