This week in county government; Supervisors approve LA Resort rezoning, purchase of WWTF; County gets $11.59 million grant for Shannon Hill Biz Park; Campaign finance report roundup
This week in county government; Supervisors approve LA Resort rezoning, purchase of WWTF; County gets $11.59 million grant for Shannon Hill Biz Park; Campaign finance report roundup
Engage Louisa is a community newsletter aimed at keeping folks informed about Louisa County government. It’s free, non-partisan, and powered by volunteers. We believe our community is stronger and our government serves us better when we increase transparency, accessibility, and engagement.
This week in county government: public meetings, Jan. 23 through Jan. 28
For the latest information on county meetings including public meetings of boards, commissions, authorities, work groups, and internal county committees, click here. (Note: Louisa County frequently schedules internal committee/work group meetings after publication time. Check the county’s website for the most updated information).
Wednesday, January 25
Agricultural/Forestal and Rural Preservation Committee, Public Meeting Room, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 7 pm. At publication time, an agenda was not publicly available.
Lake Anna Advisory Committee, 1182 Government Center Drive, Orange, 7 pm. At publication time, an agenda was not publicly available.
Additional information about Louisa County’s upcoming public meetings is available here.
Interested in taking your talents to one of the county’s numerous boards and commissions? Find out more here including which boards have vacancies and how to apply.
Supervisors approve controversial rezoning at Lake Anna
The Louisa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted 6-1 to approve a controversial rezoning at Lake Anna that clears the way for a mixed-use development just west of the Route 208 bridge. (meeting materials, video)
During a nearly four-hour meeting, supervisors green-lighted LA Resort, LLC’s request to rezone, from commercial to Planned Unit Development, 15.27 acres (tmp 30-3A, part of 30-3) on the south side of Route 208 fronting Mitchell Creek. The developers plan to build an up to 96-unit residential condominium building, a 130-key hotel, restaurant, and marina on a forested property that, despite its prime location, hasn’t been developed since the lake’s construction in the early 1970s.
Supervisors also approved a Conditional Use Permit, allowing the residential condo building to reach 80 feet high, 20 feet taller than what’s permitted for multi-family residential structures in a PUD but equal to what’s allowed for hotels. Cuckoo District Supervisor Willie Gentry was the only board member to vote against LAR’s requests.
Neighbors and other Lake Anna residents packed the meeting to oppose the rezoning. Twenty-seven people spoke during the public hearing with all but two either explicitly opposing the proposal or expressing concerns.
Opponents reiterated issues raised at previous public meetings, arguing that the development would overwhelm local infrastructure, harm the environment, and spoil the community’s rural character. They criticized the size of the proposed condo building and the noise and light pollution they fear it would bring to Mitchell Creek, wondered how the area would handle increased car and boat traffic, and said the PUD, as one critic put it, is “grossly out of character with Louisa County.“
Many community members urged supervisors to keep the property’s current zoning intact, saying that they welcome hotels and restaurants, but not a high-rise residential condo building that would squeeze hundreds more people onto the lake’s shore. But the groundswell of resistance didn’t sway most board members.
Condo-hotel vs. PUD
Before voting to support the rezoning, several supervisors said that they listened to and understood neighbors’ concerns, but the rezoning made sense, in part, because of what the developers could do on the commercially-zoned property by-right, meaning without board approval.
Mike Grossman, one of the project’s lead developers, told the board that if LAR didn’t win approval for its PUD, his team would likely revert to their back-up plan: a 150-unit condo-hotel. He said the property, which would offer condos for sale but require them to be rented at least periodically, would include an 80-foot-tall building, a boat ramp, and resort amenities.
Grossman framed the PUD as a better fit for the neighborhood, describing it as a “high-quality development,” offering maintenance-free lakeside living combined with a hotel and restaurant that produce tax revenue and jobs. He noted that the residential condos could sell for $600 to $700 per square foot, a higher price point than the condo-hotel units, which would be cheaper and “highly-transient” because of their regular use as rentals. Grossman added that, in the PUD, the hotel would be farther from the lake and the development would generate less light and noise.
