Visit the Photo Place

View the Spotsylvania County community page

Battle over town still rages

Preservationists pledge to press on in fight to save Chancellorsville battlefield land.

By BETTY HAYDEN SNIDER

Date published: 3/27/2003

Preservationists want to buy land

Battlefield preservationists are calling the defeat of the proposed Town of Chancellorsville their greatest victory in years, but the fight to save the land isn't over.

Spotsylvania County supervisors voted 6-0 early yesterday morning, with Gary Jackson abstaining, to deny Dogwood Development Group's request to rezone nearly 800 acres along State Route 3.

The Reston developer's proposed town of 1,995 homes and up to 2.2 million square feet of businesses would have included the site of first-day fighting in the Civil War Battle of Chancellorsville.

Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, called the board's decision the most significant battlefield-preservation victory since the Walt Disney Co. dropped plans to build a theme park near the Manassas battlefield in 1994.

But the vote "is not a total victory" for the National Trust and others in the Coalition to Save Chancellorsville Battlefield, he added.

The rejection of Smith's project leaves landowner John Mullins with the option of developing his property as zoned--businesses on 55 acres and 225 homes on the rest. Preservationists hope to buy some or all of the farm.

Supervisor Hap Connors, a coalition member, said he has faith Mullins will "do the right thing. What he leaves behind for the county and future generations will be important to him."

He said the county should consider ways to help preserve the property, including buying the development rights from Mullins--essentially compensating him to leave the property as is.

Coalition spokesman Jim Campi said his camp has been criticized for stirring up opposition to the town, but "we're business people. We buy land, too, and that's what we want to do."

He said coalition members plan to contact Mullins, possibly this week, about buying at least 300 acres. The federal government may match any private donations, he said, noting that more than 30,000 people across the country signed petitions against the proposed town.

"Chancellorsville is a magical name, especially given all the national attention this has gotten," Campi said.

Mullins could not be reached for comment yesterday, but he has said in the past that preservationists have not made any firm offers. He also has said he will not sell portions of the farm, and that he was ready to proceed with the by-right development.

Follow us on

Read more stories about Spotsylvania
Date published: 3/27/2003