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Chancellorsville a battle site once again

August 18, 2002 1:02 am

NEARLY 140 YEARS after the guns fell silent at Chancellorsville, the hallowed battleground is again the scene of human conflict. This time around the quarrel involves only ballots, not bullets. Yet for county residents the stakes are nearly as high, for the development battle brewing at Chancellorsville is about the quality of life in Spotsylvania County.

While most residents are busy purchasing school supplies and enjoying the final days of summer, their public officials are hard at work considering a rezoning application for the Mullins farm. Reston-based Dogwood Development Group has filed a rezoning application to turn this pristine farmland adjacent to the battlefield into a so-called historic town of 6,000 new residents and acres of commercial sprawl along gridlocked State Route 3.

The Mullins farm was the scene of bitter fighting on May 1, 1863. Nearly 20,000 men in blue and gray were involved in the clash that surged back and forth across the property. A 21-year-old soldier from Pennsylvania would later recall the turmoil on the farm: "[T]he roar of the artillery, the unearthly screech of the shells overhead, and the explosions that followedwhen the shells began to smash things right in our midst--it became decidedly unpleasant."

Despite the historical significance of the Mullins farm, the upcoming rezoning vote is about more than just the fate of Chancellorsville battlefield. For most county residents, the real issue is the effect this development will have on the quality of life in Spotsylvania County. On the surface, it seems like a positive plan, with plenty of fancy proffers that impress local officials. However, once you scratch the veneer off the Dogwood plan, it is clear that the proposal is a big loser for county residents.

Let's look at the numbers: As proposed, Dogwood's dream is to build 2,350 houses and 2.4 million square feet of commercial and office space on 790 acres of farmland. For comparison purposes, a typical Home Depot takes up 175,000 square feet and a Wal-Mart shopping center with adjacent stores averages 275,000 square feet. To better visualize the impact this will have on the area, imagine neon-lit Central Park lighting the night sky with thousands of tiny town homes crammed onto once beautiful farmland.

Even worse, the proposed development will generate 70,000 additional vehicle trips per day on Route 3, tripling the amount of traffic along that historic corridor. One can only hope that Dogwood's plans are aesthetically pleasing, since local residents will have plenty of time to view the results while sitting in the endless traffic snarls the development will create.

Of course, Dogwood claims that this new "town center" will be entirely self-contained and that the people who live in the community will also work and shop there. Unfortunately, this seemingly innovative concept is actually nothing more than a convenient ploy, allowing Dogwood to sidestep critical questions about the impact of the new development on vehicular traffic, local air quality, and the already scarce water supply in the area. On the issue of water and sewage delivery alone, estimates indicate that it will take millions of gallons a day as well as millions of dollars in construction costs to accommodate this development. In a drought-plagued area with water restrictions, where will this water come from, and who will pay for those upfront construction costs?

Moreover, the residential areas of this new city will be built several years prior to the commercial areas, straining county tax rolls. The situation begs the question: How will this development impact local taxes? We've heard about the supposed benefits, but what are the anticipated costs? Where are the expected 6,000 residents supposed to work and shop until the stores and offices are built and leased? And if and when this scheme is implemented, are we to believe that these new residents will not venture out beyond the limits of their development? These are questions that the people of Spotsylvania need to ask Dogwood developers, the Planning Commission, and their supervisors.

The worst part of the scenario is the likelihood that Dogwood may not stick around long enough to implement their plans. It wasn't more than 10 years ago that many developers in Northern Virginia went belly up in a shaky economic climate, which forced them or the banks to sell to investors who couldn't care less about the community. This leads to the concern that if the rezoning is approved, there is no guarantee Dogwood won't sell the new zoning rights on the property to another developer at an inflated price--a practice known in the industry as "flipping." If Dogwood decides to flip the new zoning rights to another developer and pocket the quick profits from the upzoning, any promises about tax revenues and jobs can be forgotten.

Sadly, the promises of tax revenues for the county have blinded people to the treasures in their own back yard. National parks like Chancellorsville are a tremendous asset to the local economy as tourist destinations. According to a survey by the Virginia Tourism Corporation, tourists to Spotsylvania County contributed $118 million to the local economy in 2000 and spent another $81 million in the city of Fredericksburg. And unlike commercial and residential developments, these amounts are boosting the local economy without turning the county into one vast strip mall.

The national and local groups that recently formed the Coalition to Save Chancellorsville Battlefield realize what is at stake in this development fight, both for county residents and all Americans. The coalition represents more than 600,000 people throughout the nation who are committed to preserving the battlefield park. We are also willing to work with county officials, the National Park Service, and civic organizations to find ways to allow Spotsylvania to continue to grow and prosper while still preserving its historic sites.

There are ways to develop land wisely, but Dogwood's proposal is the wrong plan and Chancellorsville is the wrong place. Not only will it destroy a hallowed battleground in exchange for vague promises that may never be realized, it will also transform rural Spotsylvania County into a land of cookie-cutter developments, congested highways, and endless sprawl. A pretty poor deal, in our estimation--and we hope yours as well.