Western Chesterfield, particularly the Upper Swift Creek Reservoir area, is ground zero for the county's growth trend.

Recognizing that, community leaders and elected officials have pushed to have the Upper Swift Creek portion of the county's master plan updated for several years.  Now, nearly four years after that revision process was initiated, it appears to be near approval.  But the delay has raised questions about why it has taken so long, and why its completion is now seemingly being rushed by some county leaders.

"This was supposed to commence four years ago, but here we are in the final year of that four-year calendar," said Supervisor Renny B. Humphrey, whose Matoaca District includes much of the plan's geography. "It's four years old, and that's old enough. It needs to get done."

Barring an extension, the Planning Commission could vote on the land-use plan at its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, and Chesterfield supervisors could consider it as early as their May 23 meeting.

The plan sets guidelines for growth in that section of the county and how to sustain that growth. The Board of Supervisors recently instructed the Planning Commission to hold a public hearing on the plan to expedite action on it.  The area includes the Swift Creek Reservoir, a county drinking-water source.

Planning Commission Chairman Daniel A. Gecker asked the Board of Supervisors for a 60-day extension to allow for residents' feedback and time to review a reservoir water-quality report released last month.

"We have been struggling to get the data needed to finalize the environmental portion of the plan," Gecker wrote in a letter to fellow commissioners informing them of a special May 3 meeting to hold a public hearing on the plan.

Supervisors Chairman Kelly E. Miller said the board is considering the extension request, but he noted that "I think we're prepared to move on even if we have not had all the water-quality things in place."

Chesterfield initially planned to build a series of ponds within existing streams and wetlands to slow stormwater runoff into the reservoir to limit pollution.  But the county last year had to rethink that plan after being informed by the state Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that its pond plan was unacceptable. Chesterfield's new plan calls for on-site runoff controls at county developments.

Excess levels of pollutants, such as phosphorous, can harm aquatic life by robbing water of its oxygen, according to environmental experts.  The recent reservoir analysis prepared by a consultant "in broad terms [indicates] phosphate loading from zoned and developed properties could put the reservoir above phosphate levels recommended by scientists," Gecker said.

Like Gecker, Planning Commission member F. Wayne Bass feels an extension is warranted.  "I think we could come up with an excellent plan at least by August, but it doesn't look like we're going to get that opportunity," said Bass, who represents Matoaca.

Hands Across the Lake, a county citizens group dedicated to water-quality issues, supports an extension.  "Water protection should drive land use planning, and it needs to be folded into the thinking about the plan," said Betty Hunter-Clapp, Hands Across the Lake co-chairwoman. "Part of the fight between the board and Planning Commission is because the board feels it's very late, and the Planning Commission knows that's true but realizes there's valuable data out there still to consider."

Planning Commission member Russell J. Gulley said Chesterfield has failed to keep supervisors and planning commissioners informed during this process.  "The land-use plan and the environmental-quality piece go hand in hand. You can't separate them," he said.