The story was written and reported by WHRO media partner Williamsburg Watch
A round-up of key votes and actions from the James City County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
25% increase in home tax exemption approved for qualifying county seniors and disabled
Lower-income older adults and disabled James City County residents are getting an additional cut to their real estate tax bill this year.
County supervisors unanimously approved increasing the real estate deduction for qualified residents from $150,000 to $200,000.
Commissioner of the Revenue Richard Bradshaw said the change would go into effect for December’s tax bill and estimated it would cost the county as much as $628,000 in revenue.
County Administrator Scott Stevens said the county could absorb the cost by trimming other expenses.
To qualify, the taxpayer must be 65 or older or totally disabled, with a household income of less than $55,000 a year and total assets — excluding their home — of less than $200,000.
The supervisors were ready to approve the change at their July meeting but were told by the county attorney they needed to advertise a public hearing on the matter.
Because the supervisors did not meet last month, Sept. 8 was the first date they could vote on the change. No one spoke at the public hearing.
No more deferrals, Cardinal Ridge developers told — but they could start the rezoning process all over again
The developers of the proposed Cardinal Ridge project withdrew their proposal for the project Tuesday because county supervisors refused to consider another deferral, Jamestown Supervisor Jim Icenhour told the Williamsburg Watch.
Icenhour, who represents the district of the proposed project, said the attorney for developer D. R. Horton sent an email Tuesday morning, the day of a public hearing for the rezoning, asking for a deferral. Icenhour said most of the supervisors had been signaling they would not support the rezoning.
Horton has been trying since last year to get rezoning for up to 1,060 homes — later reduced to 770 — and a commercial center on 365 acres of surplus Eastern State Hospital land off Ironbound Road. It deferred a vote several times as it tried to find a proposal that supervisors would approve.
“We said … either you’re going to withdraw it and start over again if you want, or we’re going to hear the case because we’re not going to give another deferral,” Icenhour said. Around 3:30 that afternoon, the attorney called and withdrew the proposal, Icenhour said.
Williamsburg Watch was unable to reach the developer’s attorney, Timothy O. Trant, to get a comment.
If the supervisors had denied the rezoning request Tuesday, the developer would have been forced to wait a year before resubmitting an application.
While they can submit a new application at any time now, they would have to start the entire process all over, filing with the county staff and going through the planning commission, Icenhour said.
Icenhour said he would prefer to see a non-residential use of the property, such as light industrial or a vocational training school. Residential development usually costs the county money because of services required, such as schools, he said.
Helmets now required for motorized bikes, scooters in James City County
Helmets will be required for anyone 14 or younger riding an electric bike, scooter or skateboard on county sidewalks, public paths or highways.
The board voted unanimously to modify the ordinance on helmets, which had not kept up with the times and required helmets only for bicycle use.
Supervisors have expressed concern about the potential for serious injury when riders try to mix electric scooters and bikes with automobile traffic. One man was seriously injured in April when his electric bike was hit by a pickup off Route 199 at night.
Icenhour said the private roads in Ford’s Colony have 25 mph speed limits, “and I have witnessed kids without helmets on electric bicycles probably doing 35 or 40 mph in traffic.”
