Another year has come and gone. Though York County did not see anything as momentous as the end of the Revolutionary War occur within its borders, there was plenty of big news in 2013.
January
- Rep. Rob Wittman (R) moved his Hampton Roads office to Yorktown after redistricting.
- The Yorktown Shoppe closed after its owners were unable to negotiate a sale of the store.
- A Croaker resident took all 43 busts from the defunct Presidents Park and placed them on his property.
February
- Casey Auto Group opened a new used-car dealership at the site of the former location of Casey Toyota in Upper York County.
March
- The owner of the Gazebo House of Pancakes on Bypass Road announced that the restaurant was being converted into a 24-hour Denny’s. The Denny’s is now open.
April
- A $10 million wrongful death lawsuit against four administrators at Grafton High School was dismissed after a jury decided 16-year-old Christian Taylor did not commit suicide due to a depressive disorder. His mother had sued the administrators claiming they did not do enough to stop the bullying that she said caused his suicide.
May
- The York County School Board passed a budget amid declining revenues from the state and increasing costs.
- The Seaford Country Market reopened for business under new ownership after closing years ago.
- The York County Board of Supervisors approved a budget for 2014, raising the real estate tax rate by 1 cent.
June
- York County restaurateur Mario Buffa opened a new restaurant at Riverwalk Landing called Water Street Grille.
- A new position was created in York County’s administration to help streamline government operations.
July
- The York County Board of Supervisors approved large-scale events at bed and breakfasts. Previously, only guests of the bed and breakfast could participate in any event held on its property.
- More than 40 people spoke at a public hearing regarding a potential expansion of the Lafayette Gun Club. The proposal was eventually approved by the York County Board of Supervisors.
- A tract of land in York County received attention from preservationists and others as discussion of what to do with it took place. The land is the site of a battle in the Civil War that saw hundreds of Confederate soldiers die.
August
- Aerial spraying for mosquitoes in York County set off a debate between beekeepers and county officials.
- More than 25 people spoke at a York County Planning Commission meeting in August regarding proposed group homes for the mentally disabled in Lackey. Many of the speakers were Lackey residents who did not want to see the homes built in their neighborhood.
- Work to widen George Washington Memorial Highway (Route 17) started, setting off a project that is scheduled to finish by Winter 2016.
September
- Bill’s Seafood House closed after more than 33 years in business. The owner said the closure was due to lagging sales. On the weekend the restaurant closed, someone broke in and stole more than $1,000 from the office.
- The York County Board of Supervisors approved an update to the county’s Comprehensive Plan despite objections from preservationists and the U.S. Navy.
October
- The Supreme Court of Virginia listened to appeals of two cases by York County regarding commercial aquaculture in the county. The case pits two oyster farmers against the county, with the county arguing the farmer’s residential properties are not suitable to be involved in the commercial operations. A decision has yet to be handed down.
- The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office has experienced high traffic on its Facebook page. Several incidents — including a report of a missing boy — attracted heavy volumes of shares.
November
- The York County Board of Supervisors agreed to a $55,000 settlement to close out litigation from Western Refining over real estate assessments. That company filed the suit after it shut down operations in York County in 2010.
- The Texas-based owner of the Marquis at Williamsburg received permission to add more than 200,000 square feet of commercial space — including a national club discount retailer — and 650 residential units to the once-struggling development.
- Second Street An American Bistro opened a new location in Newport News, just feet from the York County line.
December
- The Villages of Kiln Creek Owners’ Association purchased the Kiln Creek Golf and Country Club for $3.5 million, ostensibly ending a bid by the club’s previous owner to develop homes on a defunct 9-hole course.
- The Yorktown branch of the Carrot Tree restaurant has closed after its owners were unable to work out a new contract with the National Park Service, which owns the building where it had been located.
