[00:00:03]
UM, I APOLOGIZE THAT WE'RE GETTING STARTED A LITTLE LATE.
AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A CLOSED MEETING PRIOR TO THIS.
UM, WE'RE GONNA START OFF WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
[1. MOMENT OF SILENCE]
OKAY.AS YOU KNOW, DURING MY TERM AS MAYOR, I'M INVITING STUDENTS FROM
[2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL TO LEAD OUR COUNCIL IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.THIS MONTH WE WELCOME ANASTASIA HERBECK OR ANNIE AS SHE GOES BY.
ANNIE, IF YOU CAN COME FORWARD, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THAT ANNIE IS THE DAUGHTER OF JESSICA AND BRETT HERBECK AND THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF OUR LOCAL SUSAN HERBECK.
I'VE KNOWN ANNIE SINCE BIRTH, BUT HAD THE PLEASURE OF BEING HER FIFTH GRADE TEACHER AT HILDE J BARBARA ELEMENTARY, AND THEN AS HER MENTOR, UH, WHEN SHE WENT THROUGH CONFIRMATION AT THE FRONT ROW UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.
ANNIE IS A SENIOR AT WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE SHE IS THE SS G A VICE PRESIDENT, NATIONAL HONORS SOCIETY HISTORIAN, AND A MEMBER OF THE VARSITY SOCCER TEAM.
ANNIE HOPES TO ATTEND VIRGINIA TECH NEXT YEAR TO STUDY WILDLIFE CON CONSERVATION.
AND, UH, FOR THE RECORD, ANNIE SELECTED HER GIFT CARD FROM SPLUNKERS
SO, UH, SHE'LL BE ALSO RECEIVING A CERTIFICATE THANKING HER FOR HER PATRIOTISM AND PARTICIPATION IN TONIGHT'S MEETING.
SO, IF EVERYBODY WILL PLEASE STAND, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL WHAT YOU DO.
OKAY, MS. PRESLEY, I BELIEVE WE'RE READY FOR A ROLL CALL.
[3. ROLL CALL]
MAYOR COCKRELL.NEXT UP IS OUR APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
[4.APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL APPROVE THE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF JULY 24TH AND WORK SESSION MINUTES OF AUGUST 7TH AND AUGUST 14TH, 2023 AS PRESENTED.
OKAY, MS. PRES, UH, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MINUTES? NO.
COUNCILWOMAN DEAMON PAYNE? YES.
UH, NEXT, UH, WE ACTUALLY ARE GOING TO BE REMOVING ONE OF OUR ITEMS, SIX A,
[ 6.A. Recognition of Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting – Finance Director BJ Wilson and his Staff in the Finance Department ]
UH, WHICH WAS THE RECOGNITION OF CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT FOR EXCELLENCE AND FINANCIAL REPORTING, UH, DUE TO ILLNESS.AND OUR STAFF COULDN'T BE WITH US TONIGHT.
SO WE'LL ACTUALLY BE MOVING THAT TO OUR SEPTEMBER MEETING 'CAUSE WE DEFINITELY WANNA HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, RECOGNIZE THOSE STAFF MEMBERS.
SO, BUT WE WILL BE MOVING ON TO SIX
[6.B. Proclamations to Recognize International Overdose Awareness Day/Recovery Month]
B.UM, AND THIS IS A, UM, SIX B IS IN REGARDS TO, UM, SORRY, UH, PROCLAMATIONS TO RECOGNIZE INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY AND RECOVERY MONTH.
AND SO I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO BE READING, UH, BOTH OF THOSE PROCLAMATIONS AND I'M GONNA START OFF WITH INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY, WHICH IS AUGUST 31ST.
UM, WHEREAS THE PEOPLE OF WARREN COUNTY IN FRONT ROYAL VIRGINIA HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC AND THE INFLUX OF FENTANYL INTO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY IS A GLOBAL EVENT HELD ON THE 31ST OF AUGUST EACH YEAR, THAT AIMS TO RAISE AWARENESS OF OVERDOSE AND REDUCE THE STIGMA OF A DRUG RELATED DEATH.
AND WHEREAS WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE GRIEF FELT BY FAMILIES
[00:05:01]
AND FRIENDS REMEMBERING THOSE WHO HAVE DIED OR HAD A PERMANENT INJURY RESULTING FROM A DRUG OVERDOSE.AND WHEREAS INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY IS ONE OPPORTUNITY TO REMEMBER COMMUNITY RESIDENTS, FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT HAVE BEEN LOST TO OVERDOSE DEATH AND PROMOTE STRATEGIES THAT CAN PREVENT FUTURE OVERDOSE DEATHS.
AND WHEREAS HOPE CAN BE FOUND THROUGH COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND THE SUPPORT OF PEOPLE WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
AND WHEREAS NORTHWESTERN PREVENTION COLLABORATIVE AND WARREN COALITION INVITE ALL WARREN COUNTY RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN AN INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY VIGIL ON AUGUST 31ST, 2023, WHICH I BELIEVE IS AT THE, UH, MOOSE LODGE FROM SIX 30 TO EIGHT.
NOW THEREFORE, THE FRONT WORLD TOWN COUNCIL DOES HEREBY PROCLAIM AUGUST 31ST, 2023 AS INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY AND CALL UPON OUR RESIDENTS TO OBSERVE THESE OCCASIONS AND PARTICIPATE IN EVENTS AND PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT THIS YEAR'S OBSERVANCE.
AND AS I SHARED FOR, UM, THOSE WHO ARE ABLE THUR THIS THURSDAY NIGHT FROM SIX 30 TO EIGHT AT THE FRONT ROYAL NEWS LODGE ON, UM, JOHN MARSHALL HIGHWAY AROUND 55.
