Board approves $16 million budget supplement for Louisa Tech utilities; officials clarify water routing

The Louisa County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 15 unanimously approved a resolution supplementing the budget by $16,000,363.01 to fund off-site utilities for the Louisa Tech site and a rock‑allowance contingency for the Shannon Hill Regional Business Park. County staff said Amazon Web Services (AWS) will reimburse the county for the Louisa Tech work.

County staff made the request during a public hearing. Miss Colvin, a county staff member, told the board the requested supplement covers a rock‑allowance contingency discovered after bids were returned and that the Amazon project will reimburse the county for the Louisa Tech work. She said the Shannon Hill contingency could be paid from proceeds of a prior sale of Shannon Hill property and from the county’s general capital funds if needed.

The resolution supplements the budget to cover a potentially large rock‑allowance cost encountered during bidding. Miss Colvin identified the requested supplement as $16,000,363.01 and noted the contract language allows a separate rock allowance for Shannon Hill of up to $5,300,000. She told the board the county sold Shannon Hill property and that sale proceeds are available in the capital fund to cover any required payments.

A board member raised constituent concerns about whether the Louisa Tech work would redirect James River raw water away from Zion Crossroads. The board member said they had received “concerned emails” and phone calls and sought clarification. County staff and other board members explained the projects are related but distinct: the Louisa Tech site would not use raw water, and the Shannon Hill off‑site utilities connection is part of the single water system along U.S. 250 that currently uses Zion Crossroads wells and is planned to be supplemented by James River water.

A county official said the shared system could be fed by James River water and, if the water authority chooses, the well system at Zion Crossroads could remain in partial production to supplement James River supply. The board emphasized the county is not diverting existing Zion Crossroads water away from the business district; rather, James River source water will serve multiple locations along the same system.

After public comment was closed with no speakers, the board moved, seconded and approved the resolution. The motion passed unanimously.

What happens next: county staff said the budget supplement will be recorded and the projects will proceed under the contract provisions; the Amazon reimbursement and the Shannon Hill sale proceeds remain the stated funding sources. No new tax levy or direct taxpayer appropriation was identified in the meeting record for this supplement.

Speakers in the meeting who addressed this item included Miss Colvin (county staff), a board member who raised resident concerns (Board member), the chairman of the board, and Supervisor Barnes (board member).