Vanuch put up fierce defense against residential developers

Crystal Vanuch is running to continue to represent Rock Hill District residents on the Stafford Board of Supervisors. For years, Crystal has said that uncontrolled residential growth is the biggest problem Stafford County residents face.

Our neighbor to the north, Prince William County, has been the victim of uncontrolled residential growth for years, which has led to a 70% increase in crime, huge increases in taxes, and has plagued the schools with overcrowding. Sound familiar?

She’s voted for ZERO development projects

Stafford has nearly 5,000 homes, which include many apartments and townhomes and some income-restricted apartment buildings in North Stafford. Vanuch has voted for ZERO of these projects because she understands the impacts on the taxpayers.

She knows that every one of these projects adds children to the already overcrowded schools and stresses our public safety to the max. Stafford runs out of EMS units from time to time because of increased call volume, our deputies find themselves running north to south during shifts just to keep up, and our schools are packed to the gills.

So, what is the solution? Vanuch says, “We have to stop allowing residential developers to get away with maximum density projects that don’t pay for themselves and shift the costs to the taxpayers, plain and simple. If we do that, then we can focus on building the schools we need NOW, building the fire stations, building roads desperately needed, and hiring enough deputies for our current population.”

It’s not that simple

The message about affordable housing is interesting because those who say Stafford needs to supply housing for just teachers, educators, nurses, and first responders clearly don’t understand the laws in Virginia. Virginia is a Dillon rule state, which means Stafford only has the authority the state gives them.

The state does NOT allow the Board of Supervisors to dedicate housing to certain individuals. If developers say “Oh, we will set aside some of the project for them, don’t worry, just approve our project,” there is no way for the Board to enforce it.

So, what does that mean? That means that’s a great way to trick residents into supporting additional housing units for the workforce they want to help. In reality, that means more HIGH-DENSITY uncontrolled housing that shifts the burden to YOU, the taxpayer. Stafford residents got a taste of that this year with a nearly 40% tax increase proposed by some members of the Board of Supervisors.

Crystal stopped the developers

This is a major area of concern for the Chairwoman of the Planning Commission, Kristen Barnes.

“The last four years, I have watched Crystal stand up to the developers and special interests that have built more houses, apartments, and townhouses than our infrastructure can handle.  Developers know that as long as Crystal is in office, they won’t get very far in Rock Hill,” said Barnes.

“Whether it was Vulcan Quarry wanting to expand active mining operations even closer to already established neighborhoods or developers that want to add more and more houses without offsetting traffic impacts or helping add capacity to our schools, Crystal stood in their way. If you don’t like the direction Stafford is headed in, we need more leaders like Crystal to represent our interests, not the special interests, unlike her opponent who these special interest groups support. I hope you will join me in voting for Crystal Vanuch for Rock Hill Supervisor for four more years.”

Vote by Tuesday, November 7, 2023.

PAID FOR BY FRIENDS OF VANUCH.