Mineral District Supervisor Duane Adams, who represents the area, said that he didn’t like the condo-hotel concept and would prefer the PUD, which requires board approval and opens the door for community input.
“The question that it comes down to for me is what type of development goes on that 15 acres and do you as a community and do we as a board have any input,” Adams said. “By right, you don’t have any input. We don’t have any input. With a PUD, we’ve had a lot of input.”
Adams pointed to several decisions the developers made, prior to and during the public rezoning process, in response to community concerns. Those include barring condo owners from renting their units for less than a seven-day period, excluding a boat ramp from the property and instead only including boathouses with mechanical lifts, and, in a last-minute revision, adding specific language to its proffers to limit light pollution.
Specifically, the development’s proffers require that the residential condo building’s balconies have a depth of at least six feet and include only flush-mounted ceiling light fixtures. The proffers also bar the use of backlit signs facing the lake. Grossman said that these measures, combined with the use of dark-sky compliant lighting and other requirements, would significantly cut down on light reflecting off the lake.
A performance bond and million-dollar proffer
While some board members focused on the condo-hotel versus PUD framework, Jackson District Supervisor Toni Williams homed in on another issue that sparked significant debate over the last several months: what guarantees does the county have that the lucrative commercial development that LAR promises will materialize?
When the Planning Commission considered the rezoning at its October meeting, several commissioners worried that LAR might only complete the residential building, leaving the county without the tax revenue projected from the commercial component. An economic impact study estimated that the county would net, over and above its expenses, about $205,000 per year from the development with some of that coming from lodging and meals taxes.
The study factored in the county’s potential purchase and upgrade of a privately-owned wastewater treatment plant to serve the complex and future commercial development along Route 208. LAR agreed to chip in $1 million toward the upgrade, a proffered condition of its rezoning request. Commissioners and community members said that the county’s purchase and upgrade of the plant would make it more dependent on the anticipated revenue. Supervisors agreed to buy the plant for $90,000 in a separate action Tuesday night and the county could spend between $7.5 and $11 million to improve and expand it, according to Economic Development Director Andy Wade. (See article below).
To allay concerns about the PUD’s commercial activity failing to come to fruition, LAR tacked on a new proffer, agreeing to post a $2 million performance bond that the county could call if an occupancy permit for the hotel isn’t issued within five years of the condo building’s completion. In late November, LAR also agreed to a proffer acknowledging that the county would withhold occupancy permits for the condo building until it approves site plans for the hotel and restaurant.
Grossman said that LAR intends to build the project in one phase but acknowledged that it could take longer for a hotelier to locate there. He said the proffers and development plan should give the county confidence to green-light the PUD.
“We believe, collectively, these incentives and actions should provide the county confidence that the commercial components of our proposal will be built in a timely manner and, if not, the confidence the county will be reimbursed for the portion of the wastewater treatment costs, which support the commercial parts of the PUD,” he said.
Williams agreed.
“They’re willing to take a $2 million punishment if they don’t get a hotel vendor in a reasonable time period,” he said.
Keeping with the Comp Plan
The property’s relationship to the County’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan also factored into supervisors’ decision.
Adams and Louisa District Supervisor Eric Purcell pointed out that the property is targeted for mixed-use development in the plan and situated in one of the county’s eight designated growth areas.
In response to criticism that the board is ignoring the plan’s chief goal—to maintain the community’s rural character—Adams pointed out that supervisors shrunk the Lake Anna Growth Area by 70 percent when updating the plan four years ago in favor of denser growth in strategic locations that generates tax revenue and protects the county from uncontrolled development.
“There is a method to that Comp Plan to put the growth in a smaller area,” he said.
Purcell agreed.
“It’s understood that keeping a county rural can be a very pricey endeavor from a tax perspective if you don’t get some help from businesses,” he said. “We have to be cognizant of where we grow and where it makes sense to grow.”
Adams added that he’s heard residents say that one PUD with a residential condo building on the lake’s shore would open the door for more high-density development. But, he said, those fears are unfounded as the county’s current zoning and vision for future growth aim to prevent it.
