2. And last week, Raymond announced more concessions by reducing some lot sizes, moving homes
farther away from slopes and increasing forest buffers to as much as 150 feet where possible.
The southern sugar maple fell, likely during an April 2011 tornado, just off the bank of Grove
Creek, unearthing shells and other fossilized mollusks that date back 4 million to 6 million years.
Geologist Jerre Johnson whips out a mini-magnifying glass attached to a key chain and examines
the microfossils inside a shell, identifying one by its Latin name. Whales used to swim here, he said,
after the glaciers retreated and the region was under an ocean.
Johnson reaches down and picks up a 4-million-year-old, fully intact Jefferson Scallop, or
Chesapecten jeffersonius, an extinct mollusk from the Pliocene epoch (and also the state fossil).
A few dozen feet up the hill, Xanterra plans to build houses that would have stunning vistas of the
creek, its marshes and the James River. Red survey flags have been posted to mark property
boundaries.
Johnson, professor emeritus in geology at the College of William & Mary, worries that erosion from
the development would wipe out the ancient fossils.
"If they don't control the stormwater runoff, these people are going to bitch," he said of the residents
who would live on top of the hill and face possible erosion of their backyards.
Nearby, Donna Ware, a botanist, marvels at all the sugar maples, one of her favorite trees. This is
the farthest north that they grow, and many were felled by that tornado, along with oaks and bald
cypress trees.
"We're really concerned if these forests are stripped away," she said hiking up the hill.
Ware, also a retired W&M professor and former curator of the school's herbarium, has studied the
area since the 1970s. Neither she nor Johnson lives in Kingsmill.
Ware is also concerned about two rare species of flowers, the pink thoroughwort and the mountain
camellia, believed to be remnants of the post-ice-age era. The rare flora stem from the rich calcium
deposits in the soil (coastal plains are typically acidic.) The flowers are listed as "threatened" by the
state Department of Conservation and Recreation.
The department echoed the concerns of Ware and Johnson in a letter to the James City County
Planning Division. Development in that Grove Creek area, the letter states, "could negatively impact
the long-term viability of these resources by greatly reducing their forested buffer, altering micro
climate conditions, increasing runoff, and encouraging invasive exotic plants."
The division recommended that no development take place in that area or along the Carter' s Grove
Country Road, which snakes through marshes and woods, cutting through Kingsmill before ending in
the historic Williamsburg village. The agency also offered Xanterra its biologists to conduct a study
of the flora.
3. County planners have already raised similar concerns about where stormwater runoff would go. In a
letter to Xanterra in August, a planner wrote: "Be advised that all areas will be required to satisfy the
provisions for stormwater quality and quantity at the time the development plans are provided for
review."
Xanterra assured the department in a November response that county stormwater requirements
would be met or exceeded.
The county has also raised concerns about the impact the development would have on the
archaeology of the area and asked Xanterra to conduct an excavation. The area is rife with Native
American and Colonial-era artifacts, prehistoric bones and fossils, and remnants from Camp
Wallace, an Army artillery training compound during World War I.
The county also asked for a study of sites on the property that might be eligible for inclusion on the
National Register of Historic Places.
Carter's Grove Country Road may be one of them.
The road was originally built by Colonial Williamsburg to link the Carter's Grove plantation, which
had been a living museum, with the historic village 8 or so miles away. Visitors used to be able to
take a horse and carriage ride from one to the other. The road, which winds through Kingsmill, was
abandoned after the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation sold the plantation in 2007.
Kingsmill maintains it now, and residents use it mostly for walking and biking. Vehicles are not
allowed on it.
Kingsmill was developed in the 1970s by the Busch family, former owners of beer maker
Anheuser-Busch, which included the brewery and Busch Gardens next to Kingsmill.
In 2010, Xanterra purchased the resort part of the development, including the three 18-hole golf
courses and a par-3 executive course. The par-3 course has been demolished, and in its place
Xanterra has started building cottages along the James River. Those were approved separately from
the rest of the development. As of January, the resort and its golf courses, restaurants and other
amenities were turned private, for the use of residents and guests only.
Xanterra also brought back professional golf by securing a deal with the LPGA to return Kingsmill to
the ladies tour. They'll play the River Course in May.
Last year, the company closed on the purchase of the remaining undeveloped land in Kingsmill that
had still been owned by Busch Properties.
Xanterra owns and operates luxury resorts in the national parks. The company's website touts its
environmental initiatives.
According to a company report, Xanterra stated that its 2015 environmental goals include reducin g
emissions of pollutants and gases, which would slow global warming; preserving natural resources
4. by recycling and reducing waste; phasing out the use of toxic materials; and "taking measures to
safeguard the biodiversity of the world's forests, oceans and other ecosystems."
At Kingsmill, environmentally friendly changes include removing the use of soap when cleaning golf
equipment and range balls (20,000 a day on average), recycling more than 50 tons of waste a year,
and using collected rain and irrigation runoff to water the golf courses and public green spaces.
Xanterra is a subsidiary of the Anschutz Entertainment Group, owned by the conservative billionaire
Philip Anschutz, who did not respond to an interview request sent through his public relations
department. Xanterra President and CEO Andrew N. Todd declined to be interviewed and referred
questions to Kingsmill General Manager Robin Carson.
