Board to vote on controversial proposal for truck stop at Gum Spring; Supes to consider raising some county fees, issuing debt for school construction; News roundup
Board to vote on controversial proposal for truck stop at Gum Spring; Supes to consider raising some county fees, issuing debt for school construction; News roundup
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, Sept. 2 through Sept. 7
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).
Tuesday, September 3
Louisa County Board of Supervisors, Public Meeting Room, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 6 pm. The board will convene in closed session at 5 pm. (agenda packet, livestream)
Louisa County School Board, Central Office Administration Building, 953 Davis Highway, Mineral, 7 pm. (agenda, livestream)
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.
Supes to vote on controversial proposal for truck stop at Gum Spring
It’s been more than a year and a half since Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores, Inc. first asked Louisa County for permission to build a truck stop just south of the Gum Spring exit off Interstate 64.
Since then, the Oklahoma City-based company, which operates more than 600 truck stops in 42 states, has presented its project at four community meetings and, last month, in front of the Louisa County Planning Commission.
Throughout the public approval process, Love’s Director of Real Estate Chad Bruner has argued that a truck stop would be an asset to the community, bringing more than 50 jobs to the southeast corner of the county and at least a $20 million capital investment, some of which would be spent on much-needed road improvements.
Bruner also contends that the project site is an apt place for a truck stop because it’s tucked just off the interstate, partially enclosed by a wooded buffer that would protect neighbors from noise and light, and some 1,500 feet from the nearest residence.
He’s insisted that Love’s would be a good neighbor, offering both the community and truckers a hospitable place to get gas, take a rest or grab a meal.
But many community members strongly disagree, packing public meetings to oppose Love’s plan. They contend that a truck stop is ill-suited for their neighborhood, arguing it would overwhelm local infrastructure and spoil the rural character of Gum Spring, a 200-year-old community that straddles the Louisa-Goochland county line.
Specifically, they say the facility would snarl traffic on Route 522, a road already under pressure from rapid residential growth; mar their view of the night sky with bright lights; drown out the sound of songbirds with revving trucks; threaten the environment with fumes and potential fuel spills; increase crime; and strain the local water supply, among other ills.
Louisa County’s professional planning staff has also expressed concerns about the proposal. While staff hasn’t made a formal recommendation of approval or denial, it determined that the project doesn’t conform with the county’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
Though the project site is included in the Gum Spring Growth Area Overlay District (GAOD) and is designated for mixed use development on the plan’s Future Land Use Map, staff notes in its report that mixed use areas are designed for “neighborhood scale” development and a regional truck stop misses the mark.
At its public hearing last month, the planning commission sided with neighbors. Citing concerns about increased traffic and the lack of public utilities in the area, the commission voted unanimously to recommend that the board of supervisors reject Love’s request.
The company and community members will have one more chance to make their case on Tuesday night—this time in front of supervisors, the seven elected representatives with the final say on whether the project moves forward.
Supervisors will hold a public hearing and vote on Love’s request to rezone, from agricultural (A-2 GAOD) to general commercial (C-2 GAOD), parts of three parcels fronting Cross County Road (Route 522) on the southeast side of the Gum Spring exit off 64 where the company hopes to build a gas station, restaurant and parking facility with accommodations for long-haul truckers and other motorists.
The parcels, located in the Mountain Road Election District and owned by the W.W. Whitlock Agency, are currently split zoned with the front portion—roughly 28 acres—zoned commercial and the back portion—about 23 acres—zoned agricultural (tax map parcels 100-87, 100-88, 100-90).
In addition to requesting commercial zoning for the entirety of the parcels, Love’s is applying for a conditional use permit (CUP), which is required for a truck stop in C-2 GAOD zoning.
The company is also asking for several special exceptions to Louisa County’s land development regulations including that the county waive three requirements related to the planting of ornamental trees and bushes, six requirements related to the size and number of signs, and sign placement and one requirement related to the type of building material used for the facility. Supervisors have the sole power to grant the exceptions.
The company plans to build the bulk of its truck stop, including an 11,900-square foot convenience store, a 3,645-square foot fast food restaurant, eight fueling islands for cars, eight fueling bays for trucks, nine RV hookups and separate parking areas for trucks and passenger vehicles, on the front portion of the property, while mostly using the back for additional parking and wastewater treatment infrastructure.
The facility would be accessed via two driveways off Route 522—one full service and the other limited to right turns in and out.
