Residents pack meeting to oppose River Road truck terminal, cite traffic, health and notice failures

A steady stream of residents urged the Prince George County Planning Commission on July 23 to oppose a proposed 47-acre truck terminal on River Road, citing safety, environmental and notice shortcomings and asking for a traffic impact analysis and postponement.

Speakers who live along River Road and adjacent streets described frequent local collisions, congestion during Fort Lee shift changes, and repeated ambulance responses in recent days. Laura Waddell (3812 Puddle Dock Road), who said she spoke on behalf of herself and 155 tenants in a nearby mobile-home park, warned that a terminal backing up against mobile homes would produce constant noise and diesel exhaust and would jeopardize children’s safety and sleep. She said: "How would you like to sleep with a tractor trailer terminal right there directly behind you... Our kids live right there within 5 feet." (paraphrased for clarity in article; direct quote in transcript supplied).

Multiple speakers questioned the traffic counts and methodologies used by the applicant’s consultants and pointed to VDOT and Fort Lee’s concerns. Several speakers said notices to residents were inadequate: notices were mailed only to tax-record property owners and small signs on properties were difficult to see. Frances Hardenberg Smith presented photographs of the small sign and asked the commission to require clearer, road-visible posting in future rezoning cases.

Opponents also raised environmental risks: a local resident who inspects tractor-trailers said many fail inspection and can leak oil or hydraulic fluid that could reach groundwater; other speakers raised concerns about impacts on migratory birds and local wildlife. Speakers repeatedly urged the commission to postpone action until a full traffic impact analysis and additional environmental information were available.

Commissioners heard specific, sometimes technical, concerns — from school-bus routing to emergency response times — and public sentiment was broadly opposed at the hearing.