STAFFORD -- State officials are moving ahead with development at Widewater State Park.
Around since 2006, the park makes up most of a peninsula between the Potomac River and Aquia Creek. State Senator Scott Surovell (D-36, Fairfax, Stafford, Woodbridge) said that it was important to fund new staff positions at the park. The fight for funding was also led, in the past by former Delegate, now Stafford County Supervisor Mark Dudenhefer.
The state bought the property in 2006, with an adopted plan set in 2008 to develop the park.
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STAFFORD -- The Stafford County Board of Supervisors met with Transurban to discuss the expansion of Interstate 95 E-ZPass Express Lanes.
The E-ZPass lanes will be extended to milepost 134, just prior to Route 17, extending it from where it ends now at exit 143, Garrisonville Road. Transurban, operators of the E-ZPass lanes on I-95 and 495 in Virginia, plans to provide all funding for the new project so none of the money, $277 million, will come from Virginia or Stafford County.
The new lanes will provide 66% more capacity during peak periods. (6 a.m.- 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.) The project is expected to create 9,000 construction jobs and generate $1 billion in economic activity.
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STAFFORD -- The Stafford County School Board Chairman was asked to pass the gavel during a discussion on residential development and student redistricting.
During the Tuesday, August 12 meeting, School Board Member Irene Egan identified a possible conflict of interest with Chairman Patricia Healy, and asked Healy to step aside as chairman when the Board discusses redistricting.
Healy is currently a lawyer at Leming & Healy P.C. which represents developers within Stafford County, to include developer Robert Gollahon. Gollahon, who wants to build 100 homes in the Hartwood section of the county, Â is suing the county over the cluster decision made by the Board of Supervisors in March.
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STAFFORD -- The Board of Supervisors met Tuesday, August 14 to discuss the idea of a "Downtown Stafford."
Such a development centered around the county's iconic courthouse could provide an identity for the Stafford community. It's location would be across the street from the courthouse and across from the County Government Center.
Stafford currently has limited locations for restaurants and retail stores. Downtown Stafford has the potential to create a vibrant downtown.
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NORTH STAFFORD --Â A new restaurant, retail shop, and brewery are set to open up on Route 610 in Stafford County later this summer.
A second Goodwill and a new Sweeto Burrito are being added to the already restaurant and store heavy road. The new brewery âBarley Nakedâ is set to open up across from Sweeto Burrito.
The new Goodwill store is set to open up as the grand opening celebration will take place on Friday, August 31, 2018, at 9 a.m. The new Stafford store and donation center is located at 54 North Stafford Complex Center next to Walmart Neighborhood Market at the corner of Garrisonville and Furnace roads.
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STAFFORD COUNTY --Â If youâre thinking of moving to Stafford County Aquia Harbour would be a good choice as the neighborhood was ranked the seventh most affordable place to live in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
A new study from financial technology company SmartAsset ranks the most affordable places to live in Virginia. This is SmartAssetâs fourth annual study on the most affordable places in America. These communities are ranked on an affordability index weighing property taxes, homeownersâ insurance fees and mortgage payments relative to income.
Aquia Harbour topped all of the top 10 in median income at $118,672. Aquia blew its competitors away as they beat the next highest median income by over $20,000.
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STAFFORD --Â A legal battle between a private land developer and the Stafford County Government continues despite the fact a local judge recused herself from hearing any case involving the local government.
Circuit Judge Victoria Willis made the comments following a lawsuit filed by developer Robert Gollahon, who is suing the Stafford County Government after its Board of Supervisors in April passed an ordinance that automatically disqualified proposals for numerous âcluster subdivisionsâ totaling more than 300 homes that would have been built in rural areas of the county.
The move means now cluster subdivisions, where multiple homes are built on smaller lots to preserve open space, may be built on only 40 percent of undeveloped land in Stafford, down from 100 percent before the April decision.
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STAFFORD --Â Stafford officials say they don't want trailer classrooms to become the status quo at county schools.
The School Board failed to pass the Board of Supervisors' appropriation of $99,500 for the purchase and furnishing of a modular trailer classroom unit for Hartwood Elementary School.
The vote tied 3-3, it automatically fails as Dr. Sarah Chase, Falmouth District, was absent for the July 17 meeting.
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STAFFORD -- Stafford County Public Schools will be welcoming a new face and leader to its school system.
Dr. Scott R. Kiznerâs four-year contract with the school board was unanimously approved by the school board during Tuesdayâs meeting.
Kizner, 60, will take the reigns as superintendent of Stafford County Public Schools on September 1, three days before the start of the new school year.
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STAFFORD --Â Leaders on the Stafford County School Board face a tough political decision if they want the funds to buy a shuttered Christian school.
The School Board earlier this year requested the Board of Supervisors, which funds the schools, give $10 million to buy the old Fredericksburg Christian School building off Garrisonville Road in North Stafford, and include the cost of renovations in this year's Capital Improvement Plan.
The purchase of FCS and its planned use as a northern campus for the schools' head start program allow for the removal of 20 Head Start classrooms from elementary schools and relocating them to the new facility and the Gari Melchers Complex in southern Stafford County. This makes approximately 473 elementary seats available for use by Kindergarten through fifth grades.
