Round 2

The Orange County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing Thursday-for the second time-on a special use permit application filed by Walmart.
The first planning commission public hearing was May 21. Then, close to 80 verbalized their support or opposition of the 138,000-square-foot Walmart supercenter that's been proposed for a 17-acre tract near the intersection of Routes 3 and 20. Speakers included county residents and out-of-towners, as well as individuals who hailed from far off states.
The 17-acre site upon which Walmart hopes to build, is part of a larger, 51-acre parcel and is already zoned for commercial use. However, the planned store's size makes it subject to the county's large retail use ordinance. The "big-box ordinance" applies to any retail store 60,000 square feet or larger, and requires applicants to file for a special use permit. Walmart filed its SUP earlier this year.
After meeting on two subsequent occasions, the planning commission voted 5 to 4 to recommend approval of the SUP to the board of supervisors. But supervisors' public hearing on the SUP was set for July 27, and then cancelled due to an advertising error. As a result, county officials rescheduled supervisors' public hearing, and scheduled a do-over for the planning commission's public hearing.
Walmart's proposal for an Orange County location has been the focus of a national conversation, and along with county residents, has included celebrities and Civil War historians.
Those who've voiced their support for the project said they were eager to see increased tax revenues, which are projected to be close to $800,000, and new jobs from the store's initial construction and from store operations. Others who backed the store said they wanted increased shopping opportunities in Orange County.
But the supercenter's opponents have claimed its proximity to nearby historic areas was an affront to Civil War history and threatened National Park Service battlefields to the east on Route 3, and to the south on Route 20. Some who spoke said they objected to the Walmart because of concerns of increased traffic, while others predicted Walmart's arrival would place a strain on local law enforcement due to increased crime rates.
Walmart's application for a special use permit can be seen on the Orange County website, www.orangecountyva.gov, along with a staff report addressing the SUP application, proposed conditions, large retail use guidelines, and a site plan map.
The Orange County Planning Commission public hearing will begin at 7 p.m. in the Orange County High School auditorium. The planning commission may vote, again, after the last speaker at the Aug. 20 public hearing, or they may decide to vote at a meeting already scheduled for the following day.
The Orange County Board of Supervisors public hearing is Aug. 24 at 6 p.m. in the OCHS auditorium.