Supervisors approve speed zone ordinance, agree to purchase Makemie Woods

An ordinance to allow speed cameras to capture violators in school and work zones in New Kent County passed anonymously Monday night.

New Kent County supervisors approved the measure 5-0 at the regular board meeting yielded only two individuals at its public hearing. Both speakers favored the measure.

At the July 27 work session, New Kent Sheriff J. Joe McLaughlin Jr. recommended the proposal as part of safety measures on the highway. In particular, he focused on school zones as Quinton Elementary School in the western part of the county will be operational this fall.

The sheriff is working with Blue Line Solutions on the project. The company uses photo enforcement on school and work zones, with citations automatically being issued when a vehicle travels through that area at 11 miles per hour or faster than the posted speed limit. A fine of $15 is levied for each violation by state code, but a civil fee of up to $85 can be imposed by the locality.

A recent five-day study conducted by Blue Line Solutions revealed that 25,000 vehicles passed the new elementary school. Of that number, approximately 14,000 vehicles exceeded the speed limit by 11 miles per hour than what is expected to be a proposed 25-miles per hour zone.

With the ordinance approved, Blue Line Solutions will take the next step by providing a 30-day warning period before live summons go out. Along with the warning, a 90-day study will take place with the intent to see speed reduce once violations are issued.

At the work session, McLaughlin emphasized that safety for citizens and drivers was his top priority.

“This is purely about traffic safety,” he commented at the work session. “It has nothing to do with revenue. It has to do with vehicle crashes. If you come through that area with a violation, you earned it.”

While many people took to both sides on social media on the issue, only two people appeared in person on the matter.

“I dislike speeders and have no pity for them if they get caught,” commented Larry Reynolds. “When I was living in Maryland when speed cameras were introduced, Maryland was not being forthright about cost, revenue sharing, and maintenance.

“If speed cameras are installed in New Kent, please learn from Maryland’s mistake and publish all the details about the cost involved and how they are maintained,” he concluded.

New Kent leaders took action shortly afterwards with a favorable recommendation.

In another matter handled by New Kent’s Board of Supervisors, the group unanimously agreed to purchase Makemie Woods in the amount of $1,025,000.

At the July regular board meeting, supervisors agreed to a sales agreement with the Presbyterian of Eastern Virginia Inc. to purchase the 274 acres of land. The area began seeing financially difficulty in 2012 when it was failing to draw attention to host camps and retreats.

In May 2022, county leaders denied an attempt by Travis Hall and his Faith Recovery program to bring a facility to Makemie Woods that focused on drug rehabilitation. But that plan did not favor supervisors as they cited a lack of accountability on the organization’s part and the impact on small businesses.

From there, negotiations by County Administrator Rodney Hathaway about purchasing the area grew. A public hearing was required by law as the acquisition of the property accounts for more than one percent of the county’s FY2022-23 fiscal budget. No speakers addressed the board during the public hearing.

With the approval to purchase the property, Hathaway is hoping to use the area for more recreational opportunities in the eastern part of the county.

In other board news:

–Reached an agreement with Cox Communications to extend service in New Kent County. According to Hathaway, the agreement will assist with bringing broadband and internet to more than 3,000 homes in the county that have limited or no access. Homes are expected to be connected with 28 months after permits are issued with work scheduled to be completed by Sept. 2024. Fiber optic technology is expected to be upgraded with cost of the expansion raning just over $12 million plus an additional $4 million for current infrastructure in place.