Great News for Park and Trail lovers!!!

The Stafford Planning Commission worked overtime last night. I left at 10:30 PM, but they still had hours to go. 

I want to thank the Stafford Planning Commission for their unanimous support at last nights meeting for the Inclusion of the Cannon Ridge to Belmont Historic Waterfall Trail in the Comprehensive Plan. They also supported the Abandoned Cannon Ridge Golf Course to be designated as a future Park in the Comprehensive Plan. The new Comp Plan will go to public Hearing in October.
 
I want to also thank everyone that sent emails to the Planning Commission!!! One of the Planning Commission members mentioned the emails before the discussion. This is a first step towards a better quality of life for all of us. The Park and Trail designation will also justify developers offering Park Proffers in future residential rezonings, not that I support residential rezonings.
 
The Golf Course has 7 miles of paved trails, a lake, a club house/community center and parking. It would be an instant Park. The Golf Course is on 283 acres of land. 90 acres is designated conservation easement, the other 193 acres is designated as the Open Space parcel in the Recreational Business Campus (RBC) zoning District. Some of the 193 acres could be put into a conservation easement that could provide perhaps millions of dollars in State tax credits that could be used to help pay for it. Hopefully we can contact Warren Buffet to see if he would help with the land purchase. Warren's beloved GEICO employees would benefit from the Park, Trails and a shorter trip to work.
 
The City of Fredericksburg owns over 1,000 acres that adjoins the Golf Course property along the river. For years we were trying to find a way to have public access to that land. In the future we will have access to well over a 1,300 acres for a regional Park that stretches for miles along the Rappahannock River.

This new Regional Park will be a step towards negotiations into Regional Planning that could give the Citizens of Fredericksburg better access to the Park with a new river crossing. Many conservationist are in support of the Plan because of the Parks and Regional Trail Network.
 
We owe all of the members of the Stafford Planning Commission a big Thank you for a job well done!!!

Please keep sharing the petition and fell free to friend me on Facebook.

Thanks again for all your support!

Joe Brito