T HE F LAT H AT Local development proposal threatens College Woods, faculty members push back

Editor’s Note: This is a developing story. The most updated version can be found at flathatnews.com.

An October 2022 housing development project proposal is coming under scrutiny from faculty and Williamsburg City residents as mounting evidence suggests it threatens the College Woods. The original development proposal, drawn out by Cale Development LLC, calls for the rezoning of a 13.91 acre plot (RS-2 Zoning District) at 180 Strawberry Plains Road from a Single-Family Dwelling District (RS-2), to a Multifamily Dwelling District (RM-2).

In November 2022, 85 College of William and Mary and Virginia Institute of Marine Science faculty members signed an open letter to the Williamsburg Planning Commission and Williamsburg City Council conveying their concerns regarding development on this parcel of land. Concerns included fear of run-off from impervious surfaces and encroachment on the College Woods. According to this letter, biodiversity and water quality in the area would be irreparably impacted by the development proposal.

“We appreciate the need to build housing for a growing population, but rather than paving over ever more undeveloped land, we encourage you to focus on revitalizing developed locations (as was done with nearby Midtown Row),” the authors of the letter wrote. “The environmental consequences of developing this parcel could be severe and we are distressed to be unable to locate any impact study regarding this area.”

This plot and the woods boast an extensive history, with the original 1200 acres of the College Woods formally designated as “Matoaka Park” in the 1930s. Over time, its acreage decreased as various construction projects on the property began in the 1950s and 1960s. In November, a 1994 William and Mary News and Media article titled “College Affirms Its Commitment to Lake Matoaka And College Woods” stated that a draft report by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission suggested that Lake Matoaka and the College Woods should be declared a natural heritage preserve or surplus property. At the time, College President Timothy J. Sullivan claimed that the Board of Visitors recognized the College Woods as a “living laboratory.”

Following the development of Route 199 and Monticello Avenue in the 1990s, the College attempted to save the woods from development by purchasing adjacent land and designating 300 acres as a nature preserve. In 1998, the City of Williamsburg and the College confirmed a land swap agreement. Within this agreement, each party retained

CAMPUS roughly 37 acres of land, with the currently contested 13.91 acre parcel being retained by the City, but still contiguous to the College Woods.

“The story of that piece of land is that back in 1988, it was owned privately,” Helen Murphy, associate professor of biology, said. “It's about 50 acres and the school tried to buy it and it didn't go through, so then the City bought it. And then in 1998, there was a land swap between the City and the College, and we got about 37 acres. We gave the City about 37 acres elsewhere. Then we owned most of it, except for this little remaining 13, 14 acre parcel that's right behind Berkeley Middle School.”

The Cale Realty Company presented the original development plan to the Williamsburg Planning Commission in fall of 2022. In a 5-0 vote, units intended to be sold for $100,000 less than current fair market values to “purchasers whose annual household income does not exceed $60,000.”

“We were caught off guard with all of this, I guess I don’t want to say protest, but people opposed to it,” Cale said. “Affordable housing is a nationwide issue and it’s a major issue in the City of Williamsburg.”

According to the 2021 City of Williamsburg Housing Affordability Analysis, Cale is aiming his proposal at income categories labeled as “low” ($40-60k) and “M2” ($75-100k). Based on recommendations from the analysis, these housing units would range from $260,000 to $430,000. Even with these parameters, however, some are skeptical that this housing will be affordable for the targeted income categories. The current estimate for the market rate of these homes is around $325,000, according to the analysis, meaning the workforce housing units would be around $225,000.

“There’s zero chance that a family making $40-60,000 a year can get a down payment and afford a mortgage given these interest rates,” Murphy said. “You might ask yourself, what happens to those units? The developer buys them back and pays the City $100,000 for each of them. And the City gets $1.5 million because it was 15 units, and they would get $100,000 per unit.”

According to a 2023 tax assessment, the value of the plot increased from $633,700 in 2021 to over $2 million this year (a $1.5 million increase).

“I totally understand people saying this might not be as affordable for everyone who is trying to obtain affordable options,” councilman Caleb Rogers said. “A 20% down payment on a $225,000 home is still going to be quite pricey for someone who’s working hourly or newer in their careers.” the Commission decided against recommending the proposal to the council due to traffic issues, affordability and environmental concerns, prompting the developer to revise the plan before its presentation to the council this spring. As of this month, Cale Realty Company is in the process of revising the development plan.

“We were caught off guard with all of this, I guess I don’t want to say protest, but people opposed to it. Affordable housing is a nationwide issue and it’s a major issue in the City of Williamsburg.”

According to Managing Broker of Cale Realty Company, John Cale, the development plan aims to provide affordable workforce housing. The original plan included 116 units of housing to income brackets ranging from $40,000-100,000 a year. Fifteen of these units would be subject to workforce housing deed restrictions, with these

Faculty continue to express concern over the proposal as a council vote on the development plan this spring becomes more likely. Multiple professors, including Murphy and Dr. Martha Case, associate professor of biology and college conservator of Botanical Collections, have approached the College administration and council with these concerns.

“We learned very early on that these areas harbor a lot of plant diversity, much more so than you would expect in your average woodlot around here, and it actually carries some very, very rare habitats,” Case said.

See DEVELOPMENT page 8