OPINION: The Hylton Tract and the November Election

Let's save the last piece of undeveloped land in the city.

By Jay Brock
GUEST WRITER

Photo by Nils Huenerfuerst on Unsplash

What does an 84-acre forest have to do with a (suddenly partisan) city election that will determine how Fredericksburg will grow in the coming decades?

Plenty, it turns out, especially in an election year where uncontrolled growth has been a major policy issue for the city and area residents (if you’re not sure what I’m talking about, just look at all the traffic plaguing the area as a reflection of how poorly planned growth in the Fredericksburg region has been of late).

I’m talking about the Hylton Tract, the many beautiful untouched wooded acres of pristine forest in the city along Cowan Boulevard.

It’s one of the last few undeveloped parcels in the city, and it’s a unique resource that should not be squandered in the name of progress, growth, profit, or political convenience.

As anyone who has lived near this forest, or walked in its natural beauty, or taken the time when driving past it to take a good look, there is a quiet, a grace of the dark woods, the linking with nature that is missing in so much of our lives.

A quick look at the FXBG website reveals that this is also hallowed ground: there was “hard fighting” in this tract in May, 1863 during the Battle of Chancellorsville in the American Civil War.

Now, as with many other undeveloped parcels within any growing jurisdiction, there are plans to develop this land.

There are three main options for the Hylton Tract:

First: There is talk of putting up more housing. Which of course means more congestion, more traffic, higher city expenses for each new resident, and higher taxes.

Second: There is talk of commercially developing this space, including placing another data center to add to those already approved by council. These centers promise future tax revenues, but there are worries about the availability of electric power—and its increased costs—as well as potential conflicts when it comes to city residents needing to share with these data centers what might be a limited availability of water in the future.

Then there is the third option, which makes the most sense: keeping this land as natural as possible, either as public park space, or keep it as a forest park, for every city resident to enjoy.

And not just current residents, and their children, but of course for future generations of city residents and THEIR children…for generations to come.

Where would the money come from for the city to purchase this property and keep it in perpetuity as a natural resource?

According to city officials, the new Data Center development near Central Park will add about another $60 million/year in tax revenue to the yearly budget (now $137 million).

That’s ample funding to purchase this tract and preserve it as a natural resource for the city in perpetuity—and an excellent use of those dollars.

Why preserve the land rather than develop it?

Every Fredericksburg resident understands full well that the city can develop to the point where it has too much congestion. Too much noise. Too much pollution. Too much traffic. Too much of growth that is too expensive for the city — and its residents through higher taxes— to sustain. Some think we’ve already passed that point: that we already have too much development.

I greatly doubt that there will be many who live here who will say that there can be too much forest, too much parkland for city residents to enjoy, too much serenity, too much natural quiet, too many trees, too much green space, too much natural beauty in the city that this unspoiled tract of woods represents.

Why is this an important election? It will be up to city council to decide whether it will allow this land to be developed commercially or residentially, with all the attendant ills (congestion, anyone?) that will result—or to preserve and protect the Hylton Tract forest for current and future residents.

How will city council candidates want to be remembered? As someone who saved the Hylton Tract for future generations? Or who allowed more of the same old development that has turned the region into yet another example of urban sprawl?

This city election is one where some have tried to turn it into a partisan contest, where loyalty to Party is more important than policy. Before voting, consider finding out what the city council candidates in your ward envisions for this pristine tract: put more houses, more offices, more retail, more traffic onto this land, or keep it for the future enjoyment of your family, now and forever.

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