Fluvanna supervisors order county-funded traffic study for proposed Tenaska plant after residents raise concerns

Fluvanna County supervisors voted to authorize a county-funded traffic impact study for the proposed Tenaska power plant and related construction traffic, directing staff to contract for the work with a cap of $60,000.

The vote follows extended public comment and board discussion about noise, road safety at the Route 53/Ruritan Lake intersection and the scope and enforceability of promises Tenaska has made about mitigation and conservation. The motion to authorize the study was seconded and approved 4-0.

Why it matters: Residents, planning commissioners and several supervisors said they do not yet have enough independent data to judge the scale of construction traffic and whether required mitigation will be adequate. The county-commissioned study is intended to produce a local, site-specific projection of construction and operational traffic and to inform conditions the board could require if the company’s special-use permit returns to the county.

What the board discussed and decided - Planning and community concerns: At multiple meetings and during planning commission hearings, residents and some commissioners asked for more documentation on traffic, noise and long-term restrictions on…