The Wilderness Alert !!!!

[Charles Heath]

Re: The Wilderness Alert !!!!

"... but the voices from outside the county did influence the outcome."

Eric,

Absolutely! The "outsiders" and "come heres" can often influence the "from heres" and the local citizens who do vote that may or may not be aware of the importance of a piece of ground, structure, or history. Approximately a dozen of us will be down that way Saturday morning for a different reason, and it may do us all good to ease across VA Rte. 3 by the 7-11, make an unscheduled stop, and do the proverbial windshield survey of the proposed super deluxe Wally World (not an approved vendor) site with CWPT map in hand.

Do you recall if Orange County, Va., permits 3 or 5 minutes per speaker at their public hearings, assuming they have the usual time limit in place?

[Dignann]

Re: The Wilderness Alert !!!!

Wilderness picks up new advocate GROUP ANNOUNCES OTHER ENDANGERED SITES

Wal-Mart plan puts Wilderness battlefield among state's at-risk historic sites, Preservation Virginia says

By CLINT SCHEMMER

The Free Lance-Star [Fredericksburg, Va.]
May 19, 2009

America's oldest statewide preservation group has just faced off against the world's biggest retailer, doing battle in Orange County.

Preservation Virginia, which has saved Jamestown and dozens of other historic sites from ruin, believes building a Wal-Mart at The Wilderness is a bad idea.

The Arkansas company's plan for a 138,000-square-foot Supercenter there risks ruining visitors' experiences at the Civil War battlefield in eastern Orange, the group's chief said yesterday.

Executive Director Elizabeth Kostelny announced that Preservation Virginia has named the Wilderness battlefield to Preservation Virginia's 2009 list of the state's nine most-endangered historic sites.

Kostelny said the 3,000-member group joins with the historians, congressmen, celebrities and ordinary people who oppose putting the Wal-Mart at Routes 3 and 20, across from Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.

"The proposed Wal-Mart would degrade the rural character of the battlefield, promote commercial sprawl, and drastically increase traffic through the heart of the park," Kostelny said.

She spoke at Ellwood, a historic house on the Civil War battlefield less than a mile from the store's site. The retailer's tract, which would include the Supercenter and three smaller stores, is less than a quarter mile from the park.

In all, the retail center would total 240,000 square feet on 52 acres, Kostelny said. She noted that the Wal-Mart site is within the historic limits of the battlefield, as determined by a federal commission. More than 160,000 troops fought--with 29,000 killed or wounded--in the Battle of the Wilderness, waged 145 years ago this month.

"Protection of the battlefield and the setting of the national park is a critical concern for Virginians," Kostelny said. "Annually, the battlefield draws 170,000 visitors to Orange County, generating sustainable economic activity through heritage tourism."

The Wilderness is where Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, first met in battle on May 5-6, 1864. And it saw Grant launch the relentless campaign that ended with Lee's surrender at Appomattox 11 months later.

Near Wal-Mart's site, the junction of the old Germanna Plank Road (modern Route 3) and historic Orange Turnpike "is key to understanding the battle and how it transformed the Civil War," Kostelny said.

"The intrusion of a new Wal-Mart store, in an area already served by other branches of the same chain, would irrevocably harm a historic site of national significance."

The battlefield is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register, she noted.

On Thursday night, the county Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Wal-Mart's plan. The hearing is at 7 p.m. at Prospect Heights Middle School.

Wal-Mart says its store won't harm the battlefield. Its spokesmen have noted the area next to the park already has a McDonald's, two convenience stores and two strip retail centers.

Some Orange officials have said their rural county needs the jobs and tax money the store would generate.

Zann Miner, president of the Friends of Wilderness Battlefield, said "we are not opposed to free enterprise or to Wal-Mart building a store in Orange County

"Ours is a simple request: Wal-Mart executives, join with us in our effort to protect and preserve our nation's heritage--the story of thousands of Americans, whose descendants may shop at Wal-Mart. Support this national treasure by finding a more suitable location for your new store."

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009/052009/05192009/467044

[Dignann]

Re: The Wilderness Alert !!!!

Cumulative impacts, cumulative impacts, cumulative impacts...


