Growing numbers of county governments in the United States are offering geographic information system (GIS) services for their citizens, businesses and other government departments and agencies, including Pittsylvania County, Virginia. These innovative mapping capabilities of these GIS services provide user with novel ways to graphically conceptualize various data of interest in ways that were not feasible in the past. In sum, GIS services serve as centralized storage for county-related data sets that can be mapped and then used for planning and decision making purposes. Some information about Pittsylvania County is provided below, followed by a description of the role of the county’s GIS services.
Founded in 1767 and located in the mid-southern section of Virginia, Pittsylvania County has a population of just over 63,000 citizens with its county seat in Chatham. The county is home to the largest undeveloped uranium deposits in the country (which are also the seventh largest deposits in the entire world). With about 978 square miles of territory (969 square miles of land), Pittsylvania County is the largest county in Virginia in land and the second largest in terms of total area. The county consists of seven districts (Banister, Callands-Gretna, Chatham-Blairs, Dan River, Staunton River, Tunstall, and Westover) and its population is about 75% white and 24% African American, with small percentages of Native Americans, Asians and Hispanics.
The residents of Pittsylvania County are able to enjoy the numerous parks (i.e., Titan Park, Hawk Park, Wildcat Park and Cavalier Park) that are maintained by the Parks and Recreation Department which offers youth sports for more than 2,000 young people who compete in more than 130 teams in six different sports (i.e., baseball, softball, football, cheerleading and basketball). These events attract more than 35,000 spectators each year. In addition, the residents of Pittsylvania County also enjoy the protection of specially trained sheriff’s deputies who participate in Project Lifesaver, a program that helps locate missing elderly people far more rapidly than conventional search approaches, thereby saving the lives of numerous citizens since its inception. Likewise, the Pittsylvania County school system offers a state-of-the-art technical education with hands-on projects for its students. This type of technical education will clearly be needed in the future in order to take advantage of increasingly sophisticated applications such as the GIS services offered by the county as described below.
Full Address:
Mr. Terry Whitt, GIS Coordinator
Pittsylvania County GIS
1 Center Street
P.O. Box 426
Chatham, Virginia 24531
Phone:
434-432-7998
Email:
terry.whitt@pittgov.org
Hours of Operation:
The online mapping services provided by the Pittsylvania County GIS offices are available 24/7/365.
The primary role of the Pittsylvania County GIS is to provide a centralized repository for county-related geographic data sets that are extracted from legally recorded instruments. Maintained by the Commissioner of Revenue Office, the Pittsylvania County GIS encourages all users to ensure they have the latest versions of Internet Explorer (9 or later), Chrome and Firefox to provide optimal mapping results. Some of the various types of maps and overlays that can be generated using this data include topographical, streets, parcel boundaries, schools, libraries, public safety resources, zoning, voter registration, communications infrastructure, utilities and waste collection. It is important to note, though, that although the Pittsylvania County GIS office makes every effort to ensure that accuracy of the data maintained in its centralized repository, it disclaims any responsibility for such accuracy and also encourages all users to verify the data against the legally recorded documents from which they were extracted.
Founded 250 years ago, Pittsylvania County is situated in the mid-southern section of Virginia with a population of slightly more than 63,000 residents and its county seat is in Chatham. Operated and maintained by the Commissioner of Revenue, the Pittsylvania County GIS office provides geographical mapping services for its citizens, businesses, other government agencies and departments as well as all interested parties. The utility of the maps and overlays that are provided by the Pittsylvania County GIS is limited only by the imagination of the user, but it is important to verify the accuracy of the data that is used to generate these maps and overlays against the legally recorded documents from which they are obtained.