(The following story by Ben Bagwell appeared on the Progress-Index website on June 24.)
PRINCE GEORGE, Va. — A spokesman for Norfolk Southern Railway, on the eve of a Prince George Planning Commission meeting tonight, has advised Leon Hughes, the planning director, that “Norfolk Southern is fully committed to the construction of the intermodal facility and intends to proceed with the acquisition of the Munyat and Robertson parcels and construction of the intermodal facility with or without zoning approval.”
Edward B. Kidd of the Richmond law firm of Troutman Sanders LLP sent a letter to Hughes on Monday.
Kidd also said the railway was withdrawing the application for rezoning and for a special exception. He said this action was taken as a result of the Prince George Board of Supervisors voting 3-2 last week not to accept “the applications filed on behalf of Norfolk Southern Railway Company.”
The railroad was not represented by Kidd or any railroad officials at the Board of Supervisors meeting on June 15. The application filed on behalf of the railroad was presented entirely by the county planning director.
Kidd, in his letter to Hughes, indicated that in the next two weeks the rail officials will consider two options: to either seek federal intervention under the Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act or by reapplying to the county with a different zoning proposal at the same site.
The planning commission had expected to consider a request by Kidd, agent for Norfolk Southern, on Thursday to conditionally rezone 148.1 acres plus or minus from Residential Agricultural to General Industrial and to place conditions on two parcels currently zoned General Industrial.
The property that the rail company proposed to rezone is located on Lamore Drive and state Route 630.
The Planning Department document said, “It is the applicants’ intent to develop an intermodal/trans shipment facility and related development on the subject parcels.” The Comprehensive Plan indicates the area is suitable for industrial uses, the planning document said.
Kidd said further in his Monday letter, “Over the next several weeks we will work with you to determine if it makes sense to submit applications for rezoning to M-1 and for a special exception for the intermodal facility, to allow the intermodal, warehouse and container storage uses anticipated by Norfolk Southern.”
Supervisors Chairman Jerry Skalsky said, “I regret that it went that way. We had been meeting with the railway about possibly getting some proffers.”
Skalsky added that, “I’m not in favor of the railway coming in without dealing with traffic issues in the Lamore Drive area.” He said he understands that the Virginia Department of Transportation is doing a study regarding the traffic problems in the area near the proposed intermodal facility.
The intermodal facility would allow trains to leave off containers at the facility and the containers would be switched to 18 wheeler trucks. Or trucks could bring in the containers and have them switched to trains.
Rail officials have explained that this type of intermodal concept is growing in popularity across the nation.
Hughes noted that the two parcels sought by the railroad are the Robertson property, 145 acres; and the Munyat property, 72 acres.