NORTH STAFFORD -- A new restaurant, retail shop, and brewery are set to open up on Route 610 in Stafford County later this summer.

A second Goodwill and a new Sweeto Burrito are being added to the already restaurant and store heavy road. The new brewery “Barley Naked” is set to open up across from Sweeto Burrito.

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STAFFORD COUNTY — If you’re thinking of moving to Stafford County Aquia Harbour would be a good choice as the neighborhood was ranked the seventh most affordable place to live in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

A new study from financial technology company SmartAsset ranks the most affordable places to live in Virginia. This is SmartAsset’s fourth annual study on the most affordable places in America. These communities are ranked on an affordability index weighing property taxes, homeowners’ insurance fees and mortgage payments relative to income.

Aquia Harbour topped all of the top 10 in median income at $118,672. Aquia blew its competitors away as they beat the next highest median income by over $20,000.

“Aquia Harbour is a great buy for so many reasons not the least of which is our full-time private police department, our proximity to I-95 and our amenities which include golf, swimming pools, horse stables, a country club and a beautiful marina,” said Patricia Harmon, General Manager of Aquia Harbour Property Owner’s Association. “The fact that we are a 50-year-old community means what was once perhaps out of reach is now a little more affordable.  The properties in Aquia Harbour are older but because no two houses in a Aquia Harbour look the same the result is a rustic and charming effect.”

Studies like these have the potential to attract people that are looking to buy a home and want the most bang for their buck.

“I think it creates an opportunity for awareness and once people visit our community they will find it hard to resist,” Harmon said.

When it comes to studies like these, there could become a potential growth problem as more people look at these studies and decide to buy a home. Harmon feels that there won’t be any sort of problems related to growth.

“We are pretty much built out,” Harmon said. “We have a handful of undeveloped lots – less than 25 and other than that we’re complete.”

The annual property tax for Aquia Harbour was the highest in the top 10 at a staggering $2,738, the average annual homeowner’s insurance is $1,318, and the average annual mortgage payment is $15,454.

All in all Aquia Harbour received an overall affordability index of 40.95 good for seventh best in the state.

Top three in the State were Covington (55.03), Chamberlayne (45.93), and King George (43.24).

The bottom three on the list were Pulaski (40.88), Danville (40.61), and Bealeton (38.99).

STAFFORD — A legal battle between a private land developer and the Stafford County Government continues despite the fact a local judge recused herself from hearing any case involving the local government.

Circuit Judge Victoria Willis made the comments following a lawsuit filed by developer Robert Gollahon, who is suing the Stafford County Government after its Board of Supervisors in April passed an ordinance that automatically disqualified proposals for numerous “cluster subdivisions” totaling more than 300 homes that would have been built in rural areas of the county.

The move means now cluster subdivisions, where multiple homes are built on smaller lots to preserve open space, may be built on only 40 percent of undeveloped land in Stafford, down from 100 percent before the April decision.

The recusal also comes as Stafford County judges have pushed the Board of Supervisors for a new courthouse. Willis and other judges have actively pushed the Stafford County Board of Supervisors for a new courthouse for the past 18 years, according to a private attorney practicing in Stafford County Clark Leming.

The new Courthouse additions were added into the 2018 Board of Supervisors capital improvement plan.

Willis’ recusal also came after comments made by Supervisor Wendy Maurer during June at a Board of Supervisors meeting. Maurer said that she received a call from a judge who has threatened to sue the county if the Board did not move forward with a new courthouse. She did not name the judge but said the threat concerned her because Stafford has pending court cases.

“I think we need to look into whether or not it’s appropriate to have our cases heard by the same people who are threatening to sue us,” Maurer said.

The Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star reported in May that Willis was in support of Gollahon’s request for an injunction to forbid the county from enforcing the ordinance until the lawsuit was over. She wrote that it is unclear whether Stafford adhered to a state law requiring 40 percent of a locality’s undeveloped property to be eligible for cluster subdivisions.

During the July 10 Board of Supervisors meeting the Board doubled down on the March 20 decision to restrict high-density subdivisions on cluster ordinances.

The Board voted 4-3 to prolong its support for a map that reduces the amount of land on which cluster subdivisions can be built upon. The map will be incorporated into Stafford’s Comprehensive Plan for guidance on land use.

Board members also voted 5-2 in favor of even more restrictions to the county’s cluster ordinance, which now decreases the minimum housing lot from 3 acres to 1.5 acres on agriculturally zoned land if developers preserve at least half of the property.

Stafford Principal Planner Michael Zuraf told board members during the July 10 meeting that the map reserves 41.5 percent of the county’s vacant land for potential cluster subdivisions and follows state code.

STAFFORD -- Stafford officials say they don't want trailer classrooms to become the status quo at county schools.

The School Board failed to pass the Board of Supervisors' appropriation of $99,500 for the purchase and furnishing of a modular trailer classroom unit for Hartwood Elementary School.

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STAFFORD -- Stafford County Public Schools will be welcoming a new face and leader to its school system.

Dr. Scott R. Kizner’s four-year contract with the school board was unanimously approved by the school board during Tuesday’s meeting.

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STAFFORD -- Leaders on the Stafford County School Board face a tough political decision if they want the funds to buy a shuttered Christian school.

The School Board earlier this year requested the Board of Supervisors, which funds the schools, give $10 million to buy the old Fredericksburg Christian School building off Garrisonville Road in North Stafford, and include the cost of renovations in this year's Capital Improvement Plan.

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FREDERICKSBURG — City leaders in Fredericksburg on Tuesday signed a letter of intent to move the Potomac Nationals from Woodbridge to Fredericksburg.

