The Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a housing development with 770 homes and an industrial park that required the rezoning of more than 124 acres at its meeting Tuesday night.
The board also voted on an advertised real estate tax rate of 78 cents per $100 of assessed value for fiscal year 2025.
The Village at Crossroads Station was approved by a 5-2 vote with Chair Jacob Lane of the Livingston District and Lori Hayes of the Lee Hill District voting against it.
“This is in [the] Berkeley [District], but it bumps right up against my district,” Hayes said. “I have people that have made it very clear to me that this project, it is not the right time … We have schools that have been telling us ‘Please, please, help.’ We have law enforcement officers that say density is a problem. We have needs of the community, and we’re just adding more on.”
The project was proposed by real estate developer Tricord, Inc., which requested to rezone eight parcels of land totaling 115 acres to establish the mixed-use community at the intersection of U.S. Route 17 and Thornton Rolling Road.
The planning commission voted 4-2 in favor of the project in October and county staff supported it, as well. Proffers include a requirement that 5% of the units are sold at or below the sales price for a family earning below 75% of the median household income.
Additional proffers require that off-site transportation improvements are made at Crossroads Parkway, Thornton Rolling Road, Cosner Drive and Massaponax Church Road with cash contributions if completed by others sooner.
There will also be vehicle and pedestrian connections, community amenities such as dog parks, community gardens, “tot lots,” a disc golf course, pickleball courts and a walking trail.
Thornburg Industrial Park was approved by a 6-1 vote, with Salem District representative Deborah Frazier voting against it — in part because of traffic concerns with tractor trailers traveling south Roxbury Mill Road at the same time as school buses.
Resident Valerie Ackerman, whose family owns Roxbury Mill, spoke out against the project, which required the land to be rezoned from agricultural to industrial.
Ackerman expressed concern that a road-widening project on the road could take away from residents’ yard space. She said that peace and quiet are already compromised by the sound of cars at nearby Dominion Raceway.
“It’s horrible,” Ackerman said. “So, now we’re going to put in this development or industrial park with all that traffic going up and down that little road. I think we need to reconsider this … These people don’t deserve that disruption.”
The planning commission approved the project 4-1, and county staff also signed off on it. There is no commitment in place for what type of businesses will go there. Potential uses include offices and shops for contractors, a commercial greenhouse, mini warehouses, outdoor storage, scientific research and development, wholesale trade establishments and transportation facilities.
Berkeley District supervisor Kevin Marshall was eager to support the industrial park, which will include proffers of 40 feet of right-of-way dedication, road widening, landscaping and tree preservation, a cultural resources study and a commitment to fix a lingering drainage issue.
“We’re looking at $6 million worth of improvements, fixing some problems and getting a good tax base to the county,” Marshall said. “It’s a whole lot better than the alternative of an apartment complex going in there.”
The supervisors voted 5-2 to rezone property from the Offices 1 District to the Planned Development Housing District so that Hatchers Landing, which includes 58 attached homes, can be constructed on seven acres at 268 Main Street. Lane and Marshall voted against the development.
The advertised tax rate sparked some debate, as well. County Administrator Ed Petrovich proposed a rate of 75 cents. Courtland District supervisor Chris Yakabouski made a motion to advertise at 81 cents for an additional $12 million in county revenue, stating that the advertised rate could be lowered once the final decision is made, but it cannot be increased.
Yakabouski’s motion was voted down 5-2. Frazier’s substitute motion to advertise at a rate of 78 cents was supported 5-2 with Hayes and Lane voting no.
The next board of supervisors meeting will be held March 12. A public hearing on the county budget, tax rate and Capital Improvement Plan will be held March 28 at Courtland High School. The supervisors will make final tax rate and budget decisions April 9.
