OUR VIEW: Orange Co. supervisors can still do what’s right
Published: July 14, 2009
Updated: July 14, 2009
» To save our history, they must work with Wal-Mart and a key landowner to select a site away from the Wilderness battlefield.
Despite growing local and national opposition, a Wal-Mart super center — and all the clutter it brings — could soon be a reality directly across the street from the Civil War’s Wilderness battlefield.
And that’s sad.
What needs to happen is simple: The store should be built a short distance away from the battlefield but still in Orange County. One nearby landowner has offered his 2,000 acres, which sits strategically closer to Lake of the Woods, but Wal-Mart won’t bite because that land is not zoned for commercial use.
In a perfect world, the Orange County Board of Supervisors should quickly rezone that land and work with Wal-Mart to allow for construction as far away from the national park as possible.
The next step would be for a major preservation group — such as the Civil War Preservation Trust — to mount a fundraising campaign to buy the sacred ground, forever ensuring its protection. The CWPT has done this many times with great success, including a $12 million land acquisition at the Slaughter Pen in Fredericksburg.
The key to this plan is the five-member Orange County BOS. The board needs to proactively facilitate not only what’s best for Orange County, but what’s best for our nation’s history. Given recent events, however, we’re doubtful that will hapen. After all, this is the same board that voted 3-2 to fire the county administrator after he publicly suggested an idea similar to the one we just proposed.
With so much at stake, it’s time for Orange County’s elected leaders to step up and do the right thing.
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Reader Reactions
I usually look up maps in books, but I will try and get a map showing the Wal-Mart site and a period map from my collection posted on the Orange County website by noon on the 16th. Zack
rjma, just use the arrows on the map to move east and north. Also, you can use the magnifying glass sllder to zoom in and out.
I’ll check out the link you sent shortly.
Sorry about that rjma. This issue is just so personal to me.
Here’s the correct link.
http://orangecountyva.gov/
RP-well that sure was obnoxious of you. To think that I was almost on your side. But what is funny is that after you criticize me for my searching ability, you inexplicably produced a map of downtown Orange rather than the site of the proposed Walmart. Isn’t that the issue here? Here’s the link in case you’re interested:
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/wilderness/maps/wildernesswalmartmap.html
rjma, here’a a link to a map since you apparently don’t know how to use a search engine to find one.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=122+E.+Main+Street+Orange,+Virginia+22960&sll=38.024126,-77.920361&sspn=0.012204,0.031414&ie=UTF8&om=1&ll=38.248123,-78.109059&spn=0.019009,0.031414&z=15&iwloc=addr
Also, here’s a link to the Orange County website.
http://orangecountyva.gov/index.asp
Mr, Burkett, thank you for taking the time to write your opinion. It does appear your mind is made up, however if I can ask a few questions.
According to the State the site is on the battlefield, although not on the part controlled by the NPS or the core. Are you aware of their opinion?
Since another landowner a few miles away offered his land along with development fees to Wal-Mart, why isn’t that being given a serious consideration? A win win for preservationist and Wal-Mart.
You state the store will only take about 20 acres. Are you sure of that figure? I would speculate the store parking and all the outbuildings, and additional development will consume 5 times that much.
Will the land for 1/4 mile in front of the store be left vacant and wooded or will it be developed?
I have no idea about this other developer but would speculate any infringement on the battlefield by him would be dealt with at a different time. I wouldn’t think this is the time for that.
For anyone that would like to see where the ara is in relationship to the battlefield you can see some maps at http://www.civilwar.org/ as well as reading the opinions of other public and private persons. BTW I am not affiliated with the CWPT in any way.
Thanks Zack, for speaking out from authority and telling the truth. You have my vote for whatever office you decide to seek in the future.
Zack- In today’s world it is too much to expect of a supervisor to actually post a link to a map so that citizens would have a better idea of what he is complaining about.
In today’s world it is too much to expect of a reporter to get out of their chair to go and look at the site they are talking about, but you should have at least have taken the time to look at a map or site plan before you graced us with your “views”. The facts you left out include the Wal-Mart, if approved, will not be on the battlefield. It will not be seen from the battlefield. The site is across the road from a used car lot and will sit back 1/4 mile from the road. It is on commercial zoned property and will use about 20 acres. The developer the “preservationis” want us to work with has land next to park land and wants us to rezone 900 acres so he can develop it. How do you think you can “save the battlefield” by building Central Park on it? Zack Burkett, Orange County Supervisor
I value my time and money. It’s not cheap to drive to Fredericksburg or Culpeper. When gas prices go up again it will be even more expensive. Also, I would rather spend my money providing jobs and paying sales taxes here in Orange County.
Go to any business in Orange County and ask the salespeople how much they get paid. I bet it’s not any more than they would get for doing the same job at Walmart, and maybe even less. Not only that, but having a Walmart nearby would allow them to buy more with their wages than they can now.
The arguments I’ve seen, by those who do not want this store, mostly fall into three categories – war worshipers, Walmart haters, and those who resist economic development for selfish reasons.
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