Planning Commission Recommends Approval of Long Hill Road Government Center and Library; Commissioners and Public Debate traffic, stormwater and cost

The James City County Planning Commission voted May 7 to recommend that the Board of Supervisors approve a special use permit for a consolidated government center and a public library on Long Hill Road, a proposal staff described as a three‑story government building of roughly 178,000 square feet with underground parking and an attached library.

The commission’s recommendation passed 4–3 after several hours of public comment and detailed questions from commissioners about stormwater management, traffic improvements and the project’s fiscal implications. Assistant County Administrator Brad Reinheimer, the applicant’s lead, said the project has been under study since 2020 and that the board selected the Long Hill site because it is adjacent to the James City County Recreation Center and near the population center of the county. “This project has been many years coming,” Reinheimer told the commission.

Why it matters: The campus would consolidate multiple county offices into a single facility and add a new library branch for the Williamsburg Regional Library system. Public speakers and several commissioners warned the site will also generate new traffic and add stormwater runoff issues in the Powhatan watershed; residents urged pedestrian safety improvements on Long Hill Road and questioned whether the county should commit several years of capital spending before nearby large developments are resolved.

Staff presentation and proposed improvements

County staff told commissioners the master plan includes about 178,000 square feet of office space in three stories, underground parking, and a public library sited next to the Long Hill Recreation Center. A traffic impact analysis (TIA) prepared for the project…