Is Chesterfield County as business-friendly as it once was?

Many in the business community think it has become less so, citing both actions and inactions by the new board of supervisors. They reference three issues to support their stance: the .16 proposed phosphorous levels for rezonings in the Upper Swift Creek Plan (USCP) area, the delay in approving the Roseland development that might include up to 1.5 million square feet of office and retail space and recently enacted higher planning fees.

The view that the county is not pro-business enough surfaced during a July 30 public hearing on the .16 phosphorous level when business leaders joined the development community to ask why lower levels are needed when scientific data shows the reservoir is healthy and phosphorous is trending down.

During the hearing, Neal Lappe walked to the podium, turned around to face the audience and announced, "Chesterfield is closed for business." Lappe is the chairman of the Chesterfield County Chamber of Commerce, which represents 634 businesses and is by far the largest business organization in the county. Lappe isn't from the development company -- he's a former Circuit City executive and now runs an Internet-based company in the county.

Last month, 11 chamber board members voted to oppose the proposed reduction in the phosphorus level, and none of them are members of the development community. Many chamber members and other business leaders believe the .16 level sends a message that the county doesn't want growth -- residential or commercial -- when taxes paid by local businesses are subsidizing the services county residents want.

"We're concerned about the message coming out that the county might limit growth in one of the most viable corridors," said Gary Armstrong, an executive with First Market Bank, chairman of the Chesterfield Business Council (CBC), the Chesterfield arm of the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce, and a Woodlake resident. "The CBC is concerned about the Route 288 corridor. We want monitoring of the reservoir for water quality without an overzealous move to try to change before there is a need."

Despite these differences, members of the chamber and the CBC have cordial relations with county leaders.

County Administrator Jay Stegmaier pointed out the .16 level would only apply to residential rezonings in the USCP area.

"At no point did any of the staff or a majority of the board members indicate support for tighter restrictions on non-residential development," he said.

The Chesterfield Planning Commission and the county's departments of environmental engineering and economic development all opposed .16 for either residential or commercial development. Only Hands Across the Lake (HAL), an environmental group composed mainly of Brandermill and Woodlake residents, stepped forward to endorse .16.

It's not quite clear how .16 rose to the board level requiring a public hearing.

"The board should have not even considered .16 with the [water quality] data we had," opined Bermuda Supervisor Dorothy Jaeckle. "You can't support an ordinance without data because … you don't know that it will do any good, and it's very burdensome to business. Chesterfield is loaded with regulations with unintended consequences. I think we should review the cost of these regulations before we vote on them."

"We want to encourage new business development but not at the expense of our environment," said Dale Supervisor Jim Holland. "We want to grow business strategically and have it properly placed."

Before agreeing to table the issue for a report next year, Holland and Board Chairman Art Warren proposed a compromise for more monitoring of water quality that with degradation could have led to .16 for residential. For the first time that observers could remember, Warren parted ways with HAL and the Brandermill Community Association, which recommended its compromise of limiting new residential development to .18 pounds of phosphorous runoff per year per acre and .36 for commercial development.

The developers of Roseland have said the .16 level would have meant abandoning their project at the intersection of Woolridge Road and Route 288. A board majority has already signaled rezoning for Roseland is expected to be approved next week.

Many business leaders and virtually all of the development community hold Matoaca Supervisor Marleen Durfee responsible for several prior deferrals on the Roseland case. In their opinions, some of those deferrals were unnecessary. Both the commission and the planning staff havnewspaper to e recommended approval, but she has previously asked for more study time. She did not return a call to [Chesterfield Observer] to comment on this story.

But a number of business leaders feel Chesterfield encourages business growth.

"I think the county is trying to properly allocate the costs of government services," said Brett Sheffield, an executive with People's Bank of Virginia, president of the Western Chesterfield Business Alliance and a Woodlake resident. "The board and Mr. Stegmaier are doing everything possible, so the Economic Development Department can attract more business to Chesterfield."

"Chesterfield County has been very supportive of our growth and has been very business friendly to DuPont," said Joe Internicola, the Spruance plant manager. "We have a very good relationship with the county and receive very good support for our investment here, the largest DuPont plant in the country. Being brand new to Virginia, I made a choice to live in Chesterfield."

Will Davis, the head of Chesterfield's Economic Development Department, says, "Chesterfield is business-friendly and business ready." Location inquiries, spurred by a weak dollar overseas, have more than doubled in the past year, and his department is hustling to keep pace.

"Our pro-business board of supervisors is looking to the future to ensure the county's comprehensive plan embraces strategic economic growth," said Davis. "Chesterfield has a long history of fostering a supportive and profitable environment for businesses … through our economic development initiatives, such as Fast-Track permitting and the recent expansion of our Enterprise Zone Program ..."

Carwash owner Bob Schrum agrees the county has initiated some changes "that save you a boatload of time and money. The predevelopment meetings with the planning department tell you where you stand, and it's free."

But with locations in Chesterfield and Henrico counties, he has been very vocal about the county board's recent decision to increase fees for reviewing site plans. Chesterfield's fee for a one-acre commercial site, already higher than Henrico's, jumped to $4,100 compared to just $800 north of the river, according to Schrum.

That cost is passed on in the form of higher rents or construction costs, making Chesterfi eld less competitive. Schrum said it is burdensome, particularly on small businesses. The board approved those fees last month on a 3-2 vote with Jaeckle and Midlothian Supervisor Dan Gecker opposing.

Stegmaier has said those higher costs have little impact on if a business chooses to locate in Chesterfield.

Check out more stories in this edition of the Chesterfield Observer, now a weekly publication.