Spotsy to continue with trails plan

The Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday night unanimously voted to continue with a plan to develop a network of trails.

Supervisors also voted to keep the county’s relationship with the Spotsylvania Greenways Initiative, which supports trail efforts.

But board members did agree to amend their memo of understanding with the Greenways Initiative to state eminent domain—the condemning of private land for public use—will not be requested for trails.

It’s been about two years since supervisors unanimously approved the Trailways Master Plan and subsequently signed a memo of understanding with the Greenways Initiative.

But the political dynamic of the board has changed since then. The four-member majority of supervisors, who took office in January 2012, ran on conservative platforms that emphasized low taxes and property rights.

Some board members have expressed concerns about the cost of trails and the possibility of invoking eminent domain to build them. That prompted staff to seek official direction from the board regarding the trails plan.

Click here for a previous story on the trails plan.

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