Appomattox waives fees for Wal-Mart developer

By Sarah Watson

Published: October 1, 2008

Appomattox Town Council voted Tuesday to waive about $90,000 in water and sewer availability fees to developers of a planned Wal-Mart.

The waived fees, which are not an upfront cost to the town, will help offset about $130,000 in unexpected expenses to the developer, Town Manager David Garrett said.

As part of the ongoing discussions with developers, the town learned it did not own a utility easement next to the proposed property and therefore could not allow the developer to put in a necessary drain pipe, Garrett said. The property owner would grant access if the Wal-Mart developer expanded a connection road. The relocation project includes moving a 10-inch water main that serves the western end of the town and could cost much more than the waived fees, Garrett said.

“This project is in jeopardy of going away if this project has to take on this expense,” Garrett told the board.

Three town residents asked the board not to approve the fees during a public comment period.

Water and sewer availability fees go to a savings account to help the town pay for infrastructure expenses, Garrett said.

Council voted 5-1, with councilmember Bryan Baine voting no.

“(Wal-Mart) can come if they want to,” Baine said. “They are asking for special treatment to absorb an unexpected cost.”

In other news:

- Appomattox Town Council members will vote at their next meeting on a tourism program sharing proposal between the town and Lynchburg.

Lynchburg Convention and Visitors Bureau Tourism Director Beckie Nix answered questions Tuesday about a draft contract and plan details.

Councilmember John T. “Plicky” Williams said a major concern is the draft drawn up last month said the town could not look for another tourism director while in the contract.

Nix, who resigned from her job as the town’s tourism director in August, said the spirit of the plan is to create a long-term relationship between the two localities and that council shouldn’t look at the program as a short-term replacement while it looks for a new director.

Preliminary estimates show the town could save about $81,000 per year in expenses related to the tourism program by joining forces with Lynchburg, Nix said.

- A public hearing for a town of Appomattox proposal to purchase land for a planned Museum of the Confederacy expansion location has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Oct. 28.