Litter, Litter, and More Litter Along King William Roads
The time between the end of winter and the coming of spring has exposed King William County to massive litter along our highways and byways.
Especially through the main corridors of Route 30 and Route 360, litter has really piled up the last few weeks. It is certainly more than just people rolling down their windows and throwing the trash out in their cars and trucks. Large contributors are both residential and commercial trucks hauling trash from one point to another with insufficient cover to prevent it from blowing out of the vehicle.
It is easy to bash VDOT, who is the designated caretaker of the roads and all matters associated such as litter and high grass, but if that agency dedicated their entire staff to helping King William, it would not be enough, and the problem would still return shortly after.
So what can we do? A few suggestions:
- There are numerous groups over the years who have adopted highways for litter pickup. There is no time better than now for the groups to plan to clean up their designated road.
- Individuals can be sure litter is picked up on their own property. As the winds blow, so does paper. Property owners can help by just making sure property lines close to roads are clear of debris.
- Report violators to law enforcement. If habitual litter bugs are caught in the act, it can help send a strong message.
The Board of Supervisors will discuss the problem at their March 6 Work Session. County Administration is formulating a plan to assist VDOT with its effort.
It is our problem, and we need to pull together to correct it. We have a beautiful County, and it takes everyone to keep it clean.
BOS Approves Age-Restricted Housing in Central Garage
The Board of Supervisors at its meeting on February 27 voted unanimously to approve a rezoning and Conditional Use Permit to construct 64 age-restricted townhouses in the area of McCauley Park in Central Garage.
The request was submitted by McCauley Park, LLC. The location of 19.3 acres is on the left corner of Route 30 and Sheldon Place across from the King William Recreation Park.
In addition to the townhouses, three acres has been set aside for a possible new library. The developer and County Government swapped properties in principle a couple months ago that will eventually lead to County ownership of the three acres for a similar-size parcel in the Kennington subdivision.
The project had been previously recommended by the Planning Commission at its February 7 meeting.
The Conceptual Plan of the project shows that recreational facilities will be constructed at the expense of the developer.
The project joins other housing additions in the Central Garage area, including the County’s first Planned Unit Development of 600-plus units and other ongoing construction in Kennington, McCauley Park, and Central Crossing.
Summary of 2023 General Assembly Session
Legislative liaisons for the Middle Peninsula Planning District have prepared a summary of the recently completed General Assembly session.
Robert Crockett and Kyle Shreve did a great job of keeping PDC members informed throughout the season.
Here is their summary:
Overview: The Virginia General Assembly adjourned as scheduled on Saturday, February 25.
The 2023 General Assembly considered 2,863 bills and resolutions, having passed 1,687. The legislature adjourned without adopting amendments to the Commonwealth’s biennium budget. The House and Senate adopted a stop-gap measure to provide technical funding for education, make a mandatory deposit in the Revenue Stabilization Fund, and make mandatory funding available for the Virginia Retirement System. Other than the technical deposits, there was no other language or major policy changes contained in the agreement.
After adjournment, the budget conferees intend to continue to negotiate the larger budget package with the possibility of calling Special Session later this spring, or even summer, to act on a new budget bill.
The municipal dredge program continues to be worked on in the biennium budget bill. The House passed budget bill contained language moving $5 million as a pass through the Virginia Port Authority. Similar language was not included in the Senate passed budget. We continue to work through the conference negotiations to ensure the language is included in the final bill.
The Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission saw major priorities pass as HB 1664 and SB 897, establishing the Governor’s Blue Catfish Fund, has passed and $2 million is contained in both budgets. HB 1941 from Delegate Hodges making businesses eligible for septic repairs through the DEQ Revolving Loan Fund has now passed and will be heading to the Governor’s desk.
HB 2393 by Delegate Hodges passed as well. This legislation allows the Secretary of Natural Resources to take advantage of a host of research institutions including Virginia Tech and Virginia Sea Grant when developing guidelines and regulations for coastal resiliency policies.
An agreement was also reached on the Governor’s Workforce Development Agency bill, HB 2195 and SB 1470. The bills form a new workforce development agency and data hub and integrate development programs across multiple higher education institutions into the new agency. The agreement was negotiated by the Secretary of Labor Bryan Slater and the representatives of organized labor. Senator George Barker (D-Fairfax) also played a role in negotiating the agreement. There is $5 million in the biennium budget for the program.
