Comprehensive plan would save $776 million

Trammell The proposed countywide comprehensive plan, if adopted, would save Chesterfield $776 million in today’s dollars in capital improvements by build-out, estimated to be 147 years from now. Much of the savings occurs because the plan caps population growth to just over 800,000 residents, and there is more emphasis on revitalization.

Previous estimates called for 900,000 residents at build-out. The reduction means Chesterfield will have the demand for 10 fewer fire stations, five libraries, 12 elementary schools, three middle schools and four high schools. It will also require 1,000 fewer acres for parks.

Those were some of the numbers revealed last week during a joint meeting of the board of supervisors, school board and planning commission to discuss the proposed plan. It’s the last meeting before the commission delves into the 200-page plan next month.

Currently Chesterfield has .68 jobs for every worker, meaning too many people leave the county each morning to work. Chesterfield has fallen far short of the current plan’s goal of 1.1 workers, and the proposed plan calls for 1.3 jobs per worker, meaning Chesterfield would import workers to meet its employment needs.

Gecker For decades the county has been a bedroom community, sending much of its work force to Henrico County and Richmond. Chesterfield’s property tax rate is 8 cents higher than Henrico’s, primarily because Chesterfield doesn’t have enough commercial development to support its tax base, and there are 12,000 more school-age children to educate.

The school board last year was casting a wary eye to the plan because it places parameters on new schools – when to redistrict, when to build, and recommends less acreage for new sites with two-story buildings. That appears to have changed.

“There is a plan to move us forward without having to be reactive,” said Bermuda School Board member Marshall Trammell. “I’m very pleased with the plan.”

Several county leaders focused their comments on the existing 22 area plans, even though many of them haven’t been updated in more than 10 years. Many citizens, particularly in Midlothian, don’t want to lose aspects of those plans that they fought for.

“Relevant goals and key concepts from the area plans…will be carried forward…,” said Vlad Gavrilovic, leader of the Renaissance Planning Group, which is overseeing the plan’s development.

Another concern by some members of the 33-member citizen steering committee is how the plan might change after being reviewed by the commission and during the adoption process by the supervisors.

“It is legally correct to call [the plan] a guide,” said Midlothian Supervisor Dan Gecker, “…but the exceptions should be very rare.”