Board to consider storage facility near Lake Anna; Supervisors to talk solar, TOD; 522-208 intersection transitioning to roundabout configuration this week
Engage Louisa is a nonpartisan newsletter that keeps folks informed about Louisa County government. 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, May 20 through May 25
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 occasionally schedules internal committee/work group meetings after publication time. Check the county’s website for the most updated information).
Monday, May 20
Louisa County Board of Supervisors, Public Meeting Room, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 6 pm. (agenda packet, livestream) The board will convene in closed session at 5 pm.
Tuesday, May 21
Board of Supervisors Finance Committee, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 10 am.
Tourism Advisory Committee, Public Meeting Room, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 3 pm. At publication time, an agenda wasn’t publicly available.
Wednesday, May 22
Ag/Forestal and Rural Preservation Committee, Public Meeting Room, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 7 pm. At publication time, an agenda wasn’t publicly available.
Thursday, May 23
Lake Anna Advisory Committee, Public Meeting Room, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 6 pm. At publication time, an agenda wasn’t 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.
County asks for feedback on roadside litter
Louisa County is asking residents to fill out a short survey as part of an initiative to address roadside litter. According to a press release issued by the county in early May, the survey aims “to collect perspectives and sentiments throughout the county” about litter and litter prevention with the results “used by the newly established Litter Work Group to make informed recommendations to the board [of supervisors] on mitigation and prevention strategies.” Participate in the survey here.
Supes to consider storage facility near Lake Anna; Board to talk solar, TOD; County considering sale of 13 acres at Ferncliff
The Louisa County Board of Supervisors on Monday night will convene for its second May meeting with a relatively light agenda on tap.
In the only public hearing of the night, supervisors will consider whether to approve a storage facility at Wares Crossroads, which would house boats and other watercraft.
The board will also continue several discussions from previous meetings. They’ll talk about proposed amendments to the county’s solar and Technology Overlay District ordinances and discuss permitted uses and structures on Lake Anna.
Board to consider rezoning for storage facility at Wares Crossroads
In the lone public hearing of the night, supervisors will consider whether to approve Lake Anna Storage, LLC’s request to rezone, from Agricultural (A-2 GAOD) to General Commercial (C-2 GAOD), 7.714 acres (tmp 28-106) just southwest of the intersection of Chopping Road (Route 623) and Zachary Taylor Highway (Route 522) in the Lake Anna Growth Area Overlay District. The applicant intends to establish a mini-warehouse (storage) facility to accommodate lake users.
Doug Barmoy and his wife, Kristin, plan to run the business. The Barmoys told the planning commission at its April meeting that the site would initially be used to store boats, other watercraft and recreational vehicles. They also plan to offer detailing services and, potentially, minor vehicle maintenance and repairs like fluid changes and winterization.
The Barmoys said the business would fill a need in the community, noting the long waitlist at other storage facilities.
In their land use application, the Barmoys say the rezoning fits with the character of the neighborhood because the parcel is surrounded by other commercially-zoned properties and adjoins Lake Anna Tractor and Hardware.
According to a preliminary site plan, the Barmoys plan to construct four covered storage structures, outdoor parking spaces and a 2,000-square foot workshop. They intend to use an existing home on the property as an office. The business would be mostly surrounded by a 10 to 40-foot tree-lined buffer and accessed by a shared commercial entrance off Chopping Road.
While the planning commission voted 6-0 to recommend that the board of supervisors approve the rezoning, Cuckoo District Commissioner George Goodwin expressed concern that the applicant’s proffer statement permitted the property to be used for a plethora of businesses that could impact the neighborhood far differently than a storage facility.
Goodwin urged the Barmoys to revise their proffers to exclude additional uses.
The Barmoys agreed to exclude all but 20 future uses permitted in C-2 zoning and to present to the Planning Commission for review and comment any site plan for a use other than what they currently propose.
The Barmoys also agreed to grant 10 feet of right-of-way to Louisa County for future road improvements.
