District 5 Report and Crime Watch Updates by Supervisor Tom Shepperd

Thomas "Tom" G. Shepperd, Jr. York County Supervisor, District 5 Hm: (757) 858-8591 Mb: (757) 903-1875 Email address: Shepperd@yorkcounty.gov District 5 Report and Crime Watch Update December 2025 Subscribe for District 5 Report and Crime Watch Updates Dear Neighbors,   The District 5 Report is designed to keep you up to date on activities in and around our area. Residents and homeowner associations are encouraged to share the information with others in their communities. Please click on the "Subscribe" to receive the report or send an email request to shepperd@yorkcounty.gov. Comments and questions are always welcome.*   Regards,   Tom   Thomas G. Shepperd, Jr. District 5 Representative York County Board of Supervisors   (C) 757-903-1875 (H) 757-868-8591   shepperd@yorkcounty.gov   ------------December 2025 District 5 Report and Crime Watch Update---------- Topics Recycling Update Transportation Update Development Board of Supervisors Actions on Local Policy Items of Note Notes from the Sheriff's Office - Scams

At the end of every year, I am invited by homeowner associations (HOA) to talk about current and future activities in and around our area that will have an impact on all of us. Since not everyone attends HOA meetings or lives within an HOA, this report will provide a summary of my presentations to others within the community. Please understand that your feedback on the information is very important to me. It helps me in formulating decisions on courses of actions that impact our schools, safety, and quality of life.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Years York County Recycling Update Recycling Program. Most of you are aware by now that the County recycling program will start again in January 2026. The projected start date is January 5th and there will be a new biweekly (every two weeks) schedule that is like the old Red/Blue schedule. Currently, the County is collecting all the TFC recycling containers. Those of you that have TFC containers were notified that the County will start collecting the containers on December 8th.  If you missed the collection date, please call (757) 890-3780.  Containers with York County written on the side are not being collected and will be used for the new program. The County will mail recycling notices to homeowners with more detailed information about the program. The letter will identify what can and cannot be recycled. 2. Transportation Update a. Carys Chapel Road Closure. The projected closure of the intersection of Carys Chapel Road and Wythe Creek Road is January 5, 2026. The closure is required so that the contractor can tie in Carys Chapel Road with the new causeway. Construction on Carys Chapel Road will involve replacing and elevating the road from in front of the Surf’s Up Restaurant to Wythe Creek Road.  The new intersection will be widened to accommodate a dedicated left turn lane towards Poquoson and a turn lane towards NASA. The installation of a traffic light will provide dedicated turning directions and make getting off of Carys Chapel Road much safer. I estimate it will take six months to a year before Carys Chapel Road is opened. The alternate route around the construction will be Victory Boulevard to Wythe Creek Road. b. Hampton Highway Overpass. This project started in July 2025 and is expected to end October 2026.   c. The HRSD project behind Tabb HS is expected to be completed this spring. The paths through the HRSD property will be handed over to the County at completion of the project.    d. Widening of Victory Boulevard (Route 171). There are no plans to completely widen Route 171. Once VDOT completes the current construction on Route 171, there will be a break of a couple of years before VDOT starts another project. The next project will be a widening of Route171 along a 0.6 of a mile stretch that starts at North/South Bowman Terrace and runs to Big Bethel Road. During this phase, VDOT will install left turn lanes in the center of Victory Boulevard at North/South Bowman Terrace, widen the eastbound lane by 2 feet, widen the westbound lane by 8 feet, and build a 10-foot wide multiuse path. Eventually, the multiuse path will be extended to Sinclar Terrace. The significance of the future widening is that one lane of Victory Boulevard will be shut down during road construction.

3. Development a. George L. Smith Property – This is the 77 acre farm across Victory Boulevard from the Running Man neighborhood. The owner wishes to develop a 20 acre parcel at the corner of South Yorktown Road and Victory Boulevard. The parcel is located across Victory Boulevard from the Carys Chapel Baptist Church. I’ve been approached over the years by developers wishing to build homes or commercial property on the site. Most recently, I was approached by developers from Georgia that wanted my opinion on whether or not a Harris Teeter Supermarket would be acceptable for the site. The property is currently zoned Rural Residential (RR), which limits development to one house per acre. After presenting the information to residents of several homeowner associations near the proposed site, I have advised the developer to proceed with rough proposals for the grocery store. The rationale for this recommendation is that we simply do not need more homes in this part of York County, at this time. While we are all aware of the traffic issues on Victory Boulevard, I don’t see a Harris Teeter adding more traffic since a majority of the shoppers will be from residents who currently drive in and out of the area using Victory Boulevard. Besides traffic, there are the issues of schools, fire and life safety, and other public services. If we are not careful, we may end up needing to build a new school and fire station. Also, looking to the future, the remaining Smith property may come up for development, which undoubtedly will have a significant residential component. There is another twist to my rationale in that if we can increase traffic volume more towards the eastern end of Route 171 the more likely we are to receive State funding for road improvements. This could very well lead to a full widening of Victory Boulevard. Please feel free to share your thoughts on this issue. b. Virginia Beer Co. will be opening in January at the old Beale’s site on Route17. c. Q Daddy BBQ will open in January at the old Pop Restaurant site. d. Cook Out fast food restaurant will open in front of the Big Lots next summer. I’ve been told that it will replace the old carpet store on Route17. e. Chick-fil-A is being built next to the DQ on Route 17 in the Grafton area and will open in about eight months. f. Chipotle Mexican Grill will be built next to the Chick-fil-A. Not sure when it will open.  g. Dutch Brothers Coffee will open the first Virginia store near Rainbrook Villas on Route 17. h. Kroger Expansion and Auto Zone will use 40,000 square feet of the remaining 90,000 square feet of space from the old KMART store. Both stores are now open. i. The Board of Supervisors approved a Special Use Permit for the GI Joe store at the corner of Route17 and Victory Boulevard to sell guns and ammo. j. The Supervisors approved a fortune telling business next to the Army Navy Tattoo Shop on Route 17. Now, you can have your fortune told and get a commemorative tattoo within the same area. k. The old Food Lion grocery store in Poquoson will become a Planet Fitness.

