Saturday May 13, 2023
IN THIS ISSUE: Fredericksburg City Council Meeting | Fredericksburg City Schools Score Funds | Mark Your Calendar for the May 25th Senate Debate
NEWS: Fredericksburg City Council Meeting a Mix of Old Concerns and New Issues
by Savannah Dunn
F2S is pleased to welcome Savannah to our team. This is her first story for F2S, and she’ll be covering Fredericksburg City Council for us. Send story ideas and news tips to Savannah at F2Stips@gmail.com.
Randy Marcus of CSX addresses the Fredericksburg City Council on Tuesday, May 9.
Tuesday night’s City Council meeting surfaced some new business, while featuring long-standing debates around CSX, St. Mary’s Church, and affordable housing. (You can view a recording of the meeting here, and the agenda here.)
Fredericksburg’s Mayfield community has long been concerned about the trains that are parked behind its neighborhood – some as close as 130 feet to homes - and the hazardous materials they contain. The recent train derailment in Ohio that led to a fire and the burning of toxic materials has citizens newly concerned.
Randy Marcus with CSX spoke to the council about these concerns and the precautions CSX is taking to ensure people’s safety. Marcus confirmed that no tank cars have held propane in the lot behind Mayfield since September of 2022.
Marcus also noted that in 2021 CSX employees spent a period of 4-5 days at the lot behind Mayfield training first responders on how to handle hazardous situations. He ensured the council that railways remain the safest mode of transportation, with 99.9% of hazardous materials being delivered without issue, and CSX having the lowest accident rate of all railways.
Council member Jon Gerlach pressed Marcus on his presentation. "When you started, you said 'Don't consider this [rail cars not carrying propane] to be permanent.' What did you mean by that? Do we expect to see propane tanker cars parked next to our neighborhoods again?"
Marcus answered the question by noting that the way CSX serves its customers can change based on a number of factors including: “network condition, customer needs, crew resources…. So while they may not be there right now, I can’t say for certain” that things won’t change.
Gerlach followed by asking Marcus if he knew the meaning of the word “bleve” (a large chemical/gas explosion that can happen if a train derails and hits another train filled with propane). Marcus replied he did not know the term.
Concerns over CSX trains gave way to issues around growth.
During public comments, two residents from the College Heights neighborhood shared their concerns with St. Mary’s Catholic Church and the land the church owns in their neighborhood.
Mike Worsham, one of the residents, said that St. Mary is working with the city on setting up a new Special Use Permit (SUP) while nullifying the current ones.
“Several members of the neighborhood and the College Heights Community Association,” he said, “are concerned about the SUP and possible lot line
consolidation and want to understand the potential impacts to the community that this change might have.”
F2S contacted zoning administrator Kelly Machen on Thursday to ask about the citizens’ concerns. Manchen wrote to F2S in an e-mail:
We have received several questions and concerns about the ongoing operations for Saint Mary’s Church. Some of those questions are about construction projects undertaken over the past decade. We are reviewing all of these complaints to ensure any construction is safe and permitted in accordance with building codes.
Several of the questions are in regards to the existing Special Use Permits governing some of the Church’s properties. The Church is requesting a new Special Use Permit to update their existing approvals. The request is to include additional properties they own within the same block as the Church, to modify their operations, and to make minor improvements such as sidewalks and a building addition at 1102 Augustine Avenue. Information on the proposal is available by contacting the City’s Planning Office or will be available on the City’s website Friday, May 19th. The Planning Commission public hearing on this request is scheduled for May 24th, at 6:30, located in City Hall Council Chambers, 715 Princess Anne Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Other actions taken by the city Tuesday night included passing the following fees, tax rates, and related policies during its meeting:
Real estate tax rate set at 89 cents per every $100 of assessed value of real estate for fiscal year 2024.
Raised water and sewer rates by 10% to cover operating expenses and current debt services.
Amended Emergency Medical Service life-support fees by $150 for advanced life support level and $50 for standard life support. The increase holds harmless those without insurance and the means to pay.
Raised the transient lodging tax from 6% to 8%.
Raised the maximum household income from $50,000 to $60,000 whereby the elderly and the disabled are released from the real estate tax.
Salary of all public safety employees adjusted by at least 2.5% along the range.
NEWS: Fredericksburg City Schools Score a Major Win
The state announced on May 11 the names of the schools that will receive grants from the School Construction Assistance Program the state established to assist districts with building costs in financially strained areas.
Districts went through a rigorous and competitive process, and 28 school divisions were awarded funds - up to 30% of costs per project - across the state. Southwest Virginia was a big winner, with two dozen schools getting funds.
Fredericksburg also earned money - $7,419,993 - that will be used to construct the new Walker-Grant Middle School.
In a call with F2S, Superintendent Marci Catlett expressed her appreciation to those in the division who worked to put together the application.
The funds will cover roughly 10% of construction costs.
Though officials were hoping for more (30% or projected costs was the maximum awarded), this will ease the burden on the city for getting this project built.
Reserve the Date
On Thursday, May 25, F2S editor Martin Davis will cohost the 27th District Senate Debate between Democrats Joel Griffin and Ben Litchfield. The other two moderators will be Free Lance-Star alum and current freelancer Lindley Estes, as well as Nora Walsh, a UMW student and an editor with the school’s paper, the Weekly Ringer, to ask questions.
The event is being put on by the Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, and Stafford Democratic Committees.
The event is free to attend. Register today to reserve your seat. The event will also be live-streamed here.