State criticizes Wal-Mart report

State agency faults county staff report to Orange Planning Commission on Wilderness Wal-Mart

BY CLINT SCHEMMER

The Free Lance-Star [Fredericksburg, Va.]
May 21, 2009

Virginia officials want "to set the record straight" about a proposed Wal-Mart's impact on the Wilderness battlefield.

Kathleen Kilpatrick, director of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, wrote the Orange County Planning Commission yesterday after learning that the county's planning staff "appears to suggest" that the Wal-Mart site "is not historically significant."

The Orange Planning Commission will hold a public hearing tonight on JDC Ventures' request for a special-use permit to build a 138,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter and other retail stores north of State Routes 3 and 20.

"Construction of a Wal-Mart facility at the scale and on the site proposed will, in our professional judgment, have a serious adverse effect both on the Wilderness Battlefield and on the National Park," Kilpatrick wrote in a letter to commission Chairman Will Likins, who could not be reached for comment last night.

The staff report, which recommends granting the permit, says staffers reviewed VDHR files and maps and confirmed with VDHR that "there are no known significant resources" on the Wal-Mart tract. The report states the site is in "the near vicinity" of the Wilderness battlefield.

Kilpatrick took issue with those conclusions. "Please be advised that the proposed Wal-Mart site is located entirely within the boundaries of the Wilderness Battlefield," she wrote.

Of 10,500 sites identified by the federal Civil War Sites Advisory Commission, only 45 were ranked "A" as having decisively influenced a military campaign and directly affected the course of the war, Kilpatrick noted. Wilderness, "is counted among this very elite class of national battlefields for possessing the highest level of historical significance and meriting the highest priority for preservation."

The 51.6-acre Wal-Mart site is "clearly eligible" for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, along with the rest of the battlefield, she said.

Orange Board of Supervisors Chairman Lee Frame said last night that he didn't see the letter until after the close of business yesterday.

"I'm really not in a position to say anything about it until I have a chance to go over it and discuss it in detail with [Community Development Director David] Grover," he said. "I'll be talking with him [today]."

Grover could not be reached last night.

Late yesterday, Kilpatrick said VDHR recognizes that it's up to local officials to decide the Wal-Mart land-use issue, but the department wanted to make sure Orange has accurate data. She responded after DHR became aware Monday of statements in the planners' report.

"The property is important, it is historic, and we felt that information was absolutely critical to the decision-making," she said.

Robert Carter, director of DHR's Community Services Division, said Orange officials "did not send us information about this project and ask us to comment."

But County Attorney Sharon Pandak said Orange officials did talk with DHR.

"The county staff met with DHR in Richmond months ago," she said, "and it's my understanding that DHR didn't raise any issues in respect to Wal-Mart at that time.

"We have a real sense of dismay since we initiated contact with them. It's very troubling that they are only now bringing this to the Planning Commission, but if DHR wants to come up and meet with our staff, the county is receptive."

Kilpatrick said a senior DHR staff member will attend tonight's meeting should the commissioners have questions, she said.

Bill Speiden, a longtime Planning Commission member and its former chairman, welcomes that.

"The land has been zoned commercial since 1973 and apparently known to be part of the battlefield since 1993," he said. "Why has it not been put on the National Register? These are questions that need to be answered."

Last night, Wal-Mart spokesman Keith Morris repeated the company's prior statements that its store site isn't on the battlefield and won't harm the nearby national park.

"It gets into a matter of semantics," he said. "Are we talking about the Wilderness battlefield park or a 1993 study that was done?

"What that fails to take into account is that there are 4,000 homes in Lake of the Woods that are abutting the battlefield, 1,800 homes in the other direction that are abutting the battlefield, and all of the other commercial strip development that's there right now."

------------------------------------------------------

WHAT: Orange County Planning Commission public hearing on proposed Wilderness Wal-Mart

WHEN: 7 tonight, Prospect Heights Middle, 202 Dailey Drive, Orange. Building opens at 6 p.m.

RULES: Speakers must sign up and will be called on in the order in which they signed up. They will have three minutes to speak. Commissioners will not answer questions or engage in conversation with speakers.

ONLINE: Check out details at orangecountyva.gov, Wal-Mart's views at orange walmart.com and preservationists' views at wilderness walmart.com.

http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009/052009/05212009/467857

Eric

[Dignann]

Re: The Wilderness Alert !!!!