As part of its $20 million capital investment, Love’s plans to spend some $2 million on improvements around the Gum Spring interchange off 64.
Bruner said that the company conducted a traffic study and worked with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for over a year to finalize an improvement plan that would address both exiting traffic problems around the interchange and the additional traffic Love’s would bring. The study indicates that, at full buildout, the truck stop could generate more than 6,500 vehicles trips per day including trucks and cars.
Love’s plans to install a traffic signal at 64’s westbound ramps, a left turn lane at its westbound on-ramp, right and left turn lanes at the eastbound ramps, a right turn taper at Love’s north entrance and a left turn lane at its south entrance. Additional merging tapers are also proposed.
Bruner said the improvements aim to ensure that traffic doesn’t back up around the interchange even during peak travel times.
“Currently today, VDOT has no plans to improve that situation out there. So, one of the benefits of us coming in is we have the willingness to come out there and improve that intersection,” he said.
To address community concerns, the company has attached several proffers to its rezoning request including agreeing to limit its development area to 31 acres of the roughly 51-acre site, to maintain in perpetuity a 200-foot tree-lined buffer on parts of the property and to request that VDOT lower the speed limit on 522.
The company has also mostly agreed to 20 conditions proposed by staff to mitigate the facility’s impact should supervisors choose to greenlight it. Those conditions respond to a variety of issues raised by community members during public meetings—from crime and noise to the facility’s potential impact on the environment and groundwater supply.
Since public utilities aren’t available in the area, Love’s would draw water from on-site wells and rely on its own wastewater treatment facility, prompting concern from neighbors about its impact on groundwater.
One condition limits the company to using no more than 20,000 gallons of water per day and requires it to connect to public utilities should they become available. It also requires Love’s to provide a study, verified by a third-party engineer, to determine the project’s impact on water availability and mandates that the company implement four monitoring wells that are tested for contaminants twice a year.
Two other conditions address concerns about excessive noise and light. One requires Love’s to use lighting that complies with International Dark-Sky Association standards and to submit a lighting plan, prepared by a lighting professional, to certify that the facility won’t cause light pollution. The other requires the company to submit a noise study after one year of occupancy to confirm its in compliance with Louisa County’s noise ordinance.
In response to community members’ concerns that the facility would increase crime, another condition requires Love’s to place surveillance cameras throughout the facility, employ on-site security personnel and provide space at the facility for the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office.
To address concerns that Love’s proposed road improvements are inadequate, staff also proposes a condition requiring that the company and VDOT reevaluate road conditions three years after the truck stop opens.
While Love’s emphasizes it’s taking steps to address community concerns and says that, as Bruner put it, “a pin corner” off I-64 is an opportune place for a truck stop, none of the attempts to limit its potential negative impact have persuaded neighbors it’s a good fit.
Longtime Louisa resident Wayne Thacker perhaps summed up community members’ sentiments best at the planning commission’s public hearing last month.
“The county can try to dress this up with risk mitigation, and there’s plenty of risk to mitigate…but you are not going to mitigate the loss of Gum Spring,” he said. “Literally, there goes the neighborhood.”
Board to consider raising some county fees, okaying debt issuance for LCPS and more
While a public hearing on a controversial proposal to build a truck stop at Gum Spring is the marquee item on Tuesday night’s agenda, it’s not the only consequential matter up for consideration by the board. Supervisors will hold three other public hearings and consider several notable action items.
Board to consider hiking some county fees
After holding a public hearing but tabling action last month, supervisors will again consider hiking some fees levied by the county’s Community Development Department.
But the latest proposal rolls back a couple of the increases initially considered, opting instead for a tiered system.
Deputy County Administrator Chris Coon proposed overhauling the department’s fee schedule several months ago. Last revised in 2022, the schedule lay outs how much residents and developers pay for a range of services including land use permits, building permits, site plan reviews and inspections.
In memos to the board and planning commission, Coon said the fee hikes are necessary to help the department reach “cost neutrality”—meaning the revenue it generates covers the cost of its services.
Under the current fee schedule, that’s not happening, according to Coon. In Fiscal Year 2023, the department’s costs exceeded its revenue by about $194,000. Through June 1 of FY24, the department had a $142,000 funding gap even as it operated with several vacant staff positions.
To cover the department’s costs, the county dips into its general fund, Coon said, meaning taxpayers who aren’t using its services are subsidizing those who do. He initially proposed a schedule that raised some fees more than 200 percent, contending that many services are underpriced and the sharp increases would enable the department to achieve cost neutrality for the first time.
