In case you missed the April 27 Board of Supervisors meeting, here is a brief recap of items from the board’s work session and business meeting:
NEW TAX PAYMENT KIOSKS
Chesterfield Treasurer Rebecca Longnaker announced that her office is adding automated kiosks at the North Courthouse and Meadowdale public libraries in time for payment of 2022 local taxes.
Such a kiosk, nicknamed JACK (Justified Automated Collections Kiosk), was installed last year on the exterior of the treasurer’s office at the county administration building.
JACK is accessible 24-7, speaks to you in English or Spanish, takes payments via cash, check, credit card and debit card, and provides a receipt.
The new kiosks are expected to be installed on the outside of the two library buildings next week.
In her presentation to the Board of Supervisors, Longnaker also noted that, as of April 26, the treasurer’s office is processing all tax payments in-house rather than have such payments handled by an out-of-town vendor.
The change was made in response to citizens’ concerns about having to send their tax payments outside Chesterfield.
If you pay your local taxes via online banking, you must update the payee information to: Treasurer, Chesterfield County. You also must change the address to P.O. Box 70, Chesterfield VA 23832.
SPRING ROCK GREEN
The board approved a request from the Chesterfield Economic Development Authority (EDA) to rezone the 41.9-acre Spring Rock Green property for up to 1,100 multifamily units, 125 townhouses or condominiums, office and retail space, a hotel, a parking deck and a sports and entertainment facility that will include two regulation-size ice rinks.
Redevelopment of the underutilized shopping center at the intersection of Midlothian Turnpike and Chippenham Parkway is part of Chesterfield’s ongoing effort to revitalize eastern Midlothian, while creating synergy with both the Stonebridge development south of Route 60 and the adjacent Boulders office park.
The EDA purchased the Spring Rock Green property last September and set out to capitalize on its highly visible location that serves as one of the county’s strategic gateways.
Like Chesterfield’s successful redevelopment of the former Cloverleaf Mall property, this will be a public-private partnership – with the county laying out its overall vision for the site and selling off parcels to private-sector entities that will bring it to fruition.
Construction of Phase I could begin this summer and be completed by mid-2024.
POWHITE PARKWAY EXTENSION
The board adopted a resolution of support for submitting the proposed Powhite Parkway Extension for funding consideration through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) passed by Congress last year.
Chesterfield intends to apply for federal grant funds for the project, which has been included in the countywide thoroughfare plan since 1989 and is currently estimated to cost about $700 million.
According to the board’s resolution, the extension of Powhite Parkway from its current terminus to connect with Route 360 is “a joint local, state and federal initiative to provide community access that is critical to drawing investment, creating jobs and ensuring Chesterfield remains competitive to secure new business opportunities.”
It also calls the project potentially “transformative” for Chesterfield, the Richmond region and Virginia, “as these infrastructure improvements are critical to make the Upper Magnolia Green site project-ready.”
Developing the western portion of the 2,400-acre Upper Magnolia Green property as a major employment center will greatly improve Chesterfield’s chances of securing state and federal funding for construction of the Powhite Parkway Extension. The roadway is an important element of the county’s plan to alleviate vehicle congestion in the fast-growing western Route 360 corridor.
Learn more about the project in the accompanying video.
SHERIFF’S OFFICE ANNUAL UPDATE
Chesterfield Sheriff Karl Leonard presented his department’s annual update to the Board of Supervisors during its afternoon work session. The presentation can be viewed in its entirety below.
VDOT UPDATE
Rebecca Worley, resident engineer for the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Chesterfield Residency, gave an annual update to the board, including upcoming maintenance activities. Watch the full presentation below.
AMENDED GRANT AGREEMENTS
The board approved amendments to performance agreements for two major economic development projects that will generate millions of dollars of capital investment for the county.
The Chesterfield EDA sold 14 acres in the Stonebridge mixed-use development to Shamin Hotels in June 2019 for development of a hotel and conference center. Since then, the project has grown in scope from 199 rooms to 261 and the conference space has doubled from 12,500 square feet to 25,000; it also now includes amenities including a second-floor indoor/outdoor terrace space, a brewery and restaurants.
This project will produce the signature hotel property in Chesterfield and one of the largest conference centers in the region. Adding such a property to the county's hospitality portfolio is crucial to its continued sports tourism success.
In recognition of Shamin’s increased investment and the rising cost of construction, the amendment of the grant agreement extends the period for which the company will receive hospitality tax rebates from 20 years to as many as 40 years.
Likewise, Chesterfield is amending the terms of a 2021 incentive agreement with the developer behind the Courthouse Landing mixed-use project, increasing its maximum rebate of incremental tax revenue from $8.4 million to $14.4 million.
The overall plan for the development, located at the intersection of Route 10 and Courthouse Road, now includes a large outpatient surgery center and medical office complex that will be owned and operated by VCU Health.
Because VCU's portion of the property will be exempt from taxes, the rebate threshold is being raised to ensure the project remains economically viable and delivers such critical assets to a part of Chesterfield that lacks convenient access to healthcare services. The county is still projected to receive its return on investment within a short period of time.
