OPINION: Fredericksburg Must Repair Today’s Infrastructure Before Building Tomorrow’s Vision
Aging infrastructure is as important to maintain and modernize as new infrastructure is to develop.
By Kenneth D. Gantt
GUEST COLUMNIST
Fredericksburg residents have recently experienced an uptick in water main breaks and service disruptions—events that are more than temporary inconveniences. They are symptoms of an aging infrastructure network that is being stretched beyond its intended capacity.
The issue is not growth itself—every thriving city depends on it—but growth must be paired with a clear vision, a strategic plan, and disciplined implementation. Today, Fredericksburg lacks a unified approach to sustaining the systems residents rely on every day.
The City’s recent decision to move forward with a new wastewater management treatment facility represents a significant investment in our future. Planning for a new fire station in the Fall Hill corridor addresses an urgent need created by population growth and service demand.
These decisions highlight a critical gap: What is the plan for Fire Station #1? The city’s oldest and busiest firehouse is long overdue for modernization. If we can identify the need for a new station based on projected demand, why not apply the same foresight to the facilities we depend on today?
Too often, Fredericksburg moves forward on new development or major capital projects without an equally strong commitment to sustaining existing infrastructure. Water lines, sewer systems, stormwater networks, roads, and public safety facilities all require long-term planning—planning that must be explicitly reflected in the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).
At the same time, the city is devoting energy to the potential of data centers, which may or may not deliver revenue in time. Meanwhile, residents are feeling the effects of infrastructure that needs investment now.
Fredericksburg needs a plan that conducts thorough life-cycle assessment, prioritizes aging assets, embeds maintenance funding in the CIP, and ensures funding does not depend solely on speculative revenue.
This is not anti-growth. It is pro-responsibility.
Kenneth Gantt lives in Fredericksburg and recently ran for City Council in Ward 1.
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