But several board members balked at the steep rise in a few fees, most notably the cost to apply for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP), which would’ve jumped from $750 to $2,500, a 233 percent increase.
The county requires a CUP for a range of uses—from running certain home-based businesses in agricultural zoning to operating a truck stop in general commercial zoning in a designated growth area.
Mountain Road District Supervisor Tommy Barlow said at last month’s meeting that while he agreed people that use the Community Development Department’s services should pay for them, in his view, the proposed CUP fee wasn’t equitable.
“What bothers me is the disparity between a really small office [and large company]—somebody like me, who has a small surveying firm, ends up paying the same exact fee as somebody like…Love’s or Walmart. If you have to get a CUP, you pay the same fee and that, to me, just does not sound right,” Barlow said, noting that a large company that comes to the county with an extensive proposal requires far more staff time than someone applying for a CUP for a minor use.
Instead of moving forward with Coon’s initial plan, the board tasked staff with exploring a sliding scale for CUPs.
Coon returns with a new proposal on Tuesday night that introduces a tiered system for both CUPs and rezoning requests, but still raises the cost of many county fees. While supervisors didn’t discuss rezonings at length last month, the fee was set to soar some 150 percent, from $1,000 plus $10 per acre to $2,500 plus $25 for every acre involved.
Under the revised proposal, the base fee for both CUPs and rezonings would stand at $750 with additional fees tacked on based on how much acreage is involved, the planned use, and the amount of land disturbed, among other factors.
Coon argues in a memo that the new proposal creates a fairer system.
“The effects of proposed conditional use permit or rezoning applications—whether related to land size, building space, use type, or operational factors—can increase the time and effort required by staff to review and evaluate the project. Larger properties, more complex building designs, higher customer volumes, and greater numbers of employees all require additional staff time to review and process the project application,” he said. “To account for the totality of the application review, a tiered fee structure has been created, which adjusts the base fee using specific characteristics.”
A couple board members also voiced concern about the increase in the minimum building permit fee for a single-family dwelling or addition, which is set jump from $300 to $1,500, a 400 percent increase. The county charges the minimum fee for new construction then tacks on one dollar per square foot to that cost.
Patrick Henry District Supervisor Fitzgerald Barnes said that he’s concerned the increase would impact “affordability.”
“I think we are affecting the affordability of the lower-tier person in home ownership. I think we are adding to the cost of that and, whether or not I win this or not, it has to be said,” he said.
Coon’s new proposal leaves the minimum $1,500 fee intact.
Supes set to issue up to $66 million bond for two major school construction projects
Supervisors will hold a public hearing and consider authorizing the issuance of up to $66 million in debt to pay for two major school construction projects: a 500-seat addition to Louisa County Middle School and accompanying alternative education center and a 54,400-square foot career and technical education center (CTE) adjacent to Louisa County High School. The board allotted about $62 million for both projects in the FY25 capital budget.
The school division says the middle school addition is necessary to alleviate crowded conditions in that facility where some classes are housed in trailers outside the school building. During the 2023-24 academic year, the school enrolled 1,168 students, according to the Virginia Department of Education, just shy of its 1,200-pupil capacity.
The addition will encompass some 64,000 square feet across two stories. The middle school section includes 32 classrooms and a 200-seat cafeteria while the alt ed center includes 14 classrooms. The division also plans to renovate three science classrooms, expand the auxiliary gym and replace the school’s chiller, part of the HVAC system.
The project is expected to cost $25.4 million, including contingencies, based on a bid from Nielsen Builders, Inc., the Harrisonburg-based firm handling construction.
The division has long eyed a CTE center to house its thriving vocational and workforce development program. According to school officials, the center will allow for the expansion of current classes as well as new areas of study including HVAC service, computer-aided design and drawing and graphic design, among others. Officials have also said the space will be designed to be as flexible as possible to accommodate changes in the job market.
The facility, which hasn’t been fully designed or put out for bid, is expected to cost between $31 million and $37 million, per estimates provided by the school division earlier this year.
According to the proposed resolution, the board will issue an up to $66 million general obligation school bond, with $62.1 million in requested proceeds, via the Virginia Public School Authority. The county will pay off the bond over the next 30 years at a maximum 5.5 percent interest rate.
Board to hold public hearing on bid for water, sewer infrastructure to serve AWS campuses
Economic Development Director Andy Wade will present an unsolicited bid the county received from a trio of familiar partners to design and construct water and wastewater infrastructure for a pair of data center campuses under development by Amazon Web Services.
