Chesterfield supervisors approved eminent domain Oct. 28 to take land from three owners, including the Watermill HOA, for Powhite Parkway Phase 1. Work starts late 2026.
Updated Oct. 31: After the public hearing Wednesday, Oct. 28, the Board of Supervisors approved the use of eminent domain for Phase 1, the county said in its Board of Supervisors roundup. A certificate of take will be filed with the courts, so the county can enter and use the land right away. The county must then pay for it. The roundup did not give a vote count or a final price. Construction is still expected to start in late 2026.
The Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors decided Wednesday whether to use eminent domain to take land for the first phase of the Powhite Parkway extension. County staff said negotiations with three landowners had stalled. One of them is the Watermill Homeowners Association.
The public hearing was part of the board’s evening session at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, in the Public Meeting Room at 10001 Iron Bridge Road. The county listed it in its notice of zoning cases and public hearings for Oct. 28.
What the county is asking for
Phase 1 extends Powhite Parkway from its current end at Old Hundred Road and Watermill Parkway to a new intersection at Woolridge Road. The staff report in the Oct. 28 agenda packet lists what it includes:
- a high-capacity intersection at Powhite Parkway and Woolridge Road
- new bridges over Tomahawk Creek
- a shared-use path
- a new bridge carrying Watermill Parkway over Powhite Parkway
“The project team has been unable to conclude negotiations with three landowners and recommends that the county exercise eminent domain to allow the project to advance to construction,” the report said. It was prepared by Chessa Walker, the county’s director of transportation.
With the board’s approval, the county files a certificate of take with the courts. That lets it enter and use the land right away while it remains obligated to pay for it. The report said construction is expected to start in late 2026 and that the budget covers the expected condemnation costs.
The land involved
The county’s right-of-way table lists nine parcels across the three owners. It made its original offers on May 20, 2026.
| Owner | Parcels | What the county needs | Original offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watermill Homeowners Association | Six, including common land on Watermill Lake Trail, Windmill Ridge Drive and Watermill Parkway | Strips of land, a utility easement and temporary construction easements | $23,915, one offer for all six |
| NLP Swift Creek, LLC | 2251 Old Hundred Road | About 1 acre, plus utility and temporary easements | $306,855 |
| Private landowners | Two parcels on Otterdale Road | About 13 acres from the larger parcel, a smaller strip from the other, plus drainage, sewer, sign and temporary easements | $144,220 and $1,022,140 |
The four offers total $1,497,130. The table does not say what any owner asked for in return. The county has not said what the final price would be if the land is condemned.
The Watermill land is the homeowners association’s common property, not individual homes. The largest piece the county needs from it is about 20,316 square feet, under half an acre, on Watermill Lake Trail.
Where it fits in the wider project
The county splits Phase 1 into five segments, from Woolridge Road east to the existing Powhite Parkway at Charter Colony Parkway. Its Powhite Parkway Extension page describes them:
- Powhite at Woolridge Road: Woolridge Road widened to four lanes and a displaced left turn intersection with the new parkway
- Powhite over Tomahawk Creek: the new bridges
- Powhite at Watermill Parkway: the Watermill Parkway overpass
- Powhite at Brandermill Parkway: Old Hundred Road rebuilt as the parkway, with a median U-turn intersection at Brandermill Parkway
- Powhite at Charter Colony: a full interchange, with Charter Colony Parkway carried over Powhite Parkway
The county said Watermill Parkway will lose its direct connection to Powhite Parkway once the overpass and the Center Pointe Parkway extension are finished. Center Pointe Parkway must be built first. It links the area to St. Francis Hospital, Charter Colony and Route 288.
Phase 2, from Woolridge Road to Hull Street Road, is a separate VDOT environmental study. It was not part of Wednesday’s hearing.
How to watch
The full meeting is recorded. The county’s roundup links to the recordings, and they are also on the county’s YouTube channel.
What it means for you
- The land decision is made. The county can now file to take the land and start work. It must then pay for it.
- If you drive Old Hundred Road or Woolridge Road, expect construction work near Tomahawk Creek once the project starts in late 2026. Our road construction and closures page tracks the county’s projects around Midlothian.
- If you live in Watermill, the land at issue is association common property. The association is the party dealing with the county.
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