“This is a rezoning on a commercial piece of property. if you look at the rest of the lake on the Louisa side from (the 208 bridge) to Tim’s, there is one more commercial (lakefront) lot,” he said. “If this conversation was rezoning this from A-1 or A-2 or R-1 or R-2 to commercial or PUD, that wouldn’t have (lasted long).”
Community members speak out
But supervisors’ rationale didn’t seem to satisfy most attendees, some of whom weighed in during the public hearing to plead with board members to reach a different conclusion.
Several speakers told the board that the property has been zoned commercial for decades and, precisely because of its prime location, should be used to bulk up the tax base and provide services not ceded for residential development.
“(if you approve the PUD), what you will have done is taken the most valuable piece of commercial property on Lake Anna in the northern part of Louisa County and converted it into residential,” Mitchell Creek resident Claude Owen said, calling the performance bond “peanuts” and insisting it offered little assurance that the PUD would materialize as presented.
Residents also argued that the community isn’t prepared for LAR’s proposal, pointing out that the area currently lacks public utilities and is served by curvy rural roads that are growing increasingly dangerous.
Mitchell Creek resident Bernie McDermott said the development is “too massive for rural Louisa,” bemoaning its potential impact on and off the lake.
“The narrow winding 208 road right now is inadequate and unsafe. The narrow Mitchell Creek waterway is a bottleneck right now. The (PUD) will only increase the number of vehicles and boats, making things worse and more dangerous,” he said.
Robert McGhee, who lives along Route 208, agreed. He contended that the road hasn’t changed much in 100 years and the growth sprouting up around it has made it clogged and perilous. McGhee argued that the 208 corridor may be a designated growth area, but it’s ill-prepared for it, lacking water, sewer, high-speed internet, and other services.
“Until that stuff is in place, let’s wait for the development,” he said.
Larry Zemke, president of the Windwood Coves Property Owners Association, reminded the board that many residents around the 208 corridor draw their water from private wells and warned that the county doesn’t know how much water is available in the aquifer that feeds them. He urged the board to perform a hydrological survey before moving forward with the PUD, noting that the development could use millions of gallons of water annually.
“I want pure water and so do all these people,” he said, motioning to the crowd.
Several speakers said that they aren’t opposed to growth, but it should be carefully controlled, keeping in mind the county’s rural character.
“We moved here for the rural nature of Louisa County. Your (Comp Plan) calls for it to remain a rural county. This does not fit the definition of a rural county nor does it need to be the massive development that it is,” Mitchell Creek resident Cathy Kern said.
Some residents focused on the Conditional Use Permit, urging the board to deny that part of LAR’s request. Several argued that an 80-foot-tall condo building doesn’t belong on the lake’s edge and isn’t in keeping with the character of the neighborhood.
Greg Baker, president of the Lake Anna Civic Association, described the organization as “an environmental advocacy group” and “not a NIMBY organization.” He said the group wouldn’t take a position for or against the PUD, but it does oppose the CUP, saying that a 60-foot-high building would make the development “less intrusive.”
Several community members said they’re worried about the development’s impact on the environment and the lake’s water quality.
Pat Kemp, a Mineral District resident, said she’s concerned about runoff exacerbating the Harmful Algal Blooms that have plagued the lake’s upper reaches in recent years. The blooms prompted the Virginia Department of Health to issue no swim advisories for parts of the lake in each of the last five summers and, earlier this year, landed it on DEQ’s list of impaired waterways.
“Please consider the health of the lake because that’s why everybody comes here,” Kemp said.
Grossman responded to some of the issues raised during the public hearing.
With respect to the development’s impact on the health of the lake, he said LAR would use low impact development techniques that “allow natural systems to manage stormwater, taking advantage of existing natural features and designs,” implement a shoreline management plan to mitigate pollutants entering the lake, and work closely with DEQ in developing a robust stormwater management plan.
