Development issues on board’s agenda

By JIM LAWRENCE
Published: October 1, 2008

STAFFORD — A proposal to reduce the Urban Service Area (USA) was made to the Stafford County Board of Supervisors at its Sept. 2 meeting.

The USA is a component of the comprehensive plan, and is the area that includes water and sewer services. This area is designated for both commercial and residential growth.

An active public hearing took place at the meeting and included several businessmen who did not want to see the area reduced. Advocates of the plan voiced their views, also.

Mark Dudenhefer, R-Garrisonville, sees it as a move that will stop residential growth and hinder commercial growth.

Bob Woodson, D-Griffis-Widewater, stated at a board meeting that the plan was conceived not to stop residential growth but to manage it.

Alex Long of Weichert Realtors is one who opposes the proposal. He is involved in a plan to build Renaissance Business Park on the grounds of the old Renaissance Festival grounds on Kings Highway.

Long says this area has been removed from the USA. He says that the county loses its “competitive edge” in attracting these businesses by removing such areas.

“A company looking at sites will eliminate what they don’t want, and one of the things they’ll look at is availability of water and sewer,” Long says.

Such a provision is important in the event of fires, and septic fields may fail inside of five years.

Jobs in this park would be manufacturing jobs, a need he feels that needs to be addressed.

“Not everyone will work as a computer programmer. There is a need for manufacturing jobs. Some people still like to work with their hands,” he says.

An area discussed at the work session was land adjacent to the Stafford Medical Center, where a medical office park has been planned.

“The land has been bought and plans already made for it,” said Dudenhefer.

He objects to any plans to alter the courthouse redevelopment plan as a great deal of money has been spent on the design of it so far.

Proponents of the plan do not see the changes as a deterrent to commercial growth. In fact, they welcome it.

Patricia Kurpiel, Utilities Commissioner and member of the Purchase Development Rights Committee (PDR) states that at the time of the Board discussion on the matter of the USA, there was 164 million square feet available in Stafford County for commercial development.

“One million is being absorbed each year, which gives us a 164 year supply. There certainly shouldn’t be any degradation to commercial development or job growth.

Commercial growth pays for itself, and we certainly want to encourage it.”

Woodson echoes Kurpiel’s sentiment.

“Commercial development is what we want. It pays for itself. Residential development does not pay for itself,” he says.

“We encourage commercial development,” he says.

He states that anyone can request to develop land outside the USA, but they need to go through the requisite steps to do so.

Rather than rendering a decision on the matter at the Sept. 2 meeting, a work session was scheduled and held Sept. 9. Areas that were taken out of the USA that were destined for commercial development were discussed.

The matter will again be up for discussion at a regularly scheduled meeting of the board on Oct. 7.