After nearly four hours
of debate and public comment Tuesday night, the Stafford County Board of
Supervisors decided to defer a decision on Oakenwold, a proposed
development near the Stafford Regional Airport.
Supervisors
unanimously decided to defer the decision by a 6–0 vote, saying they
needed more time to look over the background report and to weigh the
public comments.
Chairman Jack Cavalier abstained from voting on Oakenwold due to an employer arrangement.
Oakenwold
could bring up to 650 residences and up to 250,000 square feet of
commercial space on a 232-acre site southwest of the airport. Tennis
courts, a playground and a swimming pool would all be built in the area
of the 19th-century home on the property that is called Oakenwold, which
the developers have proposed to preserve.
Sentiment on the
development was almost evenly divided among the more than 20 people who
spoke during the public hearing on the project Tuesday. At least 11
speakers disapproved of the project, and at least nine spoke in favor of
Oakenwold.
John “Skip” Groupe IV, the president of a
Woodbridge-based engineering firm, and his son, John “Johnny” Groupe V,
are under contract to purchase the 232-acre site from the owner,
Michelle Moncure. The purchase is contingent on the supervisors rezoning
the property from agricultural to planned–traditional neighborhood
development.
Several speakers in favor of the project knew the
applicants, and pointed to other successful developments they have
built. One acquaintance of the Groupes said that the supervisors’ choice
is between trusting a successful developer and the recommendation of
county staff over the whims and distortions of airport enthusiasts.
The Stafford Planning Commission recommended that the development be denied by a 5–2 vote on July 9.
Paul
Lof, who is related to the Groupes, said that he lives under the flight
pattern of the Shannon Airport in Spotsylvania, and hasn’t had a
problem.
At least two airport officials and two pilots who fly at
Stafford Regional Airport spoke against Oakenwold, echoing concerns
from Stafford Regional Airport officials. The Virginia Department of
Aviation and the Stafford Regional Airport have both submitted written
comments saying that residential development like Oakenwold near the
airport could lead to continual complaints from future residents that
may impact the airport’s future funding. Airport officials said that
they compete for federal and state funding for projects, and development
around the airport could be taken into consideration.
Some
citizens felt like the area around the airport should be reserved for
industrial development. They disagreed with Clark Leming, the attorney
for the Groupes, who said that the county could have more industrial
space than it could absorb should the area be emphasized for industrial
development.
“I’m not against development as long as it is in the right place,” Paul Waldowski, a Stafford resident, said.
One
resident doubted that supervisors would put an airport near a
residential development should the residential development have been in
the area first.
Leming said that it was the applicants’ fundamental position that Oakenwold doesn’t have a noise problem.
But
to err on the side of caution, Leming said, the Groupes have offered a
500-foot buffer from the Centreport Parkway for residences, would inform
potential residents of the airport’s proximity and would equip homes
with noise-reducing material.
Leming also pointed to an
industrial and commercial development currently surrounding the Manassas
airport in Prince William County that is closer than the one proposed
in Stafford.
The development would be located in an urban
development area in the county, which is an area targeted for growth.
Those areas are currently under review after the state erased the
requirement for Stafford to have such areas.
- Source: http://news.fredericksburg.com
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