ORANGE GOT STATE INPUT, BUT MISSED 'RED FLAGS'

BY ROBIN KNEPPER

The Free Lance-Star [Fredericksburg, Va.
May 22, 2009

When the director of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources wrote to Orange County's Planning Commission about a proposal to build a Wal-Mart in the Wilderness battlefield area, she was not aware that her staff had met with county officials earlier this year.

In her letter Wednesday to commission Chairman Will Likins, DHR Director Kathleen Kilpatrick took issue with a county report that said its staffers had reviewed DHR files and maps and confirmed that "there are no known significant resources" on the Wal-Mart tract. The county planning staff has recommended approval of a special-use permit for a Supercenter off State Route 3.

In her letter, Kilpatrick said the proposed Supercenter would fall on Wilderness battlefield land and would have a "serious adverse effect" on the battlefield national park.

She also said Orange staffers had not consulted her agency.

Orange Community Development Director David Grover and Director of Strategic Planning Deborah Kendall met with DHR Archivist Quatro Hubbard and staffers Ronald Grayson and Susan Smead on Feb. 5 in Richmond.

Kilpatrick said she wasn't aware of that visit until yesterday.

"My staff indicates that they copied maps and got other information," she said. "We provided appropriate data and guidance to the county that should have raised red flags."

The red flags included information that a federal commission had laid out a large area north of State Route 3, where Wal-Mart wants to locate, as a study area of the Wilderness battlefield for possible inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, she said.

Grover said a report commissioned by the developer of the Wal-Mart project, JDC Ventures, said the land was in a study area and deemed to be eligible for the National Register, but also said there was nothing of significance on the land.

Grover said Hubbard, the DHR archivist, "seemed troubled" that the archeological study by Dovetail Resources didn't refer to the 2001 DHR publication "The Official Virginia Civil War battlefield Guide."

"The problem is the state thinks it's significant, although a detailed study has never been done of the area," Grover said. "Obviously, Orange County needs to have an historic resources study done.

"The presumption is if the land is in a study area it's automatically historic. It gives opponents of development the right to say it's significant. But it's private land, and the owners have the right to do what they want with it within the confines of the zoning ordinance."

Part of the 51.5 commercially zoned acres that JDC Ventures wants to develop lies in a wetland that will be put into a conservation easement and not built on.

To build on that land, the developer would have had to go through a federal environmental review that would have triggered a more official consultation with DHR.

As it stands, however, the state apparently has no authority over use of the land.

"This is a matter for the local government to decide," Kilpatrick said. "Our job is to provide information."

http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009/052009/05222009/468233

Eric

[Dignann]

Re: The Wilderness Alert !!!!

PUBLIC SPEAKS ON WAL-MART

Public hearing on a proposed Wal-Mart near the Wilderness battlefield in Orange County draws a big crowd.

BY ROBIN KNEPPER

The Free Lance-Star [Fredericksburg, Va.]
May 22, 2009

A public hearing last night on a proposal to build a Wal-Mart Supercenter near the Wilderness Battlefield park drew a big crowd, but little noise and no vote.

About 200 people turned out for the Orange County Planning Commission hearing on a special-use permit to build the Supercenter off State Route 3. A total of 73 people spoke, with opponents outnumbering supporters about 2-to-1.

Almost all of the foes said they do not oppose a Wal-Mart store in the county but think the proposed location would negatively affect the Civil War battlefield.

Supporters said the county needs the shopping, jobs and tax revenue the retail center would bring.

The audience sat quietly while Wal-Mart attorney Tom Kleine presented the retail giant's plan for a 138,000-square-foot Supercenter on 19.5 acres north of the intersection of State Routes 3 and 20.

The application also calls for three other parcels with a total of 98,750 square feet of retail, service and restaurant space on 14.5 acres.

The crowd also remained silent as speakers came forward to voice opinions on the proposal. About three-quarters of the crowd had drifted away by 10:30 p.m.

The county's staff has recommended approval of the permit application, but planning commissioners recessed around 11:10 p.m. without taking a vote.

"We've been thinking about this for over a year," said Planning Commission member Bill Speiden. "We need to consider all the information before us."

The commission agreed to meet June 11 to discuss the permit further. Its recommendation goes to the Board of Supervisors for a final decision.

