Wilderness Crossing

Wilderness Crossing is an approved 2,600-acre rezoning and proposed development in Orange County near the intersection of Rt. 3 and Rt. 20 adjacent to Wilderness Battlefield and across from Lake of the Woods. On April 25, 2023, the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to approve the rezoning request, making it the largest land rezoning in County history.

aerial of wildnerness crossing property with mine icon overlay
Aerial image of the Wilderness Crossing site across from the Sheetz and McDonald’s at the Rt. 3/Rt. 20 intersection in Orange County. Photo by Hugh Kenny, PEC.

In addition to concerns about industrial development (data centers and distribution centers), taxes, infrastructure (water and sewer), traffic, and habitat fragmentation, Wilderness Crossing is also the site of numerous unreclaimed gold mines—essentially, mines that have never been closed off and cleaned up of contaminants such as mercury, arsenic, cadmium and lead. The largest mine on the property, called the Vaucluse mine, was at one time considered for potential inclusion as an EPA Superfund site. Since it was never cleaned up, the tailings pit is likely still leaching toxic chemicals into Shotgun Hill Branch today and is an expected source of contamination in Wilderness Run, and ultimately, the Rapidan and Rappahannock rivers. PEC recommends that Orange County seriously consider how the toxic legacy of gold mining at this location could impact the health, safety and welfare of future residents and downstream communities.

PEC has been following the Wilderness Crossing proposal since the application was first submitted by developer KEG Associates III in March of 2021. Along with our partners in the Wilderness Battlefield Coalition, we will continue to monitor this project closely to keep local residents informed and to push the County for rigorous review of any related, future permits or requests as the developer moves forward.

aerial photo of orange county where wilderness crossing is proposed

Orange County Planning Commission Questions Wilderness Crossing Developer at Recent Work Sessions

The Orange County Planning Commission held three work sessions (January 5 and 19, February 9) on Wilderness Crossing. A fourth is scheduled for Thursday, February 16 …
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| | Orange County, Wilderness Crossing
SELC & PEC Joint Letter to Orange County Planning Commission

SELC & PEC Joint Letter to Orange County Planning Commission

Read our joint letter with the Southern Environmental Law Center in advance of the Orange County Planning Commission’s third work session on REZ 22-03, Wilderness Crossing. While the applicant’s current proffer language agreeing to ‘enter’ …
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| | Orange County, Wilderness Crossing
Wilderness Battlefield Coalition Letter to Orange County Planning Commission

Wilderness Battlefield Coalition Letter to Orange County Planning Commission

Read the Wilderness Battlefield Coalition’s letter in advance of the Orange County Planning Commission’s third work session on REZ 22-03, Wilderness Crossing …
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| | Orange County, Wilderness Crossing
aerial photo of orange county where wilderness crossing is proposed

Wilderness Crossing: Breadth of Rezoning and FOIA Results Prompt New Concerns

We want to highlight how ridiculously broad this proposed rezoning would be and share some important information gathered through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request PEC submitted to Orange County …
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| | Data centers, Data Centers, Orange County, Wilderness Crossing
aerial photo of orange county where wilderness crossing is proposed

Wilderness Crossing: An In-Depth Look

Wilderness Crossing is a huge development proposal on a site with known, unmitigated hazards, and located at the gateway to a historic Civil War battlefield …
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| | Orange County, Wilderness Crossing
large group of people sitting in a gym watching a presentation

Wilderness Crossing Town Hall Recap and Next Steps

It was great seeing so many folks at our Wilderness Crossing town hall late last month in Locust Grove. Below you can find a recap with some of the key takeaways from the event and …
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| | Orange County, Wilderness Crossing
large group of people sitting in a gym watching a presentation

Resources from Wilderness Crossing Town Hall

PEC and partners from the Wilderness Battlefield Coalition held a community town hall on October 25, 2022 at the Locust Grove Middle School to share information about the proposed Wilderness Crossing rezoning and development in …
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| | Orange County, Wilderness Crossing
aerial photo of orange county where wilderness crossing is proposed

Wilderness Crossing Town Hall on Oct. 25

As reported in my last email, the Wilderness Crossing proposal continues to wind its way through the rezoning application process in Orange County …
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| | Orange County, Wilderness Crossing
gold mine webmap screenshot

Virginia’s Former Gold Mines with Priority Level for Reclamation – PEC Web Map

In 2022, The Piedmont Environmental Council was proud to partner with volunteers from UVA’s Clark Scholars program on a project to analyze the reclamation status of former gold mine sites throughout the Commonwealth. Using data …
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| | Metals mining, Orange County, Wilderness Crossing
aerial photo of orange county where wilderness crossing is proposed

Wilderness Crossing is Back

I’ve been monitoring the project for several months, as it has slowly made its way through the county application process. Now, the developer is finally holding a community briefing, and I want to make sure …
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| | Clean Water, Gold mining, Metals mining, Orange County, Planning and Zoning, Strong Communities, Wilderness Crossing