Grossman said that building the condo building to 80 feet high is critical to the overall site plan, contending that density is required for “economic feasibility.” He added that the hotel, which would sit off the lake’s shore, and condo building would be roughly the same height—hotels are already permitted to reach 80 feet—and building up instead of out allows more room for landscaping and open space. Based on Louisa County’s rules for Planned Unit Development, he noted, LAR’s plan includes 30 percent fewer units than what’s permitted.
Grossman told supervisors that if they rejected the CUP, LAR wouldn’t move forward with the Planned Unit Development. That prompted Williams to suggest that supervisors vote on the rezoning and CUP together. Patrick Henry District Supervisor Fitzgerald Barnes motioned to approve the measures.
Supervisors also voted 6-1 to approve a modification to design and architectural standards that allows the developers to use high-quality composite siding instead of the county’s recommended materials.
LA Resort, LLC’s PUD by the numbers
An up to 80-foot tall, 255,714-square foot residential condominium building including a minimum of 72 units and a maximum of 96 units.
An up to 80-foot tall, 131,250-square foot hotel including a minimum of 80 keys and a maximum of 130 keys. The hotel could include a rooftop restaurant.
10,200 square feet of commercial space including a restaurant/bar and ancillary retail.
Up to 62,560 square feet of overwater structure fronting Mitchell Creek including four boat houses with mechanical lifts and 129 boat slips (83 covered and 46 uncovered). The slips would accommodate condo owners and hotel and restaurant patrons. (Subject to Dominion Energy approval).
Board opts to buy Lake Anna WWTF
Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday night to buy a troubled wastewater treatment plant at Lake Anna with an eye toward upgrading it to support future economic development along Route 208.
The county will pay Lake Anna Environmental Services $90,000 for the facility, which sits on about 2.5 acres just off 208 (tmp 18 1 1B and 18 1 1A) and currently provides wastewater service to Lake Anna Plaza and adjoining townhomes.
Several county officials have said that their goals for the plant are two-fold: to provide public wastewater infrastructure for future commercial development along the 208 corridor, an area targeted for growth in the county’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan, and, in the process, better protect the health of lake. Under LAES ownership, the plant, which discharges its treated effluent into the lake, has been repeatedly cited for violations by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
“(Commercial property on Route 208) is going to be developed. That area is either going to be developed on private septic systems that are going to depend on developers and commercial property owners or it’s going to be developed on a wastewater treatment facility that is operated by the municipal government that’s held to the highest standards for wastewater treatment of anybody around,” said Mineral District Supervisor Duane Adams, who represents the area. “(This acquisition) is facilitating responsible infrastructure for commercial development that we all know is going to come.”
To support that development, the county is considering two upgrade options for the plant, Economic Development Director Andy Wade told the Planning Commission earlier this month. For about $7.5 million, the county could upgrade the facility from its current capacity to handle 20,000 gallons of wastewater per day to its permitted 99,000-gallon per day capacity. For about $11 million, the plant could be expanded to discharge 300,000 gallons of wastewater daily. County Administrator Christian Goodwin submitted a $7.5 million request for upgrades at the facility as part of the county’s preliminary Capital Improvement Plan for FY24.
While some community members have expressed support for the county acquiring and improving the facility—the Windwood Coves Property Owners Association submitted a letter to the board in 2021 in favor of the acquisition—the county’s proposal has turned controversial in recent months largely because of its connection to LA Resort, LLC’s plans to build a mixed-use development across the street that would connect to the infrastructure.
Despite loud opposition from neighbors, supervisors approved LAR’s request to rezone 15.2 on the south side of Route 208 for a Planned Unit Development in a separate action Tuesday night. As a proffered condition of the rezoning, LAR agreed to pay $1 million toward the facility’s upgrade and $250,000 in connection fees. LAR needs the county to purchase and upgrade the plant to support the PUD though it does have a private drain field approved on-site for a scaled-down, commercial-only site plan.
The county’s acquisition of the plant emerged as a point of contention during the rezoning with opponents arguing that buying the plant is a subsidy for wealthy developers and a risky deal for taxpayers. They questioned whether revenue from commercial development would materialize to pay for the plant and argued it’s unwise for the county to acquire an asset that’s out of compliance with state regulations.
