This week in county government; LA Resort opponents raise concerns about developers' political contributions; BOS recap; Draft CIP includes nearly $69 million in capital requests
This week in county government; LA Resort opponents raise concerns about developers' political contributions; BOS recap; Draft CIP includes nearly $69 million in capital requests
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. 9 through Jan. 14
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 11
CANCELED: James River Water Authority, Morris Room, Fluvanna County Administration Building, 132 Main St., Palmyra, 9 am. (agenda packet)
Louisa County Electoral Board, Executive Boardroom, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 10 am. (agenda)
Neighborhood Meeting, hosted by the Louisa County Community Development Department and Mercerville Land Trust, Public Meeting Room, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 4 pm. The meeting provides neighbors an opportunity to ask questions and share concerns about Mercerville Land Trust’s request to rezone 33 acres (tmp 30-74A, 30-74B) from agricultural (A-1) to residential (R-2). The property is located on Centerville Road in the Cuckoo Voting District. It lies in the Lake Anna Growth Area and is designated for low-density residential development on the Future Land Use Map in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
Louisa County Water Authority, Public Meeting Room, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 6 pm. At publication time, an agenda was not publicly available.
Thursday, January 12
Louisa County Planning Commission, long-range planning work session, Public Meeting Room, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 5 pm. (agenda, livestream) (draft CIP) Planners will review the draft FY24 Capital Improvement Plan.
Louisa County Planning Commission, Public Meeting Room, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 7 pm. (agenda packet, livestream)
Other meetings:
Monday, Jan. 9
Mineral Town Council, 312 Mineral Ave., Mineral, 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.
LA Resort opponents raise concerns about developers’ political donations, ask Adams to recuse himself from rezoning vote
A controversial rezoning request that could clear the way for a mixed-use development on Lake Anna sparked fireworks at yet another Louisa County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday night, setting the stage for a blockbuster public hearing later this month. (meeting materials, video)
Two Lake Anna property owners asked Mineral District Supervisor Duane Adams to recuse himself from voting on the rezoning when the board considers the application at its January 17 meeting, citing the developers’ contributions to Adams campaign for the 10th District state Senate seat.
Adams didn’t respond to the request during the meeting but told Engage Louisa on Thursday that he plans to vote on the rezoning.
“I don’t plan to recuse myself because there is no legal, moral, or ethical reason to recuse myself from voting on a project in my district. Political contributions have never impacted any vote I have taken, and they won’t in the future,” he said.
Mike Grossman and Mike Garcia, members of LA Resort, LLC, the entity seeking the rezoning, each contributed $1,000 to Adams’ campaign in late March 2022, according to the latest filing available from the Virginia Department of Elections. In April 2021, Garcia contributed $1,000 to Adams’ re-election campaign to the Board of Supervisors while Grossman chipped in $250.
The donations to Adams’ senate campaign came about three months before LA Resort, LLC formally filed an application with Louisa County to rezone, from General Commercial to Planned Unit Development, 15.27 acres just west of the Route 208 bridge in the Lake Anna Growth Area.
The Prince William County developers propose to build a mixed-use complex combining an up to 96-unit residential condominium building with a 130-room hotel, restaurant, and marina fronting Mitchell Creek, a narrow cove just south of Route 208 that’s lined with single-family homes.
The proposal has ignited one of the most contentious lake-centered land use fights in recent memory with neighbors and other residents arguing that the project will overwhelm local infrastructure, stress county services, and disrupt the character of the community.
Ben Unruh and Phil Winston, both of whom own property along Mitchell Creek, asked Adams to recuse himself from considering LAR’s application during the meeting’s public comment period, framing the issue as a matter of public trust.
“I think the honorable thing to do here, given the conflict of interest at least from public perception, is to recuse yourself from the vote on the PUD and I am asking you to do that,” Unruh said.
Winston echoed Unruh.
“I do not think it’s appropriate for people, companies who have business before the board to be making contributions and, therefore, I think you should recuse yourself from this vote,” he said, noting that he asked Adams privately to recuse himself and he declined.
Virginia’s conflict of interest statute doesn’t preclude elected officials from voting on matters involving campaign donors nor does it require officials to disclose those donations when taking such votes. The commonwealth’s campaign finance laws require candidates for state and county office to publicly disclose and itemize contributions that exceed $100 in campaign finance reports periodically filed with the Virginia Department of Elections. Adams has filed two reports for his senate campaign, in accordance with a schedule laid out in Virginia law.
