Fredericksburg Neighborhood Coalition

Fredericksburg Neighborhoods Coalition

is a nonpartisan group of neighbors in Fredericksburg, Virginia advocating for sensible growth to
preserve Fredericksburg’s unique character and to ensure livability for all city residents. We hope you will join us and use this information to be better informed about what is happening with:

  • City services, schools, police, fire, safety, parking, water & sewer.
  • Taxes and fees that support city services.
  • Traffic and parking issues.
  • Environmental issues such as the shrinking tree canopy.
  • Maintaining neighborhood character, especially in the downtown area.
  • Protecting our historical resources.
  • Working with our regional partners on issues that affect us all.
  • Promoting sensible growth and housing for residents of all incomes.
Neighbors For Sensible Growth - Fredericksburg Neighborhoods Coalition

What Is Sensible Growth?

The Fredericksburg Neighborhoods Coalition supports sensible growth that benefits all City residents. Our guiding principles include:

  1. Our Land is Precious – The City is permanently prohibited from expanding its 10-square-mile boundaries into Spotsylvania or Stafford Counties. Therefore, the future development of all vacant land within the City should be careful, intentional, self-sufficient, and bring the broadest possible benefits for all residents.

  2. Encourage Gradual Population Growth – Because of its limited size, Fredericksburg cannot handle unbridled population growth. The City’s population in 2023 was 28,928, an increase of 40% over the past 20 years. We cannot continue at this pace. Instead, we should seek gradual population growth, at a rate where we can handle the challenges and costs of increased density.

  3. Preserve Our History – All future growth in the City should strive to preserve, protect, and enhance our unique historic resources and the tourism they bring, especially downtown. This includes historic neighborhoods and sites that lack any architectural protections.

  4. Protect Our Environment – The City should commit to protect and ensure “no net loss” of our dwindling natural resources- tree canopy, natural habitat, the Rappahannock River, and air and water quality.

  5. Promote Economic Health– The City needs to broaden its tax base through new employment centers and commercial opportunities and encourage the maintenance and rehabilitation of the existing built inventory.

  6. Increase Homeownership – The City should make a concerted effort to increase the rate of home ownership. Only 38.5% of all housing in the City is owner-occupied, as compared to 64.8 % nationwide.

  7. Maintain the Integrity of Established Residential Neighborhoods – New development should harmonize with the size, height, and scale of existing residential properties. For example, the City should discourage “teardowns” of existing homes. Burdensome real-estate taxes should never force current residents to move out of the City.

  8. Follow the Rules/Follow the Plan – City staff, boards, and commissions should consistently apply and enforce the City’s Comprehensive Plan, ordinances, and other established policies and not make exceptions that unfairly benefit any single individual, business or industry. Exceptions should be rare.

  9. Fund Adequate Public Facilities –New development should pay its fair share of the cost of the additional schools, roads, and other infrastructure needed to serve such projects.

  10. Maximize Transparency and Public Participation – The City Council should take every opportunity to encourage timely public awareness of proposed projects and seek broader participation in the deliberations of City boards and commissions.

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fxbgcoalition@gmail.com

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