Seven community members weighed in on the acquisition during the meeting’s public comment period with several reiterating those concerns.
But Greg Baker, president of the Lake Anna Civic Association, took a somewhat different view. He agreed that the plant has problems but said he’s open to the county stepping in to fix them.
“This privately-owned facility is wrought with issues…what’s there now is certainly broken,” Baker said. “I do hope if you vote to take over this facility you will make the necessary investments to bring this up to a standard that does not release excessive nutrients into the lake and is not something we are worried about failing.”
But Baker cautioned supervisors against expanding the plant beyond its permitted capacity. He said that LACA worked closely with DEQ to ensure that the facility wouldn’t add excess nutrients to the lake when the agency permitted it to discharge 99,000 gallons of wastewater daily. The organization opposes its expansion beyond the current limit, he said, citing concerns about the Harmful Algal Blooms that have plagued the lake north of the Route 208 bridge.
“We already have a Harmful Algae Bloom problem at Lake Anna. Harmful Algae Blooms are caused by excessive nutrients like phosphorous and nitrogen. Well, guess what comes out of wastewater treatment facilities? Nitrogen and phosphorus. So, we are very concerned about the concept of any future expansion beyond what DEQ has already approved at 99,000 gallons,” he said.
Before motioning to buy the facility, Jackson District Supervisor Toni Williams, one of the board’s most fiscally conservative members, said that most of the opposition to the facility’s acquisition relates to the rezoning not the plant itself. He said that the county’s investment would fix the issues that neighbors are complaining about, noting the current owner’s financial struggles and inability to abide by state rules. Williams also insisted that the county isn’t sure how much they’ll spend on the plant beyond fixing its current issues.
“This is a solution to a problem and, if there was not a resort tied to this, there would be no discussion. You’d be cheering not going boo,” he said. “We are fixing an existing problem that is putting pollutants into the lake.”
After agreeing to buy the plant and approving LA Resort’s rezoning, supervisors green-lighted a revised Memorandum of Understanding with LAR that obligates the developer to pay $1 million towards the plant’s upgrade. In the MOU, the county agrees to upgrade the facility to at least its permitted capacity.
Other business:
VDOT easements: Supervisors voted unanimously to grant the Virginia Department of Transportation both a temporary construction easement and a permanent drainage easement on a 1.51-acre parcel (tmp 16-57) just north of Wares Crossroads. The property, located at 5239 Zachary Taylor Highway (Route 522), is home to one of the county’s refuse and recycling centers.
VDOT is acquiring easements around the intersection of Routes 522 and 208—one of the county’s most dangerous sections of roadway—for construction of a roundabout, a project selected for state funding in 2017. The county’s easements will cover about a third of an acre and allow for installation of a pipe and construction of a stormwater management system. VDOT agreed to pay $65,000 for the property.
Voting district amendment: Supervisors held a public hearing and unanimously approved an amendment to county code that updates the description of the Mountain Road Voting District. The amendment incorporates language into code that reflects a Boundary Line Agreement approved by Louisa and Goochland counties late last year. The agreement corrects longstanding anomalies along their shared border.
Shannon Hill Biz Park gets $11.59 mil state grant
Louisa County will receive $11.59 million in state grant funding for site development at the Shannon Hill Regional Business Park, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced last week.
The money is part of $90 million in grants doled out by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership’s Business Ready Sites Program for site prep and development at 21 business and industrial parks across the commonwealth. The grants are aimed at putting infrastructure in place to enhance Virginia’s ability to attract manufacturers, distribution centers, and other large-scale economic development projects.
“The leading priority of the Virginia Business Ready Sites Program is to increase our project-ready sites portfolio across the Commonwealth, and this unprecedented site development funding is an important step forward in strengthening Virginia’s infrastructure. Prepared sites drive economic growth, and we have to move faster to attract new businesses,” Youngkin said in a press release.
Louisa County plans to use the money to bring water and sewer infrastructure to the Shannon Hill site, according to Economic Development Director Andy Wade. Wade requested $27.5 million in the county’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget to complete the project. The grant will cover about 42 percent of its cost.
