Welcome back to Lynchburg Field Notes, a column that arrives in your inbox on Wednesdays with news updates from the past week and previews of what’s coming up next in the Hill City and surrounding communities.
The summer season starts a new chapter for the Lynchburg Fire Department, which has been without a permanent leader since November, as a new chief assumes the role.
In today’s edition, I’ll also recap the data center and roadway infrastructure conversations that are taking shape in the Lynchburg area this summer.
If your curiosity is sparked by the roundup today, reach me at emma@cardinalnews.org with your questions and ideas.
New fire chief tapped for Lynchburg
Lynchburg has named L. Brad Creasy, currently the executive director of the Virginia Department of Fire Programs, as its next fire chief. He will start his role in the Hill City in July, according to a city announcement released Monday.
Creasy has more than 30 years of fire and emergency services experience, including the state leadership role he was appointed to by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin in 2022 and reappointed to by Gov. Abigail Spanberger this year. In that position, he oversees the state agency responsible for coordinating training, professional development and more for firefighters across the state.
The city partnered with the consulting firm Raftelis to run a national recruitment and selection process for the new chief. Creasy rose to the top of the list of 31 applicants from 16 states, following multiple interview phases, leadership assessments and input opportunities for fire department personnel, city leadership, community stakeholders and residents, according to the city news release.
Now Creasy is set to return to the city of his alma mater, Liberty University. In the region, he has held leadership roles in the town of Bedford’s fire department and Roanoke’s fire and EMS department.
Together with firefighters and community partners, Creasy plans to “build upon the department’s many strengths, embrace opportunities for growth, and ensure we remain prepared to meet the evolving needs of the community,” he said in the release. “I am grateful for the trust that has been placed in me and am enthusiastic about the future of the Lynchburg Fire Department. I look forward to listening, learning, and leading as we continue our mission of providing exceptional service to our community.”
The department has been led by acting fire chiefs, first Jonathan Wright and now Kenny Turner, since mid-November, when Chief Greg Wormser suddenly retired after being placed on paid administrative leave. The city has not released details about why Wormser was placed on leave because it is a personnel matter.
When Wormser’s administrative leave began, the city initiated an independent assessment of the fire department’s climate and culture. The study was run by Raftelis, but conducted separately from the search for the new chief. The results of the study, which makes 14 recommendations for improvement in the department, were released Tuesday and are available on the city’s website.
Data center zoning discussions gain traction in Lynchburg and Amherst
Two Lynchburg-area local governments are drafting zoning changes this summer that could help them regulate future data centers.
In Lynchburg, the planning commission voted unanimously in late May to recommend approving a zoning amendment that would establish a formal definition for data centers, set zoning standards for them, and require them to obtain a conditional use permit before moving into designated industrial and institutional districts. The proposed zoning amendment will advance to the Lynchburg City Council for further review and potential approval later this summer.
In Amherst last week, the board of supervisors directed the county’s planning commission to work on a zoning amendment to require data centers to obtain a special-use permit in the county’s industrial zone. The drafting process will proceed through the summer.
No data center projects have been announced in either locality, and officials have pointed instead to the need to proactively establish regulations. Zoning amendments allow localities to set guardrails on how land is developed and how much say residents and elected officials get in the process.
VDOT seeking feedback in Bedford
The Virginia Department of Transportation is seeking input for a study assessing potential safety and operational improvements at two spots on the U.S. 221 corridor in Bedford: one at the intersection of Forest Road, Enterprise Drive and Vista Centre Drive, and one at the intersection of Enterprise Drive, Homestead Drive and Brook Park Place.
Residents and travelers can take an online survey to weigh in on priorities for the corridor. VDOT plans to use the feedback to develop improvement alternatives that will be presented later this year for the study area, which has up to 29,000 vehicles per day.
The survey is open through June 12, and comments can also be sent to meetingcomments@vdot.virginia.gov or mailed to 731 Harrison Ave. in Salem. More information is available in a VDOT news release.
