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Orange County court battle continues over proposed Walmart store

photo by taberandrewResidents can contest at trial Orange County's approval of a Walmart store near the site where troops led by Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant first engaged in battle 146 years ago.

A hearing in August will focus on two issues: a statute-of-limitation claim made by the county involving Orange zoning laws, and whether certain documents sought by the plaintiffs are off-limits based on attorney-client privilege.

More than 250 historians, Civil War preservationists and celebrities have taken a stand against the store.

Read more from the Associated Press....

Posted on Tuesday, July 13, 2010 - 9:05pm

New law exempts Lake of the Woods dam from unnecessary improvements

Homeowners in Lake of the Woods were smiling yesterday, when Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell signed into law a bill that allows them to leave their dam exactly as it is.

The neighborhood Homeowners Association had been battling the state for eight years over the dam's compliance with spillway volume regulations. The old regulations required Lake of the Woods to improve the spillway of its main dam so it could discharge 37 inches of precipitation in 24 hours -- a rain volume that homeowners argued has never occurred in Virginia.

The change lowers the volume of water the spillway is required to handle. The community's existing  emergency plan, insurance coverage and daily monitoring already meet the new requirements.

Read more in The Free-Lance Star....

Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 10:25am

Local governments deal with budget issues

Schools and governments statewide are dealing with declining revenues, in part due to lower property assessments. There aren't a lot of solutions available to officials -- in general, they have to raise taxes, cut services, or both.

Read more in local news outlets:

Posted on Thursday, April 8, 2010 - 8:00am

Orange County supervisors propose 6-cent property tax increase

taberandrewOrange County supervisors have decided to advertise a 6-cent increase, although they may ultimately pass a lower rate. Supervisors don't yet know how much funding the county will get from the state, and they can pass a rate less than advertised, but not higher without running a new advertisement.

County Administrator Julie Jordan's proposed budget gives the school system the same local contribution as last year, but state funding cuts have led the schools to eliminate 81.5 jobs. The county may need to provide more money for the schools.

 

Posted on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 - 10:01am

Preservation Groups File Suit to Block Walmart in Orange

Some foes of Orange county's supervisors' decision to grant a special-use permint for a Walmart Supercenter have filed suit in hopes of blocking the project, according to an article on Fredericksburg.com.

The suit has been filed by various supporters of Wilderness Battlefield including organizations and residents. Area homeowners are anxious on how this will play out, and if the box store will be coming into the county.

"Opponents of the Walmart Supercenter planned in the Wilderness battlefield area filed a legal challenge yesterday to block the project.

The lawsuit by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Friends of Wilderness Battlefield and residents of Orange and Spotsylvania counties contests the Orange supervisors' Aug. 25 decision to grant a special-use permit for a 240,000-square-foot retail development.

The 138,000-square-foot Walmart would anchor the retail center on a 51.5-acre parcel northwest of the intersection of State Routes 3 and 20 and a quarter-mile from the entrance to Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.

The legal challenge contends the Board of Supervisors' 4-1 decision was 'flawed in numerous respects.' It claims that supervisors "brushed aside" mounting concerns about the negative impacts the store would have on the battlefield and park.

Calling the Walmart project 'oversized and inappropriate,' National Trust President Richard Moe said his 250,000-member group joined the lawsuit 'to protect the Wilderness battlefield, the national park and the citizens of Orange County.

'It's our obligation to challenge big-box development on this vulnerable site, which would compound earlier land-use planning missteps and eventually would radically urbanize the rural gateway to the national park,' Moe said.'

Orange Board of Supervisors Chairman Lee Frame and Supervisor Mark Johnson said yesterday afternoon they were not aware of the lawsuit and could not comment."

Read the full story.

Posted on Thursday, September 24, 2009 - 10:40pm

Chesapeake Bay Reports Call For More Livestock, Runoff Regulations

Last week federal officials released parts of a strategy to restore the Chesapeake Bay, according to NewsDay.com.