This comes after the announcement from the city and Potomac Nationals Owner, Art Silber agreed to a 30-year lease to move the team to Fredericksburg.

“This will be a privately financed stadium which is fairly rare,” said Fredericksburg Economic Development and Tourism Director Bill Freehling. “It would receive significant support from the City of Fredericksburg, $1.05 million for 30 years. However we do believe the stadium itself will regenerate the revenue.”

Freehling spoke highly of the stadium which will be a multi-purpose stadium. The team has said it wants to open the new facility in time for the 2020 season.

“The use of the stadium will be extremely important for 30 years,” Freehling said. “High School games, University of Mary Washington games, concerts, park and recreation activities, and an array of events that will bring in visitors to the City,” he added.

The next steps include a 120-day study period, public input, legislative approvals, stadium design, planning and financing, definitive agreements between Fredericksburg and Potomac Baseball, LLC, and finally construction.

The new stadium will be built on undeveloped land along Celebrate Virginia South near Wegmans and the Fredericksburg Expo Center.

“They [Washington Nationals] had to give us their permission to explore (Northern Virginia) … We have a strong feeling that the connection will stay,” Potomac Nationals Owner Art Silber said.

Silber failed to reach an agreement with officials in Prince William County last year to build a similar stadium behind a Wegmans grocery store at Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center.

The team announced its new partnership with Mary Washington Healthcare on July 9. The agreement represents the first partnership agreement for the new stadium project. The partnership will be further detailed as development plans for the stadium are refined in the coming months, Mary Washington Healthcare will enjoy numerous key benefits like opportunities for its Associates to attend games and use stadium facilities.

The P-Nats are engaged in discussions with other businesses in the region to partner with them on naming rights for the stadium, naming rights for its planned 300-seat club facility inside the stadium, and additional “founding partnerships.”

The team is also pursuing agreements for the 13 suites that are planned for the ballpark.

STAFFORD — The Stafford Regional Airport plans to expand its only runway by about 1,000 feet with construction starting in 2020 and ending in 2022.

The project was approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and a meeting with adjacent landowners during a meeting held in 2015. The runway expansion will allow planes more room for takeoff, allowing them to travel non-stop to the west coast.

No taxpayer funds are used to support the Airport construction or operation.

“Funds generated via fuel sales and hangar leases on the Airport are used to cover the operation and maintenance costs of the Airport,” Airport Manager Ed Wallis said. “The Stafford Regional Airport does receive a small stipend ($150k total) from the three municipalities (Stafford County, Prince William County and the City of Fredericksburg) used for personnel costs and equipment maintenance.”

The longer runway would allow the airport to serve more pilots and more planes. The Airport has received some noise complaints recently.

There were three noise complaints in December about aircraft although none of them originated from Stafford Regional Airport.

There was one noise complaint in March, a helicopter was flying near the Stafford American Legion building and baseball fields for about 20 minutes after dark, according to airport director Ed Wallis.

Another complaint was filed in May about a helicopter using a searchlight.

The runway extension is supported by the Stafford Regional Airport Authority and Stafford County Board of Supervisors. The extension has been included as part of the long-term airport development plan and has been depicted on the FAA-approved Airport Layout Plan since 1993.

“We anticipate an increase in operations with the runway extension,” Wallis said. “Based aircraft are projected to increase from 70 in 2018 to approximately 115 by 2030 and we expect a larger number of transient aircraft to utilize the longer runway.”

The airport generated approximately $23.3 million in annual economic activity in 2017 according to the Virginia Department of Aviation Airport System Economic Impact Study, Nov 2017, placing it in the top 10% of all General Aviation airports in the Commonwealth.

“Benefits include an increased tax base and economic contribution from the airport as well as additional jobs from companies that seek to base offices in localities closer to their corporate flight departments,” Wallis said.

Once construction is complete, Stafford Regional Airport will have a single runway of 6,000 feet total length.

The current estimated cost for the construction is approximately $12 million.

The Airport Authority will be hosting a public information session on August 2 at 6:30 pm in the terminal at the Stafford Regional Airport, to answer questions about the runway extension and future of the airport.

The Stafford Regional Airport opened in 2001 and used a modular trailer for an office until a new, $3.6 million passenger terminal opened in 2014.

STAFFORD — Stafford County unveiled its new 17,500 square foot Animal Shelter during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The new Animal Shelter is designed to enhance the lives of animals giving them an improved chance at adoption.

“This new facility will greatly add to the other excellent services we provide to the citizens of Stafford County as well as to the quality of life for all our residents – people and pets,” said Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Meg Bohmke. “When businesses and people are looking for somewhere new to locate, they look at the kinds of amenities offered in the community. This beautiful Animal Shelter demonstrates that we not only care about animals but that we care about our community.”

When the ribbon was cut for the new $5 million facility on June 19, we learned there are 38 dog kennels for adoption and stray hold; there are 12 kennels for observation and six kennels for isolation. There are also 12 small breed/puppy kennels.

For cats, there are 44 stray hold cages, six for observation and six for isolation. Five cat apartments can house a varied number of cats each depending on temperament, but an average of five in the smaller apartments and up to 10 in the larger apartment. The condo area has six towers which can house multiple cats each.

There is medical space that is unoccupied at this time with plans for the future. There are separate isolation areas for cats and dogs.

In 2017, there were 183 dogs euthanized at the shelter. The shelter averages ten dogs per month which are owner request euthanasia (the majority), and the remainder were either court ordered, temperament or sick/injured beyond treatment. There were 284 cats were euthanized in 2017 and were again, owner request, sick or injured beyond treatment or feral and unadoptable.

The Animal Shelter is located past the Rowser Building and Rappahannock Regional Jail at 26 Frosty Lane.