Supes to talk amendments to solar and TOD ordinances
Supervisors will discuss proposed amendments to the county’s solar and Technology Overlay District (TOD) ordinances. There’s no additional information about the item in the meeting materials.
The board at its April 8 meeting forwarded to the planning commission for consideration changes to both ordinances including reducing the amount of land that can be used for utility-scale solar development and dramatically shrinking the TOD.
With respect to the solar ordinance, the board’s solar committee, which includes Mineral District Supervisor Duane Adams and Patrick Henry District Supervisor Fitzgerald Barnes, recommended that the board lower the cap on the amount of land in the county that can be used for large-scale solar generation from three percent, or 9,800 acres, to two percent, or 6,343 acres. The latter figure is slightly less than the 6.534 acres that comprise two percent of the county’s total acreage because it excludes Lake Anna.
The board has already approved seven utility-scale solar projects covering 5,211 acres. If the cap is lowered to two percent, it would mean only a few more solar facilities could be permitted in the county.
The planning commission considered the proposed amendment at its May 9 meeting, deadlocking 3-3 on whether to recommend approval or denial. Patrick Henry District Commissioner Ellis Quarles, who has emerged as a critic of utility-scale solar development, missed the meeting.
A growing contingent of residents have voiced opposition to the proliferation of solar facilities in the area, arguing that the use threatens the county’s rural character by turning forests and farms into vast industrial sites covered in glass and steel.
They’ve also contended that large solar projects pose a threat to water quality and adjoining property, pointing to problems at Dominion Energy’s sprawling 88.2 megawatt (MW) Belcher Solar Facility off Waldrop Church Road where stormwater runoff has caused significant erosion and flooding on neighboring farms. The fallout from Belcher prompted the board two years ago to beef up its solar ordinance and institute the three percent cap.
But the planning commission heard a different perspective during its public hearing.
Four speakers—three of whom live in Louisa County—said they’re against lowering the cap. They contended that solar facilities benefit the county because they generate significant tax revenue while only minimally impacting county services. Several speakers also argued that individual projects should be considered on their own merits not barred by an arbitrary cap and placing strict limits on solar development infringes on property rights.
Jackson District resident Dudley Delbridge, the local liaison for the solar developer Invenergy, said that his company has been working for several years to develop a “quality project that will bring benefits to the community.” He said further restricting the cap puts years of investment at risk and “prevents landowners from using their land as they see fit.”
Though the proposed cap allows space for supervisors to green-light Conditional Use Permits (CUP) for the three solar projects currently working their way through the public approval process—the 5 MW, 60-acre Green Boot facility off Peach Grove Road, the 20 MW, 304-acre Horsepen site near Buckner and the 15.6 MW, 247.6-acre Turkey facility off Route 15 in northwestern Louisa—it could shut out developers like Invenergy who’ve been working on projects but haven’t formally applied for a CUP. Solar developers typically spend several years performing studies and other due diligence before moving ahead with the public approval process.
In a work session prior to the planning commission’s public hearing, attorney Zanas Talley, whose firm, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, is acting as county attorney on an interim basis, raised a different concern about the solar cap.
Talley said that while several localities other than Louisa have implemented caps on utility-scale solar, it’s unclear if local governments have the authority to limit the use because Virginia is a Dillion Rule state. Under the Dillon Rule, localities can only wield powers explicitly authorized to them by the state.
“The question here is whether a locality has been given the authority to place these caps [on solar]. So, it’s untested. There hasn’t been a determination yet in the courts on whether or not this is a lawful activity,” Talley said.
Supervisors have advertised a public hearing for their June 3 meeting to consider amending the solar ordinance.
At the recommendation of its Technology Overlay District Committee, which includes Jackson District Supervisor Toni Williams and Green Springs District Supervisor Rachel Jones, the board forwarded to the planning commission for consideration a proposal to shrink the TOD from roughly 6,400 acres to less than 2,900.
The commission is expected to hold a public hearing on the proposed change at its June meeting. The amendment would then move to the board of supervisors for a second public hearing and a final up-or-down vote.
