EDC urges feasibility study and Board input for Poor House tract as January budget deadline looms

The Economic Development Committee (EDC) of Northumberland County voted to seek guidance from the Board of Supervisors on a short list of development options for the county‑owned Poor House (courthouse) tract and to accelerate feasibility work so that implementation costs can be considered in next year’s budget process.

Robert, the presenter to the committee, reviewed a working slide deck that described 10 distinct options for the 140‑acre tract, nine evaluation criteria and a four‑phase approach: strategic evaluation, feasibility validation, policy direction and implementation. ‘‘We have 10 defined options that tell us what those are and what the plan is and what examples of those types of options are,’’ he said, presenting the draft scoring and phasing framework.

Why it matters: committee members told staff the EDC must deliver a clear implementation plan and cost estimates in time for FY2028 budget decisions. Dr. Fa, a committee member, urged urgency: "So, one, I think we need to have all of this done by January," she said, noting that missing the January budget deadline could delay action by years.

Discussion and tradeoffs: members emphasized that the tract is a mix of open land, steep gullies and wooded areas and that environmental and historic evaluations in phase two will determine which options are realistic. The committee debated whether to plan for the entire 140 acres now or to sequence 1–2 near‑term projects while preserving future options. Members agreed a “smell‑test” email to the Board of Supervisors should ask each supervisor privately whether any of the options is a non‑starter; responses would let the EDC pare the list before seeking developer input.

Controversial options and priorities: commercial solar drew immediate opposition from several members who cited landscape and forestry concerns; members said removing such ‘‘lightning‑rod’’ options early will speed the analysis. Senior living and workforce housing were repeatedly emphasized as priorities by multiple committee members; staff noted potential grant funding from Virginia Housing and Rural Development could be pursued if senior housing is prioritized.

Next steps: the EDC asked staff to send the option list to the Board of Supervisors with a requested deadline for replies so a condensed briefing can be placed on the May supervisors agenda. The committee also proposed forming a small working committee and a limited advisory roundtable of technical experts and community leaders to refine 2–4 options and produce specific tasks and dates to meet the January timeline.

The presenter said the EDC will return with refined recommendations and feasibility needs; staff emphasized that phase two (feasibility) will require consultants, developer input and coordination with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. The committee did not take a formal action beyond asking staff to solicit supervisors’ input and to prepare a tighter slide for the supervisors’ meeting.