News Flash

Chesterfield seeking community's input on future of old Matoaca Elementary School property

^{The former Matoaca Elementary School building has been vacant since last spring.} 

Matoaca District Supervisor Kevin Carroll hosted a community meeting Wednesday evening to present initial concepts for the adaptive reuse of the former Matoaca Eleme...

Tackling challenges of housing diversity, affordability is a team effort for Chesterfield

^{Better Housing Coalition is building a 160-unit affordable apartment project, Winchester Forest, in the Route 1 corridor.} 

In January 2020, the Partnership for Housing Affordability released a report that concluded the Richmond region has a signif...

Better Housing Coalition expanding presence in Route 1 corridor with Winchester Forest apartments

^{Chesterfield officials joined the Better Housing Coalition for the Winchester Forest groundbreaking this morning.} 

Chesterfield joined the Better Housing Coalition this morning for a groundbreaking ceremony for Winchester Forest, a 160-unit apartm...

Community Cup brings region's first responders, multicultural community together on soccer field

^{First responders from across the Richmond region will play alongside representatives of the multicultural community at Saturday's event.} 

Conceived in 2018, a unique regional event is coming back Saturday after a two-year COVID-induced hiatus.

Begi...

Board of Supervisors Roundup

In case you missed the Sept. 21 Board of Supervisors meeting, here is a brief recap of items from the board’s monthly work session and business meeting: 

CODE AMENDMENT FOR LARGE-SCALE SOLAR FACILITIES

Following a public hearing, the boar...

Beginning next year, Chesterfield moving to subscription-based curbside recycling model

As a regional leader in environmental stewardship, Chesterfield recognizes the importance of recycling – both through curbside pickup and drop-off opportunities for households and the many businesses that also participate in recycling programs &...

Through pilot program with GRTC, Chesterfield will evaluate demand for mass transit on Route 60

^{Chesterfield and GRTC are launching a pilot program to extend Route 1A five miles westward along Midlothian Turnpike.} 

Chesterfield and the Greater Richmond Transit Co. (GRTC) are working together to implement a pilot program for local transit ser...

2022 Community Facilities Bond Plan: Libraries and Parks

^{The Community Facilities Bond Plan budgets $12.2 million to expand the Ettrick-Matoaca Library.}

Shortly after the spread of COVID-19 was declared a national health emergency in March 2020, a Chesterfield resident began coming into the Central Library every...

Never forget: More than two decades after 9/11, Freedom Flag embraced as symbol of remembrance

^{The Freedom Flag flies below the American Flag at a school in Delaware as part of its annual Sept. 11 observance.}

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Doug Ketcham was working as a bond trader for Cantor Fitzgerald in the North Tower of the World Trade Center...

2022 Community Facilities Bond Plan: Schools

^{The Community Facilities Bond Plan budgets $43 million to replace Grange Hall Elementary School.}

When it comes to schools, Chesterfield’s two most recent bond referendums have sought to address very different challenges.

The 2004 referendum was mostly focus...

Board of Supervisors Roundup

In case you missed the Aug. 24 Board of Supervisors meeting, here is a brief recap of items from the board’s monthly work session and business meeting: 

ROUTE 60 TRANSIT PILOT

The board appropriated $1.88 million in funding from the Virgi...

Board of Supervisors approves performance grant agreement with Lake Adventures LLC

^{Lake Adventures LLC is planning to construct a mixed-use development on 105 acres at the intersection of Genito Road and Route 288.} 

The Chesterfield Board of Supervisors voted Wednesday to approve a performance grant agreement with Lake Adventure...

111th Chesterfield County Fair offers 'something for all age groups'

^{Brenda White Vaughn has served as general manager of the Chesterfield County Fair since 2014.} 

It’s Friday afternoon, Aug. 19, a week before the start of the 111^th Chesterfield County Fair, and Brenda White Vaughn still has, oh, about a million th...

2022 Community Facilities Bond Plan: Public Safety

^{The Chesterfield Police Department's Falling Creek station is located in a former barbecue restaurant off Route 60.}

As one of the top local government priorities consistently cited by citizens, public safety is in many ways the foundation of why Chesterfie...

Life of Service: Peat finds volunteering his time and talent 'keeps me young'

^{Despite no prior teaching experience, David Peat has served as a volunteer teacher in both English and English as a Second Language (ESL).} 

After a career of hard work as an engineer, David Peat had no interest in slowing down during the next chap...