Carson said Xanterra has been "totally transparent" in planning the development and has altered
plans to appease critics and county planners.
"Frankly, I'm surprised how limited the land disturbance will be," she said. "I think when people walk
down this path, they will see how far back it's going to be and how limited the impact will be."
But, she acknowledged, with some critics, "the only thing that would make them happy is if we don't
develop it at all."
Kingsmill has around 2,350 homes. Raymond has pointed out that the original master plan,
developed by the Busch family when it owned the property and brewery next door, said the zoning
and density allowed for as many as 4,600 homes.
Like much that Xanterra puts forth, critics question that as well.
Bill Voliva was hired by Busch in 1975 to work on the Kingsmill development. He retired in 2005 and
moved out of Kingsmill last fall - not because of the development but to downsize.
He said the Busch family never intended to build that many homes and stressed the importance of
open space in the plan, particularly along the Country Road leading to the bluff above Grove Creek,
the area that concerns opponents the most. Voliva said the Busch family intended that area as a
permanent buffer between Kingsmill and the brewery and Busch Gardens.
"Busch Properties wanted to keep it natural," he said.
"The Kingsmill community centers upon a large open-space system," the 1972 master plan says.
"Insulation from the nuisance of traffic associated with the activity along Route 60 and particularly
the large crowds arriving and departing the Gardens will be provided."
Raymond said that Xanterra's plans have been revised to increase buffer zones between homes and
the commercial areas to the north, and that planned homes have been moved out of sensitive areas.
An earlier proposal called for 322 housing units. And, he said, Xanterra has no intention of ever
trying to reach maximum density.
"There's no way in the world we would ever want to reach the full buildout," he said.
5. Critics say the proposal will likely sail through the James City County Planning Commission on
Wednesday because pro-development Republicans on the Board of Supervisors replaced
commission members who had slow-growth views.
Over the past two elections, in 2011 and 2013, the Republican Party of Virginia poured tens of
thousands of dollars into the campaign, spending double what Democrats spent. Democrat James
Icenhour Jr. was defeated in November in a race that largely centered on growth.
"The board came in with a clear direction from developers who were backing them," said Icenhour,
who won his first campaign in 2005 on a slow-growth platform.
Current board member John McGlennon, whose district includes Kingsmill, said he expects a
packed house at the Planning Commission meeting. He and other board members have been
deluged with emails, letters and phone calls.
Part of the slow-growth group, McGlennon, also a Democrat, said he has probably voted against
developments more than any other supervisor: "I have said, basically, that new residential
development needs to demonstrate that it really brings significant positive attributes to the county."
He also said he is concerned that Xanterra has so far refused to pay the $2.5 million to $3 million in
county proffers. The county requires developers to pay proffers to support the increase in county
services, particularly schools. Xanterra says the development would actually add $300,000 to the
county's coffers.
Republican Kevin D. Onizuk, who defeated Icenhour in the fall, has a more moderate viewpoint.
"If a Xanterra proposal comes to the board, I am sure we will give it careful consideration," he said in
an email. "I have heard concerns from citizens about the project and our board will work together to
ensure we make the best decision for our citizens and community as a whole."
When Kings~Mill United formed in October, it issued a statement saying that the group "is neither
anti-development nor anti-Xanterra" but that it is "seriously concerned" about the proposal.
"I really do believe this development is not in the best interest of James City County or Kingsmill,"
said Michael McGurk, the media relations director for the organization. "Kingsmill is more than a
commodity to be bought and sold. It is a community of people. Their voices should be heard."
The group was also formed to counter the Kingsmill Community Services Association, the
homeowners group that controls the rules and collects residents' dues. The association is stacked
with a majority of members hand-picked by Xanterra, which is allowed under Kingsmill's bylaws.
Efforts to transfer full control of the association to residents have failed in the past, including a
lawsuit by former resident Donald Tortorice.
Tortorice argued that Xanterra shouldn't be allowed to control the association when it owns only a
small percentage of the property.
6. "I left in part because I was so disgusted with the way, not just a minority owner, but a micro-owner
of the lots, could dominate the entire property," he said.
Kings-Mill United already won a small victory. Xanterra wanted to build a 526-foot boardwalk above
the James River, 90 feet from shore. It would have run from the marina on the south to the northe rn
end of the property and would have been wide enough for two golf carts to pass.
At the Virginia Marine Resources Commission meeting in December, McGurk called it "a
monstrosity." Other residents spoke against it as well.
The commission voted 8-0 (one member was missing) to turn down a permit for the boardwalk.
Kings-Mill United next took its fight to the town hall meetings run by Raymond. They have packed
the Kingsmill ballroom and peppered Raymond with questions.
"People say they don't trust me, which, honestly, hurt," Raymond said to the crowd at the November
meeting. "I got some really nasty emails."
Resident John Niland, who lives in a condo overlooking the river, asked a few questions and then,
essentially, threw up his hands.
"We can talk until we're blue in the face here," he said, "but we're not going to have any authority
with you."
Tim McGlone, 757-446-2343, tim.mcglone@pilotonline.com
