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SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 XX NO.6

Village News

WHEN THE DUST SETTLES WHAT WILL

HAPPEN TO THE TOWN FOLK?

Town Hall Meeting attracts It’s like deja Vu all over

mass of concerned citizens again for some Stoney

Glen residents

BY DANIELLE OZBAT now be demolished and moved less than
Last month, the Economic a mile away behind Carver Elementary
Development Authority of Chesterfield School instead of a proposed renovation.
announced its acquisition of 1,675 acres The move is because it is in the path of a
in south Chester (originally meant for new road that will connect the mega site
residential use), which will be used to Read more on page 3
attract a large industrial manufacturing
company that could bring 5,000 to MEGASITE FORMAT
10,000 jobs and billions of dollars in CHANGES / DATES
investments to the county. REMAIN THE SAME
Local residents, however, have
been bristling at the construction of Monday, October 2, 7:00 –
the proposed development and making 9:00 p.m.
their voices heard online and at the first Carver Middle School,
of four open houses held to discuss the Auditorium and Cafeteria
Once most of the attendees at the Matoaca Megasite open house had gone, some interested mega site.
folks stayed around to view easels holding various maps around the room depicting proposed Robert Latino has been a resident Presentation at 7:00 p.m.
road locations. of the Stoney Glen subdivision for 25 followed by Open House

BY MARK FAUSZ Uzel, who lives in the Harrowgate/Treely years and said the county is trying to 3800 Cougar Trail, Chester
Since the announcement that Road area, stepped into a circle made by hoodwink its citizens with the mega **Note: Change of venue and
a 1,675-acre site, made up of four the crowd and began speaking. “I don’t site and said he found out about in his format
parcels along Branders Bridge Road know how anyone could get the informa- neighborhood’s Facebook group.
could be rezoned for light industry tion they want in this format,” said Uzel. “If the county was truly trying to
one mile or so south of Route 10 Chesterfield County Bermuda Dis- serve the best interest of its residents,
though Chester proper, the project has trict Supervisor and Board Chairman Dor- it would have taken a more concerted Tuesday, October 3, 1:00 –
become a lightning rod for criticism. othy Jaeckle was asked if she could clarify effort to get the input of those most 3:00 p.m.
Without knowing much about it, area why she chose the venue and the format. affected by the project when it was The Heights Baptist Church,
residents have been looking for an- “Look at the format this way, we initially proposed,” Latino said. “The Youth Auditorium
swers. really didn’t expect this many people overwhelming resistance they witnessed Open House
An open house was held Sept. 20 in every night, and with everyone shouting, at the last town hall-type forum at
order for Chesterfield County’s planning we are not going to get anything done,” Carver Middle shows the local residents 17201 Jefferson Davis
staff, the transportation department, the Jaeckle said, the crowd drowning her out. deeply oppose the project and will Highway, South Chesterfield
Economic Development Authority, and H. Garrett Hart III, Director of the continue to be very vocal about it … [by
consultants from the engineering firm EDA, said for the first time millennials using] their voices, votes, and influence
Timmons Group to explain, through have outnumbered boomers and that in the county.” Tuesday, October 3, 7:00 –
maps staged around the cafeteria at needs to be considered. Like Latino, Laurie Johnson is 9:00 p.m.
Carver Middle, exactly what was going “We have to design our developments a Stoney Glen resident who attended Thomas Dale High School,
to be built and when. to look like campuses to include trails and the meeting at Carver Middle School. Main Auditorium
Those in attendance were not satis- plenty of buffers,” Hart said. Responding Johnson referred to the meeting as a
fied, and the approximate 150 area resi- to another question from Uzel, who said “science fair wander,” and she said there Presentation at 7:00 p.m.
dents there to get information about the there was not a traffic study in the rezoing was conflicting information between followed by Open House
proposed industrial mega site didn’t have file, Hart said they are looking at new traf- Harrowgate Elementary School’s 3626 W. Hundred Road,
much of a chance to gather the informa- fic study to determine where traffic will position on the school map and the one Chester
tion due to the overwhelming crowd. go if the facility is built. posted on the Village News Facebook
Soon after the room filled attendees “Why [was the project named] page. **Note: Change of venue and
wandered like bumper cars at Kings Do- Much contention has been made format
minion. They needed a leader. Michael Read more on page 3 about the elementary school, as it will

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