----------------------------------------------------------------

JDC Ventures is seeking a special-use permit to build a 138,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter on 19.5 acres north of the intersection of State Routes 3 and 20. The application also covers three other parcels with a total of 98,750 square feet of retail, service and restaurant space on 14.5 acres. The balance of the 51.6- acre property is largely in a flood plain and not proposed for development.

Preservationists say a Supercenter and its traffic would destroy the ambiance of the nearby Civil War battlefield park. Supporters note that the land has long been zoned commercial and that the area is already the site of a Sheetz and other retail stores.

http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009/052009/05222009/468225

Eric

[Emmanuel Dabney]

Re: The Wilderness Alert !!!!

Just to follow up:

Three Authentic-Campaigner members were at the meeting last night: Jason Spellman, Drew Gruber, and myself. We were joined by two alum and a current student of Drew's and my undergraduate program. Besides the children dragged by their parents or however they got there, we were the youngest folks there. Kudos to my friends of this forum and not for making it out.

Drew and I both spoke against the Wal-Mart and three other padsites on this site. I think the Free Lance Star article does an overall nice job of summary but I want to issue my own "Job well done" to my employer the National Park Service: Russ Smith, Superintendent of Fredericksburg-Spotsylvania National Park and a representative from the National Parks Conservation Association were present. In addition, the National Trust's Robert Neiwig was present as was a representative (I wish I could remember his name as he was GREAT) from the Piedmont Enviornmental Council of Virginia. Of course, there were a host of residents of the county most against but of course some in support of the proposed special use permit.

I will yield the balance of my web space to the Free Lance Star article posted above.

[wilber6150]

Wal-Mart logic

I once asked a district manager what was the sense in building a new Wal-Mart 10 miles away when it would only draw our customers away.. His response was this, " say for example this store does a million a week now and when the new store opens this drops to 800k a week but the new store does 500k, though one store might lose 200k the total company has just increased sales by 300k.. The corporate office looks at the big picture and not individual stores.. "
Now the protect my butt clause :) All financial figures are strictly hypothetical and not based on an actual store... LOL..

[Emmanuel Dabney]

Re: The Wilderness Alert !!!!

I know we all have avoided the op-ed/letters to the editor in the Free-Lance Star but I will merely post the link to this one as it was written by the Authentic-Campaigner's own Drew Gruber: http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2...5242009/467961

[Shockoe Hill Cats]

Re: The Wilderness Alert !!!!

Three Authentic-Campaigner members were at the meeting last night: Jason Spellman, Drew Gruber, and myself. We were joined by two alum and a current student of Drew's and my undergraduate program. Besides the children dragged by their parents or however they got there, we were the youngest folks there. Kudos to my friends of this forum and not for making it out.

I just arrived home after spending the last eight hours touring the battlefield for the first time. Sometimes I feel like we tend to be more hobby-oriented and less preservation-minded (i.e. people who go to the reenactment but ignore the battlefield itself). I cannot think of a better way to celebrate and honor the Memorial Day than this.

From Saunders Field, "Gordon's Flank Attack" Trail, and the Widow Tapp Field, I've never seen such expansive land that cannot be of more historical and natural importance. It is hallowing to walk on pristine ground with few modern interferences.

Today I gained a sincere appreciation by learning a bit more and seeing the battlefield itself. I can only hope to encourage my fellow locals Virginians and forum members to be more participatory in preventing future urban development.

If only we had more Lee's on the front!

[sam H]

Re: The Wilderness Alert !!!!

Sometimes I feel like we tend to be more hobby-oriented and less preservation-minded (i.e. people who go to the reenactment but ignore the battlefield itself).

Good point Jason. Next time you plan on doing some battlefield site seeing give me a call. I haven't visited many of these battlefields in over ten years and as sad as it is to say, I would like to see them again before I lose the opportunity.

[Dignann]

Re: The Wilderness Alert !!!!

Wal-Mart says other sites don't meet needs

Wal-Mart says other suggested development sites in Orange fail to meet its criteria

BY ROBIN KNEPPER

The Free Lance-Star [Fredericksburg, Va.]
June 10, 2009

Seventy-two people told the Orange County Planning Commission May 21 what they thought about a proposal to build a Wal-Mart Supercenter in the Wilderness battlefield area.

