Supervisors ask for votes to be counted
By Greg Pearson STAFF WRITER

Durfee

The Chesterfield Board of Supervisors passed a resolution last week asking the State Board of Elections to count the 299 votes written on plain paper in the Democratic primary on Feb. 12 after nine county precincts ran out of ballots. The state board disallowed those votes because they weren't on official ballots.

Midlothian Supervisor Dan Gecker made the motion to approve the resolution, but Matoaca Supervisor Marleen Durfee followed with her own motion to reject it.

"We don't have the legal authority to act and should delay any action until the state board issues its report," she urged. That report is expected to be completed next month followed by a recommendation of the three-person board. The Chesterfield Board of Elections and Registrar Larry Haake believe the votes should be counted.

"We are within our rights to ask that the votes be counted," countered Gecker, who is an attorney. "The U.S. Constitution and Virginia law would trump any decision by the state board."

Board Chairman Art Warren expressed concern that a resolution by the supervisors might be considered as interference.

Voters experienced long lines at the Smoketree precinct (above) and others due to high turnout for the presidential primary last month.

Gecker asked for County Attorney Steve Micas for his legal advice. "It's a petition on the sense of the board to a state agency," he said gingerly.

Durfee's substitute motion died for lack of a second, and on a 4-1 vote the resolution passed with Durfee opposing.

Impact fees

The board unanimously deferred a decision until June on whether to impose impact fees on about 9,000 residential lots of $5,820 each, raising about $45-$50 million to improve county roads. The fees would apply to lots that were rezoned to residential before the proffer system went into effect and be imposed when a building permit is applied for.

Warren wants to wait and get a sense of whether the existing impact fee authority might be changed to allow higher fees. Senate Bill 768, which was carried over from this General Assembly, if approved in its tabled version, would have increased the amount to $7,500. There is some speculation that state impact fees for all rezonings (including proffers) will be approved in the 2009 General Assembly at a higher figure.

The Virginia Association of Counties (VACO) meets on May 3, and Warren, who represents Chesterfield, wants to hear what that group plans. VACO strongly opposed SB768.

Gecker voted for the motion, but again stated his opposition to impact fees being imposed on lots rezoned prior to the proffer system. A staff proposal recommends that impact fees apply only to residential lots - not commercial - that did not pay a proffer. Residential lots that have already been subdivided or are part of a CDA (Community Development Authority) would be exempt. Lots for homes that sell for less than $200,000 and properties subdivided into family lots would also be exempt.

Meanwhile, one unnamed property owner who was at last week's board meeting is hastening to get his lots subdivided so impact fees won't affect him. "That will save me $70,000," he said.

TND standards

Following Gecker's recommendation, the board deferred an amendment to the county code to approve standards for Traditional Neighborhood Developments (TND) until May 28. He wanted more information about internal roads.

TNDs are planned communities that mix commercial and residential neighborhoods, providing a variety of housing types. The concept de-emphasizes parking lots in front of retail centers and encourages "pedestrianoriented activity centers."

Face time

The supervisors worked out a compromise that allows the county's preservation committee to hold a joint meeting with the planning commission. The committee meets about once a year to decide historical preservation matters and wanted to continue combining its meeting with the commission so, as it admitted, it could be on Comcast channel 17. According to television ratings, the audience levels for the county's government meetings are so low they can't be accurately measured.

The commissioners will sit in their usual chairs while the committee sits in a semicircle in front of and below the commission.

Cheatham property

Rezoning for a mixed-use development, commonly referred to as the Cheatham property, in the northwest quadrant of routes 288/360 was deferred to May 28 to allow for a transportation study on the impact to Old Hundred Road. The Brandermill Community Association requested the study.

Mass transit

Matoaca resident Bob Herndon reported that the Route 360 express bus service to downtown Richmond "was above goals set by the Virginia Department of Transportation." He pointed out that three of GRTC's board members are appointed by Chesterfield, but the county contributes no money to the bus system.

Herndon asked the board "to invest in GRTC this year."