Chesterfield Government

New Harrowgate Elementary to get expanded gym

By Caleb M Soptelean on June 18, 2019 School Board, Schools

The site of the new Harrowgate Elementary School, which includes a pond, is pictured above. A $350,000 change order for construction of a new Harrowgate Elementary School was approved by the Chesterfield County School Board last week, with news that the building’s gymnasium will be expanded. The new Harrowgate School was to be identical to the new Enon Elementary School. However, the county requested that the gymnasiums at Harrowgate, Ettrick, Crestwood and Reams elementary schools be expanded. According to a staff report, each gym would be expanded by 3,565 square feet to accommodate community use. The cost for each expansion…

Carvana explains plans for Woods Edge Road site

By Caleb M Soptelean on June 11, 2019 Chesterfield Government, Economic Development, Planning & Zoning

Residents had plenty of questions. Carvana employee Todd Ward speaks. A graphic of a proposed layout of the Carvana site. Around 100 people gathered at Elizabeth Scott Elementary School last week to hear about a proposed Carvana inspection site that would be located off Woods Edge Road east of Interstate 95. Carvana development team manager Todd Ward, local attorney Andy Condlin and Timmons Group engineer Roger Rodriguez spoke and answered questions at the June 4 community meeting. Gib Sloan, a Chesterfield County Planning Commission member from the Bermuda District, said the proposal calls for an 180,000-square-foot building. Two residents who…

Going solar? Colorado firm has designs on south Chesterfield megasite

By Caleb M Soptelean on June 4, 2019 Board of Supervisors, Chesterfield Government, Planning & Zoning

The ‘megasite.’The site contains several bodies of water. If a rezoning application is approved by county officials, some 900 acres in the Bermuda District could become a solar farm with an estimated 300,000 solar panels in about three years. Torch Clean Energy of Boulder, Colo., recently submitted the application to the Chesterfield County Planning Department and has options to purchase 1,677 acres, including 1,540 from the Shoosmith family (Thomas Co.) and 137 from the estate of Joseph Hotz, according to Brennen Keene, a local land use attorney. The solar farm – which is being called the Chester Solar Technology Park…

Plan derailed: Federal agency halts study for new train station

By Caleb M Soptelean on June 4, 2019 Community, Development, Transportation

A study on where to build a new railroad station in the South Chesterfield area has ended for the time being with no conclusion. The Tri-Cities Metropolitan Planning Organization received word from Federal Railroad Administration official Marlys Osterhues in an April 4 letter that the study begun in 2014 had been discontinued. Last June, David Hyder, transportation director for the Crater Planning District Commission, said that a Finding of No Significant Impact should be complete by sometime in July 2018. That finding was to come on the heels of the completed environmental assessment, he said. Last week, Hyder said the…

Zoned out: County gets injunction against local charity

By Caleb M Soptelean on June 4, 2019 Board of Supervisors, Chesterfield Government, Courts, Planning & Zoning

Employees of Home Depot helped rehabilitate a water-damaged building at 500 Baptist Drive last year. (Caleb M. Soptelean) Last summer, the Guardians HOPE Center received help rehabilitating a building at the site of a former Bible college. Now the center’s leaders have been ordered by a judge to cease all uses of the property until they come into compliance with zoning or modify a conditional use permit. In an April 30 ruling, Chesterfield Circuit Court Judge Edward A. Robbins Jr. ordered Chris and Stacy Lane, David Lee and Whitmell Investment Group to cease all uses of the property at 500…

Heading the right way? Not all happy about eminent domain case

By Caleb M Soptelean on May 28, 2019 Board of Supervisors, Chesterfield Government, Planning & Zoning

Mike Uzel and Phil Lohr rallied before a May 22 meeting. (Caleb M. Soptelean photo) Chesterfield County supervisors last week unanimously approved an eminent domain action for a property at 15101 Happy Hill Road. The action will give the county 600 feet of right-of-way access across the triangle-shaped property, which is located west of Jefferson Davis Highway. The access is along a route that was one of several previously considered by the county for an east-west freeway. “A developer picked it up for something like $40,000 knowing full well there will have to be dedicated road, and then tried to…

Dance, Morrissey competing for state Senate seat

By Caleb M Soptelean on May 28, 2019 Politics, State News

Rosalyn Dance Joe Morrissey Senate District 16 residents will likely decide their next senator in the June 11 Democratic primary, as no Republicans filed for the seat. The independent filing deadline is June 11. Incumbent Democrat Rosalyn “Roz” Dance is being challenged by former Del. “Fighting Joe” Morrissey. Both are running as Democrats. Although the candidates had not agreed to a formal debate by press time – having exchanged emails on the subject over the past few weeks that were copied to local media – they have spoken to various citizens groups over the past several months. Dance, 71, is…

New Comp Plan approved despite protests

By Caleb M Soptelean on May 28, 2019 Chesterfield Government, Development

The Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a new Comprehensive Plan despite objections from members of two community organizations. Bermuda Advocates for Responsible Development and Chesterfield Citizens United rallied outside prior to the supervisors’ May 22 meeting waving silver platters with various anti-development wording. BARD and CCU board member Steve Atkinson said the 20-person rally – which was a combined effort against several items, including the Comprehensive Plan – was held on the anniversary of the county’s Economic Development Authority’s decision last year to pull a rezoning request for a megasite in the southern portion of the county. BARD…

Action on arts center coming soon, project manager says

By Caleb M Soptelean on May 28, 2019 Chesterfield Government, Development, Entertainment

Bruce Miller spoke at the May 22 board of supervisors meeting. Chester residents should see some action soon outside the Chester Library, according to Mike Laing, project manager of Chesterfield’s Baxter Perkinson Center for the Arts. On May 22, Laing told the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors that they should see some activity within the next 10 days on the site where the 352-seat arts center will be built. Afterward, Laing said a construction trailer will be located on the site next to the Chester Library along with some security fencing that directs visitors to the library’s entrance. “We’re in the…

Which way Matoaca? Supervisors candidates speak at forum

By Caleb M Soptelean on May 21, 2019 Board of Supervisors, Chesterfield Government, Politics

Kevin Carroll, on left, speaks during a candidates forum last week. Also pictured are Shajaun Mason and Rob Thompson. (Caleb M. Soptelean photo) Two of the three Republican candidates for their party’s nomination for Matoaca District supervisor participated in a forum last week. Kevin Carroll and Rob Thompson were joined by recently announced Democrat candidate Shajaun Mason at the May 16 forum at the Foxfire Club House, which was hosted by Chesterfield Citizens United. Craig Stariha, the current Matoaca District member on the Chesterfield Planning Commission, canceled his appearance on May 13 due to a “scheduling conflict.” In the June…

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