The Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors voiced strong opposition to a General Assembly bill that took effect July 1 that permits the construction of manufactured homes in all zoning districts that allow single-family detached homes.
The board voted 5-1 Tuesday night to reject the ordinance in Spotsylvania, citing the decline of property values and apprehension that state lawmakers are infringing on the authority of local government.
Supervisor Chris Yakabouski of the Battlefield District made a motion to approve the county’s implementation of the law, but it failed with only his support. County staff, which recommended approval of the ordinance, reminded the board that its vote would only be symbolic because state code trumps local law. They also warned the board that it would be opening the county up to potential lawsuits, but Board Chair Lori Hayes said, “I feel like this is a line in the sand that we should draw and see what happens.”
“I don’t know whose bright idea this was,” Hayes said.
State Dels. Nicole Cole (D-Spotsylvania), Dan Helmer (D-Fairfax), and Michelle Maldonado (D-Prince William) each had their own versions of House Bill 655, but they rolled them into one piece of legislation, and Maldonado became the chief patron.
A senate version of the bill was sponsored by Schuyler VanValkenburg (D-Henrico). The bill passed the House of Delegates 96-0 and the State Senate 39-1 with only Sen. Luther Cifers (R-Amelia) voting against it. The Spotsylvania Planning Commission recommended passing the ordinance 5-0.
Cole noted the bipartisan nature of the bill and said the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors is demonstrating an “outdated” way of thinking about manufactured homes. She also noted that the homes must be on a permanent foundation to be covered under the bill.
“I made a commitment to bring affordability to my district, and for me, this is a measure of affordability,” said Cole, who represents large portions of Spotsylvania and Caroline counties. “We need affordable housing, and the way the technology, construction, and design is nowadays with manufactured homes, if I showed you a picture of two homes, one manufactured and one site-built, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. But the cost is significantly different.”
Still, Spotsylvania Supervisor Drew Mullins and others are adamant that if the homes become prevalent in the county, it will be detrimental to residents.
Mullins said he’s bothered by the actions of the General Assembly, calling the law, “another example of the state imposing its will on counties and telling us how to run our county.” He’s upset that the law allows individual residents to construct manufactured homes in any part of the county, saying that they should only be in certain areas.
He said residents who live in uniform neighborhoods with certain property values should be upset as manufactured homes such as “single-wide” trailers “infiltrate” their area. Berkeley District Supervisor David Goosman compared it to the outrage residents have expressed about data centers, which led to the county requiring a Special Use Permit for the industry.
“If you want to be mad about something, citizens, this is a good thing to be upset about,” Mullins said. “This can affect everyone in some form or fashion. So, I feel like this is an opportunity for us, even if it is symbolic, to tell Richmond we don’t agree with it.”
Mullins said if he had been more aware of the bill, he would have requested the board to craft a resolution against it. He said if county officials don’t take a stand, the state will continue to impose its will.
“You ought to be talking to your representatives and making some complaints about that,” Goosman said. “We talk about [being] afraid property values are going to go down because of, ‘fill in the blank.’ Well, here’s something Richmond is going to do for you. Your property value is going to go down if you have something like this pop up in your neighborhood.”
Spotsylvania’s state delegation, both Democrats and Republicans, supported the measure unanimously. In addition to Cole, Dels. Josh Cole (D-Fredericksburg) and Philip Scott (R-Spotsylvania) both voted in favor of it. Also, State Sens. Tara Durant (R-Stafford), Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania) and Richard Stuart (R-Westmoreland) voted for the bill.
Nicole Cole said when she was knocking on doors in the district, housing affordability was one of the top concerns, especially for the younger generation of voters. The average cost of a turnkey manufactured home on land in Virginia is approximately $200,000, while Fredericksburg-area median housing prices hit the $500,000 mark for the first time last month, with Spotsylvania’s average home costing $513,000.
“This is a good entry way for young adults to be able to have a home,” Nicole Cole said. “So, all of the things that [the supervisors] said as to why they’re against it, and the property values, that’s an antiquated way of thinking. They need to do some research.”
In other business Tuesday, the supervisors unanimously granted a Special Use Permit to Spotsylvania Meats for an abattoir on approximately 25.5 acres at 12515 Orange Plank Road. The facility will be used for the processing of sheep, goats, cattle, and/or poultry.
The board voted 4-3 to approve a rezoning request for Lafayette Crossing, a development of 70 single-family townhomes and 61 single-family homes on the east side of Lafayette Boulevard, south of Village Drive.