It's unclear if Grossman or Garcia contributed to Adams’ campaign in the last six months. Campaign finance reports for the latest fundraising period, which spans from July 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022, are due by 11:59 pm on January 17.
Adams declined to discuss specific campaign contributions on Thursday or disclose how much he raised during the last fundraising period. His campaign announced in late November that it had raised more than $220,000 since its launch in December 2021.
At a community meeting in August, Grossman said that LA Resort, LLC includes four investors: himself, Garcia, a third Northern Virginia resident and a Lake Anna resident. The names of the latter two investors haven’t been disclosed at county meetings nor are they listed on documents publicly available through the State Corporation Commission’s website. Adams said he couldn’t say whether he has received contributions from the other investors because he isn’t certain who they are.
Unruh’s initial comments regarding Garcia and Grossman’s donations led to some dramatic moments Tuesday night with County Attorney Helen Phillips interrupting him as he expressed what he termed “grave concern” about the gifts. Phillips, who acts as the board’s parliamentarian, claimed that Unruh’s comments violated the board’s bylaws, which lay out rules for the conduct of meetings including what speakers can address during public comment.
“The bylaws of this board, that they just re-adopted today, specifically state that there will be no personal attacks and no political speeches,” Phillips said.
“This isn’t a political speech and it’s not a personal attack. It is stating public facts,” Unruh responded.
“It is my opinion that it is both and that it is in violation of what you are allowed to speak about,” Phillips said.
As the board’s chair, Adams overruled Phillips, telling Unruh that if he wanted “to talk about, in this instance, contributions to my campaign, feel free to do so. But understand that politics are not allowed to be spoken at this meeting.”
Unruh finished his comments then Winston followed with his remarks.
The board’s bylaws, adopted annually, explicitly prohibit speakers from campaigning for public office, promoting any private business ventures, engaging in personal attacks, or using profane, obscene, or vulgar language during the public comment period. They don’t bar speakers from making political comments.
Adams said on Thursday that Phillips made a “spur of the moment” decision to stop Unruh, which he overruled. He said that he would take “a closer look” at the language in the bylaws moving forward, adding “if you want to come and talk about donations to my senate campaign during public comment, feel free, but do so within the rules.”
First elected to the board in 2017 and re-elected without opposition in 2021, Adams announced his bid for the Republican nomination in the 10th state Senate District less than two months after winning re-election and quickly amassed a campaign war chest.
From late December 2021 to June 30, 2022, he raised more than $191,000, according to campaign finance reports. Much of that cash has come from Louisa County residents and those with business interests in the area including large landowners like Harold “Hal” Purcell, who contributed $25,000 via Mount Hill Investments, LLC, and Lake Anna developer Lionel Carter, who chipped in $11,000 via Carter Fine Lake Properties, LLC.
Redrawn during the 2021 redistricting process, the 10th District includes most of Louisa County and western Hanover at its northern edge and stretches south encompassing all or part of eight other localities. A ruby red district with no sitting incumbent, the 10th has attracted three other Republican contenders: 56th District Delegate John McGuire, Hanover County GOP Chair Jack Dyer, and Powhatan resident Sandy Brindley. Republicans will choose their nominee at a May 6 convention. The general election is November 7.
Note: This story has been updated to reflect that the latest campaign finance reports are due by 11:59 pm on January 17.
BOS recap: Supes okay grass parking amendment, table action on VDOT easements
Supervisors convened a short meeting to start 2023, holding their annual reorganization where they chose a chair and vice chair. After a brief closed session, they took care of the remaining business on their agenda in about 45 minutes, holding two public hearings and tabling one action item. (meeting materials, video)
Board unanimously re-elects Adams as chair, Barlow as vice chair: Supervisors kicked off the first meeting of 2023 with their annual organizational process, unanimously re-electing Mineral District Supervisor Duane Adams to his second term as chair and Mountain Road District Supervisor Tommy Barlow to his second term as vice chair.
The board also approved its meeting schedule and bylaws for the upcoming year. As they did last year, supervisors will convene meetings on the first and third Monday of each month, except for July and August when a second meeting is optional. If either of the Monday meetings fall on a holiday, the board will meet the following day. Supervisors adopted the same bylaws that governed their operations in 2022.
Board tables VDOT’s request for easements at Wares Crossroads: Supervisors voted unanimously to table action on a resolution that would grant the Virginia Department of Transportation both a temporary construction easement and permanent drainage easement on a 1.51-acre county-owned 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 2021.