The report focuses on expanding regulation of large-scale animal farms and municipal stormwater runoff. Although details of the expanded regulations have not been decided, the report did mention that federal leadership and "muscle" would be used when necessary to enforce the new regulations.

This report, along with others wll be used to develop a bay restoration strategy scheduled for release on Novemeber 9th.

Because many of the Virginia localities in the Chesapeake Watershed are heavily farmed areas, many Virginia property owners could be affected. Property owners will need to ensure that their rights are protected in the process of restoring the Chesapeake Bay.

"Federal officials on Thursday began revealing the building blocks of a strategy to restore the Chesapeake Bay, using federal leadership to encourage states to cut pollution and federal muscle, when necessary, to ensure it happens.

Among recommendations in draft reports from federal agencies: expanded regulation of large-scale animal farms and municipal stormwater runoff, and requirements that increases in pollution be offset by reductions from other sources.

The details, such as how many more animal feeding operations would be regulated, have not been decided, but 'the message here is that there will be, there is a commitment at EPA to increased enforcement and increased oversight of state programs,' EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said Thursday.

The reports will be used to develop a bay restoration strategy, scheduled for release Nov. 9, that was mandated by an executive order issued earlier this year by President Obama.

The EPA said it was working with Chesapeake Bay states and the District of Columbia to establish limits for nitrogen, phosphorus and sediments. States would have to develop detailed plans on how to reduce levels of those pollutants from sources such as farms, highways and lawns. The EPA said it would step in if states don't take sufficient action.

While large operations such as industrial chicken farms would be regulated, the EPA said it would also expand regulation of municipal stormwater programs to include high-growth areas.

Jackson said the goal was to use federal leadership, and 'federal muscle when necessary.'

Agriculture is responsible for about half the pollution entering the bay, but Jackson noted there is more turf grass in the bay watershed than corn acreage and the region is much different from when bay restoration efforts began decades ago."

Read full story.

Posted on Monday, September 14, 2009 - 10:50am

Land Near Montpelier Protected for Future Generations' Enjoyment

More than 700 acres at James Madison's Montpelier protected with conservation easements, according to the Freelance-Star.

The easements will protect a Civil War encampment, the home of one of James Madison's former slaves, George Gilmore, water quality in local streams, the forested backdrop to the Montpelier mansion, and the surrounding countryside.

Not only will these easements protect the land that residents and visitors enjoy, but is an investment into the area's tourism. The beautiful historic attraction has about 100,000 visitors each year.

"Some of western Orange County's prettiest landscape has just been set aside for future generations to enjoy.

Private groups and the State of Virginia are permanently protecting more than a square mile of historic property--on several different parcels--around Montpelier, home of President James Madison and his wife, Dolley.

In a public-private partnership, the Piedmont Environmental Council, the Virginia Outdoors Foundation and the state Department of Historic Resources worked together to buy conservation easements on four parts of Montpelier from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and The Montpelier Foundation. They total more than 700 acres.

PEC President Chris Miller said the council was 'thrilled to work with [Montpelier and the trust] to protect this critical historic resource.'

Miller noted that Montpelier inspired Madison and his thinking about the U.S. Constitution, which he crafted, and the future of the new nation. The estate is the heart of the Madison-Barbour Rural Historic District and part of the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area. The historic site draws more than 100,000 visitors each year."

Read full story.

Posted on Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 2:41pm

After Burning the Midnight Oil, Orange County Votes Yes to Walmart

Over 400 people attended the public hearing in Orange County last night in which the Board of Supervisors voted to grant a special permit allowing a Walmart Supercenter to be built near Wilderness Battlefield.

Nearly 100 residents voiced their opinion and concerns during the meeting that lasted until after midnight. According to the Freelance Star, the majority of those speakers were in favor of the retail giant, stating that it would be good for the county by brining in jobs, tax revenue and a convenient place to shop. All of these reasons are good news for homeowners who should know that such improvements will help to increase property values.