The board adopted the TOD barely a year ago with an eye toward attracting lucrative tech sector development. The district, which currently covers six parcel groups in eastern and central Louisa County, allows data centers and other high-tech uses by-right, which means they don’t require a public approval process.
Just a few months after establishing the TOD, Louisa County announced it had inked a deal with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to build two data center campuses in the district. The company plans to invest at least $11 billion in the facilities by 2040.
One of the campuses, dubbed the Lake Anna Technology Campus (LATC), is slated for 150 acres at the corner of Kentucky Springs Road and Haley Drive adjacent to the North Anna Nuclear Power Station. The other, called the North Creek Technology Campus (NCTC), is planned for parts of 1,444 acres south off Route 33 and east of Mount Airy Road near the Northeast Creek Reservoir.
With that deal in hand, the TOD committee said that the board should consider rolling back the district, a move aimed at quieting concerns that tech sector development could mar the county’s rural character.
“We feel like we’ve been fishing. We caught an ample supply of fish, and it’s now time to release some of the nets,” Williams said at the April 8 meeting.
Under the committee’s proposal, three of the six assemblages currently included in the TOD would be removed. Those include more than 1,300 acres just north of interstate 64 near Gum Spring, nearly 1,400 acres between Routes 33 and 22 north of the Northeast Creek Reservoir and the 700-acre Shannon Hill Regional Business Park.
The park is already zoned for industrial use while the assemblage north of the reservoir is slated for a 150 MW utility-scale solar facility under a Conditional Use Permit green-lighted by the board in 2020.
The AWS campuses would remain in the TOD as would the Cooke Rail Park, a 1234-acre parcel group north of Route 22 and west of Chopping Road. In 2022, the board approved a CUP for an up to 118 MW solar facility and 50 MW battery storage bank on the site.
While the rail park would remain in the district, any uses allowed in the TOD but not permitted in the park’s underlying agricultural or industrial zoning would require a CUP.
Supervisors to green-light public hearing on sale of county-owned land
As part of the board’s consent agenda, a set of resolutions typically passed in a block vote with no discussion, supervisors will consider authorizing a public hearing on the potential sale of a slice of county-owned land at Ferncliff.
Pending the public hearing and board approval, the county plans to sell a 13.3-acre parcel at 3949 Three Notch Road (Route 250) just east of Mallory Road (tmp 67 2 D) in the Ferncliff Growth Area Overlay District. The proposed resolution says that the parcel is “no longer useful to the County” but “has been determined to be useful and necessary to adjacent property owners.” The resolution further states that “said property owners have offered to purchase” the parcel “for a reasonable sum.”
The agriculturally zoned property (A-2 GAOD) is assessed at $51,700, per Louisa County land records.
KFP1, LLC, an entity owned by Fluvanna County businessman Allen Powell, owns about 40 acres, covering three parcels, to the east of the county’s property. KFP1 recently won supervisors' approval to rezone, from commercial to industrial, about 14 acres adjacent to the subject parcel where its tenant, Essex Concrete Corporation, plans to operate a concrete batching facility.
Heidi Shalloway and Teddy Fung own 17.3 acres to the west while Greg Hosaflook owns about 35 acres to the south. Both Shalloway and Hosaflook publicly opposed rezoning KFPI’s property for the concrete plant when the board approved it in February.
The subject parcel has been embroiled in controversy in recent years. In 2021, the county considered partnering with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville to build an 80-plus unit mixed-income affordable housing community on the site, in part funded by a $775,000 federal grant.
But the project sparked strong resistance from neighbors, including Shalloway and Hosaflook, prompting supervisors to shelve the idea. The board instead allocated the grant money to the Fluvanna-Louisa Housing Foundation for 25 rental units it’s building between the towns of Louisa and Mineral.
State code requires localities to hold a public hearing prior to selling its real estate. When the board last sold a county-owned parcel in 2021, it accepted bids for about two weeks then sold the property to the highest bidder. Assuming the sale moves forward, the county is expected to follow a similar process.
