Richmond County supervisors move to sell parcels to Amazon for last‑mile facility; right‑of‑way and stormwater reserved

WARSAW, Va. — The Richmond County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing March 12 and moved to authorize the sale of county-owned parcels (tax map 17-33A, 33E, 33F and a portion of 33D) to Amazon.com Services LLC for use as a last‑mile distribution facility.

A county staff member read the notice required under the Code of Virginia and described the proposal as an extension of Amazon’s Warsaw operation rather than a data center. The staff representative said the county’s contract would exclude a stormwater management area and that the sale price would be calculated as $15,000 multiplied by the final number of net acres determined after subdivision platting.

Hunter, a representative of the Samut company identified in the meeting as part of the real estate development group working with Amazon, told the board he expects a conceptual site plan by the end of the month, 2–3 weeks for client review, about eight weeks for permit‑plan development, and roughly 10 months of construction once approvals are complete — a timeline Hunter summarized as “just about a little over a year‑long process.” He also said a noise study will be performed and that, based on test fits, the site layout would place the building toward the racetrack area with parking and van staging nearer the road.

Several residents and adjacent landowners spoke at the hearing. Two citizens had asked earlier whether the project was a data center; meeting staff said it was not and that those citizens were satisfied by that clarification. Mr. Lamb, an adjacent landowner who spoke during public comment, urged the county to protect future access to roughly 10 acres he hopes to develop and flagged concerns about stormwater runoff flowing through his property to Toast Creek. He said he was open to detention improvements and other mitigation if they protected both the development and downstream flows.

Board members and the developer discussed boundaries and zoning uncertainty for portions of parcel 17-33D (the fairgrounds/little league parcel), noting survey stakes should clarify whether a small portion will need rezoning. Staff said the county would retain the stormwater pond area and that the contract has been written to withdraw (exclude) that area from the acreage conveyed; a drawing showing the excluded area was not yet available.

Hunter gave a preliminary staffing estimate for a facility of this type — "usually for these we see 10 to 20 full‑time positions and probably 100 to 200 part‑time positions" — and cautioned that exact numbers would need client confirmation. Board members and attendees discussed two proposed entryways to handle van traffic, the possibility of soundwalls if noise studies indicate the need, and coordination with town site‑plan review.

Staff read a resolution that would authorize the chairman of the board and/or the county administrator to execute the sale to Amazon at the $15,000 times net acres formula and include language to reserve necessary right‑of‑way. A motion to approve the resolution (including language reserving a 50‑foot right‑of‑way and allowing staff to work with adjacent landowners on its specifics) was made and seconded; the transcript records the roll call being initiated but does not include a clear, complete vote tally in the provided text.

What happens next: staff and the developer indicated they expect to produce a conceptual site plan and then submit permit plans to the town and county for review; subdivision approval will establish lot lines, right‑of‑way reservations and the acreage used in the sale price calculation. The county will continue to coordinate stormwater and access easements with adjacent owners as surveying progresses.

Authorities cited at the hearing included Code of Virginia sections read at the opening of the public notice.