GOVERNMENT

Hanover supervisors elect 2023 leadership

LAURA MCFARLAND

Managing Editor

MECHANICSVILLE – The Hanover County Board of Supervisors members elected W. Canova Peterson as chair and Susan Dibble as vice-chair for 2023 during their Jan. 11 meeting.

Both board members were elected in 6-1 votes with only Faye Prichard voting against.

Peterson, who represents the Mechanicsville Magisterial District, has been on the board for 11 years. This is his third time serving as chair.

In accepting the position, Peterson said he was humbled and honored by the other board members’ confidence in him to act as chair but added that the role “has nothing special about it over any other member of this board.”

“There is no additional authority; there is only additional work for being in this chair as representing the board before the community. Every member of the board is the same as I am – they have the same authority, the same votes – and I look forward to working together with my board members,” Peterson said, promising to work with them respectfully while acting with dignity, integ-

PHOTO COURTESY OF HANOVER COUNTY newly-elected Hanover Board of supervisors Chair W. Canova Peterson presents outgoing chair angela Kelly-Wiecek a plaque to thank her for her service during the Jan. 11 meeting.

rity and openness even when they don’t agree.

The coming year will be a big year filled with many continuing issues, including completion of the comprehensive plan, broadband expanding throughout the community and passing a budget amidst times of great inflation, he said.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” he said.

Peterson was nominated by Sean Davis, who represents the Henry Magisterial District. He said Peterson has always been available to serve in different leadership and committee positions and is “well known in the region for his strong stances on issues, his no-nonsense way of approaching matters.”

Dibble, who has represented the South Anna Magisterial District since Jan. 1, 2020, is taking on her first leadership on the board. She previously served on the school board for six and a half years, including serving as chair and vicechair. She attended the meeting remotely.

Dibble said in a separate interview that she is grateful for the confidence of her fellow col-

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO susan dibble was elected vicechair of the Hanover County Board of supervisors during the Jan. 11 meeting.

leagues in electing her to the role.

Moving forward, she said the board’s highest priority is the updating of Hanover’s Comprehensive Plan, which is done on a five-year cycle.

“Citizen input is the key component of the successful creation of this plan and is the most important part of this Comprehensive Plan process. This plan is our most important tool in evaluating future land use in Hanover County,” she said.

The board is also beginning its budget development cycle at this time, and the goal is to continue to provide superior service through collaboration, creativity, innovation and sound financial practices, she said.

“The economy and doubledigit inflation are a huge challenge as we move into 2023. However, we have assembled an extremely strong administrative team and I am confident that working together we will be successful in accomplishing our mission and our vision, to be a community for people and businesses to achieve their full potential,” Dibble said.

Dibble was nominated by outgoing chair Angela Kelly-Wiecek, who represents the Chickahominy Magisterial District. Kelly-Wiecek described Dibble as engaged and dedicated to the service of her district and constituents. The board has seen great evidence of Dibble’s level of engagement and knowledge since she came on the board, Kelly-Wiecek said.

After the votes, Peterson presented Kelly-Wiecek with a special plaque to thank her for her service as chair. He commended her for the way she represented the board in the last year and the work she put into the role.

Widening

construction on or around April 1, 2023, according to Joe Vidunas, Hanover County Transportation Engineer. It will be a two-year contract from the start date.

The scope of the project will include U.S. Route 360 from Wynbrook Lane to Sujen Court going east to west and Lee-Davis Road from Lee Park Road to Brandy Hill Drive. This is the second project taking on the widening of Route 360, with the history of both projects stretching back decades, Vidunas said in a separate interview.

After years of planning and taking steps forward in getting funding only to have it taken away when the economy took a hit, Vidunas said it is great to see the project coming to fruition.

“When it is completed, it is certainly going to improve access and make the daily commute a lot more pleasant, we hope. Traffic is going to flow a lot more freely and we think that we will provide a safe corridor as well,” he said.

One of the aspects of the project the county is really pleased about is a late adjustment to include some sidewalks in the project, Vidunas said. Pedestrians will have the ability to walk the entire length of this project without having to walk on a shoulder or in the roadway.

“There will be crosswalks provided at all of the signalized crossings and we have also made some adjustments to the way school buses enter and exit the high school,” he said of the entrances at Mechanicsville High School. “In working closely with the schools, we have consolidated their access to eliminate one of the entrance points so that buses will now enter and exit at the same point. We believe this is going to make things more efficient and safer.”

The project is budgeted at $33.806 million with funding coming from various federal, state and local sources, including $7.8 million in Central Virginia Transportation Authority (CVTA) funds, Vidunas said.

During the two years of construction, work will be phased so that it does not disrupt access to businesses and subdivisions, Vidunas said.

“All of those accesses will be maintained. We may have flagging operations so they might have to wait a minute or two but, by and large, access is maintained, all traffic lanes are going to be maintained while we are constructing the roadway. Some of the work will occur at night. Some of the more disruptive things to traffic will happen at night but people will be able to get through there. We do understand that there will be some disruption, but in the end we think it plays out and is worth it,” he said.

Vidunas said there are still two right-of-way acquisitions cases outstanding but they are going through the process.

“We have secured the legal rights to utilize the property, so we have all of the right of ways and easements necessary to proceed, but we have not concluded those negotiations – we have not settled with those two particular owners yet,” he said.

For more information, contact the Hanover Department of Public Works at 804-365-6181.