Supes to discuss permitted structures and uses on Lake Anna
Supervisors will discuss “permitted structures and uses on Lake Anna,” according to the meeting agenda.
The discussion comes after the board at its May 6 meeting revised the Lake Anna Shoreline Ordinance, a section of county code that regulates overwater structures like docks, boathouses and boardwalks.
Supervisors opted to remove several provisions from the ordinance that laid out development and design standards for residential boathouses and docks because they overlapped with Dominion Energy’s rules. Dominion owns the lake and its shoreline but allows adjoining property owners to build overwater structures via individual use agreements.
Though the revised ordinance passed unanimously, it sparked some concern from Mountain Road District Supervisor Tommy Barlow. Barlow said that the shoreline ordinance was initially implemented to prevent residential and commercial development over the water without county approval. He specifically referenced a floating townhome community proposed by developers about 15 years ago.
Barlow said he wanted assurances that the revised ordinance doesn’t weaken the county’s ability to regulate or reject similar proposals, claiming that Dominion officials didn’t seem too concern about the floating townhome proposal when it was introduced and the company’s standards for overwater development could shift over time.
Interim County Attorney Dale Mullen said that while the changes to the ordinance don’t directly relate to the issue Barlow raised, county code could potentially be strengthened to address his concern.
Supervisors and county staff agreed to talk with Dominion officials and determine if changes to county code are necessary. It’s unclear if anyone from Dominion will attend Monday’s meeting.
Supes to consider budget supplement to support FEMS Department
Supervisors will consider approving a $830,000 budget supplement to cover salary adjustments and overtime pay for fire and EMS (FEMS) personnel and repairs and fuel costs for fire and rescue apparatuses.
According to the proposed resolution, the FEMS Department “has experienced high turnover” and call volume, which has led to increased overtime costs and mandatory incentive payments to ensure that the county’s eight fire and EMS stations are adequately staffed. The staffing issues have also prompted the county to adjust salaries in an effort to retain current employees and attract new ones. The overtime costs and salary adjustment have led to a budget shortfall for Fiscal Year 2024, necessitating a $680,000 supplemental appropriation.
In addition, the FY24 budget doesn’t include enough money to cover the rising cost of fuel and repairs for fire trucks and ambulances. To pay for that, the Transportation Department is seeking a $150,000 budget supplement.
Assuming the board approves the appropriations, the county will draw $730,000 from funding received in FY24 from interest on bank deposits and $100,000 from the Office of FEMS Compensation.
Emergency services are a burgeoning expense for local government as the county experiences rapid growth and has transitioned mostly to career personnel, as opposed to volunteers, to staff its fire and rescue stations.
During the FY25 budget process, the board of supervisors appropriated more than $24 million for public safety, roughly 16 percent of the county’s operating budget and a 14 percent increase over the current fiscal year. The budget includes funding for six new full-time FEMS staffers and several part-time employees as well as for salary adjustments.
Board to accept donation for FEMS boat
A local nonprofit is donating money to help the county replace an aging and ill-equipped fire and rescue boat.
Supervisors are set to authorize a $108,000 pass through appropriation from the Foundation for Lake Anna Emergency Services (FLAES). Of that, $82,000 will go toward the purchase of a fire and rescue boat for the New Bridge Fire and EMS Station while $26,000 is earmarked for a fire module for the vessel.
FLAES was founded by a group of Lake Anna residents in 2019 with the initial goal of raising $100,000 in seed money for construction of the New Bridge station. After meeting that goal and successfully advocating that the county invest taxpayer money in the facility—New Bridge is the first fire and rescue station to be built in the county with public funds—FLAES has continued to raise money to equip the facility with life-saving gear.
Aside from the construction donation, the group has chipped in $150,000 for a new ambulance, $76,235 for a Physio Control LifePack and extrication equipment and $17,642 for a Lucas Compression Device, according to its website.
The latest donation will help the county replace its lone fire and rescue boat, a 2008 Kenner fishing boat. According to information about the watercraft shared at a previous board meeting, the boat was purchased used and lacks basic emergency service equipment. The canopy on the boat is unable to handle rough water and maintaining the vessel has become increasingly expensive.
