When developers for Sycamore Square, the community built near CVS and Lake Monticello’s Slice gate, came to the county 10 years ago requesting changes in zoning, etc, they offered to give the county a total of $309,000. That’s called a proffer. A sort of, “I want you to do this for me and in return, I’ll give you this,” kind of deal common in most development projects. Of the total, $225,000 has been collected and $84,000 is pending,
Nichols said he and his staff were going over “a proffer question regarding use of funds for fire/rescue support,” when they discovered the money.
“None of this is new, just recompiled,” Nichols said. “I presented it to the board as information only so that they would be reminded that other funds may be available to support schools and other Capital Improvement Projects.”
Sycamore Square builders said it would pay $1,000 per 111 single family homes built during phases one, two and three. According to the first proffer in 2002, that money was to be used to build either a branch library or a rescue building. By 2007, the new county library cancelled the need for a branch and the rescue building was already in place. So the proffer was amended to allow the county to use the money for “any CIP project related to Fluvanna Public Schools,” according to the power point presentation Nichols showed the board.
For Phase One of the Villas (townhomes) the proffer was $3,000 per building with a planned 38 buildings. It was to be used for the new library. If not needed for that, the money could be “redirected to the Board of Supervisors for any project on the adopted CIP.” Those projects are complete.
“The money is there in our bank account,” Nichols told the board. The second phase of the Villas (38 buildings at $3,000 per building) will bring in the remaining $84,000. That 2009 proffer states it is to be used for “CIP educational or athletic improvements in the county or if cannot for the preceding, then may be redirected to the Board of Supervisors for any project on the adopted CIP.”
Nichols said he would bring the matter up again at the Nov. 7 Board of Supervisors meeting.
