The National Park Service opposes a plan to build a convenience store with a bakery and deli directly across from the First Day at Chancellorsville Battlefield in Spotsylvania County.
In a letter to the Spotsylvania Planning Commission, Park Service Historian Eric Mink said the store could open the door to other development in the historic area. “As the first commercial development west of Andora Drive, this could set a precedent for future special use and rezoning requests that would bring development of this type closer to National Park Service lands at Chancellorsville Battlefield. This wouldd result in the change of character for the district,” Mink wrote.
Alvin Esh, who owns The Ole Country Store & Bakery on Rt. 29 south of Culpeper, wants to open a second location in Spotsylvania. He first established his business in July 2009 in a 1,600-square-foot rental property at 10042 James Monroe Hwy. He built and moved to the 10,000-square-foot store at in 2014.
The planning commission will hold a public hearing on Esh’s project during its Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015, meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors Room at the Holbert Building, 9104 Courthouse Rd. in Spotsylvania. The planning commission will then make a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.
The store requires a special use permit. Here is the description from the agenda.
SUP15-0006: The Olde Country Store is a Special Use application for a convenience store at 6150 Plank Road and an adjacent unaddressed parcel. The request is for a 9000 sq.ft. structure which will house a store, bakery, dining area, and is described by the applicant as a ‘marketplace…of high quality goods…derived from the Amish and Mennonite cultures.’ The net square footage is reported as 6,750 after reducing internal storage. The porch of the structure extends approximately 15 feet from the frontage and will be used as a dining and merchandising area. The request includes the construction of an accessory ice cream stand (240sq.ft) on site which will be designed to match the principal structure.
The First Day at Chancellorsville Battlefield is the site of the opening clash of the May 1, 1863, battle which pitted the leading elements of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia and Union General Joseph Hooker’s Army of the Potomac. The battlefield, located at 9001 Plank Rd. in Spotsylvania, is owned by the Civil War Trust.
More
Additional Human Remains, Thousands of Artifacts Recovered from Riverfront Park Site
“Miscommunication” Damages Archaeologically Sensitive Area and Unearths Human Remains
Preservation Group Opposes Plans for National Bank Building Property
City Council Overrules ARB’s Approval of Bank Property Townhomes
Fredericksburg Accepting Applications for Historic Resources Planner
Riverfront Park Plan Downsized from $20M to $5M
City Council Votes to Require Alcohol Special Use Permits in CT Zones
Thank you for reading. Follow Fredericksburg.Today on Facebook and Twitter, too.
Home
