©2009 www.nelsoncountylife.com : Sarah Jane Stewart, RVCC Board President, addresses the Nelson Board of Supervisors at Tuesday night's public hearing.

Lovingston
Nelson County, Virginia
By Tommy Stafford

After roughly a 30-45 minute public hearing Tuesday night, the majority of the Nelson Board of Supervisors (BOS) spoke in favor of transferring ownership of the Rockfish Valley Community Center (RVCC) to the organization. For several years RVCC has been operating with a lease agreement to the county. Though the lease agreement has been amicable for both sides, RVCC’s ability to expand and improve has been limited by lack of ownership. In full disclosure, the writer of this web piece is a sitting member of the RVCC board. RVCC is the home of the old Rockfish Elementary School.

A group of concerned citizens presented the BOS with a petition containing 112 names of people they said oppose the transfer, mainly citing economic reasons. The group felt the county should outright sell the building at market value. The BOS has previously transferred the ownership of other community center buildings to their organizations. Centers such as Fleetwood in Massies Mill and Schuyler are owned by the local organizations after their transfer some years ago.

The organizations then assume the total operational costs of the centers, but hold the deed to the property which in turn gives them leverage in capital expansions, etc, Grants are more readily available when the buildings and properties are owned by the organizations.

A BOS vote for the transfer will follow in a future meeting.