The department offered the county $35,670 for the easements, which would cover about a third of an acre. The permanent easement would provide space for installation of a pipe and construction of a stormwater management system.
Jackson District Supervisor Toni Williams said that while “the roundabout at Wares Crossroads is of upmost public safety (concern) and importance,” he’s concerned that the permanent easement would limit the county’s ability to expand the refuse and recycling center in the future. Williams suggested that county staff meet with VDOT to discuss other potential locations for the infrastructure.
The board agreed to table the resolution and consider it again at its January 17 meeting, allowing staff time to approach VDOT about other options.
In 2021, the Commonwealth Transportation Board selected the intersection for state-funded improvements via SMART SCALE, the commonwealth’s main vehicle for paying for local transportation projects. SMART SCALE relies on a data-driven scoring system that, for Louisa County, focuses heavily on the need for safety improvements.
Per VDOT’s website, construction of the roundabout is expected to begin later this year.
Supervisors green-light grass parking amendment: Supervisors held a public hearing and approved an amendment to county code that empowers the Zoning Administrator to permit the use of grass parking, on a case-by-case basis, at special occasion facilities. Previously, code required the use of gravel, stone, asphalt, or concrete parking and only allowed grass parking via a special exception approved by the board.
Supervisors discussed permitting grass parking at special event facilities like farm wedding venues last fall when reviewing a special exception request. Mountain Road District Supervisor Tommy Barlow noted that thousands of people routinely park in fields at agri-tourism operations in other localities and using grass parking could help maintain the area’s rural character. The board ultimately asked staff and the Planning Commission to consider a code amendment addressing the issue.
Community Development Director Josh Gillespie said that the amendment crafted by staff and the commission simply allows requests for grass parking to be approved administratively.
Several board members expressed concern that allowing an administrator to determine if grass parking is appropriate could lead to more regulations when supervisors are aiming for less. Barlow asked how staff would determine whether to allow grass parking.
Gillespie said that the amendment requires property owners to submit a grass parking plan to ensure the parking area provides appropriate ingress and egress and allows people to circulate safely. The plan would also provide the boundaries of the parking area and staff would make sure that it avoided wetlands, he said. Gillespie added that property owners would still have the option to pursue a special exception from the board if the administrator denied their request.
Supervisors voted 6-1 to approve the amendment with Cuckoo District Supervisor Willie Gentry casting the lone no vote.
Board okays changes to nonprofit’s tax exemption: Virginia law allows localities to exempt some non-profit organizations from real estate and personal property taxes. Supervisors held a public hearing on Tuesday night and approved an amendment to code that changes the name of one organization to which an exemption applies from American Legion Post 116 to Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8947 and adds eight parcels under the VFW’s ownership to the county’s list of tax-exempt properties.
PC preview: Commission to hear presentations on nearly $69 million draft CIP
The Louisa County Planning Commission will gather for a pair of meetings on Thursday night, kicking things off with a 5 pm work session to review millions of dollars in spending requests included in the county’s preliminary Capital Improvement Plan for Fiscal Year 2024. At 7 pm, commissioners will hold their annual reorganization, selecting a chair and vice chair. They’ll follow that with a relatively brief agenda that doesn’t include any public hearings, but does include discussions about transportation infrastructure at Zion Crossroads, a private road waiver, and the commission’s bylaws.
Commission to review nearly $69 million draft CIP: Department heads and other county officials will pitch planners on millions of dollars in capital spending requests as the Fiscal Year 2024 budget process officially gets underway.
The CIP forecasts 20 years of spending on “long-lived, high-cost, tangible assets” for purchase or construction. Such items include everything from $18,000 for new voting equipment to $18 million to complete the James River Water Project. The Commission is tasked with reviewing the CIP to ensure it conforms with the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
After reviewing the plan Thursday night—particularly spending requests for the upcoming fiscal year—planners will vote on forwarding the budget document to the Board of Supervisors at next month’s meeting. Supervisors have the final say on what items are in the CIP, and if and when they receive funding.
Economic development projects dominate capital spending requests
The draft FY24 CIP includes $68.9 million in capital requests with more than $53 million of that classified as “economic development.” Those requests include $18 million for completion of the James River Water Project, $7.5 million for the acquisition and expansion of a privately-owned wastewater treatment plant at Lake Anna, and more than $27.5 million for water and sewer infrastructure at the Shannon Hill Regional Business Park. County officials have framed the projects as investments that will eventually deliver increased revenue to county coffers.
