There has been much written recently in the paper and blogs that projects like Kalahari do not fit the character of the City and is destroying its unique character and quality of life. On the otherside there are those who do not consider city land on the west side of I-95 as part of Fredericksburg. That commercial development has already ovetraken the west side of the interstate and is separate from the historic core of Fredericksburg.
Are historic attractions negatively impacted by other types of entertainment venues? If the development west of I-95 is critical to maintianing our unique character and quality of life then what would be appopriate development?
2 comments:
Matt,
I guess I fall into that group that considers west of 95 a different zone than east of 95, and a good way to diversify the city basis. Here is my take, there are really only 2 good uses for that land - 1 large contiguous open space (parkland). Or some major development with a significant buffer. Well, we made the decision a long time ago not to go with option 1 when the city didn't pursue purchasing the land. The alternative is to put an intelligent revenue generating business there. Making sure that there is adequate buffer to protect the river and the battlefield trenches at the back of the land. I really hate that the land has been stripped of the trees all the way back to the 120 acre natural area. Ddon't we have a zoning law about that? I think the developer may be exepted because this is zoned commercial shopping center. Being located right on 95 really means the best usage of this area is tourism, this way we're not sending tourists down already heavily traveled rt 3/17/610. Sure the exit needs to be improved, and about 1 mile of roads need improvements - but that is minor compared to other state tourist attractions.
The celebrate VA south area is also close to major services such as the hospital, hotels, a downtown area, and historic sites. This means that this makes a good 'package'.
I also expect any business coming to this area to do their homework. They have a huge incentive to make the right business decision before spending $100M+. At least the city only has to outlay the costs of zoning and building inspections.
burgnews--First, congrats on the new blog. I'll post a link ASAP. As per the MOU with the Siver Cos. no structure on the Celebrate VA tract should be seen from the river. The Civil War positions are within a protected zone.
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