"Local officials early Tuesday approved a Walmart Supercenter near one of the nation's most important Civil War battlefields, a proposal that had stirred opposition by preservationists and hundreds of historians.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to grant the special permit to the world's biggest retailer after a majority of more than 100 speakers said they favored bringing the Walmart to Locust Grove, within a cannonball's shot from the Wilderness Battlefield.

Historians and Civil War buffs are fearful the Walmart store will draw traffic and more commerce to an area within the historic boundaries of the Wilderness, where generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee first met in battle 145 years ago and where 145,000 Union and Confederate soldiers fought and more than 29,000 were killed or injured. One-fourth of the Wilderness is protected.

But they could not sway supervisors, who said they didn't see the threat."

Read full story.

Posted on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 - 12:26pm

Final Walmart Hearing Set for Tonight in Orange County

Tonight Orange County residents will have their last opportunity to voice their opinion about a proposed Walmart Supercenter being built near the intersection of state Routes 3 and 20 in eastern Orange County. The site is across the street from a sign welcoming visitors to the Wilderness, a Civil War battlefield where Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant squared off for the first time near the end of the war.

There’s some debate about the actual store site, with some historians and preservationists arguing that it was part of the battlefield. Others say it wasn’t.

The area has been zoned for commercial development since the 1970s, and there is already a scattering of stores there. But the size of the Walmart exceeds the maximum allowed, so a special-use permit is necessary.

Homeowners are encouraged to attend tonight's hearing to receive more information on how the superstore will impact local economy and encourage the Board of Supervisors to make a decision that will postively impace quality of living and property values.

"The Orange County Board of Supervisors will hold its final public hearing on a proposed Walmart on Monday at 6 p.m. in the auditorium of the county high school.

The board probably will decide on an application for a special-use permit to allow construction of the 138,000-square-foot store, though a vote could be pushed back to Tuesday if the hearing goes late."

Read full story.

Posted on Monday, August 24, 2009 - 4:04pm

Public Hearing Tomorrow Night for Orange County Residents to Talk about Walmart

The debate over Walmart coming to Orange County will be the topic of conversation over the next week at various public hearings, according to Fredericksburg.com.

Walmart has been in talks with Orange County officials about bringing a 138,000-square-foot store to the county near the Route 3/20 area. It is predicted that the store will bring over 600 jobs to the area and $800,000 a year in tax revenue to the rural county once the store is in operation.

However, many residents and historic preservationists oppose the site saying the new store and the increase in traffic would diminish the Wilderness Battlefield, a Civil War battlefield.

Walmart has been unwilling to find another location nearby saying that this is the only site that fits the criteria for commercial zoning, size and traffic access.

The Planning Commission hopes to vote tomorrow night, however, if more time is needed a second meeting is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. in the county administration building.

County Supervisiors will hold their public hearing at 6 p.m. Monday in the high school auditorium and will hold a regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday night.

Homeowners are encouraged to attend these meetings and participate in conversations about the effect a big-box store and its traffic could have on the county's tourism resulted from the battlefield, and also how the development could affect their property values. Typically the addition of amenities increases home values due to the convenience of running errands and receiving services. However, the addition of big-box stores such as Walmart is a hotly debated topic in many rural areas across the country. It is best in these situations for local leaders and residents to work towards community development projects that bring economic growth to the county, enhance quality of living and protect property values.

"The Orange County Planning Commission is once again ready to listen to public comment on plans to build a Wal-Mart Supercenter in the Wilderness Battlefield area.

A public hearing is scheduled at 7 p.m. tomorrow in the Orange County High School auditorium."

Supervisors will hold their public hearing at 6 p.m. Monday in the high school auditorium and will hold a regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday night.

Read full story.

Posted on Wednesday, August 19, 2009 - 12:15pm