One of the campuses—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—the North Creek Technology Campus (NCTC)—is planned for about 830 acres of a 1444-acre tract south of Route 33 and east of Mt. Airy Road near the Northeast Creek Reservoir.
In accord with the Public-Private Educational Facilities and Infrastructure Act (PPEA), the board will then hold a public hearing, which is required before it can execute a comprehensive agreement with the bidder.
The bid comes from Charlottesville-based Faulconer Construction and its partners Timmons Group and MEB. The design-build team, operating as Louisa County Infrastructure, LLC, has a long history with the county including handling the design and construction of the James River Water Project, a decade-long, multi-million-dollar effort to build a 17-mile water line from the James to Ferncliff. When complete—likely by September of 2026—the infrastructure will channel millions of gallons of water from the river to development along the Interstate 64 corridor in Louisa and Fluvanna counties.
According to water service agreements inked by county officials and AWS last December, the latest project includes construction of a roughly 11-mile raw water line from the Northeast Creek Reservoir to the LATC to deliver cooling water for its data centers as well as a pair of 2,000-foot lines to bring raw and potable water to the NCTC. In addition, the county will construct a two-headed water pump station near the reservoir to serve the campuses.
The county will also build public sewer infrastructure for the NCTC including a pair of sanitary sewer lift stations along Route 33 and a sewer forcemain paralleling 33 from Thomas Jefferson Elementary School to the North Creek site.
The water and sewer infrastructure for the NCTC is expected to be complete by July 2026 while the LATC’s raw water line should be done by January 2027.
AWS will foot the bill for the project—expected to cost at least $35 million, per the water service agreements—with some of that cost offset by local and state grants. The county will build, maintain, own and operate it. AWS is responsible for 30 percent of the project’s design with the county taking over after that.
The county has not yet announced the amount of Faulconer, Timmons and MEB’s bid. According to PPEA rules, officials were required to publicly advertise receipt of the unsolicited bid for 45 days, allowing other firms time to submit competing offers. Per a memo from Wade to County Administrator Christian Goodwin, the county hasn’t received any other bids.
Beyond the public hearing, no action is required by the board at Tuesday’s meeting, according to Wade’s memo.
Board to consider authorizing contract for turf fields
After initial bids for the project came in significantly over budget, the board of supervisors will consider whether to build two turf fields adjacent to Louisa County Middle School or scale back its plans and just build one.
At the request of Parks and Recreation Director James Smith, the board appropriated nearly $3.6 million for the fields—most of it in the Fiscal Year 2024 capital budget. Smith said the fields are necessary to provide adequate outdoor playing surfaces for youth sports like football and soccer.
The county solicited bids for the project’s rough grading phase earlier this summer, with the lowest coming in at $2.499 million. That bid came from Hawkins Creek Construction, a Bumpass-based excavation firm.
The board has already authorized $328,395 in spending on the project for engineering and design work, nutrient credits and bonding, according to a memo from Deputy County Administrator Chris Coon. And it has budgeted about $2.07 million for installation of the fields. The nearly $2.5 million for rough grading would push the project to roughly $4.9 million, at least $1.344 million over budget.
Coon presents two potential paths forward for supervisors’ consideration.
In one, he says the county could move forward with the project as planned, necessitating the appropriation of at least $1.344 million in additional funding. He describes the option as a “comprehensive approach, ensuring that both fields are prepared and ready for use.”
Alternatively, the board could scale back the project and just build one field. That option would cost the county about $2.74 million for rough grading and turf installation, leaving about $485,000 in the bank, according to Coon.
Coon says that the latter option offers “immediate practicality, providing a usable field within the existing budget while allowing flexibility for future development.” But he notes it would extend the project timeline, requiring the county to rebid the rough grading component.
Supervisors were supposed to consider the item at their August 5 meeting, but, at the request of Patrick Henry District Supervisor Fitzgerald Barnes, it was removed from the agenda with no discussion.
Supes to consider tweaking buffer and landscaping requirements
Supervisors will hold a public hearing and consider tweaking buffer and landscaping requirements for certain uses in the county’s Growth Area Overlay Districts (GAOD).
Under current county code, commercial uses, civic uses and multi-family dwellings within a GAOD must adhere to extensive buffer and landscaping standards. For example, code mandates that no less than one ornamental or shade tree be placed in groupings around a site for every 2,500 square feet of development area and requires no less than eight shrubs for every required tree.