Two-thirds of the speakers were against the plan, with almost all of them saying they were not opposed to Wal-Mart but to the location, a quarter-mile north of the intersection of State Routes 3 and 20.

The same plea was repeated over and over again: Build the Wal-Mart up the road, farther from the Civil War battlefield.

The comments indicated widespread belief that there is property farther west on State Route 3 that Wal-Mart could easily build on.

That issue could arise again as the Planning Commission prepares to discuss the special-use permit request tomorrow night.

Wal-Mart representatives say they have found no other commercially zoned land along the Route 3 corridor in Orange that meets the giant retailer's criteria for a building site.

According to Keith Morris, Wal-Mart's director of public affairs, the criteria include: a site that is already commercially zoned and easily accessible to customers; 20-30 acres suitable for the way its Supercenters and parking lots are generally situated, and in one parcel rather than adjoining properties that would need to acquired separately.

"We went through a long and exhaustive process finding the store location," Morris said. "We've looked at all that was out there. Some parcels were very small, some had residential or agricultural zoning. We didn't want to go to Orange County with a plan that would conflict with where they want development to occur."

PROSPECTS AND PROBLEMS

The Orange Supercenter is proposed for 19.5 acres of a 51.5-acre site on the north side of Route 3 that has been zoned commercial since 1973.

Those who oppose the proposed location have suggested other possibilities, including 20 acres of commercially zoned land behind the Bloom supermarket across from the entrance to Lake of the Woods.

According to the property owner's representative, Wal-Mart rejected that site because of its long and narrow configuration and lack of direct access from Route 3.

Realtor Adrianna Cowan-Waddy has proposed three adjacent parcels north of StellarOne bank. They total 19 acres and adjacent land might come on the market, Waddy said, but the parcels are separately owned.

Several miles west on Route 3, A&K Development has a new commercial development between Wilderness Shores and Somerset Farm subdivisions. According to President Mansour Azimipour, up to six pad sites totaling 9 acres are planned closer to Route 3 and five more sites on the north side total 15 acres. The two sides of the property are bisected by A&K Boulevard.

"I asked a real estate agent to talk to Wal-Mart," Azimipour said recently. "He told me that Wal-Mart was only interested in the property they had and if it didn't work out, they were out of Orange."

There is plenty of land along the Route 3 corridor with agricultural, industrial and residential zoning, including several thousand acres owned by the King family in the area near the proposed Wal-Mart site. All would require rezoning for commercial development.

While Wal-Mart has to obtain a special-use permit to build on the proposed site, that process is faster than a rezoning.

Charles "Chip" King has been proposing projects for the 2,000 acres his family owns for more than 30 years, without success. His latest proposal is Wilderness Crossing, a 900-acre mixed-use development to the north and west of the Wal-Mart site. It has been sitting on the shelf for the past two years while the Board of Supervisors focuses on the Wal-Mart plan.

REZONING PROS AND CONS

Dan Holmes, Orange County land-use director for the Piedmont Environmental Council, said there are 2,600 acres of undeveloped agriculturally zoned land along the Route 3 corridor that the county's comprehensive plan suggests for economic development or mixed use. He doesn't think rezoning some of that for commercial development would be a problem.

"Three members of the Board of Supervisors have been supportive of this project at one of the most sensitive places in the county," Holmes said. "What makes Wal-Mart think those same supervisors wouldn't bend over backwards to accommodate it and help it find other locations, especially since the county is under pressure nationally on this issue?"

According to David Grover, the county's director of community development, the special-use permit process benefits the county more than a rezoning because the county can put conditions on the permit the developer must follow. In this case, the county has asked for detailed traffic plans, environmental studies, a layout and design of the building compatible with the area, landscaping and screening and a view-shed analysis.

PARK SERVICE CONCERNS

Supporters of the Wal-Mart proposal note that the battlefield park lies south of Route 3 and that land around it is already home to dozens of commercial enterprises and thousands of private homes.

But John Hennessy, chief historian of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, said the proposed Wal-Mart and King developments would bring the "prospect of a new urban center juxtaposed next to a national park."

Hennessy said such development would bring increased traffic to Routes 3 and 20 and pressure to expand those roads through the park.

"We are very cautious about blasting roads through national parks," Hennessy said.

