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For
Immediate Release
October 17, 2002
NATIONAL
AND LOCAL PRESERVATION GROUPS CRITICIZE NEW PROFFERS FOR MULLINS
FARM
Coalition
to Save Chancellorsville Battlefield describes Dogwood's latest
proposal as an extremely bad deal for Spotsylvania County
residents
(Chancellorsville,
Va.)
- The Coalition to Save Chancellorsville Battlefield released
the following statement today in response to the Dogwood Development
Group's latest proffers for a development on the Mullins Farm.
On May 1, 1863, Union and Confederate armies collided on the
Mullins Farm in the opening clash of the historic battle of
Chancellorsville.
"The
Dogwood Development Group's latest proffers for the Mullins
Farm remain unacceptable to the 600,000 members of the Coalition
to Save Chancellorsville Battlefield. Dogwood's newest proposal
is nothing more than a common tactic used by developers to
make grandiose plans appear reasonable. They propose something
large, anticipating a public outcry, then offer something
smaller that seems like a compromise. But, despite this public
posturing, the construction of 2,000 houses and 1.2 million
square feet of strip malls and office space on the Mullins
Farm remains the most inappropriate use imaginable for this
historic property.
"The
new proffers only make worse what was already an extremely
bad deal for Spotsylvania County residents. By proposing a
special tax on businesses in order to widen Route 3 in and
around the proposed development, Dogwood President Ray Smith
is confirming what we have been saying all along: This development
will spawn more mega-developments and strip mall sprawl along
Route 3. Further, Smith's promises to fix only the miniscule
portions of Route 3 that serve his development will not solve
the traffic problems his new town will create along that road
and River Road behind it.
"We
also have serious questions about Dogwood's fuzzy revenue
numbers. The decision to cut the amount of commercial and
office space by 50 percent while only cutting the number of
houses by 15 percent calls into serious question Smith's claim
that his proposal will generate $10 million a year for county
coffers. If the original proffers were supposed to generate
$11 million for the county, how can Smith cut the business
side of the development in half and still claim 8-digit revenue
figures for the county? The answer is that Smith's revenue
figures will never be realized - and he knows it.
"The
new proffers also underestimate the cost of the new development
to county taxpayers. Just this week, a county school board
official expressed concern about several large rezoning applications
in the county, stating that the school system was 'feeling
the stress of growth.' The new proffers also fail to address
the impact of the new development on the tourist industry,
the county's already strained water supply and the area's
overburdened health care system.
"Fortunately,
the Coalition to Save Chancellorsville Battlefield is not
alone in its opposition to Dogwood's questionable development
plans. In a public opinion survey conducted in late August,
66 percent of Spotsylvania County voters stated they oppose
development of the Mullins Farm. In addition, 80 percent of
county voters indicated that Dogwood's plans will put a strain
on county finances.
"The
coalition is committed to working with county officials to
find ways to promote responsible growth in Spotsylvania County
while still preserving the county's historic treasures. That
same poll says that the voters are with us on that score.
The coalition believes that by working together a solution
can be found that benefits all county residents - not just
the developer and the landowner."
The Coalition
to Save Chancellorsville Battlefield is an informal group
of 11 national and local preservation, conservation and civic
groups representing more than 600,000 members nationwide.
The coalition is dedicated to preserving and protecting Chancellorsville
battlefield. Its website is located at www.chancellorsville.org.
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Contacts:
Jim Campi (Civil War Preservation Trust) at 202-367-1861
or Hap Connors (National Trust for Historic Preservation)
at 202-588-6324.
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