News & Features
Citizens Get Meeting on Branner Station
By Mark Fausz
Oct 8, 2008 - 8:17:41 AM

Over 60 local residents gathered on Monday evening in the cafeteria of Chesterfield Community High School not to hear the scheduled public safety speakers, but to air frustrations during an add-on session scheduled only Friday. Bermuda District Supervisor Dorothy Jaeckle added the Branner Station informational segment after members of BARD (Bermuda Advocates for Responsible Development) and the CCA (Chester Community Association) chastised the Board of Supervisors for not communicating with constituents who may be affected by off-site roads that will be built as part the 1,600-acre Branner Station development.

Those in attendance questioned Jaeckle, Chesterfield County Transportation Director John McCracken, and developer HH Hunt’s representative Travis Gardner.

BARD president Mike Uzel said that residents in the vicinity of the proposed east-west freeway that will run from the project on Branders Bridge Rd. to I-95 have put their lives on hold not knowing where exactly the road will be built. “People need to know about these roads,” Uzel said. “The strategy here seems to be to keep ‘em guessing.”

“I would characterize it as there just isn’t a line yet,” Gardner responded. He further explained that the project had been delayed due to required traffic studies and the state of the economy. He said Hunt is looking at reworking its phasing of the project and how it relates to financing.

CCA member Rosalie Owens said that the meeting did not stand the test as a public hearing given the short notice and asked Jaeckle to schedule additional meetings so that the public could stay informed.

“I have been frustrated in the past with the meetings when there has really been nothing to tell,” Jaeckle responded.

A number of people were interested in knowing about the process and how citizens could stay informed on the progress of the planning and location of the roads.

According to McCracken, HH Hunt is acting much like an engineering consultant would on a public road project. But since it is a public/private relationship, the county may not see the road alignments until Hunt has completed their engineering work. “I really don’t know what they’re looking at right now.”

McCracken said once Hunt had finished the engineering, it would become like any other public road project and citizens could make comments, and adjustments to the plan could be made. “But right now the schedule is being driven by Hunt.”

“This type of relationship is new to the county. Sure, it’s flawed, but whenever you do something for the first time, it’s going to be flawed,” Jaeckle said.

During the meeting, Jaeckle, Gardner, and McCracken said that they would be open to questions at any time.



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