Development, safety, transparency concerns dominate town hall
By Heather Michon
Correspondent
About a dozen residents gathered at the Fluvanna County Public Library on Thursday night (Dec. 4) for a town hall hosted by Palmyra Supervisor Tim Hodge.
Over the nearly two-hour meeting, residents pressed Hodge for answers about taxes, economic development, public safety, and what several described as a growing sense of distrust in county leadership.
Development concerns dominate
While the proposed Tenaska expansion surfaced throughout the discussion, most of the focus centered on industrial growth in the Zion Crossroads area.
Amazon is pursuing construction of a warehouse on Rt. 15, which Hodge said would likely operate as a local delivery hub rather than a full-scale distribution center.
“What is that Amazon warehouse going to do to the land value residential around that warehouse?” one speaker asked. “I’m right next door.”
Hodge said he could only speculate on the impact. “I would say, something industrial, you wouldn’t want a residential property next to it. So I’d say it probably will lower it.”
Many in the room said they felt steamrolled by a development process that leaves them learning about projects after key decisions have already been made. Longtime resident Suzy Morris said the past decade has left citizens feeling unprotected.
“All that glitters is not gold,” she said. “Developers come in promising everything, and we end up paying the price.”
Others echoed warnings that the rural character that drew them to Fluvanna is slipping away.
Hodge did not defend the status quo.
The county, he said, has “ordinances that don’t match the comp plan” and loopholes that allow projects through despite mismatched zoning. He also criticized nondisclosure agreements around the Tenaska and Amazon proposals and the attitude some companies bring to the process.
“Don’t take us for fools,” he said he tells developers and staff. “Be honest and be transparent.”
Fire and rescue unease
Residents also raised concerns about slow response times and chronic understaffing in fire and rescue.
“If I dial 911, I want to know someone’s coming for me,” said Tracey Smith.
Hodge, a volunteer first responder, agreed that the county must take a hard look at growing emergency needs.
He said the volume of calls in southern Fluvanna now supports building a new station in the Kidds Store area. That region has been served partly by surrounding localities, but “Albemarle has already said, ‘We’re not going to be running the calls in your county.’”
That, he said, points to a larger budget issue. County staff often try to “make the budget work” by limiting requests instead of laying out what staffing and funding are actually needed.
“If you don’t ask for the staff you need, then you’re only going to hurt yourself — and the county,” he said.
Residents raised several additional concerns over the course of the evening.
Polling places
Some questioned why precincts remain located in churches, citing both perception and accessibility.
Hodge said supervisors cannot order a relocation on their own; any change would require action by the Electoral Board. Still, he emphasized that residents should feel secure and respected at the polls.
School budget transparency
Several attendees urged the county to produce a more detailed school budget. Hodge agreed, noting that Albemarle County’s budget runs nearly 800 pages.
“Mine’s about 40 pages. I can digest it in an hour. Albemarle’s takes a week,” he said. He added that he has asked Superintendent Peter Gretz to move toward a more itemized format. “It makes it a lot easier to justify the spending if people can see where the money’s going.”
The upcoming budget season may be contentious. Hodge said the school division’s request is expected to be significant, and political pressure is already building.
“There’s been at least two school board members [who] said they would actively campaign against anyone that disapproved of the Tenaska project,” he said.
If approved, the new Tenaska plant is projected to bring $70 million in tax revenue over the first five years and $250 million over the next 30 years. Some of these new funds could be allocated towards the annual school budget.
Stay engaged
Hodge said he holds town halls periodically and wishes his fellow supervisors did the same. He said he has urged colleagues to show up, answer questions, admit when they don’t know something, and follow up.
“When you avoid talking to people, then people start getting ideas in their heads,” he said.
He encouraged residents to stay engaged even when the process feels slow. “Talk to your elected officials. Come talk to me. Just don’t give up.”
