LYNCHBURG (Virginia) NEWS-ADVANCE

January 24, 2008

Controversial homes for seasonal workers OK'd

By Justin Faulconer

After two hours of passionate debate, Bedford County planning officials unanimously approved a controversial housing project for seasonal Mexican construction workers Wednesday.

David St. John, a Forest-based site contractor with May Bros. Inc., was granted a special use permit to build seven town home units on Hooper Road for his seasonal workers. Many Forest residents protested the project, saying that it would adversely affect their property values and endanger their public safety.

Commission member Curtis Stephens said that he felt many concerns were based on prejudice and intolerance. He said it brought back memories of when the area was segregated.

“You have no idea what I endured as a young black man … I thought we had passed that point,” said Stephens.

Several residents objected to that comment after the meeting, saying their concerns were not based on race, but rather gender. They said they didn’t think it was appropriate that 20 single men so far from families would be living in close proximity to Jefferson Forest High School.

James Blevins, superintendent of Bedford County Schools, wrote a letter to the commission that said he was concerned the project could increase crime and school vandalism.

Steve St. John, vice president of May Bros., said Blevins’ letter disappointed him and he never spoke to them personally about the project.

Employing the workers for the past four years under a federal H2B guest worker program, St. John said they have never presented a problem for local authorities. He said he takes responsibility for them and they are “family” who abide by rules.

“The consequences of not following rules is to be sent home and these individuals don’t want that,” St. John said. “They are here to work … these people have lived and worked in this community uneventfully for the past four years.”

Several women said the workers have harassed them and that they fear for their safety and their daughters.

Others said the town homes would resemble “dormitories” and the county’s blessing would set a “very dangerous precedent” for similar projects.

“It was my dream to come live here in this part of the community,” Terri Conner said. “As a planning commission, you owe it to your constituents to value their property.”

Jimmy Henderson, a Central Virginia landscaper, said he too uses seasonal federal workers under the H2B program.

“We have less problems as we do our American workers,” said Henderson. “These same workers probably did the work for the houses you live in … if you trust them to do the work, why can’t they live in your community?”

James Neel, who lives in a town home similar in price to the kind St. John is proposing, said he would feel safe with them nearby as opposed to immigrants with no background checks.

“They’re not the illegal immigrants,” said Neel. “They are imbedded by the federal government … they are the ones I want to have living in my community.”

St. John’s business has been operating since the 1940s and he said he plans to house four workers to five units and sell the other two to other members of the community.

His special use permit on the single acre on Hooper Road needs approval from the county’s board of supervisors to become final.