Residents urge Culpeper supervisors to oppose Valley Link substation and demand referendum on new courthouse

Dozens of residents used the county’s citizen forum to press the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors on two major concerns: opposition to the Valley Link transmission line and substation proposal in Richardsville and a demand that any plan for a new county courthouse go to a voter referendum.

At the meeting, Kurt Christensen of the Stevensburg district asked the board to "hold a voter referendum on the proposed new county courthouse," arguing that digitized records and virtual court proceedings have reduced in-person courthouse use and that citizens should be able to choose a "none of the above" option on any referendum.

The request drew support from multiple speakers who framed the larger infrastructure fight as a threat to rural life. Devin Bordon, a College of William & Mary student who attended earlier meetings, thanked the board for a unanimous vote earlier that day to send a letter to PJM opposing the Valley Link project "in its current form," and said officials must protect constituents from irreversible impacts. Kristen Bordon told supervisors the citizens "are opposing it because we are informed," and thanked the board for listening and acting.

Several speakers tied their opposition to local economic and environmental concerns. Savannah Smith, who farms in the Stevensburg district, called agriculture "the backbone of our community" and urged supervisors to protect farmland. Kathleen Rogers Kirk called the Richardsville substation proposal "horrific," warning it would clear thousands of acres, harm habitat, increase noise and diesel emissions from backup generators, and consume "millions of gallons per year" of water. Gloria Mast cited county tourism figures (a 2024 estimate of about $77.9 million in direct visitor spending and roughly $5.8 million in associated tax revenue) and said data centers do not advance the county’s tourism-based economy.

Jennifer Rossi, speaking for the Culpeper County Republican Committee, urged the board to "authorize funding for qualified representation to present Culpeper County's case before the SEC," acknowledging that the state regulatory commission may decide the project with or without the county’s consent. Jim Herlock summarized the project’s promoters as Dominion, Transource and FirstEnergy and described the plan as a regional effort to move high-voltage power to feed Northern Virginia data centers.

Not all comments were technical; Frank Tumi and others urged civility after an earlier audit discussion, asking the board to debate without personal attacks. The public-comment period concluded and the board proceeded with the agenda; speakers asked officials to continue engaging with residents and regulatory processes.

The board did not adopt a new policy or vote on the Valley Link proposal during this meeting. Several speakers referenced a letter the board had sent to PJM earlier that day; participants urged the board to pursue legal or technical representation before the SEC and to consider putting major local infrastructure choices to a public vote.