FLAES raises much of its money through periodic events and fundraising campaigns. It’s next big event is a golf tournament at Cutalong on June 18. Click here to learn more.
522-208 intersection transitioning to roundabout configuration this week
Motorists traveling through Wares Crossroads will see a significant change this week.
According to a press release from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the intersection of Routes 522 (Zachary Taylor Highway) and 208 (New Bridge Road) will transition to a long-awaited roundabout configuration early in the week, marking a major milestone in the department’s effort to improve safety and ease congestion at the intersection.
On Monday, May 20, VDOT contractors will begin the switch. Starting at 7:30 am until the job is complete, flagging crews will be in the intersection to direct traffic while workers install signs and pavement markings for the new roundabout, per the VDOT release. By Tuesday, the configuration will be in place, and drivers should be prepared to yield to traffic inside the roundabout.
Once the intersection transitions to a roundabout, contractors will install the inner circle, concrete median islands and outside shoulder. The project is expected to be complete by Jan. 31, 2025.
Significant road improvements at Wares Crossroads—one of Louisa County’s most dangerous sections of roadway—have been in the making for about eight years. In 2017, the Commonwealth Transportation Board selected the intersection for state-funded improvements via SMART SCALE, the commonwealth’s main vehicle for prioritizing which local transportation projects are paid for by the state.
SMART SCALE relies on a data-driven scoring system that, for Louisa County, focuses heavily on the need for safety improvements. Between January 2022 and December 2023, 16 crashes occurred at or approaching the intersection resulting in 16 injuries, according to VDOT data.
Though some residents pressed VDOT to install a traffic light at the intersection, pointing to the large volume of vehicles that pass through the area during the height of tourism season at Lake Anna, the department opted for a single-lane roundabout.
In an overview of the project on its website, VDOT says that the intersection was studied multiple times and doesn’t warrant a traffic signal. The department also says that roundabouts are safer and more environmentally friendly.
The project, including design, right of way acquisition and construction, is expected to cost $7.6 million, up from an initial estimate of $5.4 million. VDOT awarded J.L. Kent & Sons a $2.8 million contract for the project’s construction phase last fall.
The Wares Crossroads project isn’t the only roadwork going on near the lake. VDOT has also been replacing and repairing drainage pipes, trimming trees and performing related maintenance on Kentucky Springs Road (Route 652). The department plans to begin repaving the road on May 28, beginning at its intersection with New Bridge Road (Route 208) and working toward Elk Creek Road (Route 614). Repaving is expected to take three weeks.
The simultaneous projects have sparked the ire of some lake residents who’ve taken to social media to complain about snarled traffic and other inconveniences. Several residents said that pipe cuts on Kentucky Springs Road have popped their tires and caused other damage to their vehicles. Others complained that the work is being done as the weather warms up and the lake gets busier.
Cuckoo District Supervisor Chris McCotter, who represents most of the lake below the Route 208 bridge, has also publicly criticized the department. In a comment on Facebook last week, McCotter expressed frustration with the timing of the roadwork and the condition of roads around the lake.
“It appears there's been a lack of foresight on a number of road projects currently underway at the lake relative to timing,” McCotter wrote in response to another resident’s complaint, adding, “It’s not pretty what's going on with our roads around the lake and, in my opinion, [it’s] the result of a lack of long-term planning to address known issues; all of which will continue to take a toll on our patience, wallets and safety.”
According to information from VDOT posted on Louisa County's website, the department’s work on Kentucky Springs Road is responsive to repeated calls from residents for improvements. The department had planned to perform the maintenance over three summers but decided to consolidate the work into one summer to minimize disruption and immediately address safety concerns.
In response to questions about why the department chose to repave the road after Memorial Day—during peak tourism season at the lake—the website says that laying asphalt requires temperatures to be at least 40 degrees and rising. The website also says that work can’t be done at night because it would cause “unreasonable disturbances” to nearby residents and present safety concerns.
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.
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