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Gov. Tim Kaine, House Speaker Bill Howell Date published: 7/16/2009
BY ROBIN KNEPPER Gov. Tim Kaine and House Speaker Bill Howell have added their clout to the debate over a proposal to build a Wal-Mart in the Wilderness battlefield area. In a letter Monday to Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairman Lee Frame, Kaine and Howell called the Civil War battlefield "supremely important." They urged the board to work with Wal-Mart to "find an appropriate alternate site for the proposed retail center in the vicinity of the proposed site yet situated outside the boundaries of Wilderness Battlefield and out of view from the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park." Wal-Mart wants to build a 138,000-square-foot Supercenter on part of a 51-acre, commercially zoned site at the intersection of State Routes 3 and 20. Historic preservationists oppose the site, saying a Wal-Mart there would damage the Civil War battlefield. Wal-Mart officials have said they investigated all other properties on the Route 3 corridor and the chosen site is the only one that meets their criteria for size, accessibility and commercial zoning. The county Planning Commission has recommended approval of a special-use permit needed to build the store, and three of the five supervisors have voiced support for the plan. In their letter, which was copied to other supervisors, Kaine and Howell acknowledged the county's authority to reject or deny the permit. But they offered to provide state help to the county and Wal-Mart if they choose to pursue another location. "It's an issue between Wal-Mart and the localities. What the state can do is, they can offer some expertise and they can offer some negotiating help," said Kaine spokesman Gordon Hickey. "Battlefield preservation is important to the governor. So is business and jobs. What he wants to see is that this all works out so Wal-Mart can build without impacting the battlefield." Supervisors met in closed session Tuesday night to discuss the letter but took no public action afterwards. County Attorney Sharon Pandak said discussion of the letter was suitable for a closed session of the board because it came under the provision in state code that dealt with "assignment of a public officer." She would not identify what assignment was required of which public officer.
I am really glad I didn't vote for Kaine. All of you are going to keep complaining and cause the loss of a huge opportunity for Orange County. Wal-Mart has said time and time again that they don't want to build at any other location..it sounds like Kaine and all of you "special" people are ignoring what they said and keep saying move it. All you preservationists need to jump ahead to reality and realize that you can't preserve every inch of ground that a soldier walked across.
know body cared when they built lake of the woods in east orange county so why should they stop wal-mart or any othe business the will be built there? if there are worried what will go there, they should buy the land instead of holding up progress.
Walmart and the Board of Sups better follow orders. I mean they even blew off the sovereign Nation of Vermont and battlefield constituencies Countrywide, but now heel boys!
Gov Kaine rejects jobs and tax revenue for Virginians. How is it a comprimise to repeatedly suggest an idea that has already been rejected? Heck you should be glad that the Orange County BOS isn't offering up all the tax income the county will see from it the way Fburg does to get anything to build there.
is most of the ones who dont want wal-mart dont actually go to the battlefield anyways.
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