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The Kings' property lies near the Wilderness Battlefield park in northeast Orange County. The owners have joined preservationists in calling for a land-use study of the area. |
By CLINT SCHEMMER
The dynamics of the conversation about land use in eastern Orange County may be changing.
The area's largest private landowner, the King family, is joining with preservationists this week to ask the county and the retailer it has been wooing--Wal-Mart Stores Inc.--to sit down together and plan the future of the State Route 3 corridor.
The Kings, who own 2,173 acres between the Wilderness battlefield and the Rapidan River, have agreed to engage in an open-ended effort to try balancing their interests with historic preservation and Orange's desire for economic development in that area.
King family members and the Wilderness Battlefield Coalition are inviting the county's elected officials to collaborate in examining the possibilities for the "gateway" shared by Orange and the Civil War battlefield.
The Kings and the coalition, in a joint statement delivered late Wednesday to Board Chairman Lee Frame and County Administrator Bill Rolfe, said they "strongly encourage" Orange to take part in the land-use planning process they both endorse.
That renews and expands on an offer the coalition made in January to the county Board of Supervisors, which was rejected by three members. The majority called it a ruse to delay their decision on a retail center anchored by a 138,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter proposed just north of the State Routes 3 and 20 crossroads.
Last year, the board rejected the Kings' request to rezone 177 acres to allow commercial development at the southwest corner of Routes 3 and 20.
Board Chairman Lee Frame, in an interview yesterday, expressed skepticism about the King-coalition statement. "I'm not sure this letter offers much more than what was offered before, that it's anything new or different," he said.
PRESERVATIONISTS LAUD KINGS' COMMITMENT
The gateway planning effort "is very open-ended, with no preconceived notions," said Jim Campi, spokesman for the Civil War Preservation Trust. "We'll see what alternatives result at the end. We're talking about a process that goes far beyond 100-foot buffers, that involves all aspects of the planning process.
"Now is the time to start moving forward with this. The preservation community is committed to it, and the King family is committed to it."
Rob Nieweg, director of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Southern Field Office, said "the Kings are making it very clear that this is not a delaying tactic; this is responsible governance."
"Preservationists and the largest property owner in this region are asking Orange County to live up to its obligations, under state law, to plan for future growth and ensure heritage preservation," Nieweg said. "Those twin goals are in the county's comprehensive plan."
Russ Smith, superintendent of Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park, praised the Kings for their willingness to work together on land-use issues.
"It's a difficult task, but well worth the effort," Smith said. "We hope that the owners of the Wal-Mart property will join in."
Campi of the Civil War Preservation Trust said the coalition hopes to discuss the joint statement soon with the world's largest retailer. "We've had some conversations with Wal-Mart, and the lines of communication remain open," he said.
WAL-MART WEIGHS IN
Keith Morris, director of public affairs and government relations for Wal-Mart's northeast region, said the retail giant shares the same goals as the coalition.
"Through our own careful planning, creative design, and meetings with the community, our development is absolutely compatible with preservation of the battlefield and national park," Morris said. "We are glad to see the coalition recognize that carefully planned development and preservation of the battlefield park are not mutually exclusive."
If some of the Kings' 3.4 square miles may be considered compatible for development, Morris said, "it would be hard to argue that our commercially zoned and comprehensively planned site of 50 acres, where almost one-third will remain undeveloped and preserved, is somehow not compatible."
One group in the eight-member coalition, the Piedmont Environmental Council, declined to sign the joint statement.
"It seemed to go a little too far," PEC State Policy Director Daniel Holmes said, referring to the assertion that historic-site preservation may be in accord with what it calls "large-scale commercial development."
"However, the PEC supports this gateway planning process," Holmes said. "We feel it's in the best interests of the county to take a look at that before making any major development decisions [along Route 3]. In that way, we do not differ at all with the rest of the members of the coalition."
Catharine Gilliam, Virginia program manager with the National Parks Conservation Association, said this week's statement grew out of informal conversations the King family had been having for months with coalition representatives.
"The Kings and the coalition recognized we had a lot more common ground than had been acknowledged before, and that this planning and visioning effort will identify where there could be consensus," she said.
Kenny Dotson, the King family's local representative, agreed. "We realized that if we didn't listen to the coalition we'd be fighting them," he said.
Clint Schemmer: 540/368-5029
Email: cschemmer@freelancestar.com
KING-COALITION STATEMENT
March 31, 2009
Mr. Lee Frame, Chairman
Orange County Board of Supervisors
112 W. Main Street
Orange, VA 22960
Dear Chairman Frame:
The undersigned members of the Wilderness Battlefield Coalition seek to preserve the historic Wilderness Battlefield and Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park and to enhance the gateway to Orange County and the National Park.
The King Family, which owns approximately 2,000 acres of land in Orange County, including important elements of the battlefield landscape, shares these two important goals for the benefit of Orange County and the nation. The King Family wishes to see their property developed in a responsible manner that benefits the community and the National Park.
The Wilderness Battlefield Coalition has proposed to fund and implement a land-use planning process, in conjunction with the King Family, to create a vision for the eastern portion of the battlefield and National Park. The vision would balance careful stewardship of the historic battlefield and National Park with sustainable economic development for the benefit of Orange County.
The land-use planning process proposed by the Wilderness Battlefield Coalition will explore a range of options for new commercial development which may be compatible with preservation of the battlefield and National Park, including the possibility of significant commercial development. With careful planning and creative design, the undersigned members of the Wilderness Battlefield Coalition acknowledge that significant development on the King Family property may be compatible with preservation of the battlefield and National Park.
The Wilderness Battlefield Coalition and the King Family strongly encourage Orange County, the adjacent land owners, and Wal-Mart to participate in the land-use planning process proposed by the Wilderness Battlefield Coalition and endorsed by the King Family.
Sincerely,
Rob Nieweg, National Trust for Historic Preservation
Catharine Gilliam, National Parks Conservation Association
Craig Rains, Friends of Wilderness Battlefield
Erik Nelson, Central Virginia Battlefields Trust
John Cummings, Friends of Fredericksburg Area Battlefields
Elizabeth Kostelny, Preservation Virginia
Jim Campi, Civil War Preservation Trust
Chip King
Jan King Evans
Ken Dotson
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WHAT HAPPENED HERE? The Battle of the Wilderness, one of the Civil War's largest and most important conflicts, was the first clash between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. The May 5-6, 1864, battle began Grant's grueling Overland Campaign, which drained both armies and brought Union troops to the gates More than 160,000 men fought along what are now State Routes 3 and 20. Nearly 29,000 Americans were killed, wounded or captured. Today, much of the battlefield is part of Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park. The proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter is within the historical battle area, but outside the park boundary authorized by Congress. |
