Stafford County Residents:
Your property values
& future taxes are at risk!
The Board of Supervisors & Planning Commission have a joint meeting on October 29, 2020 at Colonial Forge High School at approximately 6:30PM (exact meeting time to be determined). They WILL attempt to pass a downzoning ordinance which will allow for only 10 acre lots within the A-1 zoning parcels. The only way Stafford residents can defend themselves, is by coming to the meeting in-person and voicing our concerns!
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SLASHES property values in A-1 zoning by 50%
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INCREASES property values in non A-1 districts
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300% REDUCTION in lot yield (from 3 acres minimum lot sizes to 10 acres minimum)
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Leads to more traffic, overcrowding in schools for "close to town" locations
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Leads to higher taxes for other non A-1 land parcels
THE PROBLEM:
The current 10 acres minimum lot size ordinance in A-1 zoning district which is being voted on for Stafford County:
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Lowers property values in these districts by up to 50%
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Restricts use of private land & private property rights
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Discriminates against the elderly (who own up to 90% of the A-1 land in this county)
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Leads to higher taxes for non A-1 landowners
How Downzoning Destroys Land Values - 2018 Study
On October 29th at 6:30PM at Colonial Forge High School, the Stafford Board of Supervisors will be taking action to vote on a downzoning of A-1 land to 10 acres minimum lot sizes.
PUBLIC INPUT IS CRITICAL BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!
TAKE ACTION NOW!
3 Simple Steps:
1.
Contact Your Supervisors
TELL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES TO VOTE NO to DOWNZONING & to consider better options that will
manage county growth, protect our property rights & prevent major tax increases!
Contact Board of Supervisors
Contact Planning Commission
CALL THE STAFFORD COUNTY PLANNING & ZONING DEPARTMENT: 540-658-8668
2.
Sign the Petition
The county is looking for public input & opinions on this important issue.
Join us to promote community planning that protects property rights & keeps taxes low!
3.
Attend & Speak at Board & Community Meetings
PUBLIC INPUT IS CRITICAL BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE! TAKE ACTION NOW!
YOUR OPINION MATTERS!
This issue is not about developers, environmentalists, or "healthy growth."
This is about protecting individuals' property rights, managing growth in a way that protects the land investment of Stafford's hard-working families & that keeps traffic/ tax increases under control.
UPDATES
SEPTEMBER 2020
1. September 9, 2020 - Stafford County Planning Commission Meeting 9: https://amsva.wistia.com/medias/g9z4wiyyv0 (Planning directors report starts at 2:05 - vote to go to joint hearing with board of supervisors on October 29th at 2:15)
2. January 2019 - Stafford county spends $62,000 tax payer dollars on engineering firm Stantec to reach out to community on this matter. Attached proposals gotten via freedom of information act request:
AUGUST 2020
August 28, 2020 - Planning commission sends letter and attachments to board of supervisors requesting delaying joint hearing by 30 days
https://staffordcova.civicclerk.com/web/UserControls/DocPreview.aspx?p=1&aoid=150
Page 229-309 Board of Supervisors Healthy Growth Meeting Agenda September 1st 2020
From: Steven L. Apicella
Sent: Friday, August 28, 2020 12:54 PM
To: Meg Bohmke; Thomas C. Coen; Tinesha O. Allen; Mark Dudenhefer; Cindy Shelton; Gary Snellings; Crystal L. Vanuch
Cc: Darrell E. English; Barton Randall; Fillmore McPherson; Albert Bain; Kristen Barnes; Dexter C. Cummings; Frederick J. Presley; Cheryl D. Giles; Jeff A. Harvey; Kathy C. Baker; Mike J. Zuraf; Joseph A. Valotta; Stacie J. Stinnette; Denise F. Knighting
Subject: Stafford County Healthy Growth Initiative
Madame Chairman,
At our August 26, 2020 meeting, the Stafford Planning Commission voted to submit its Healthy Growth’s Subcommittee’s preliminary findings/report to the Board of Supervisors for review and deliberation as it addresses this important subject issue.
On behalf of the Planning Commission, I have attached: 1) a Request letter to the Stafford Board of Supervisors (which will be officially signed by Mr. English on my behalf); 2) a preliminary report on alternative options to manage rural development; and, 3) 4 associated enclosures.
It is our understanding that the issue of Healthy Growth may be discussed as an agenda item at the Board’s September 1, 2020 meeting. We respectfully request that the Board give full consideration to this attached material/options at its September 1st meeting, and at subsequent meetings on this matter.
V/r
Steven Apicella
Chairman, Stafford County Planning Commission
APRIL 2020
Planning department for Stafford county sent below email on behalf of board of supervisors:
"Land Development Professionals:
As you may be aware, the Board of Supervisors has been working on implementing its 2040 Strategic Plan. A key component of the plan is the Healthy Growth Initiative. One aspect of Healthy Growth was to consider reducing residential densities in the A-1, Agricultural zoning district. It was anticipated that the Board of Supervisors would adopt a resolution at its April 7th meeting to start the public hearing process towards enacting an ordinance amendment. Given the community impacts of the COVID-19 Virus a focus on safety and essential business has taken precedence over many contemplated planned activities. The Healthy Growth Initiative is one of those activities which is being postponed. The item had been removed from the April 7th meeting agenda. It is being postponed to a future unspecified date when government business can return to normal.
If you have any questions about a pending project that you are working on, please contact your staff planner who is copied above."
Is Government business “returned to normal” as of September 2020? Schools are not even reopened yet in the county, residents are not recommended to attend board meetings in-person, but business is “normal” enough to move forward with a downzoning?
SAVE STAFFORD PROPERTY OWNERS from
PAYING the HIGH PRICE
of DOWNZONING
Stafford County Supervisors Tackling Sprawl with Downzoning
Stafford County Officials Exploring Options to Manage Rural Area Growth
Stafford Residents Help County Develop New Growth Strategy
EDITORIAL: Managing growth is a good problem