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 and CCU member Mike Uzel said the Comp Plan was “too broad a document” and that numerous recommendations from group members were not included in the plan.
Bermuda District resident Phil Lohr noted that some, if not all, of the supervisors will be new after the November elections, and said that the new board should vote on the plan. (Steve Elswick and Dorothy Jaeckle are not running again, while supervisors Chris Winslow, Leslie Haley and James Holland have general election opponents.)
When asked by supervisor James Holland about the plan, county planner Steven Haasch said, “This is the most citizen effort that we’ve ever put in a Comprehensive Plan.” He added that the county received “very little input” from the development community.
Haasch noted that the Comp Plan was updated over a three-year process, with nine community meetings held last fall, along with numerous other meetings with various civic organizations.