County officials began developing the Shannon Hill site in 2019 with an eye toward taking advantage of its strategic location along Interstate 64 to diversify the county’s tax base and attract large employers. The site covers 700 acres, about 448 of which are contiguous, just north of the interstate in south-central Louisa County.
While the site has attracted some interest, according to county leaders, those businesses opted to locate elsewhere, citing a lack of readily available infrastructure. But officials say support from the state will enhance the park’s ability to land its first tenant.
“This grant represents a tremendous boost in a project that’s critical to our local economy. When businesses look to expand and develop, utility availability is one of the first criteria they use to evaluate sites. Shannon Hill is strategically located and the county has missed several opportunities which would have otherwise chosen the park if utilities were in place. This grant will allow us to move forward with critical efforts to diversify the local economy and create jobs that keep our citizens here in Louisa,” Louisa County Board of Supervisors Chair Duane Adams said in an email.
The latest round of VEDP grants are part of a larger effort by the Youngkin administration to beef up investment in business-ready sites that cover more than 100 contiguous acres east of the Blue Ridge Mountains or 50 acres in the western part of the state. Virginia currently has a limited supply of shovel-ready sites available for large-scale economic development projects, according to state officials. The biennial state budget approved last June included $150 million for site development and Youngkin is asking for $350 million more in a proposed budget amendment.
Fundraising roundup: Who’s funding the candidates
The Virginia Department of Elections last week released campaign finance reports for the second half of 2022 that provide a window into some hotly contested state legislative races.
All 140 seats in the General Assembly—40 in the state Senate and 100 in the House of Delegates—are up for grabs in redrawn districts this November thanks to the once-a-decade redistricting process. The new maps have shaken up the local political landscape, splitting Louisa County into two new House and Senate districts and setting up several intriguing nominating contests this spring ahead of a fall general election that will determine which party controls the legislature’s two narrowly-divided chambers. Democrats currently hold a 22-18 advantage in the Senate while Republicans hold a 52-48 majority in the House.
Here’s a look at fundraising for candidates who have either formally filed or are expected to run in the 10th and 11th Senate District and the 55th and 59th House Districts, each of which cover parts of Louisa County.
Adams leads money race in SD10 with more than $215k cash on hand: The battle for the Republican nomination in the new 10th state Senate District, a ruby red district with no sitting incumbent, has four contenders, two of whom have deep political ties in Louisa County.
The candidates include Louisa Board of Supervisors Chair Duane Adams, Delegate John McGuire, Hanover County GOP Chair Jack Dyer, and Powhatan resident Sandy Brindley. Adams has represented the Mineral District on the Board of Supervisors since 2018 while McGuire, a Goochland resident, currently represents the county in his 56th District House of Delegates seat. McGuire’s brother, Rusty, has served as Louisa’s Commonwealth’s Attorney for more than a decade. Tenth District Republicans will choose their nominee at a May 6 convention in Buckingham County.
After launching his campaign in December 2021, Adams got off to a hot fundraising start in early 2022. And he continued to pad his campaign coffers during the latest filing period, raising $68,717 off 69 donations while spending just $20,260. Heading into the final months of the campaign, Adams has $215,742 in the bank to lead the money race.
For his part, McGuire ramped up his fundraising after a modest haul in the first half of the year, raising $78,325 from 235 contributions but spending $80,909. As of December 31, he had just $38,448 cash on hand.
As a sitting member of the House of Delegates, McGuire is barred from raising money during the 46-day legislative session, which spans from mid-January to late February, leaving him just over two months to fundraise before the convention.
After Adams, Dyer has the second most cash on hand with $179,502 in the bank. He raised $71,205 from 166 contributions during the filing period and spent $44,687. To bulk up his campaign coffers, Dyer made a $100,000 personal loan to his campaign last May.
Brindley pulled in just $8,625 from four contributions during the filing period with $8,000 of that coming from a personal loan. She spent $8,274 and, as of Dec. 31, had just $350 cash on hand.