An agreement was also reached on HB 1842, Delegate Knight’s (R-Virginia Beach) Business Ready Sites Acquisition Fund and the Transportation Opportunity Fund, authored by Delegate Les Adams (R-Chatham). The bills allow the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and the Virginia Department of Transportation to temporarily take control of a site for preparation of use for development as an industrial site. Both bill’s substitutes have passed the House and Senate and await signature by the Governor.
With redistricting and elections coming, announcements are filtering on retirements and intentions for reelection. Longtime Senator and Democratic Leader Richard Saslaw (D-Fairfax) announced his retirement from the General Assembly after 44 years in the Senate. Senate Minority Leader Tommy Normant (R-James City County) has also announced his retirement, marking an end to a Senate legacy lasting for three decades.
Because of redistricting, the Senate could see turnover of nearly half the seats. In the House, Commerce and Energy Chair Kathy Byron (R-Bedford) announced she would not seek reelection this year as did Delegate Rob Bell (R-Albermarle), Chair of the Courts of Justice Committee. Delegate Ken Plum, former Chairman of the House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee, announced his retirement as well after nearly 48 years in the General Assembly.
Delegate Margaret Ransone of the Northern Neck and Delegate Mike Mullins of Williamsburg announced they would not seek another term in the House of Delegates. With redistricting, it is expected that between 25 and 30 percent of the House of Delegates may be new in the 2024 session. Jennifer McCllelan won her special election to the U.S. House of Representatives and a special election will be held on March 28 to fill her seat. Delegate Lamont Bagby of Henrico County has won the nomination to replace Senator McClellan. Since the district leans heavily Democratic, Del. Bagby will likely move to the Senate this Spring.
As more announcements occur over the next few weeks, it has become clear that the 2024 General Assembly session will see many new faces in both the House of Delegates and Senate. This means there will be a significant loss of institutional knowledge in both chambers.
Public Notice of Environmental Permit
PURPOSE OF NOTICE: To seek public comment on a draft permit from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for the withdrawal of ground water in King William County, Virginia.
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD: March 1, 2023 to March 31, 2023
PERMIT NAME: Ground Water Withdrawal Permit issued by DEQ pursuant to applicable water laws and regulations
APPLICANT NAME, ADDRESS AND PERMIT NUMBER: King William County; 180 Horse Landing Road, #4 King William County, VA 23086; GW0007401
NAME AND LOCATION OF WATER WITHDRAWAL: Central Garage Public Water System; Route 30 and Route 360 intersection, King William, VA 23086
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: King William County has applied for a reissuance of a permit for a municipal public water supply. The permit would authorize the applicant to withdraw a maximum of 97,500,000 gallons per year and 19,500,000 gallons per month from the Potomac aquifer. The ground water withdrawal will support the potable water needs for the County’s municipal public water system. The proposed withdrawal will utilize the Potomac aquifer at a depth between 350 feet to 385 feet below the land surface at the withdrawal site. An aquifer is a body of rock or layer of sediment in the ground in which ground water is stored and transported. DEQ has made a tentative decision to issue the permit.
AFFECTED AREA: The radial distance from the wells to where computer modeling predicts the aquifer may experience one foot of drawdown due to the withdrawal is illustrated on a map that can be viewed at https://www.deq.virginia.gov/permits-regulations/public-notices/water/water-withdrawal
HOW TO COMMENT AND/OR REQUEST A PUBLIC HEARING: DEQ accepts comments and requests for public hearing by hand-delivery, e-mail, fax or postal mail. All comments and requests must be in writing and be received by DEQ during the comment period. Submittals must include the names, mailing addresses or email addresses of the commenter/requester and of all persons represented by the commenter/requester.
A request for public hearing must also include: 1) The reason why a public hearing is requested. 2) A brief, informal statement regarding the nature and extent of the interest of the requester or of those represented by the requestor, including how and to what extent such interest would be directly and adversely affected by the permit. 3) Specific references, where possible, to terms and conditions of the permit with suggested revisions. A public hearing may be held, including another comment period, if public response is significant, based on individual requests for a public hearing, and there are substantial, disputed issues relevant to the permit.
CONTACT FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS, DOCUMENT REQUESTS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Emma Butler; Central Office, P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, VA, 23218; Phone: 804-350-3859; E-mail: emma.butler@deq.virginia.gov; FAX: 804-698-4178. The public may review the draft permit and application at the DEQ office named above {by appointment}.
