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King George
Volume 40, Number 32
helping you relate to your community
Wednesday, August 10, 2016 50 Cents
KG residents, cops take night out to fight crime Phyllis Cook
Photos by Phyllis Cook
Above, KGHS cheerleader Desere Barnes, left, decorates the face of Dominic Lopez, while brother Samuel, mom Rachel Lopez with little Isaac look on. At right, Marilyn Johnson, Sheriff’s administrator and Sheriff Steve Dempsey conducting free raffle giveaway at annual “Night Out” on Aug. 2.
The King George Sheriff ’s department hosted its fifth annual ‘Night Out’ against crime on Aug. 2, with Sheriff Steve Dempsey emceeing the event which also included King George Fire and Rescue personnel and equipment on display. “National Night Out is a great opportunity for us to give back to the King George community for all the support they show and give us throughout the year,” Dempsey said. “We all enjoy having the opportunity for the community to stop by and see and meet all our officers, and that also includes Fire and Rescue. We like to take this opportunity to display our equipment and demSee Night, page 2
County approves County begins work on standards, mixed use zoning in King George $3.26M for Brabo requests research on possible changes to code capital projects Phyllis Cook
15 projects OK’ed, including work on new courthouse Phyllis Cook
The King George County Board of Supervisors took action on Aug. 2 to start the ball rolling to build a new courthouse. The project was one of 15 receiving appropriations totaling $3.26 million for the current fiscal year, 2016-17, for single-year or multiyear projects. A total of $950,000 had been requested for design of a new courthouse, with the project receiving funding of $135,000 expected to go toward preliminary conceptual de-
sign. The estimated cost for a new courthouse is currently listed in the request at $13.7 million for a 30,000-square-foot building. The estimates for both cost and size of a new courthouse could go up once conceptual design options are explored with an architect. Travis Quesenberry, county administrator, said it’s estimated to take four years for design and construction of a new courthouse. Another project for the existing courthouse was fully-funded with $140,000 on a request by the county administration to go for purchase and installation of a large geothermal system for interior humidity
See Projects, page 2
The King George County Planning Commission will be tasked to explore and report back on the potential adoption of architectural standards for new commercial buildings. The commission is also being asked to take a look at the county’s zoning ordinance and see if it recommends any amendments to encourage more mixed use activity for buildings in the Courthouse area or other selected sections of King George. King George County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Ruby Brabo placed the items on the Aug. 2 meeting agenda for discussion by the board. Architectural standards for commercial buildings was the first listed. “I’m looking for consensus to send to the Planning Commission the task of looking at our community and potentially setting some development standards for future commercial buildings to help ensure our community doesn’t just look
like any other place in America,” Brabo said. “I look at our Courthouse area, I look at the new Sheriff ’s building, a look at the fire station and the new expansion at the library and I think, wouldn’t it be great, if, for example, any future commercial development in this area also had that same brick façade and fit in and kept that sort of feeling,” Brabo said. She said she wanted the Planning Commission to suggest standards for pockets of the county, or possibly for the whole county. Brabo explained. She said she learned from a workshop last year that when national or regional franchise businesses decide to build in a certain locality, they often have three sets of plans available. She called them A, B and C plans, saying A is the cheap plan. “And if they can get it through because you don’t have any standards, then you get the A plan,” Brabo said. “When you drive to those other localities that have the really nice looking buildings and community, and you wonder, ‘Why doesn’t my McDonalds look that?’ or ‘Why doesn’t my Walmart look like that?’ The answer is that was the C plan,
and that county had a standard.” Supervisor John Jenkins said it was worth looking into. Supervisor Richard Granger agreed. “I like the look and feel of those kinds of counties as well,” Granger said. “I think it’s a good idea to reach out to the Planning Commission and have them look into it and bring it back to us.” The second task being sent to the Planning Commission is to examine the county’s zoning ordinance to see if they can recommend any amendments to encourage mixed uses in the Courthouse area. Brabo said she wasn’t aware the county had any mixed use zoning. “If somebody wanted to build a walkable area with shops, cafes, markets, and condos on top, we currently allow that?” Brabo said. Jack Green, director of Community Development said the county allowed mixed use zoning but it wasn’t called that. Brabo said the county’s Economic Development Authority will be looking at revitalizing See Standards, page 2
Ensuring a bright beginning Richard Leggitt
The King George Family YMCA, along with sponsors and volunteers, helped 100 at-risk children get ready for school days last week by providing backpacks full of school supplies and a shopping trip to the Walmart in Dahlgren. "This was the fourth year of YMCA Bright Beginnings," said Elizabeth Taylor, executive director of the King George Y. "This is a wonderful program with so much community support from businesses, private donors and volunteers. It was like Christmas but better." Joining the YMCA in helping prepare children for success at school were over 200 volunteers from the community including the King George Sheriff 's Office and the King George school system, along with members of the King George Foxes varsity football team. Sponsors for the event, which included the Walmart management and staff, the Birchwood Power Plant, Moore Dentistry, NSWC Federal Credit Union, Rotary Club of King George and Subway. The excited schoolchildren participants were provided backpacks full of school supplies. "More than
Photo by Richard Leggitt
Members of the King George High School Foxes varsity football team were among the volunteers helping needy children at the YMCA’s Bright Beginnings event last week. More than 100 children received backpacks of school supplies and $100 in clothing for school this year as a result of the program. 100 backpacks were donated," said Taylor. "Local businesses donated over half of the backpacks and the rest were donated by King George County citizens." "King George County is a county that cares and puts their caring into action!," Taylor said. "The Y was able to distribute any extra backpacks to children on the waiting list for the program."
"Every year we try to do some kind of community service project," said King George High School football coach Jeff Smith, as he watched his players in their blue and gold football jerseys interact with the young Bright Beginnings participants. "This was a great event for us and for all of the See Bright, page 2
Photo by Phyllis Cook
King George School Board Chairman T.C. Collins (standing at table) with new teachers and paraprofessionals on Aug. 4 at a welcome event by the school division in preparation for the Aug. 15 start of school.
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