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A new village at Ladysmith

Construction of Ladysmith Village, a new town-style development in Caroline County, gets under way

By RICHARD AMRHINE

Date published: 11/19/2004

By RICHARD AMRHINE Planned town wants to mimic the charm of Fredericksburg

MAYBE the initial reaction to a different sort of housing develop- ment in Caroline County was not surprising.

"You're going to build what down here?" was what developer Ron Hicks heard when he described the TND, or traditional neighborhood development, proposed for a tract along U.S. 1 at Ladysmith.

"I think they're coming around now," he said, as plans for Ladysmith Village have percolated among local residents and the community has begun to take shape.

Hicks is a partner in Ladysmith Land L.L.C., which also includes James E. Jarrell Jr., James E. "Jay" Jarrell III and Ivan Cowger. The project was first proposed more than two years ago, and the partnership has negotiated a proffer package with county officials over that time.

The development is unconventional only if one's view of a conventional community is similar houses lined up along streets or cul-de-sacs and sitting on quarter-acre or larger lots. And if you're going anywhere, you're probably going by car.

With Ladysmith Village's first phase calling for 3,170 housing units on only 550 acres, its developers quickly point out that the new community isn't for everyone.

Caroline County officials, however, happen to be among the the village's chief supporters.

The proffer package offered by the developers includes:

A public library (scheduled for completion by the end of 2006).

$750,000, plus land and water and sewer lines, for a YMCA.

Graded land and roads for an adjacent elementary school in the future.

In addition, there will be miles of biking and walking trails, several ball fields and recreation areas, and plain old green space.

Caroline Supervisor Wayne Acors, whose Madison District includes Ladysmith, said the county's dealings with the developers have been cooperative and constructive.

"I was in favor of the project because it preserves the village concept we had envisioned," Acors said.

Part of Caroline's growth strategy has been not only to focus development in a central part of the county, along I-95, but also to encourage long-term buildout.

Buildout at Ladysmith Village is anticipated in 12 to 15 years, Acors said, while at nearby Pendleton, a larger community with a golf course, construction will continue for 20 to 25 years.

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Date published: 11/19/2004