THE NEWS DESK
The News Desk is a collection of news, notes and breaking items affecting the Fredericksburg community.
Fredericksburg rejects Telegraph Hill development
By ROBYN SIDERSKY
Fredericksburg City Council last night voted to reject a proposal for a 79-home development planned for Lafayette Boulevard near the entrance to Lee Drive, which goes through the battlefield park.
The vote against the Telegraph Hill project was 4–3, with George Solley, Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw and Kerry Devine in the minority.
The majority voting against the project said they didn’t believe it met the Lafayette Boulevard Gateway Corridor Overlay District design guidelines. One of the guidelines was that the development and design would “reduce traffic congestion and promote safer driving conditions.”
City planning chief Ray Ocel said traffic engineers said the proposal met the guidelines.
At an earlier public hearing, concerns were raised about the how the 29-acre project would bring additional traffic to Lafayette Boulevard and the Park Service property.
The council also approved downtown rezoning and ordinances that would change properties around the train station from commercial transitional to commercial downtown, expand the downtown parking district and amend the boundaries of the railroad station overlay zoning district.
Bea Paolucci abstained because a family member has property in the affected area.