Park Service officials have opposed widening State Route 20 to four lanes on its present alignment and have opposed a new four-lane road proposed several years ago by King that would parallel the present road but still cross parkland.

"We recognize that over time we'll have the challenge of moving more traffic through the battlefield," Hennessy said.

"Sooner or later, the problem has to be solved. But that won't happen until all political and legal criteria are met, our objectives identified and we engage with VDOT, Orange County and developers in an open and honest planning process that says the Wilderness battlefield is a national treasure and deserves special consideration."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Orange County Planning Commission meets at 7 p.m. tomorrow in the Gordon Building, 112 W. Main St., Orange, to discuss the application from JDC Ventures for a special-use permit to build a Wal-Mart in the Wilderness area. No comments will be taken from the public.

http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009/062009/06102009/472197

Eric

[Dignann]

Re: The Wilderness Alert !!!!

State backs Park Service

State agency urges Orange County to 'squarely address' National Park Service concerns about Wilderness Wal-Mart, says store could be seen from park, Route 3

BY CLINT SCHEMMER

The Free Lance-Star [Fredericksburg, Va.]
June 11, 2009

Orange County should resolve the National Park Service's concerns about the Wal-Mart retail center proposed in the Wilderness battlefield area, a state agency says.

As the Planning Commission prepares tonight to discuss the project with Wal-Mart, its members will also have an opportunity to question an official of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources about issues that VDHR has raised.

At the county's request, VDHR advised Orange planners and the Board of Supervisors on the proposal in a seven-page letter sent Monday to County Attorney Sharon Pandak by Kathleen Kilpatrick, the department's director. "In our considered judgment, the National Park Service's concerns about the impact of the proposed development and the park should not be dismissed, but squarely addressed by the county, ideally in the context of a comprehensive planning approach," Kilpatrick wrote.

The 51.5-acre site, owned by JDC Ventures of Vienna, is a quarter mile north of the intersection of State Routes 3 and 20 and Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.

Park Service officials have said the retail center, along with the adjoining Wilderness Crossing development proposed by the King family, would create an urban center beside the park, increase traffic on Routes 3 and 20, and foster demand to widen those roads through the park.

Although the proposed Wal-Mart site lies outside the congressionally mandated boundaries of the park, Kilpatrick wrote that the Wal-Mart site is part of both the May 1864 Wilderness and the May 1863 Chancellorsville battlefields and retains its landscape features from the Civil War period, including what may be a wartime road trace.

The property probably figured in military operations during each battle, and may have included the Union Army's 6th Corps hospital on the Germanna Plank Road during the Battle of the Wilderness, she said.

It is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, she said. "A commercial development of this magnitude is by definition incompatible" with these "nationally significant" historic sites, she wrote. "The direct impact on the historic landscape cannot be mitigated through design and new landscape elements. The proposed development's impact on the battlefields would also be irreversible."

That is despite Wal-Mart's offer to set aside land near Wilderness Run for conservation, she wrote.

Kilpatrick also advised that Wal-Mart's 138,000-square-foot Supercenter will be visible from the park and from State Route 3 as motorists approach the Wilderness Corner crossroads, according to an analysis by the Piedmont Environmental Council and information from the Park Service and National Trust for Historic Preservation. She said the store will be visible from Ellwood, a historic house that serves as the visitor center for the Wilderness battlefield, once trees are cleared around Ellwood as the Park Service has planned to restore the Ellwood tract to its wartime appearance. Ellwood is about a mile from the store site, which sits atop a ridge north of Route 3 just west of Wilderness Run.

Kilpatrick noted that these visual studies conflict with Wal-Mart's assessment that its development wouldn't be seen by park visitors. The Department of Historic Resources recommends that Orange get an independent professional assessment to settle the question.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Orange County Planning Commission meets at 7 tonight in the Gordon Building, 112 W. Main St., Orange, to discuss the application from JDC Ventures for a special-use permit to build a Wal-Mart in the Wilderness area. No comments will be taken from the public.

http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009/062009/06112009/472644

Eric

[Dignann]

Re: The Wilderness Alert !!!!

Planners will meet again on Wal-Mart

Orange planners question Wal-Mart, but hold off on vote

BY ROBIN KNEPPER

The Free Lance-Star [Fredericksburg, Va.]
June 12, 2009

The Orange County Planning Commission questioned Wal-Mart representatives last night about a proposed Supercenter in the Wilderness battlefield area, but did not vote on the issue.

