Orange County Cancels “Wilderness Wal-Mart” Public Hearing to Fix Procedural Irregularity
by National Trust for Historic Preservation on July 27th, 2009Written by Rob Nieweg
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has learned that the Orange County (VA) Board of Supervisors has abruptly canceled tonight’s public hearing regarding the infamous “Wilderness Wal-Mart.” Wal-Mart has applied for a special use permit to construct 240,000 square feet of big box development on Wilderness Battlefield and adjacent to the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park.
A press release this afternoon from Julie Jordan, Orange County’s acting County Administrator, indicates that the County failed to properly advertise the mandatory public notice of the local Planning Commission’s May 21, 2009 public hearing about Wal-Mart’s proposed development. Apparently the County had no choice but to go back to square one and re-advertise and re-convene both the required public hearings, before the local Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors.
Members and friends of the National Trust are encouraged to email and ask Wal-Mart to relocate its planned development to an alternative site in Orange County but away from the battlefield and National Park.
Rob Nieweg is the Director of the Southern Field Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
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July 28th, 2009 at 9:11 am
Was this just another “maneuver” implemented by the Orange County Board? You would think they would have known sufficiently “ahead of time” whether the second ad had run or not and taken appropriate action to ensure that it had. Doesn’t pass the “smell” test…….
July 28th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
The County press release puts the blame on the local paper and yet, the process has to start all over from the beginning with the Planning Commission. I find it hard to comprehend that the County is not at fault on this one after going through the public hearing with the Planning Commision and a day away from the public hearing in front of the Board of Supervisors. Hence, the County does not have its act together.
If I were Wal-Mart, I would walk away at this point. How many more starts and stops like this one will they encounter trying to build a store in Orange?
July 29th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
[...] by Rob Nieweg As we announced on Monday, just four hours before its July 27 public hearing, the Orange County (VA) Board of Supervisors [...]
August 21st, 2009 at 12:47 pm
[...] was the second time that the local Planning Commission heard public comment and voted regarding Wal-Mart’s plan. The [...]