Subscriber’s Digest (1-5-25)
CW parking lot development, water supply problems, school capital upgrades, public transportation funding, cruise ship plans sunk, unreliable predictions for '25
Thank you for subscribing to the Williamsburg Independent! Because of you, our “indie” publication has already made a mark on the local community.
Over the last week or so, the Independent has published 4 news stories you won’t read about anywhere else:
Colonial Williamsburg confirms development talks for downtown parking lot
Detailed analysis of public school’s capital improvement needs
Review of local public transportation’s future funding needs
William & Mary degree ROI remains among State’s best
And that’s not all. The Independent also published 3 pieces of commentary on important local issues. One was our first community contribution - a deep dive into problems with the local water supply written by Bob Wilson, a distinguished business executive and educator. Bob was also the first paying subscriber. Thanks Bob!!
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NEWS
NEWS: Colonial Williamsburg Confirms Potential Redevelopment of Downtown Parking Lot
Prime Williamsburg real estate attracts developers' attention, says Foundation head at community meeting
During the Q&A, an audience member turned the subject towards other construction plans CW might have. Specifically, Fleet was asked about the potential for redeveloping a large CW owned parking lot referred to as “P6.” The parking lot covers several acres of prime real estate downtown near Merchant’s Square and is also the site of a building that houses the Sons of the Revolution General Society.
Fleet said there are currently “no active plans” to develop the property but confirmed that the Foundation has been approached by developers interested in building on the city block-sized lot. He said there is “always discussion” about potential development and that CW leadership is currently “going through scenarios” in terms of uses for the parking lot as well as other land owned by the Foundation. Read more …
$10M funding gap for approved projects remains; Build cost for PreK centers rises
At a meeting held December 6th at the James City County Recreation Center, members of the Williamsburg City Council and the Williamsburg-James City County School Board reviewed the Superintendent’s Proposed FY26-FY35 Capital Improvement Plan.
In the long-term plan, which is typically reviewed and revised on an annual basis, Acting-Superintendent Dr. Daniel Keever (the interim replacement for retiring Superintendent Dr. Olwen Herron) requested more than $89M to fund capital improvements over the next five years. The proposed 10 year capital expenditure plan totals over $200M, though additions and removals from the list are likely as local needs, priorities and funding sources change over the next few years. Read more …
News: Local Bus System Predicts 70% Increase in Operating Expenses
WATA boardings decline overall while ADA Paratransit ridership nearly doubles; bids due for $15M operations/maintenance facility; new northern transfer center planned
Over the next decade, the Williamsburg Area Transportation Authority (WATA) predicts total operation expenses will increase by an estimated 71% ($10M in 2025 vs. $17.1M in 2034). Added service represents the bulk of the additional money as system leadership focuses on decreasing the average wait time between buses on major routes and extending route coverage to core business and shopping districts.
According to the Authority’s 87-page FY2024-2034 Transit Strategic Plan (TSP), planned service expansion will require hiring an additional 20 full-time employees while adding almost 30,000 service hours to the regional public transit system each year. Read more …
News: Return on Investment for William & Mary Degree Remains Among State’s Best
Earning potential of graduates from CNU, ODU also higher than median for grads of colleges in Virginia
The 10th Annual 2024 State of the Commonwealth Report, recently issued by a consortium of research groups at Old Dominion University, explored the question of whether attending college in Virginia is a good investment in terms of cost and future earning potential. The report notes that a study by Georgetown University recently concluded that a college graduate will typically earn more than $1.2M over their lifetime. Yet the study’s authors also point out that according to the United States Department of Education, more than 1 out of 5 college graduates nationwide will make less than the median wages for high school graduates. The overall results of Virginia public and private four-year schools are comparable according to the study.
The authors of the State of the Commonwealth Report conclude that the ultimate answer to the question of whether college pays off still depends upon individual circumstances, but can be reliably predicted based on which school someone attended and the degree they obtained. The results show that local schools like William and Mary, Old Dominion and Christopher Newport performed well in graduate earning potential versus statewide marks. They also indicate that degrees such as engineering and business typically ensure higher earning potential for graduates than those in liberal arts and humanities. Read more …
COMMENTARY
COMMENTARY: ‘Safe Yield’ from City's Water Reservoir Won’t Meet Future Demands
Water rates will likely increase due to over-reliance on backup sources and neglected infrastructure
As the summer of 2024 heated up and rain disappeared for what seemed like months, the resiliency of the local water supply became an issue of concern. Specifically, whether the available supply – already strained by drought and development – would be sufficient to meet future needs. Taking into account the growth ambitions of the City, the College of William and Mary and Colonial Williamsburg, the answer is clearly no.
Last year, the drought-like conditions, on top of ever-increasing demand, regularly pushed our water system past State-dictated safety limits. Unfortunately, the City leadership has mostly failed for years to consider the impact of growth and drought on water supplies. Read more …
COMMENTARY: Cruise Line Finds Yorktown A Bridge Too Far
Objections to multiple projects around region may signal decline of tourism influence
Back in April 2024, Princess Cruise Lines abandoned their planned stops in the quaint village of Yorktown. This comes after the company and local politicians initially sprung the deal on the community as fait accompli. But residents quickly responded with organized efforts to stop the boats from ever docking and apparently, the cruise line got the message to go somewhere else – Norfolk actually.
One group in particular, Preserve Yorktown, successfully led opposition to the cruise ships, but really shouldn’t have needed to do so. All one had to do was look at the images the group produced demonstrating the scale of the proposed massive cruise ships compared to the Coleman Bridge and the town’s cozy waterfront to know it was a bad fit. The concept of dozens of tour buses packing the narrow streets to cart people off somewhere else didn’t make much sense, either. But that didn’t stop the company and the region’s economic development cheerleaders from pushing it anyway. More is always better right? Read more …
COMMENTARY: Our Magic Crystal Ball’s 5 Most Unreliable Local Predictions for 2025
Williamsburg suffers in school negotiations, CW craves high density development, “Sports Town” woes grow, more W&M dorms planned, local news independence achieved
Happy New Year! In no particular order, here are my 5 most unreliable predictions for 2025. No one should expect these predictions to come true (but remember where you heard them if they do). I hope you enjoy reading the list as much as I did divining it. Read more …
George Arbogust is Founder and Editor of the Williamsburg Independent. You can contribute too! Send tips and story ideas to contact@williamsburgindependent.com.