Bond Referendum 101: Chesterfield's Community Facilities Bond Plan

Beginning Sept. 23 with early voting for the 2022 general election and continuing through Election Day on Nov. 8, Chesterfield residents will be asked to vote on the Community Facilities Bond Plan to authorize the issuance of $540 million in General Oblig...

Board of Supervisors Roundup

In case you missed the July 27 Board of Supervisors meeting, here is a brief recap of items from the board’s work session and business meeting: 

COMMUNITY FACILITIES BOND PLAN

Matt Harris, deputy county administrator for finance and administration,...

Chesterfield Food Bank Outreach Center tackles hunger, helps clients access other needed services

^{Volunteers fill shopping carts with groceries during the July 15 food distribution event.}  

Established 12 years ago in the wake of a global recession that left millions unemployed, the Chesterfield Food Bank Outreach Center recently has ...

Life of Service: Katterfield stays active, engaged through volunteerism

^{Mary Katterfield volunteers in a number of roles at Chesterfield's Stonebridge Recreation Center, which hosts many programs for local seniors.}  

Accustomed to working long hours over a 40-plus-year career in Washington, Mary Katterfield w...

Chesterfield seeking citizen input on draft recommendations for Genito/288 special focus area

^{A draft conceptual plan for the Genito/288 corridor shows potential uses that would be complementary to the county-owned River City Sportsplex.}  

Nine months after they presented initial concepts for guiding future development in a 437-ac...

In response to rising need, Chesterfield's 2022 Diaper Drive eclipses single-year donation record

^{Girl Scout Troop #57 made a generous donation of diapers and wipes for the 2022 Diaper Drive.}  

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and surging inflation, many Chesterfield households are finding it increasingly difficult to afford essential ite...

Board of Supervisors Roundup

In case you missed the June 29 Board of Supervisors meeting, here is a brief recap of items from the board’s work session and business meeting: 

SPECIAL PURPOSE PARK

The board approved the purchase of 38 acres on the Appomattox River for use as a s...

Having project-ready industrial site was critical to Chesterfield landing LEGO

^{The LEGO Group plans to build a precision manufacturing facility on 340 acres at Meadowville Technology Park.}

When the LEGO Group began looking for a location to construct its new U.S.-based plant, Chesterfield had an ideal site to offer: a 340-acre parcel...

Life of Service: Gregory Pays It Forward Through 4-H

^{Senior Volunteer Hall of Fame Inductee Sarah Gregory}

Sarah Gregory has always had a soft spot for volunteering – it’s what she loves about living in Chesterfield County. 

“My whole life has been associated with 4-H and...

Relentless group of Ettrick residents played key role in keeping train station in South Chesterfield

^{Passengers at the Ettrick station prepare to board an Amtrak train heading northbound.}

The nearly 70-year-old train station in the South Chesterfield village of Ettrick is slated for a much-needed facelift, with more than $14 million in federal, state and ...

CERT fosters culture of preparedness, trains residents to assist neighbors in time of crisis

^{Chesterfield CERT members provide first aid to a "patient" during a training exercise.}

Spawned by the remnants of Hurricane Florence, multiple tornadoes touched down in Chesterfield in September 2018, resulting in one fatality and causing extensi...

Fallen Soldiers Honored During Chesterfield's 2022 Memorial Day Ceremony

Chesterfield County’s annual Memorial Day Ceremony, which is sponsored by the Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia (CHSV), was held on Monday, May 30 at the county’s Historic 1917 Courthouse Green on Iron Bridge Road.

Chesterfield residents of all a...

Board of Supervisors Roundup

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 t...

Board of Supervisors Approves Upper Magnolia Green Zoning Cases

After months of community input, which culminated with a pair of public hearings Thursday night, the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors approved both zoning cases that will guide development of the 2,400-acre Upper Magnolia Green property.

The board voted 3...

'Learn to Swim' closes gaps in pool access, helps second-graders gain water safety skills

^{Over the past seven years, thousands of second-graders have learned water safety skills through SwimRVA's program.} 

As we come to the end of National Water Safety Month, the statistics are sobering:

* 70% of Black children and 66% of Black adults d...

Magnolia Grange's bicentennial celebration kicks off May 21 with Mayfaire Festival

^{Magnolia Grange was purchased by Chesterfield in 1984 and opened to the public two years later as a historic house museum.} 

Constructed in 1822 by William Winfree, a stately white Federal period home once was the crown jewel of a sprawling Chester...