Louisa County residents and those with ties to the area have fueled much of Adams’ fundraising success. That trend continued during the last filing period. Adams received $10,000 from RP20 Cutalong Consolidated, LLC, the Utah-based developer behind the Cutalong community on Lake Anna, $6,000 from Midlothian businessman and Louisa native Harold “Hal” Purcell, via Mount Hill Investments, LLC, and $5,500 from Lake Anna realtor Gary Griffith, his largest cash gifts. Purcell is Adams’ top donor, contributing $31,000 since last June while Cutalong is his second biggest contributor, chipping in $20,000 since last April.
Adams’ fourth largest gift in the last six months came from Prince William County developer Mike Garcia, who contributed $5,000 in late December. Garcia’s firm, LA Resort, LLC, recently won Board of Supervisors approval to build a mixed-use development on Lake Anna that sparked staunch opposition from neighbors.
Some opponents called for Adams to recuse himself from voting on the rezoning because of the developers’ previous donations to his campaign. Virginia’s conflict of interest laws don’t require elected officials to abstain from voting on issues involving campaign contributors nor do they require disclosure of donations at public meetings. Campaign finance rules obligate candidates for county and state office to publicly disclose and itemize contributions exceeding $100 in periodic filings with the Virginia Department of Elections.
Adams declined to recuse himself from voting on the application, saying that political contributions have never impacted any of his votes and wouldn’t in the future. Supervisors approved LAR’s rezoning last week in a 6-1 vote with Adams supporting the measure.
LA Resort, LLC also chipped in $1,500 to Adams’ campaign last October. In total, the firm and its lead developers—Garcia and Prince William County resident Mike Grossman—have contributed $8,500 since March 2022.
McGuire drew his top donations from Goochland retiree Robert Ransom, Jr., who chipped in $10,000, Suffolk grocer William Overton, who contributed $5,505, and Crozier car dealer Lawrence Page, who gave $5,000.
Dyer’s largest gifts came from Henrico contractor Daniel Walker and Gulf Seaboard General Contractors. Both chipped in $5,000. Brindley received $500 from Glen Allen accountant Teresa Jordan, her largest donor.
Last week, Powhatan resident Jacob Boykin declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the 10th. So far, he’s the only Democrat to enter the race. Boykin said on Twitter that he’s the youngest candidate to ever run for a Virginia Senate seat.
The 10th state Senate District includes most of Louisa and western Hanover and stretches south encompassing all of Fluvanna, Goochland, Powhatan, Buckingham, Cumberland, Appomattox, and Amelia counties and part of Prince Edward.
Check out campaign finance reports for SD10 candidates here.
Deeds, Hudson pull in big money in SD11: In a much-anticipated Democratic primary in the solid blue 11th state Senate District, Senator Creigh Deeds and Delegate Sally Hudson both posted solid fundraising numbers.
Deeds, who currently represents more than 65 percent of the district’s voters in his 25th Senate District seat, raised $230,693 from 361 donations in the second half of 2022. He spent $37,736 and ended the filing period with $293,131 cash on hand. Deeds’ largest gifts came from the Virginia Trial Lawyers Political Action Committee and Vienna investor Edward Hart Rice, who gave $10,000 each.
After announcing her candidacy in late November, Hudson, who represents the City of Charlottesville and parts of Albemarle County in the House of Delegates, pulled in $184,167 off 174 contributions in just over a month on the campaign trail. She spent $34,465 and ended the year with $149,701 in the bank. Charlottesville attorney and mega-donor Sonjia Smith was Hudson’s top contributor, gifting $49,354 in cash and in-kind contributions. Charlottesville artist and activist Kay Slaughter donated $25,000.
Earlier this month, Republican Philip Hamilton and Independent J’riah Guerrero filed paperwork to seek the seat. Hamilton, who challenged Hudson for House of Delegates in 2021, filed a fundraising report for his House campaign committee. He raised $7,019 from two donations in the latter half of 2022 with $4,150 of that coming from Majority Strategies, an Ohio political consulting firm. He spent $7,019 and ended the year with no money in the bank. Guerrero, chair of Charlottesville’s Economic Development Authority, didn’t file a report
The 11th state Senate District includes the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle, Nelson and Amherst counties and part of western Louisa. Democrats will choose their nominee in a June 20 primary.
