In case you missed the May 26 Board of Supervisors meeting, here is a brief recap of items from the board’s work session and business meeting:
POWHITE PARKWAY EXTENSION PHASE II
The board voted to appropriate $8 million for Phase II of the Powhite Parkway Extension from Woolridge Road to connect with Route 360.
County transportation staff will use the $8 million to begin study and engineering work for Phase II. It is funded by appropriating prior-year Powhite Parkway interest payments previously received from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and reserved for future transportation improvements.
Chesterfield currently is implementing Phase I of the project, which involves extending Powhite Parkway approximately 2.25 miles from its current terminus to Woolridge Rd as a four-lane, open median divided, limited access highway.
Phase II will take the roadway the rest of the way to Route 360 -- about eight miles in total -- and includes crossings at Swift Creek, Otterdale Branch, Horsepen Creek and Blackman Creek, as well as interchanges at Woolridge Road, Genito Road, and Magnolia Green Parkway.
The major thoroughfare is critical to alleviating congestion in the western Hull Street Road corridor and accommodating development of the Upper Magnolia Green West property as a technology village.
The county currently has 70% of the right-of-way dedicated for the Powhite extension and another 10% committed, leaving 20% to still acquire.
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT UPDATE
During the board’s afternoon work session, the Citizen Information and Resources Department presented an update on Chesterfield’s Workforce Development Working Group, which has been meeting since October 2021. You can view the entire presentation below.
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDS
Based on updated guidance from the U.S. Department of Treasury, the board adopted a revised plan for allocating the $68.5 million that Chesterfield received last year through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
Following a public hearing last July, the Board of Supervisors approved a list of projects that would be funded with the county’s share of the federal COVID-19 recovery package. Since then, however, Treasury has issued amended guidelines to state and local governments, clarifying what type of expenditures can be covered with ARPA allocations.
As a result, major maintenance enhancements at River City Sportsplex have been removed from Chesterfield’s ARPA recovery plan, as well as planned water and sewer infrastructure enhancements.
Instead, $25 million of the federal money is now allocated to construction of a larger, modern replacement for Falling Creek Middle School. The revised plan also includes additional funding for the Mobile Integrated Health and Peak Demand Ambulance programs, as well as economic development site work and HVAC maintenance.
Projects that were removed from the county’s original ARPA plan will be addressed through the regular budgeting cycle, either through departmental operations or the capital improvement program.
SMART SCALE PROJECTS
The board adopted a resolution endorsing a slate of proposed transportation improvements and authorized county staff to submit them this year for state Smart Scale funding.
The projects are as follows:
- Route 360 widening from Woodlake Village Pkwy. to Otterdale Rd.
- Busy Street extension
- Route 360/Harbour Pointe Pkwy/Mockingbird Ln. R-Cut
- Route 360/Deer Run Dr. R-Cut
- Belmont Road/Cogbill Rd. roundabout
- Route 360/Duckridge Blvd. R-Cut
- Route 360/Spring Run Rd. R-Cut
- Route 360/Winterpock Rd. R-Cut
- Route 360/Turner Rd. pedestrian improvements
- Route 60/Route 150 interchange improvements
- Huguenot Rd. (Cranbeck Rd. to Robious Rd.) congestion and safety improvements
- Center Pointe Pkwy./Brandermill Pkwy. roundabout
Chesterfield can submit only 10 of the 12 as final applications for the 2022 Smart Scale process. Final applications are due by Aug. 1.
FINANCE UPDATE
Matt Harris, deputy county administrator for finance and administration, updated the board on a variety of financial-related topics during its work session. View the presentation in its entirety below.
NEW MIDLOTHIAN LIBRARY
The board authorized the Director of Procurement to award a $13.76 million contract to Loughridge Construction, the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, for construction of a new Midlothian Library.
Chesterfield’s capital improvement program calls for replacing the current Midlothian Library with a modern 25,000-square-foot building to meet the needs of a growing population in that part of the county.
The replacement library will be constructed on the current site, 521 Coalfield Road, Midlothian VA 23114.
BONDS FOR NEW MIDDLE SCHOOLS
After a public hearing, the board voted to accept and appropriate $130.8 million in Virginia Public School Authority (VPSA) bond proceeds for two new middle schools: one in Upper Magnolia Green that will relieve capacity issues at Tomahawk Creek Middle, and a replacement for Falling Creek Middle.
The Board of Supervisors approved the bond sale last October to fund the middle school construction projects. The bonds were issued in January.
UPPER MAGNOLIA GREEN REZONING
Following public hearings Thursday evening, the board voted to approve the rezoning of the 2,400-acre Upper Magnolia Green property for development as a technology village west of the future Powhite Parkway extension, as well as public facility sites to include a new elementary, middle and high school, fire station and library.
Read our article about the cases here: News Flash • Chesterfield County, VA • CivicEngage