Chesterfield residents may vote in different precincts beginning in November

Chesterfield’s magisterial redistricting plan has been finalized, as well as its remedy for voting precinct splits that were created by the magisterial redistricting and changes to the county’s congressional and state legislative district boundaries made ...

Statement from Chesterfield Commissioner of the Revenue Jenefer Hughes

This is a statement from Chesterfield County Commissioner of the Revenue Jenefer Hughes regarding the increase in vehicle tax bills from 2021 to 2022. 

The Commissioner of the Revenue is a constitutional officer who is elected and operates indepen...

With vehicle assessments rising, Chesterfield implements sweeping personal property tax relief

^{Chesterfield made more than 14,000 older vehicles fully exempt from personal property taxes this year.}

Under normal circumstances, most vehicles depreciate over time. But the same market forces that are driving up the cost of residential property also have...

Board of Supervisors Roundup

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...

Chesterfield's Child Advocacy Center promotes healing for kids, families in crisis

^{Full-time staff at Chesterfield's Child Advocacy Center are (left to right) Lisa Johnston, Jenelle Beverly and Carolyn Kelley}

There’s a rainbow-colored mat just outside the front door inscribed with the words “Everyone is welcome.” The lobby is painted sky...

Chesterfield Planning Commission votes in favor of proposed Upper Magnolia Green rezoning

Sixteen months after the Chesterfield Economic Development Authority purchased the sprawling Upper Magnolia Green property with permission and funding from the Board of Supervisors, and following a series of community meetings, the county’s Plan...

Proposed Spring Rock Green redevelopment next step in revitalization of eastern Route 60 gateway

^{Spring Rock Green shopping center is located at the intersection of Route 60 and Chippenham Parkway}

Following unanimous approval by the Chesterfield Planning Commission, the proposed redevelopment of an underutilized shopping center at the intersection of ...

Historic investments have positioned Chesterfield as a regional leader in teacher pay

Chesterfield’s historic investment in teacher compensation last year had a significant, and immediate, positive impact on its competitive position within the region.

By allocating $23 million in the fiscal year 2022 budget to implement a new pay plan, Ches...

Home escape plan critical to getting you and your family out of a fire quickly and safely

If you were awakened at 2:30 a.m. by the sound of smoke alarms activating, would you know how to get yourself and all family members quickly and safely out of a burning house?

If the answer is “no,” you need to have a plan.

“When you hear the smoke alarm go...

Chesterfield's budget makes major investment in compensation for public safety, school employees

^{Chesterfield Police Department}

The fiscal year 2023 budget that will be voted on by the Board of Supervisors at its April 6 meeting is devoted primarily to the recruitment and retention of a high-quality workforce – particularly the thousands of front-line...

Chesterfield submits additional redistricting information to Virginia's attorney general

^{Approved County Redistricting Map}

Chesterfield has submitted additional information to the Virginia Attorney General’s Office regarding the countywide redistricting plan approved by the Board of Supervisors last November.

The board adopted a redistricting p...

Through new welcome center, YMCA aspires to fill resource gaps and foster community connections

^{Adam Foster (left), executive director of the Manchester Family Y, and Lisa Ramirez, senior vice president of community impact for the Greater Richmond YMCA, outside the Chesterfield facility's new welcome center}

It’s natural for Lisa Ra...

Board of Supervisors Roundup

In case you missed the March 23 Board of Supervisors meeting, here is a brief recap of items from the board’s work session and business meeting: 

PUBLIC HEARINGS ON PROPOSED BUDGET, LOCAL TAX RATES

Chesterfield residents got opportunities to addres...

Breaking down the differences between a capital improvement program and a bond referendum

^{The new Midlothian fire station is under construction at the intersection of Route 60 and Charter Colony Parkway}

With Chesterfield planning for its next bond referendum in November, there have been questions about the purpose of such a referendum and how i...

Chesterfield introduces action plan to help Skinquarter landfill, Virginia DEQ remediate odor

^{Chesterfield resident Carol Cornwell (left) speaks at a March 8 community meeting hosted by Matoaca District Supervisor Kevin Carroll (right)}

Amid ongoing citizen concerns about odors generated by the Skinquarter construction demolition debris landfill, Ch...

