The following text was sent out via email on April 24, 2023. Sign up for PEC email alerts →
Dear Supporter,
I am writing with a few final reminders and notes about Wilderness Crossing.
First, the Board of Supervisors public hearing is tomorrow, Tuesday, April 25. Anyone who spoke before the Planning Commission can and should sign up to speak again – tomorrow night could be the vote, and a large showing of residents like you is needed to demonstrate strong community opposition!
Please consider joining your neighbors and groups like PEC in person to be seen and heard at the public hearing. You can also submit written comments to the Board of Supervisors until noon on Tuesday.
Board of Supervisors Public Hearing
Tuesday, April 25 @ 5 p.m.
Orange County Public Safety Building
11282 Government Center Drive
Orange, VA 22960
NOTE: If you are planning to speak, try to arrive by 5 p.m. to sign up. The public hearing is scheduled to start around 6:30 p.m.
Second, as you know, one of the most serious concerns with Wilderness Crossing has been its likely strain on the County’s water supply.
Unfortunately, District 5 Supervisor and Rapidan Service Authority (RSA) representative Lee Frame has deflected concerns raised about impacts to the water supply by emphasizing that the RSA would be able to provide the capacity to meet the demands created by Wilderness Crossing. I encourage you to read a great response to Supervisor Frame’s assertion from Orange County resident and former PEC board member Roy Jacobson, who has been researching the water supply issue for months.
Third, questions remain about what Wilderness Crossing would mean for County taxpayers. I’ve heard from many residents who are not at all convinced by the applicant’s optimistic economic analysis. You can read Lake of the Woods resident and retired Ernst & Young economist Tom Neubig’s op-ed on this issue in the Daily Progress.
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that Wilderness Crossing is raising alarm bells in neighboring Spotsylvania County as well. I have heard directly from a number of Spotsy residents, and just last week the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors submitted this letter to Orange County laying out several of its own concerns.
Thank you for reading, thank you for your continued engagement on this issue, and I hope to see you at the public hearing tomorrow!
Sincerely,
Don McCown
Orange County Field Representative
[email protected]
(434) 977-2033 ext. 7047