An Altercation

There was an altercation minutes ago between local Pizza Hut owner and major landowner Hugh Cosner and Tricord Company executive Mike Jones in the hallway of the Holbert Building here.

Mr. Cosner is apparently upset about a drawing used in the Summit Crossing plans that depicts where a north-south road will run from the conceptual Summit Crossing Parkway to U.S. 17. The path of the road is just conceptual, said a Tricord spokesman. The road will run through industrial land Mr. Cosner owns.

Mr. Cosner got in Mr. Jones’ face and told him he was "not truthful" because the plans Tricord originally gave him were not the same he saw tonight during the joint meeting between the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors. The two were face to face for a few minutes.

Mr. Jones was vividly upset and left the room. Mr. Cosner followed him out and Mr. Jones continued out the door to his vehicle. I can still hear Mr. Cosner bellowing in the hallway. His voice carries very well.

The joint work session was just about Summit Crossing. Everyone decided to slow the project down because of the size and complexity of it. I will write more about the project and this meeting later.

Also, apparently the Planning Commission is not meeting jointly with supervisors on the 3-acre zoning proposal. Everyone told me they were, but they just left after the Summit Crossing discussion. I will take the blame for that error.

Permalink: http://news.fredericksburg.com/spotsygovt/2008/10/28/an-altercation/

glasshouse

i remember a BOS meeting in 1988 when Cosner jumped on a citizen at the meeting for disagreeing with him.
Bully
thelama

And crazy.
f4td4ddy

You can HEAR him in the hallway.
Fredtastic

Here is a perfect example of how to carry oneself personally and professionally and how not to carry oneself. Mike Jones is one who carries himself with a huge amount of integrity and has the respect of many on both sides of the aisle. Hugh Cosner is one who has very little integrity and has garnered very little respect on either side of the aisle. He should be ashamed for carrying himself in this manner and attacking Mr. Jones in this way. If he has a beef with Tricord, deal with it privately. Mr. Jones showed that he would not stoop to the level that Hugh Cosner lives in. Kudos to Mr. Jones. You may not agree with everything Tricord has done, but there is a right and a wrong way to handle it.
dantelvock

Thanks. Got it
lgross

I don’t know how many folks caught it but
Cosner’s viewpoint was reflected in the BOS/PC
discussion when at least two different members
asked if the proposed road went through
property not owned by Tricord.

Mr. Cosner aside – the County does not have a
stellar record in doing new roads in partnership
with developers … those familiar with the
Harrison Rd connector kerfuffle ..in fact… one of
the agenda items for the closed session was a
legal issue involving that road.

Tricord is.. proposing a new road.

Is it their intent to buy the right-of-way … willing
buyer/willing seller or are they expecting the
county to be involved .. perhaps with the threat
of imminent domain ?

The Spotsylvania Parkway right of way was
bought by the developer IIRC except for one
parcel the county condemned.
lgross

The BOS and PC are pushing the envelope!

In the past… they let development occur
incrementally.. ad hoc… and for years.. the road
impacts were not considered cumulatively but
rather in isolation.. so… VOILA – Route 3 West.

So.. this time they have the opportunity to plan
the development in concert with the road… a
novel concept for our county (and many other
counties).

But the challenge is – to do that road “Right”.

Everything… EVERYTHING depends on that road
being planned … properly… not the asphalt – the
PLANNING .. the alignment, right-of-way, the
landowners, etc..

They need to look NOT ONLY at how much traffic
the Tricord development will generate but how
much additional traffic will come from the other
properties that will adjoin that road also.

KUDOS or Kerfuffle?
allen

Is the Summit project going through or not? When?
SimplyAmazed

I agree. I suspect Cosner conducts himself in this fashion because his mode of operation has always been considered perfectly acceptable in this County. Money buys power.

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