10/07/2026
Land Owner seeks input on Workforce Housing -- at last night’s Board of Supervisors Citizen Forum, Brandy Station land owner asked for input on Workforce Housing.
David Martin, Stevensburg district.
“Tonight I speak on “Housing Affordability” and how it relates to parcel 43-5, the property formally known as the Brandy Station Technology Zone, a parcel that has been identified in every Comp Plan (except for the most recent) dating back to 1968 and has been identified as “a prime area for future industrial growth”
For consistency, I’m going to refer you to the Jan 4, 2023 Star Exponent article, where after the previous Board removed the Technology Zone Incentives, I stated I would “focus on developing multi-family residential”.
A year later in the Star Exponent (March 12, 2024), I publicly identified the project as Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), after having notified the County of my intention three months earlier as required by State regulations.
But after last November’s election, with a new Board about to take over, I asked several Supervisors what should I do with this property – their response was “what are our options”?
This parcel is currently zoned for 400-units multifamily, or 1.3 million SqFt. Office, with four stories up to 45’, plus another 39 units SFD based on Culpeper’s time-based minor subdivision ordinance.
Permitted (by-right) uses include:
• Hotel/Motel
• Medical clinics & laboratories
• Department stores,
• Professional offices,
• Grocery stores
• Health care clinics
• Restaurants and retail stores
• Gasoline and Auto service stations
• elderly nursing homes
So, I spent the last 10 months investigating every conceivable use –datacenters are done, rail doesn’t have many practical uses, warehouses are better suited for the I-95 & 81 corridors. I tried to find an alternative to multifamily to no avail – I was told to try harder.
But everything came back to LIHTC primarily due to the generous Federal subsidies. In fact, last year’s OBBB, put LIHTC on steroids – Congress made it permanent, greatly increased the subsidies allowing for significantly larger numbers of units to be developed and in parallel.
However, though there is strong advocacy at the State level, nearly every conversation with local leaders always turned to Workforce – households that do not qualify for Federal subsidies but still can’t afford a median price of over $500,000 (those households making up to $144,000 per year for a family of three or more).
I wrestled with what to do and then a couple of things happened:
First, both the outgoing Youngkin and incoming Spanberger administrations in Richmond started embracing Workforce housing Effectively acknowledging the problem with accompanying plans and incentives.
Second, the General Assembly stepped in – demonstrating their seriousness to address Workforce housing.
So here I am. I’m not sure exactly what I will be asking for or proposing, but I will be working with Staff to come up with something to bring before you
Our Comp Plan calls for a “diversity of housing” supporting “a more complex community, with a sizable population and a diverse economic base”
So ... is there a “better” mix of housing that is more consistent with the Comprehensive Plan than low-income, rental alone?
And if so, how do we do it?
Some suggested a Planned Unit Development (PUD), as long as there is no increase in density and it stays within a single parcel. Others suggest all higher-end, revenue positive housing (>$750k).
I hope we can all agree that it’s time for Government (State and Local) to work to ensure everyone can afford some form of housing
Local Government on land use decisions and State Government on incentives and protections.
In closing, it’s our responsibility for ALL of us to figure out a way to make this project one that all Board members can support. I can assure you that no matter which path we take, social media will erupt with arguments for or against every option. No one housing group is going to get everything they want, but everyone should get something.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to working with you on this project.”
