"Government overreach" -- what does it mean in York County?
Good morning! York County approves limited controls on homes overgrown by vegetation and requires more neighborhood parking slots. Plus, an update on the contested WJCC school board election.
“Government overreach” kept coming up over the five months York County supervisors were struggling with an ordinance to hold property owners responsible for homes that are overgrown with vegetation.
District 4 Supervisor G. Stephen Roane, Jr. said he was concerned about “overreach by the government.”
“This is government overreach,” District 5 Supervisor Thomas G. Shepperd, Jr. said.
After sending county staff back to the drawing board for various changes since the issue came up in a February public hearing, they finally reached an agreement Tuesday night.
Supervisors voted 4-1 to approve amendments to the code that would be limited to the Yorktown Village Activity historic zoning area. It would require homeowners to cut overgrown shrubs, trees and other vegetation that obscures building numbers or mail boxes, obstructs traffic, or makes it hard for emergency responders to access a structure.
If property owners do not respond to a notice of violation, the county could hire contractors to handle the work and bill the owner. If the bill is unpaid, the county treasurer can place a lien against the property.
In the end, Board Chair Sheila S. Noll was the only person to vote against the ordinance, saying “I think it’s overreach.”
In other action at their regular meeting Tuesday, York County leaders recognized too many neighborhoods have sprung up without enough parking for residents and visitors.
So county supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday night to demand more parking spaces for new neighborhoods. Single family homes must now have two off-street parking spaces per building. Townhouses and multifamily residences must now have two spaces per unit, plus one visitor’s parking space for every two units.
Supervisors discussed various neighborhoods where parking is out of control as examples of why the change was required. “It’s kind of a lesson learned, “ said Earl Anderson, acting director of planning.
WJCC school board challenger off and running
School board challenger Stephen “Ty” Hodges has hit the ground running in his campaign against Sarah Ortego, the incumbent chair of the Williamsburg-James City County school board from the Jamestown district.
The 33-year-old had raised $6,703 as of last month, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, and has begun door-to-door campaigning. He said he knocks on doors in the district nearly every day from about 5:30 to 7 p.m., when he returns to put his two-and-a-half-year-old daughter to bed.
“At first cold calling was tough, you feel incredibly vulnerable consistently going door to door because you just never know what is going on” in the other person’s life, Hodges said.
“This early out a lot of people don’t have their antennas out for (elections), especially school board races,” Hodges said. “Some have asked, what is the school board?”
Hodges, a Democrat, said a lot of older residents he met said they don’t care about the race because they no longer have children in the schools.
“I have to gently remind them half of your state and local tax dollars go toward the schools…(and) good schools lead to higher home prices, lower crime.”
Hodges, a former sports reporter for WY Daily who now works in multimedia production, says schools need adequate funding and a more modern approach to teaching in an age where both parents often work. He said school leaders should look at adjusting the school calendar as well as start and end times for classes.
He said the schools need to listen more to their teachers, adding “they feel the administration … is frankly detached from them. They don’t feel listened to…. they’re frustrated, they’re tired, they’re exhausted.”
The candidate said the teachers’ union should be given the right to collectively bargain with schools for better pay and benefits, according to his website.
While Hodges stressed he was not against using technology, he said he was concerned an over-reliance on computers and screen time can reduce children’s time for reading books and socializing.
“I don’t want to see these kids get an over-reliance on screens early when they don’t have to,” he said. “We have data on what is happening to the human attention span and that, from a very young age, is super important. The longer we can shield kids from that sort of thing the better.”
Among other campaign proposals:
· Stiffer penalties for school bullies
· Expanding mental health resources for students
· Expanded career training, including a Junior Reserve Officer’s’ Training Corps
· Allow teachers to choose subject matter based on their expertise, free of political demands
· Free breakfast and lunch for all students to eliminate the need for income-based programs that families may be unaware of
Christmas parade signup starts next week
Organizations that want to participate in this year’s Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce Christmas parade can start their application next Monday, July 21, at https://www.williamsburgchamber.com/christmas-parade
The Chamber reported parade slots were quickly booked last year, encouraging participants to register as soon as possible. Marching bands should reach out directly to https://www.williamsburgchamber.com/lauren-moore
This year’s parade starts at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7, with a Rockin’ Retro theme that will have participants choose their favorite decade from 1950 to the early 1990s as their theme.
A press release from the chamber said the parade provides a significant economic boost to the area.
Last year there were more than 18,000 spectators, the chamber said. The chamber reported visitors during the parade weekend contributed 20% of total spending in the area. Restaurants saw a 28% increase in spending compared to the prior four weeks.
State Headlines
After Hopewell water plant released raw sewage, state officials outline health, environmental impact
Public school enrollment continues to fall, including in Virginia
Why Patrick Henry never had a mansion the way other famous founders did
Fun and Games
18th-20th Century American Paintings. Muscarelle Museum of Art. Now through June 7, 2026. Also at the Muscarelle: native American Creativity at the Intersection of Culture and Art, Founding the Alma Mater of the Nation, and Haiti to Harlem, Toussaint L’Ouverture & Jacob Lawrence.
Sound of Summer Concert Series – The Nashville Nights Band. July 17, 6:30 – 9 p.m., Riverwalk Landing in Yorktown. Free.
Beers & Gears Car Show. July 19, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Free. Presented by Alewerks at the Waltrip-Williamsburg Executive Airport.
High Tea at Colonial Gardens for fans of American Girl. July 19, 1-4 p.m. $98.85.
Potters Sale at Colonial Folk Art Studio & Gallery. July 19.
Passings
Joe "Tiny" L. White, 50, July 9.
Virginia Francis Canady, 91. July 10.
Harvey Pritchett, Jr., 87, July 13.