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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.
The preservationists defeated Dogwood's proposal by mobilizing county residents to protest not so much the importance of the battlefield but the burden the new town would place on county services and roads. Their cause was helped by the looming fall election and by Bob Hagan's victory in a November special election for the Courtland District seat.
In what could be a preview of this fall's campaigns, Hagan won on a managed-growth platform. He introduced the motion to reject Chancellorsville in the wee hours of yesterday morning.
Board Chairwoman Mary Lee Carter said the 6-0 vote didn't surprise her. "The public objected to the magnitude of the project," and its potential impacts on traffic, schools and other public services, she said.
"The board was responding to what people were saying. That's who we represent--the people," Carter said.
Connors agreed, but said the vote also "signified the taking back of the county by the people. That's a great thing."
He rebutted statements by town supporters who said turning down Dogwood would scare businesses away. "If anything, we sent the message that we're serious about doing business," Connors said.
Jackson, who abstained from voting on the rezoning, had suggested the board wait 30 days to take action. He had questions about the town and reservations about Mullins' by-right project--which would include no proffers or preservation of land.
Before the vote, Carter said she hoped the board would not be criticized like the Planning Commission was in November after it swiftly voted to recommend approval of the project after a lengthy public hearing.
Jackson disagreed: "If this board votes tonight, I think the board deserves to be treated the way the Planning Commission was. I don't understand the difference.
"What's most important to me is we give this a fair hearing," he said. "This is a complicated project. I do hope we've given it the serious consideration it deserves."
Dogwood President Ray Smith could not be reached for comment yesterday on whether he plans to challenge the board's decision in court. The developer had a court reporter at Tuesday's meeting compiling a transcript of the eight hours of public comment and board discussion on the project.