Wegmans Site Under Construction In Brown Grove, Va.

Annapolis MD

25 May, 2022

1:05 PM

Description

By Whitney Pipkin, the Chesapeake Bay Journal May 23, 2022 A judge has denied an appeal of a state board's decision to allow a Wegmans grocery distribution center to be built in Hanover County, VA. Wegmans has begun construction on the 219-acre site in a rural county where opponents have said it would negatively impact a historic Black community called Brown Grove and destroy forested wetlands. The Virginia Department of Historic Resources is in the process of deciding whether to designate the Brown Grove community as a rural residential historic district. The community includes two historic churches, gravesites and the remains of the 1927 Brown Grove School. The designation would be the first of its kind in Central Virginia. The board intends to meet and vote on the designation on June 16. The community is also fighting a new comprehensive plan that would allow part of the residential community to be rezoned as commercial. "In essence, Brown Grove probably won't be in existence in 20 years if the comprehensive plan goes through," said Renada Harris, who grew up in Brown Grove and is related to most members of the Brown Grove Preservation Group. Community members say nearby waterways have turned murky since Wegmans began construction on the site this spring, clearing portions that had previously been forested. Hanover County's website acknowledges the change in water quality and states that officials are still overseeing erosion and sediment controls. "We are aware of the issue and we are monitoring, but this is not considered a violation," the county website states. "As mentioned above, the soil is a colloidal clay soil and it only takes a small amount to make water murky." The Chesapeake Bay Journal is a nonprofit news organization covering environmental issues in the Bay region. Sign up for a free subscription at BayJournal.com.