Estimated tax revenues from Bluffs of Kiskiack development diverge
James City County concludes planned fixes insufficient for nearby intersection, questions affordable affordable proffers
The Bluffs of Kiskiack, a mixed-use development proposed for northern James City County near the Interstate 64 interchange in Croaker, roughly between Toano and Norge, currently the site of the massive presidential busts known as the Presidents Heads, is now before the Board of Supervisors carrying three big promises from its developer: a financial windfall for the county, fixed traffic problems, and affordable workforce housing. Each promise rests on numbers or mechanisms that the county notes are not guaranteed to hold.
The county's own fiscal model produces wildly different results depending on whose property values are used. The traffic fixes required of the developer do not bring the project's main intersection up to the county's own standard. And the price cap meant to keep new homes affordable is tied to an index that does not guarantee it will stay within federal affordability limits.
The project concept includes an open-air museum and visitor center for the Presidents Heads, the large presidential bust sculptures stored on the property since the original Presidents Park attraction closed. Unlike potential homes in the development which can’t be occupied until road improvements are built, developers anticipate anticipate that the museum could open once those improvements are planned. The county’s tax model values the museum building at $395 per square foot, the highest of any use in the project. The developer’s Community Impact Statement also cites the museum as a source of local jobs, though it gives no dollar figure.
Key Takeaways
The Bluffs of Kiskiack development is under county review, with unclear tax benefits, unresolved traffic problems, and housing prices that may not stay affordable:
The tax benefit to the county depends heavily on whose numbers are used
Using the county’s standard home values, the project’s tax benefit is much smaller than using the developer’s own higher values.
The difference between the two estimates comes entirely from which property values are plugged into the county’s calculation.
Planned road fixes won’t bring the main intersection up to standard
The busy intersection at Croaker Road and Rochambeau Drive already struggles with traffic today and is expected to still fall short of the county’s goal even after upgrades.
Several turning movements at the intersection are expected to keep failing, and a fatal pedestrian crash nearby in 2023 was only mentioned at the public meeting, not in official reports.
The affordable housing price limit isn’t fixed in place
The developer promises more affordable homes than the county requires, but the maximum price for those homes changes every year based on a building cost formula, not income limits.
That formula doesn’t guarantee the homes will stay within the price and rent limits the county considers affordable.
Resources: Agenda link | Video link
Read the full breakdown: how the fiscal numbers diverge, why the intersection still fails, and what’s missing from the affordable housing guarantee.
