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Richmond, VA 23286-0572

Area planning board chooses site for interchange

The Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization's board will submit an Interchange Justification Report to the Virginia Department of Transportation. VDOT will review the report and determine whether to submit it to the Federal Highway Administration.

The report recommends that the interchange be built on land between the river and the Virginia Welcome Center and rest area. Ultimately, plans call for a toll road to connect to the interchange, serving as a State Route 3 bypass between I-95 and Gordon Road.

Program funds additional Richmond-Washington train

Richmond-area residents will have another option for travelling to Washington starting July 20, when a new commonwealth-funded train will begin operating. The train will leave Richmond at 7 a.m. and stop at Ashland, Fredericksburg, Quantico, Woodbridge, and Alexandria before arriving in Washington at 9:30 a.m. The return train will leave Washington's Union Station at 3:55 p.m.

The train will benefit homeowners who live near the planned stopping points, offering them another option to move around the often heavily congested Richmond-Washington corridor.

Fredericksburg, Kalahari Resorts compromise on bond fees

The Fredericksburg Economic Development Authority and Kalahari Resorts have reached a compromise on bond fees. The agreement calls for a fee on Kalahari's taxable bonds in exchange for the company agreeing to pay the standard fee on the tax-exempt issuance.

The compromise allows the Fredericksburg EDA to charge one-eighth of 1% annual fee to issue tax-exempt bonds. In return, the authority will reduce the charge on the taxable bonds.

Fredericksburg's Planning Commission recommends approval of The Haven at Celebrate Virginia

The Haven at Celebrate Virginia, a proposed 232-unit luxury apartment complex, has been granted preliminary approval from Fredericksburg's Planning Commission. The City Council now must vote on the matter.

The Planning Commission recommended The Haven be allowed to have gates restricting access to residents and guests. The city's Comprehensive Plan doesn't allow gated communities.

FAAR: Housing market improving

The Fredericksburg area housing market is showing signs of improvement. Houses are taking less time to sell -- an average of 83 days this year, in contrast to last year when homes spent an average of 121 days on the market. There is currently a 7.4-month supply of homes waiting to be sold.

Read more at the forum for the Fredericksburg Area Association of REALTORS®

Posted on Friday, April 16, 2010 - 5:02pm

With good schools and low taxes on their minds, Virginia's counties and cities are balancing budgets

Schools across the commonwealth are trimming their budgets where they can, even as they plead with county and city boards to provide more funds. Local government officials are left with the difficult task of balancing the needs of the schools -- and other departments -- with the urgent call to keep taxes low during the economic downturn.

Fredericksburg area growing, but not as quickly

The population of the Fredericksburg region is growing, but not as quicky before, according to newly released U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Stafford and Spotsylvania counties, which had been growing 6% to 8% per year, now both have annual growth rates below 2%. That still puts them on the list of the 100 fastest-growing counties in the nation.

The slower growth has in turn caused a drop in revenue to local governments, a concern for homeowners who may see taxes rise to make up for the missing funds.

The news isn't all bad, though: "It will allow us to catch up on planning and infrastructure," Stafford County Administrator Anthony Romanello said. "Previous growth happened at such a rapid rate that it was difficult for us to keep up with the pace."

School budget decisions made across the state

Counties across the state are finalizing decisions about their school budgets. Read about local outcomes below:

Proposed Richmond budget has no service cuts (The Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Hampton identifies more revenues than originally thought, could reduce budget shortfall (The Daily Press)
Roanoke County school system avoids layoffs (The Roanoke Times)
Franklin County schools budget OK'd (The Roanoke Times)
Increased enrollment co uld lessen budget blows for Appomattox schools (The Lynchburg News & Advance)
City school board set to vote on budget Tuesday (The Lynchburg News & Advance)
School budget approved (The Free-Lance Star)
Spotsy schools to gain $1 mil (The Free-Lance Star)
Will lower taxes create school crisis? (The Charlottesville Daily Progress)
Wise school board considers five options for consolidation (The Kingsport Times-News)
Hatrick hopes for funding reconsideration (Leesburg Today)

Posted on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 - 3:12pm

Unemployment remains high across Virginia

Unemployment rates in Virginia are still high -- bad news for the housing market, which has been slow and appears likely to remain so until people who want work can find it. Virginia homeowners have collectively seen billions in equity wiped out in this recession, and experts agree the market won't fully recover until jobless rate subsides. Read more below....

7,100 jobs lost in area in January (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Area unemployment rises, following yearly trend (The Staunton News Leader)
Valley unemployment rate jumps to 8.6 percent (Northern Virginia Daily)
Local jobless rate soars (The Culpeper Star-Exponent)
Region's jobless rate jumps to 8% in January (The Daily Press)
City jobless rate at 21.6 percent (Martinsville Bulletin)
City unemployment rates jumps to 2-decade high (The Charlottesville Daily Progress)

Posted on Friday, March 19, 2010 - 10:34am

School districts across the commonwealth consider their options

School boards and the officials that report to them are rolling up their sleeves in preparation for battles and tough decisions. The state budget, passed on Sunday, included $253 million in cuts to public education. School districts now must decide where those cuts will be felt.

Read more about how local districts are handling the pinch....