Check out campaign finance reports for SD11 candidates here.
Fowler leads money race in HD59: Three men are vying for the Republican nomination in the new 59th House of Delegates District: Delegate Buddy Fowler, who currently represents about 42 percent of the district’s voters in his 55th District House seat; Former Louisa Republican Committee Chair Graven Craig; and Henrico attorney Philip Srother.
Fowler, who hasn’t formally filed paperwork to run in the district but has said he plans to seek a sixth term in Richmond, led the field in fundraising, garnering $43,900 off 79 contributions in the second half of 2022. He spent $32,742 and ended the filing period with $52,716 in the bank. The Homebuilders Association of Virginia-Richmond and the Homebuilders Association of Virginia were Fowler’s largest contributors, donating $2,500 and $2,000, respectively.
Craig, who didn’t launch his campaign until early December, took in $35,950 off eight contributions, spent $11,774, and ended the year with $24,176 cash on hand. Craig’s Louisa law firm, Craig Williams PLC, loaned his campaign $25,000. His largest cash gift came from McCue-Harris Tract, LLC, an entity registered to Louisa businessman David Purcell.
Strother raised $17,640 from 65 contributions. He spent $16,654 and ended the year with just $986 in the bank. Richmond resident Buford Blevins III and Valley View Farm were Strother’s top donors, contributing $2,500 each.
Rachel Levy, an Ashland educator, is the only Democrat currently in the race. She raised $17,806 from 129 donations. She spent $1,971 and ended the year with $17,338 in the bank. Clean Virginia was her top donor, chipping in $5,000
The 59th House of Delegates District includes most of Louisa, western Hanover, and a slice of Henrico. Republicans will choose their nominee in a June 20 primary.
Check out campaign finance reports for HD59 candidates here.
Laufer, Squire and Bell post solid fundraising numbers in HD55: Two Democrats are battling for their party’s nomination in the new 55th House of Delegates District: former Charlottesville School Board Chair Amy Laufer and ER nurse Kellen Squire. The blue-leaning district is considered a must-win in the party’s effort to regain control of the General Assembly’s lower chamber.
Laufer raised $59,525 off 319 contributions in the last half of 2022. She spent $31,069 and ended the year with $88,761 in the bank. Laufer’s largest gift came from Charlottesville mega-donor Sonjia Smith, who contributed $5,000 to both her and Squire’s campaign. Crozet developer Barbara Fried and Charlottesville resident Jody Hesler contributed $2,500 each.
Squire took in $63,107 from 806 contributions and spent $46,754, ending the filing period with $45,187 cash on hand. Smith and Clean Virginia, a political action committee bankrolled by her husband, Michael Bills, were Squire’s largest cash contributors, giving $5,000 each. Clean Virginia contributed $5,000 to Laufer’s campaign in the first half of 2022.
Republican Rob Bell, who lives in the district and currently represents nearly 40 percent of its voters in his 58th District House seat, could complicate Democrats’ plans to flip the district if he decides to seek re-election. A formidable fundraiser and popular incumbent, Bell hasn’t formally filed to run or publicly announced his candidacy.
But he did raise $85,055 from 88 contributions and spend $25,822 during the filing period, ending the year with $132,434 cash on hand to lead the field. Paul Manning and Ted Weschler, a pair of deep-pocketed Charlottesville businessmen, were Bell’s top donors, chipping in $10,000 each.
The 55th House of Delegates District includes most of Albemarle County, part of western Louisa and northern Nelson, and a small sliver of Fluvanna.
Check out campaign finance reports for HD55 candidates here.
Click here for contact information for the Louisa County Board of Supervisors.
Find agendas and minutes from previous Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission meetings as well as archived recordings here.
Click here for contact information for the Louisa County School Board.
Click here for minutes and agendas for School Board meetings.
Click here to access past editions of Engage Louisa.