STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. — There’s enough support to save the dams.
Stafford County Rockhill District Supervisor Wendy Maurer said 86 percent of the people responded favorably to a survey of Lake Arrowhead residents asking if they would pay more in property taxes to save two dams that form man-made.
The ponds, Big Lake Arrowhead at 28 acres, and Little Lake Arrowhead at 6.5 acres are located in a subdivision of the same name in northwestern Stafford County. The lakes are held back by dams 304 feet, and 280 feet tall, respectively.
The large dam is failing, and state officials mandated it is repaired or demolished. If demolished, the smaller dam would also be removed as the large lake flows into the smaller body of water.
Neighborhood streets Lakeview and Boundary drives each cross the big and small dams, respectively. If the dams were demolished, a portion of those neighborhood streets would be lost cutting the neighborhood in two separate sections.
Stafford County officials made an offer to Lake Arrowhead property owners allowing the neighborhood, which does not have an HOA, to borrow $500,000 to cover some of the repair costs that could be as much as $700,000.
That loan would be paid back over 10 years, and a service district would be established for Lake Arrowhead as the taxing authority. Taxes would vary based on the property value of each home.
Look for the specifics of the loan to be worked out during the county’s upcoming budget season, to be discussed with members of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors, said Mauer.
At a public meeting in October, Stafford County Administrator Keith Dayton said the dams could be repaired in full by the end of 2017 if taxpayers decided to accept the county loan.