County staff has said that the requirements don’t account for existing vegetation and don’t provide staff the flexibility to make changes that would still meet the intent of the ordinance. Staff has also noted that the buffer and landscaping requirements for industrial uses in GAODs allow the zoning administrator to green-light changes.
The proposed amendment recommended for adoption by the planning commission would give the zoning administrator the ability to waive or alter the planting requirements for commercial and civic uses and multifamily dwellings, provided the project meets the intent of the requirements.
Board to authorize purchases for FEMS drug box system
Supervisors will consider authorizing the Fire and EMS Department (FEMS) to spend $56,385 on software and other materials for its new drug box system.
According to the proposed resolution, local hospitals have traditionally managed boxes containing pharmaceuticals for local emergency service personnel. But “due to changing policies and protocols,” each EMS provider will now handle their own boxes.
Louisa’s FEMS department will use the allocation to purchase specialized software, storage units and boxes.
Board to discuss legislative platform for 2025 GA session, get ‘progress report’ on Comp Plan update
The board’s agenda includes a pair of discussion items.
Supervisors will discuss their legislative platform for the 2025 General Assembly session. Adopted annually, the platform includes policy goals and initiatives that the board hopes the county’s representatives in Richmond will advocate for when the state legislature convenes in early January.
Other than a summary of the priorities adopted by both the board and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission last year, the meeting materials don’t include any information about the item.
Supervisors will also get a “progress report” on a state-mandated review of its 2040 Comprehensive Plan and related updates. The board adopted the long-range planning document in 2019 and, per state law, county officials are tasked with reviewing it five years after adoption.
News roundup: NRC oks NAPS relicensing; PC member Weaver dies at 78; Recount revisited in VA05; Louisa resident, VHSL legend retires
Engage Louisa focuses on Louisa County government. But we recognize that we can’t cover everything and there’s plenty of other news in our neck of the woods. With that in mind, we occasionally include a roundup of links to the work of other journalists covering noteworthy events and issues that impact our community.
NRC relicenses North Anna through 2060: The North Anna Nuclear Power Station’s twin Westinghouse reactors, dubbed Units 1 and 2, have been cleared to operate through 2058 and 2060, respectively, 80 years since they began commercial operation. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission last week granted Dominion Energy Virginia’s request for a Subsequent License Renewal for the workhorse plant, which produces more than 1.8 gigawatt of carbon-free power—enough to keep the lights on in nearly 500,000 homes. The reactors began commercial operation in 1978 and 1980, respectively, under a 40-year license. They were relicensed in 2003 through 2038 and 2040. Read Dave Ress’ story in the Richmond Times-Dispatch (subscription required).
Jackson District rep on planning commission dies at 78: Cyrus “Cy” Weaver, Sr., a Louisa County native who represented the Jackson District on the planning commission for the last eight years, passed away on Wednesday, August 28. He was 78. In a statement issued by the county, commission chair John Disosway said Weaver’s “rich and insightful perspective” will be missed. “He always tried to balance the rights of the individual with the heritage and history of Louisa,” Disosway said. Beyond his service to Louisa County, Weaver worked for decades as an educator and coach at Charlottesville High School and served as an official for high school sporting events across Central Virginia. Read Weaver’s obituary here. Read Louisa County’s statement on Weaver’s passing here.
Recount court reconvenes in Goochland, addresses minor errors: A three-judge recount court reconvened in Goochland County last week to review minor discrepancies in the August 1 recount in the Republican primary in the 5th Congressional District. While fixing the discrepancies netted two-term incumbent Bob Good four votes, it didn’t change the outcome: challenger John McGuire won the June 18 primary by 366 votes. The recount court also reviewed the cost of the procedure, reducing from $104,000 to $88,918 the bill due from Good’s campaign. Under state law, Good has to pay for the recount because he lost the primary by more than half a percentage point and the recount didn’t overturn the initial results. Read Markus Schmidt’s coverage in Virginia Mercury.
Long-time Louisa resident, VHSL legend retires: Lora Bickley, a long-time Louisa resident who spent 55 years working for the Virginia High School League (VHSL), officially retired last week, ending a storied career at the nonprofit organization, which is tasked with overseeing sports and other extracurricular activities in the state’s public high schools. Bickley is best known for using a complicated formula to calculate power ratings for every varsity football team in the VHSL. The ratings are used to determine qualification and seeding for post-season play. Read Robert Anderson’s story in Cardinal News.
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