4. Board of Supervisors Actions on County Policy a. The Board limited cruise ship docking at the Historic Yorktown pier to small cruise lines such as the American Cruise Line. We now have a yearly contract with American Cruise Line. b. The Board is exploring options for setting standards for the use of Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMR). The US Navy is looking at installing an SMR for emergency backup power. c. The Board is reviewing casino related legislation and its implications for York County. d. The Board created zoning standards for Data Centers in York County. The Commonwealth of Virginia has the highest concentration of Data Centers in the world. The Supervisors conducted a two day tour of three counties between Richmond and Washington D.C. to develop a better understanding of the pros and cons of Data Centers. Data Centers can generate a lot of revenue for local governments. However, they also use an inordinate amount of electricity, which can adversely affect a local area. Without zoning standards, Data Centers can be built right next to a neighborhood. The Board addressed the proximity issue, but more work still needs to be done. e. The Board set standards for placement of Sexually Oriented Businesses (SOB) within the County.  For example, no SOB can be built within 1,000 feet of a school and 500 feet of a neighborhood. Additional standards are listed in the County Zoning Ordinance. f. Created Landscaping and Property Maintenance Standards for the Yorktown Historical Overlay District. I was able to convince the Board to not apply this standard County-wide until (1) we have a better understanding of the impact on the Historical Yorktown Overlay District and (2) there is a need for such action.

5. Items of Note a. The Commonwealth of Virginia and Niche Magazine named the York County School System the best in Virginia. This is something to be very proud of. b. The County contracted with the Advisory Management Group International, Inc. to conduct a Compensation & Classification Study. The study reviewed all 338 job classes for the County’s 822 full-time and 30 part-time positions. Results from the study indicate that when compared to other jurisdictions, York County’s pay is not competitive. This is supported by the fact that last year the County lost over 30 firefighters to other jurisdictions and is currently having difficulty hiring replacements in all fields. The County’s labor market position is at the 50th percentile when compared to other jurisdictions. This means we are in the middle of the pack and not in a good position during a tight labor market. The study recommends that the County become an “employer of choice” by moving to the 70th percentile. Implementing this recommendation will cost just over $8 million. To address the County’s manpower dilemma, the Board of Supervisors directed the County Administrator to take all actions necessary to implement the recommendations of the Compensation & Classification Study at the 70th percentile level within the FY 26 and FY27 budgets. We believe this can be achieved without adjustment to the real estate tax rate. c. You may have seen in the news lately that a Space Study by James City County resulted in their Supervisors approving a plan for a new $180 million administrative complex. York County’s administrative complex and courthouse are old and becoming inadequate to house the services needed within the community. I don’t believe any update from the Space Study will require as extensive a development as that in James City County. However, it will still be expensive, probably within the $70 million to $95 million range.  d. You will receive your new real estate assessments in a couple of weeks. It is estimated that on average the assessments will increase by 10% to13%. The notice you receive from the County of York, Virginia Office of Real Estate Assessment is not a bill. It will provide you with instructions for appealing the assessment. Note that there is a time limit for appeals to the Assessment Office. 6. Notes from the Sheriff’s Office I asked the Sheriff to provide an update on scams that have taken place over the past year in York County. I was absolutely amazed at the list the office provided. From January through November 2026, there have been 57 scams with a total amount lost of $2,206,764.99.  Fourteen scams showed a loss in excess of $10,000. Five of the scams were for over $50,000. Three were for over $100,000 and one was for over $1,000,000. While not in this year’s report, I was told that in 2024 a resident lost over $1.5 million in an investment scam.  The types of scams are too numerous to include in this report. However, looking over the list it seems the most prevalent scams involved Facebook Marketplace scams, law enforcement impersonator scams, and dating site scams. The old adage that, “if it looks to be too good to be true, it probably is,” comes to mind in reviewing the scam cases. No law enforcement, government agency, bank, or legitimate business will ever call or email you asking for money. You may receive requests for a donation but even then, you must be careful. Handing out your credit card number or social security number is a big no-no.  One scam technique is to scare you into thinking a family member is in immediate trouble or law enforcement is coming to get you. If you get a call like that, take a moment to calm down and reflect on the situation. One of the best actions you can take is to verify the situation by calling the phone number (never use the numbers provided to you in the phone call or email) of the business or government agency that’s being represented.  Think before you act! * Comments and opinions expressed in the District 5 Report are authorized and approved by me and do not necessarily represent the position of other elected representatives. All email correspondence to and from this address is subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and to the Virginia Public Records Act, which may result in monitoring and disclosure to third parties, including law enforcement.

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Tom Shepperd | 131 Chinquapin Orch | Yorktown, VA 23693-2322 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice