Heavy Industrial rezoning threatens Stafford Waterfall.
To: kbarnes@staffordcountyva.gov, wshelton@staffordcountyva.gov, sapicella@staffordcountyva.gov, dcummings@staffordcountyva.gov, mmartinez@staffordcountyva.gov, LSellers@staffordcountyva.gov, kcaudill@staffordcountyva.gov
Sent: 1/24/2024 2:05:02 PM Eastern Standard Time
Subject: Industrial Rezoning and Gas Station CUP.
To the Stafford Planning Commission,
I will not be able to attend the Planning Commission meeting tonight, but I am email you my comments.
My vision for Route 17 is an inviting and welcoming gateway into Stafford that promotes History, Natural Resources, Entertainment, Well being, Active Recreational Opportunities and Tourism.
Truck Freight Terminals, Truck Washes, Contractors Equipment Yards, Huge Truck Parking lots, and Heavy Industrial rezonings shatter that vision.
A high volume of truck traffic on Route 17 would discourage tourism and diminish our quality of life. The trucks making a left turn from Northbound I-95 to Route 17 would back up traffic even more. Those trucks take longer to accelerate, especially in stop and go traffic and compound traffic congestion.
I don't want to be boxed in by trucks every time I drive on Route 17.
The proposed GDP of the Industrial rezoning has many loopholes written into the plan and might as well be blank. There's a proposed river crossing road that goes through the center of the property that appears to be the preferred route to some people. If that route is approved the GDP is null and void and there are no proffers to require landscaped buffers between the new road and the heavy industrial uses. Heavy industrial uses will be visible from the road.
Why would the County want to rezone land, increasing the value before VDOT purchases the right of way? Who benefits from this, not the taxpayers?
There are things going on particularly in Fredericksburg that the public doesn't know about. I ask that you require sunshine and require a real GDP for the public to see. Let's see the real plans for the public to weigh in!
I support the Hardees and don't want to see torn down to be replaced with another gas station on route 17 for various reasons.
The last truck stop on route 17 contaminated the soils. The dirt had to be dug up and disposed of before the area could be developed.
I also have concerns of heavy Industrial runoff into a pristine Environmentally sensitive area. Both the Heavy Industrial Rezoning and Gas Station are upstream from a beautiful Pristine Waterfall. The waterfall is on over 1,000 acres of public land. The Cannon Ridge to Ferry Farm Historic River Walk Trail is in the Comprehensive Plan to connect to the waterfall. The Trail was approved by Stafford Voters in the 2009 Park Referendum.
I have been pushing to create a new park with trails and have gained over 4,000 petition supporters. Please don't allow Heavy Industrial run off to pollute the streams running to the waterfall. The large amount of impervious areas will also diminish the groundwater that flows to the waterfall.
Look how clear the water is! Most people that go to the waterfall on hot days take a dip into the water. It would be a shame to approve Industrial uses upstream that could pollute the clear pristine water of Stafford's beautiful Waterfall. Picture credit to Brenda Edwards.
The County had a groundwater study done many years ago. It said the fall line area of Stafford is between two aquifers, the Piedmont and the Coastal Aquifers, which continues North into PW County and on past Great Falls.
Some areas near the fall line are critical groundwater recharge areas that are susceptible to groundwater contamination. Those areas between the aquifers have cavities that allow high transitivity of surface water into the groundwater aquifers. Gas stations and hazardous materials are recommended to not be located in the critical recharge areas. I'm not exactly sure where the recharge areas are, but they are know to be near the fall line.
The fall line has a change of elevations between the two aquifers and waterfalls are typical when streams cross the fall line.
Precautions must be taken to protect the water quality of the waterfall and groundwater.
Below are links to The Proposed Park and Historic River Walk Trail facebook presentation and a link to the online Park petition for you to read.
https://www.facebook.com/stafford.rebel/posts/pfbid0Sjyh5hY8zRHkFuqe1sgHpbs2AQmfoWYGMTyoiih68NiZGZFJi66bKQm8uNUpVQaTl
https://www.change.org/p/establish-park-with-historic-river-walk-and-waterfall-trails?fbclid=IwAR1shhGB6mVebHK94X-NpQ1DZJSZH0kQFRqn1o0hV5mJkIuNv4kHfr9iKMM
Thanks for your consideration!
Best Regards,
Joe Brito