Board of Supervisors Roundup

In case you missed the March 9 Board of Supervisors meeting, here is a brief recap of items from the board’s work session and business meeting: 

FISCAL YEAR 2023 BUDGET

Chesterfield County Administrator Dr. Joe Casey presented his proposed fiscal y...

Chesterfield unveils largest tax relief package totaling $52M

^{Because of rising assessments, county administration has proposed cutting the real estate tax rate by 3 cents}

Mindful of the impact of inflation and rising property assessments on household finances, Chesterfield leaders remain intentional in their efforts...

Chesterfield seeking to diversify tax base, reduce reliance on residential assessments

^{Niagara Bottling's highly automated plant in Meadowville Technology Park is one of Chesterfield's top commercial taxpayers}

Over the past 40-plus years, thousands of people have voted with their feet by relocating to Chesterfield County, c...

Proposed bond referendum package includes $540 million in county, schools capital projects

^{Chester Fire Station 1 is slated to be replaced with a larger building that can accommodate modern fire apparatus} 

Postponed by a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chesterfield’s budget staff has submitted a slate of county and school capital...

Board of Supervisors Roundup

In case you missed the Feb. 23 Board of Supervisors meeting, here is a brief recap of items from the board’s monthly work session and business meeting: 

PROPERTY TAX RATE REDUCTION

The board authorized advertisement of Chesterfield&rs...

Discover Pleasant View School, a historic landmark and artifact of segregation-era education

^{Pleasant View School, the last remaining Black elementary school still owned by Chesterfield County} 

The one-room schoolhouse sits on the south side of River Road, about a mile and a half from the entrance to Eppington Plantation and 60 feet east ...

Local development regulations protect environment in Upper Swift Creek Watershed

^{Swift Creek Reservoir supplies about 20% of Chesterfield's drinking water} 

In 1997, the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors adopted a set of stringent regulations for land development northwest of the Swift Creek Reservoir to control stormw...

Collaboration with local college aids Chesterfield's pursuit of advanced manufacturing jobs

^{Semiconductor manufacturing is one example of the clean, high-tech jobs Chesterfield is pursuing} 

Ted Raspiller grew up in Aurora, Ill., a blue-collar city outside Chicago where most young men graduated from high school and immediately went to wor...

Rising property assessments not solely a Chesterfield phenomenon

^{Chesterfield's Ashley Forest subdivision}

Following one of the busiest years on record in Chesterfield’s red-hot housing market, 2022 real estate assessments increased by an average of 12% countywide.

That’s three to four times higher than in a typical year....

State official: Upper Magnolia Green property potentially 'transformative'

^{Jason El Koubi, interim president and CEO of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership}

How attractive is Chesterfield’s Upper Magnolia Green West property to advanced manufacturers? Even in a “raw” state – forested, with no utility infrastructure or pr...

Police Activities League helps Chesterfield foster positive relationships between officers, youth

^{Police Activities League youth bowling league}

On a frigid Saturday morning in early January, when they could have been home enjoying a leisurely day off, about a dozen members of the Chesterfield Police Department instead were at Uptown Alley serving as co...

Board of Supervisors Roundup

In case you missed the Jan. 26 Board of Supervisors meeting, here is a brief roundup of items from the board’s monthly work session and business meeting: 

ROUTE 60 TRANSIT PILOT

The board adopted a resolution of support for extending a GR...

In Upper Magnolia Green, Chesterfield sees pathway to funding Powhite Parkway Extension

^{Motorists travel southbound on Powhite Parkway in Chesterfield}

The extension of Powhite Parkway to Hull Street Road has been on Chesterfield County’s thoroughfare plan since 1989, but the project’s cost – currently estimated a...

Jay Stegmaier remembered as 'genuine, caring' leader who was committed to public service

^{Jay Stegmaier speaks at a Black History Month event in 2016}

Jay Stegmaier began his career with Chesterfield County in 1979 as a budget analyst. Even as he was promoted to increasingly senior positions over the next 37 years, culminating with a 9-year stin...

Upper Magnolia Green property vital to Chesterfield's future

At the direction of the Board of Supervisors, the Chesterfield Economic Development Authority purchased the 2,057-acre Upper Magnolia Green property for $13 million in December 2020 as an investment in the county’s future.

With demand for housing...

Planning, preparation and teamwork critical to Chesterfield's winter weather response

^{Many areas of Chesterfield received 1 to 2 inches of snow and sleet Sunday, creating slick road conditions}

The winter storm that hit Chesterfield County on Sunday came as no surprise to Jess Robison. It literally had been on her radar for the past week.

