Nelson County purchase 683 acres near Lovingston for economic development

What will Nelson County do with several hundreds of acres of property it now owns along U.S. 29 near Lovingston? That’s a question likely to resonate for some time to come as people learn that the county has paid $8.925 million for nearly 683 acres of land that had been slated to go to public auction.

“The financial stewardship of the Board of Supervisors over the years enabled the County to react quickly to this opportunity,” said County Administrator Candy McGarry in an information release sent out on June 4.

McGarry said the purchase will not require funding from the general fund revenues but is “within the already established debt capacity strategy.”

There are five tracts in all with all but one of them on the eastern side of U.S. 29. The release calls the purchase a “strategic investment” in land for economic development because of access to roadways and other existing infrastructure. That includes a portion of land with frontage on both sides of Virginia Route 56.

The purchase has been made with no specific development project in mind and no rezonings are planned at this time.

“Any future use of the property would require public discussion, community input, and appropriate governmental approvals,” the release continues. “The property can be evaluated for a variety of potential public purposes, including economic development, recreation, infrastructure, or a combination of uses.”

Realtor Yvette Stafford is the author of a newsletter on Substack that first reported the possibility of the purchase on June 4. A public auction by Torrence, Read & Forehand, had been planned on June 12 with some key descriptions.

“Beautifully wooded in mature hardwood timber,” reads one bulleted point.

“Teeming with deer and turkey,” reads another. “Currently leased by a hunt club.”

“Public water, sewer, and fiber optic lines,” reads the only one that speaks to development potential.

The release states that the public will be part of the decisions about what happens next.

“This is not the end of a process, it is the beginning of one,” the release quotes Dr. Jessica Ligon, the Board’s chair. “The purchase simply ensures that Nelson County residents will have a seat at the table in determining the future of this property.”

West District Supervisor David Parr took to Facebook over the weekend to explain the purchase. He said the county studied the potential of purchasing this land back in 2001 but could not agree with the owner on a price.

“That 2001 study suggested potential uses like a light industrial Business Park, a water impoundment to help supplement our local water needs while offering recreation, and/or residential development,” Parr said. “We’ve been patiently waiting for the right moment ever since. We even tried to buy it a few years ago when we purchased the 300 acres behind the High School, but it just wasn’t available.

Supervisors purchased that land in 2022 for $2.5 million.

The Comprehensive Plan adopted in April 2024 has a lot to say about Lovingston, an unincorporated place and a community hub.

“Future investment and development of Lovingston should focus on expanding uses and services to both serve the community and grow the County tax base,” reads page 55.

A table in the plan identified all of Nelson’s unincorporated areas and evaluated each for “development assets” and “development constraints.” Lovingston checked off all of the boxes for the former, including water and sewer service. However, steep slopes and “limited or untested septic suitability” were seen as potential barriers.

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