After months of contentious hearings, the Richmond County Board of Supervisors voted 4 to 1 to rezone a one-thousand acre pristine tract of land along the Rappahannock River.
The move paves the way for Miami-based Diatomite of America to move forward with plans to build a commercial resort, championship golf course and more than 700 houses on forested cliffs currently occupied by bald eagles. Marty Payne who lives downriver from Fones Cliffs told supervisors he's worried the large development will pollute the river.
“The Rappahannock has been feeding people since humans arrived, but this type of thing threatens it.”
Diatomite attorney, Robert Smith says the development will bring much needed revenue to the community.
The company plans to add to its acreage by obtaining adjacent cliff property owned by developer Terrell Bowers, whose plans have been opposed for years. Smith was celebrating with Bowers after the meeting.
“Well I'm on his property right now. We're gonna partake in some good ol boy activity and shoot some guns, but that's just the way we do things.”
Smith will submit to the board, plans for a road and infrastructure as a first step in the project.
