Wish list for public facilities is presented
By Greg Pearson STAFF WRITER

The new Tomahawk Creek Middle School in Centerpointe is one of several schools funded through a 2004 bond referendum. The school will open this fall.

The county's planning commission reviewed the first draft of a proposed plan last week that will help determine the location of future schools and other public facilities. Chesterfield County Public Schools and the major departments of county government briefed the commissioners on their needs and the methods used to arrive at those needs but did not address budgetary considerations.

The commission will hold another work session to discuss the plan on Feb. 19 while some county leaders are already weighing in with their priorities. The cost of new facilities will be part of the commission's recommendations to the county board.

Below are some of the proposed plan's highlights. To see the entire plan, visit www.chesterfieldobserver.com and click on "special."

Schools

"Schools will probably be the most controversial," commented Planning Commission Chairman Russ Gulley.

That was the case several years ago when significant differences broke out among members of the county and school board, primarily over the more northern location of Tomahawk Creek Middle School opening in Centerpointe this fall. Some citizens, led by Shelly Schuetz of Hampton Park, campaigned for a western Route 360 location.

The school board has approved an ambitious public facilities plan of its own with six new elementary schools, four new middle schools and three new high schools. A bond referendum to fund the new schools would tentatively go to voters in November 2012. However, the school system's entire wish list is unlikely to pass the scrutiny of county supervisors intact because of available funding.

There are also differences in how the different groups want to use school capital improvement funds. Some supervisors want more money allocated for additions. Maintenance of existing schools has fallen behind as new school construction costs have risen considerably. County planners want "more reinvestment in the inner ring" rather than in new growth areas.

Another hot topic is likely to be the future use of the existing Clover Hill High School after students move to the new replacement school on Genito Road in fall 2010. Many want the old school converted to a middle school. Others have suggested using the building for administrative offices for the school system, while still others have proposed opening a new technical center for students there or using it as a community center.

Estimates to convert it into a middle school have fluctuated widely - as high as $20 million - when a new middle school costs about $30 million. "We can't be guessing at the cost," said the commission's Vice Chairman Wayne Bass.

Roads

Road needs over the next 20 years are now pegged at $2.42 billion to meet the county's minimum standards - level D - which is based primarily on the type of road and the average number of vehicles per day. But Chesterfield's transportation department is forecasting little help from the state, meaning the county will have to raise $2.14 billion or $107 million annually to reach that level.

"The only way we get any money is through bond issues or CDAs [Community Development Authorities]," said Bass. "If we depend on the state, we'll have to live with what we have." CDAs allow an independent authority backed by the county to sell bonds, which are paid back over 10-15 years. But Chesterfield is running out of the means to sell CDAs since further increasing the county's debt load could impact its AAA bond rating.

Based on traffic projections, most of Chesterfield's major roads will need widening to eight lanes: the Powhite Parkway, Route 288, Chippenham Parkway and much of Hull Street Road and Route 10. That widening would allow those roads to handle over 87,000 vehicles each a day.

Business

County leaders are placing more emphasis on economic development, like funding an interchange to connect Meadowville Technology Park with I-295. In the short run, economic development needs will compete with schools and other capital expenditures for funding. In the long run, an increase in offices, warehouses and retail development will raise county revenues and create the potential for lower property tax rates. Much of the county's revenue currently comes from residential property taxes.

"We're at a crossroads in our land use plans," said Director of Planning Kirk Turner. "In my conversations with board members and commissioners there seems to be an interest in revising our plans to incorporate more opportunity for economic development."

Fire/EMS

The department is trying to maintain a six minute response rate, but when some of the 21 fire and EMS facilities can't meet that goal 90 percent of the time, one option is to add more facilities. Officials say the department is currently dealing with the issue by better managing its existing personnel and facilities.

Two stations are under review and another six are requested by 2022. Six facilities are seeking additional enhancements while two more support sites will be needed.

Police

The department is proposing three police stations with 4,000 square feet on three acres each by 2022. But the department's primary need - filling vacancies in the ranks - is largely believed to be caused by an inadequate pay scale. With county budget approval just two months away, the commission recommended the department talk to supervisors about increasing pay.

Libraries

Library staff is reporting changing needs with more patrons requiring more computer and research use. With three new libraries yet to open thanks to funding from the 2004 referendum, the preliminary request calls for six new libraries of 20,000-25,000 square feet from 2012-2022 and adding 6,000 square feet to the Central Library.

Parks & Recreation

From 2012-2022, the parks and recreation department wants to add six community parks (40 acres or more each), four neighborhood parks (10 acres plus each), one regional park (125 or more acres) and one special purpose park (no size specified) to reach its goal of providing nine acres of parks for every 1,000 persons. Available parkland is becoming more scarce, and parks personnel recommend buying early.

Sheriff's department

Sheriff Dennis Proffitt told the commission that his department is "close to full employment" levels, and with a relatively new jail, "We're in good shape for the next 10 years." But the number of inmates is increasing with the ever-growing county population.

Other sections

The preliminary plan also includes sections on general services (i.e., refuse, recycling and the government center), telecommunications (towers) and utilities. Senior Engineer Randy Phelps reported the county's water and wastewater systems are in good shape for the near future.