The James River Water Project, a joint effort with Fluvanna County to draw water from the river to feed development along the Interstate 64 corridor, has been years in the making and, when complete, will bring millions of gallons of water to commercial and residential development at Zion Crossroads and industrial development at the Shannon Hill Business Park, a 700-acre site that the county is developing just north of the interstate.
Completing the project, including a pump station on the banks of the James and a roughly four-mile stretch of pipeline to connect it to an existing water main, is expected to cost more than $35 million split between Louisa and Fluvanna. Louisa has already issued more than $37 million in bonds to pay for a water treatment plant at Ferncliff and a roughly 13-mile stretch of pipeline across Fluvanna County.
For about two years, the county has mulled acquiring a privately-owned wastewater treatment plant at Lake Anna to support future development along the Route 208 corridor, one of eight areas designated for growth in the county’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Currently, the corridor isn’t served by public sewer or water and the plant’s acquisition and upgrade would allow the county to implement at least some wastewater service.
Supervisors inked an option agreement with Lake Anna Environmental Services last year to purchase the plant for $90,000 with plans to upgrade the facility beyond its current 20,000-gallon per day discharge capacity. County officials have floated the possibility of upgrading the plant to its permitted 99,000-gallon per day limit or expanding it to handle 300,000 gallons of wastewater daily. According to the draft CIP, the $7.5 million request, submitted by County Administrator Christian Goodwin, would cover the cost of implementing “state of the art” improvements and allow the plant to reach its permitted capacity.
Economic Development Director Andy Wade requested $27.5 million to complete water and sewer infrastructure at the Shannon Hill site including a waterline and forcemain, elevated water storage tank, water booster station, and two wastewater pump stations. Wade’s hefty ask is short on details, however, as it references an attached memo not included in the meeting materials.
Late last year, supervisors passed a resolution in support of “the development of public infrastructure” at the park, which commits to “taking the necessary steps to complete the (infrastructure)” by the end of the third quarter of 2024. The county has applied for $16 million in state grant funding to offset the cost, per the resolution.
Wade also requested $350,000 for transportation improvements at the park as part of a larger effort to build a road network. Over the next 20 years, Wade anticipates spending $7.35 million on roads with some of that infrastructure potentially funded by a $2 million state grant.
Louisa County Public Schools submits modest ask for FY24, but big-ticket items loom
Louisa County Public Schools is requesting roughly $1.8 million for capital projects in FY24 including about $870,000 for five new full-size school buses, one bus for special needs students, a 10-passenger van, and maintenance equipment for the bus garage. Other sizable requests include $355,000 for technology upgrades, $150,000 to upgrade HVAC systems, $81,000 for electronic marquees at several schools, $80,000 for LED lighting, and $60,000 to refurbish tennis courts.
While the school division’s ask is modest for the coming fiscal year, it ramps up significantly in FY25. Of the more than $65 million in capital requests projected for that fiscal year, some $53 million come from LCPS.
To address crowded conditions at Louisa County Middle School, where some classrooms are housed in trailers outside the school building, the division is requesting $26 million for a 52,000-square foot addition that will accommodate as many as 600 students, per Maintenance Director Todd Weidow. The division is also requesting $25 million for a 36,000-square foot career and technical education center that, as Weidow puts it, “will be designed to grow and evolve with the needs of students, community and employers.”
At their last meeting, supervisors green-lighted the school board’s request to use $1.8 million in state funding this fiscal year to pay for plans for the buildings. That money will be drawn from $400 million in the biennial state budget that’s specifically earmarked for school construction. Every school division in the state will receive a chunk of the funding based on their enrollment and local needs.
Parks and Rec Department requests just over $4 million for FY24
Parks and Recreations Director James Smith requested just over $4 million with more than $3.4 million covering the costs of two multi-purpose rectangular turf fields adjacent to Louisa County Middle School. Another $400,000 would be earmarked for construction of an indoor aquatics center at the Betty Queen Center, which could be built in FY26. The latter facility has an estimated $8 million price tag for construction alone and would generate significant maintenance and personnel costs annually.
In his request, Smith notes that the county only has one rectangular field for community sports use. The field is overused and doesn’t meet community needs, he writes, pointing out that youth sports teams are often forced to use the outfield of the middle school’s baseball and softball fields for practices. Smith notes that the new fields would provide much-need space for existing youth sports and “allow the department to increase program offerings and to begin transitioning into hosting tournaments.”
Supervisors considered sending a ballot referendum to voters last November asking permission to issue bonds to fund new and improved sports facilities. After reaching an August deadline to place the referendum on the ballot without a clear plan to pitch to voters, the board opted to consider funding some upgrades through the traditional budget process.