Another meeting will be held on June 25 to continue the questions to Wal-Mart, its consultants and representatives of the historical preservation community.

Wal-Mart is seeking a special-use permit to build a 138,000-square-foot Supercenter on a 51.5-acre site, owned by JDC Ventures of Vienna a quarter-mile north of the intersection of State Routes 3 and 20 and Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.

Park Service officials have said the retail center would destroy the ambiance of the Civil War battlefield, increase traffic on Routes 3 and 20, and foster demand to widen those roads through the park. At a public hearing earlier this month, many people said they do not oppose a Wal-Mart in the county but are against the location.

Supporters say the retail development would bring needed jobs and tax revenue to the county.

Planning commissioners posed a number of questions, most of them to Wal-Mart attorney Tom Kleine last night: Were there other places in the area where the store could be built? What would employees be paid? Would greater police presence be required? How would traffic problems be mitigated? Is there an abandoned gold mine on the site?

Kleine said no other suitable location is available. The starting pay for all employees is $11.20 an hour in most locations. A condition of the special-use permit addresses Wal-Mart providing security at all time the store was open.

All road improvements will be paid for by Wal-Mart and will include new access roads and turn lanes, Kleine said. No gold mine was found on the proposed development site, but there is an old one farther west, he added.

Commissioner Donald Brooks asked a question about something "we've heard time and time again."

"Is the Wal-Mart going to be in the middle of the battlefield?"

Kleine said after studying the area, examining the history and files at the state Department of Historic Resources and having an archeological and architectural study done by Dovetail Cultural Resources of Fredericksburg, "no evidence of military engagements was found on the site."

Kleine also noted that decisions about land use are up to local governments and Orange County has, over many years and many comprehensive plans, designated the area for commercial development.

He added that Wal-Mart has worked with county staff "to design a project that is very respectful of the site."

Most of the commissioner's questions were directed to Kleine and Wal-Mart consultants, but representatives of the Virginia Department of Transportation, Department of Historic Resources, Dovetail Consulting were also asked to provide information. John Hennessy, chief historian of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, spoke about the historic importance of the site.

"This site is intrinsically significant enough to factor into your decision-making. You're being asked to juxtapose a new urban center, a Wal-Mart, next to a national park," he said.

About 80 people attended the meeting. The public was not allowed to speak.

http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009/062009/06122009/472963

Eric

[Busterbuttonboy]

Re: The Wilderness Alert !!!!

Vote expected to take place tonight. Article below.

I am firing off a series of e-mails today and may place a phone call or three. Again the contact information is:

Chairman R. Mark Johnson
rmj142@yahoo.com

Supervisor Zack Burkett
zburkett@orangecountyva.gov

Supervisor Teel Goodwin
Teel.Goodwin@vabb.com

Vice Chairwoman Teri L. Pace
tpacedist4@aol.com

Supervisor Lee Frame
leeframe@orangecountyva.gov

http://www.dailypress.com/news/virginia/dp-va--wal-martbattlefie0625jun25,0,5481130.story

By the Associated Press

June 25, 2009

ORANGE, Va.
Click here to find out more!

Wal-Mart's proposal to build a Supercenter near a hallowed Civil War battlefield in Virginia is headed to its first vote.

The Orange County Planning Commission is scheduled to take up the retailer's proposal Thursday, with the final decision remaining with the Board of Supervisors.

A who's who of historians and preservation groups have protested the proposed Locust Grove address for the 138,000 square foot store. They have said the store will intrude upon history--the Wilderness Battlefield--where 29,000 Union and Confederate soldiers were killed or injured 145 years ago.

Wal-Mart has said its studies have concluded the store will not actually be on the site of any bloody combat.

Supervisors are not bound by the recommendations of the Planning Commission.

[Sprowls]

Re: The Wilderness Alert !!!!

Drew,

Thanks for the info. I sent these folks a letter urging them to not
allow a Wilderness Wal-Mart. hopefully they will understand the importance
of protecting The Wilderness. I urge all of our fellow forum members and history
enthusiasts to contact officials explaining the importance of this matter.


Chuck Sprowls