As ...

Fall Line Trail Seen as Game-Changer for Eastern Chesterfield

Following a flurry of major funding commitments last month, momentum is building behind a regional infrastructure project that could bring much-needed commercial investment to two Chesterfield communities.

On Dec. 3, the Central Virginia Transportation Aut...

New board chair: 2022 a 'watershed year' for Chesterfield

Calling this “a watershed year for Chesterfield citizens,” Clover Hill District Supervisor Chris Winslow took the gavel for the first time Wednesday evening after being chosen by his colleagues to serve as chair of the Board of Supervisors for 2022.

“We wi...

Rent relief program averts evictions for Chesterfield tenants, landlords

Miguel Solla bought a house in Chesterfield County in 2006, shortly after the U.S. Army transferred him from California to Richmond, as an investment in his family’s future.

When Solla received another transfer order three years later, selling the house wa...

2021: The Year in Review

While COVID remained part of our collective vocabulary this year, the global pandemic didn’t stop Chesterfield County from moving forward in several key areas. Fueled by a vibrant local economy that continues to outperform the region, state and ...

Real estate rate reduction highlights sweeping tax relief measures

^{Midlothian's Hallsley subdivision}

A comprehensive package of local tax relief is coming to Chesterfield County residents and businesses next year.

At its Dec. 15 meeting, the Board of Supervisors approved the advertisement of Chesterfield’s maximum real est...

Board of Supervisors Roundup

In case you missed the Dec. 15 Board of Supervisors meeting, here is a brief roundup of items from the board’s monthly work session and business meeting: 

BUDGET AMENDMENTS TO REALLOCATE SURPLUS FUNDS

Following a public hearing, the board voted in ...

Board of Supervisors to vote on budget amendments, allocate surplus

Record sales tax collections, conservative budgeting and federal COVID-19 relief funding were key factors that helped Chesterfield County end fiscal year 2021 with a historic $106 million operating surplus.

 At its Dec. 15 meeting, the Board of Su...

Across the Board, Chesterfield Receives High Marks

We could use this space to toot our own horn about how Chesterfield is an exceptional place to live, work and play. But it’s so much more meaningful when others do it for us.

Over the past three months, several national organizations have reaffirmed Cheste...

Redistricting: Separating Fact from Fiction

^{Approved County Redistricting Map}

Over the past few weeks, some Chesterfield residents have expressed concerns about both the magisterial redistricting plan that was approved by the Board of Supervisors on Nov. 17 and the process by which the county develo...

Zoning 101: Navigating the Process

^{Element at Stonebridge Development Plan}

Few of the Chesterfield County’s regulatory powers generate more public attention than its authority to determine what can be built and where. And yet, there are many misconceptions about the zoning process...

October 27 Board of Supervisors Roundup

In case you missed the Oct. 27 Board of Supervisors meeting, here is a brief recap of items from the board’s monthly work session and business meeting: 

Redistricting Public Hearing

The board received citizen input during a public hearing on the co...

From Setbacks to Comebacks: Bermuda Estates Residents Experience A Greater Feel of Home

^{Bonnie Newton, Bermuda Estates resident}

Infested with termites, to the point that she once fell through its thin plywood floor, the problems with Bonnie Newton’s 40-year-old trailer weren’t merely cosmetic. It had become a health and sa...

River City Rising: Chesterfield Outlines Vision for Sportsplex, Genito/288 Corridor

^{Lacrosse players compete at River City Sportsplex.}

Since it was acquired by the Chesterfield Economic Development Authority (EDA) in 2016, River City Sportsplex has become the linchpin of the county’s thriving sports tourism sector – generating millions of...

Chesterfield County Expands Early Voting Locations

In the wake of record voter turnout last November and overhauls to the state’s voting processes, Chesterfield is making it easier for residents to cast their ballots this fall. 

Following changes to Virginia...

Chesterfield to Build Two New Middle Schools a Year Early

^{Board of Supervisors and School Board Joint Meeting on Sept. 8, 2021}

Facing a sudden, sharp economic downturn related to the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, and with lingering uncertainty over its duration and severity, the Chesterfield County Board of Su...

Woof and Wag in Chesterfield

Looking for something fun to do with your furry friend in Chesterfield County? Many restaurants, stores and local shops welcome dogs, allowing you to spend even more quality time with your furriest of friends.

If you’re planning on ta...