FEMS Department submits $2.8 million request for FY24 with big projects ahead
Louisa County’s Fire and EMS Department submitted nearly $2.8 million in capital spending requests. Of that, there’s $1.15 for new fire and rescue units and $600,000 for a living quarters addition at the Louisa Volunteer Fire Department. Looking ahead, the department is asking for $3 million in both FY25 and FY27 to build fire stations at Zion Crossroads and Ferncliff, respectively.
Fire and EMS Chief Kristin Hawk notes that the current Zion Crossroads station located off Poindexter Road (Route 613) has limited space and isn’t in an ideal location to service the rapidly growing western end of the county. She points out that building a new station along Route 15 “would not only assist with the larger area of calls but assist with the calls in the Gordonsville area that have no ambulance assigned to their station.”
Moving the Zion station would leave a large service gap in the southern portion of the county, Hawk points out, which could be filled by construction of a new station at Ferncliff. She writes that the station could improve service along Interstate 64, one of the county’s “biggest sources for accidents and hazards.”
Other capital requests
Other notable capital requests include:
Almost $3 million for Firefly Fiber Broadband’s effort to bring universal high-speed internet to the county. In 2021, Supervisors pledged nearly $9 million toward the project, paying the first roughly $3 million installment in FY23.
A $1.86 million request from the General Services Department. The ask includes about $725,000 for expenses related to the Louisa County Landfill, and more than $475,000 to cover the cost of LED lights and improvements in courtroom acoustics at the Louisa County Courthouse and a generator at the General District Court Building.
A $885,000 ask from the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office with nearly $650,000 of that earmarked for vehicle replacement.
A roughly $750,000 request from the Louisa County Water Authority including $250,000 for improvements at Bowlers Mill Dam. The board allocated $1 million toward dam improvements this fiscal year.
Commission to discuss Zion transportation proposal: Last February, the Virginia Department of Transportation and its engineering consultants, Kittelson and Associates, proposed a novel bowtie intersection for Route 15, Spring Creek and Camp Creek Parkways as part of the Zion Crossroads Gateway Plan. The plan, initiated by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission, in cooperation with Louisa and Fluvanna Counties, is aimed at “developing solutions to improving traffic safety and flow throughout the area, identifying opportunities for future development, and establishing a unique sense of identity.”
In an effort to improve safety and ease congestion, the bowtie would eliminate left turns on and off Route 15 and instead route vehicles to a pair of roundabouts at Spring Creek Parkway and Wood Ridge Terrace and Camp Creek Parkway and Market Street. Louisa County applied to the state’s SMART SCALE program last August to fund safety improvements at the intersection. The Commonwealth Transportation Board is expected to announce allocations in June.
The bowtie proposal has sparked strong opposition from Zion Crossroads residents and some county officials including Patrick Henry District Planning Commissioner Ellis Quarles whose district includes the east side of Route 15 at Zion Crossroads.
At Quarles’s request, the commission will discuss a draft resolution Thursday night that recommends that the Board of Supervisors petition VDOT “for a commitment to open public meetings on the subjects of alternatives not included” in the recommended transportation improvements that resulted from the planning process.
The draft resolution raises concerns about a lack of public involvement and transparency during the plan’s development. It also suggests that many of the community’s questions weren’t answered and alternative designs for several intersections along Route 15 weren’t adequately explored. The plan proposes a series of roundabouts along the Route 15 corridor beyond the bowtie.
The meeting materials include public comments gathered as part of the plan’s development, which largely oppose the bowtie concept, and a letter from a retired traffic engineer who resides in the Spring Creek community at Zion Crossroads. The letter offers a detailed critique of VDOT and Kittelson’s proposal including, but not limited to, the bowtie. It contends that VDOT and Kittelson didn’t adequately engage the public and failed to investigate more traditional transportation improvements.
Planners to discuss private road waiver: RS21 Sunset Pointe, LLC asked Louisa County for a “private road waiver” to allow construction of a private road to service a proposed residential development adjacent to the Bluewater subdivision. The road would connect with Maple Mull, a private road that runs through Bluewater. The developers propose to build 2,350 feet of paved roadway to serve 17 residential lots. The 33.8-acre property (tmp 16-93, 17-1) is zoned R-2 and located in the Lake Anna Growth Area.
The Planning Commission has the authority to grant the waiver and a public hearing isn’t required prior to its approval. The commission will discuss the request Thursday night.
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.