THE NEXT PROCLAMATION I'M GONNA READ IS, UM, FOR, UM, RECOVERY DAY, RECOVERY MONTH.
SO WHEREAS THE PEOPLE OF WARREN COUNTY AND FRONT ROYAL VIRGINIA HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC AND THE INFLUX OF FENTANYL INTO OUR COMMUNITY, AND WHEREAS HOPE FOR RECOVERY FROM SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS CAN BE FOUND THROUGH COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND SUPPORT.
AND WHEREAS PROVIDING NALOXONE, FENTANYL TEST STRIPS AND OTHER HARM REDUCTION MEASURES CAN HELP KEEP PEOPLE ALIVE UNTIL THEY DISCOVER THAT RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE.
AND WHEREAS MEDICATION ASSISTED RECOVERY OPTIONS PROVIDE AN AVENUE OF RECOVERY THAT HELPS PEOPLE REPAIR RELATIONSHIPS AND BEGIN THE HARD WORK OF HEALING.
AND WHEREAS WE BATTLE AGAINST STIGMA BY USING PERSON FIRST LANGUAGE, PROVIDING A WELCOMING ATMOSPHERE FOR ALL, AND ENCOURAGING BUSINESSES TO PROVIDE JOBS TO THOSE IN RECOVERY.
AND WHEREAS WE ENCOURAGE RELATIVES AND FRIENDS OF PEOPLE WHO USE DRUGS TO IMPLEMENT PREVENTIVE PREVENTATIVE MEASURES, RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS OF OVERDOSE, AND BE PREPARED TO RESPOND WITH NALOXONE AND SUPPORT THEIR LOVED ONES IN ACCESSING APPROPRIATE TREATMENT, MEDICATIONS AND RECOVERY SUPPORT SERVICES AS OVERDOSES ARE PREVENTABLE AND RECOVERY AS POSSIBLE.
AND WHEREAS WE RECOGNIZE THAT NATIONAL RECOVERY MONTH INCREASES AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS REDUCES THE STIGMA FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER AND CELEBRATES PEOPLE IN RECOVERY.
AND WHEREAS SEPTEMBER 30TH IS RECOGNIZED AS THE NATIONAL RECOVERY DAY OF SERVICES, AND WHEREAS WARREN COALITION AND NORTHWESTERN PREVENTION COLLABORATIVE INVITE ALL WARREN COUNTY RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL RECOVERY MONTH DURING SEPTEMBER, 2023 AND THE NATIONAL RECOVERY DAY OF SERVICE.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE FRONT WORLD TOWN COUNCIL DOES HEREBY PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER, 2023 AS NATIONAL RECOVERY MONTH AND SEPTEMBER 30TH AS NATIONAL RECOVERY DAY OF SERVICE AND CALL UPON OUR RESIDENTS TO OBSERVE THESE OCCASIONS AND PARTICIPATE IN EVENTS AND PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT THIS YEAR'S OBSERVANCE.
MS. SHIFFLETT, I BELIEVE I'M GONNA BE PRESENTING THESE TO YOU.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO INVITE THE AUDIENCE AND THE MEMBERS OF THE TOWN COUNCIL.
WE ARE HAVING A RECOVERY COOKOUT AT THE RECOVERY HOUSE THAT WE OPENED IN MAY, THE LANDING ON THE 17TH OF MAY FROM ONE TO THREE O'CLOCK.
AND WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE PEOPLE IN RECOVERY, BUT ALSO PEOPLE JUST TO COME OUT AND SUPPORT THOSE WHO ARE DOING THE HARD WORK OF BEING IN RECOVERY.
GET TO MEET THOSE PEOPLE AND JUST LET THEM FEEL WHAT I FELT WHEN WE WERE APPEALING TO YOU ALL TO OPEN THE HOUSE TO BEGIN WITH.
SO I'D LOVE TO INVITE YOU ALL TO COME OUT AND MEET OUR RESIDENTS, HAVE A LITTLE FOOD, AND JUST CELEBRATE WITH US THAT THERE IS HOPE AND THERE IS RECOVERY.
KRISTA, I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, YOU SAID THE 17TH OF MAY.
MAY I PLEASE CHANGE WHAT I'M SAYING TO THE 17TH? GONNA BE ON WAY OFF, BUT I'LL PUT IT.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING SO CLOSELY.
YOU'RE LISTENING MORE CLOSELY TO ME THAN I AM.
[00:10:01]
17TH OF SEPTEMBER AT THE RECOVERY HOUSE, WHICH IS ON RURAL AVENUE TWO.
SO I'D LOVE TO HAVE PEOPLE THERE.
AND THANK YOU FOR THESE ABSOLUTELY.
THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO.
I MEAN ALL THOSE WHO SUPPORT YOU ALL IN THIS EFFORT, SO THANK YOU.
I'M SORRY, IS THAT A SUNDAY? THE 17TH? IT'S A SUNDAY.
IT'S A SUNDAY FROM ONE TO THREE.
ALRIGHT, SO I'M GONNA MOVE ON TO SIX C,
[6.C. Resolution to Dedicate/Name the N. Commerce Avenue Bridge in Honor and Memory of Sergeant Dennis Smedley]
WHICH IS THE RESOLUTION TO DEDICATE AND NAME THE NORTH COMMERCE AVENUE BRIDGE IN HONOR AND MEMORY OF SERGEANT DENNIS SMEDLEY.UH, VICE MAYOR LOC, WHO, UM, REALLY CARRIED THE BALL ON THIS PROJECT IS GONNA ACTUALLY READ THE RESOLUTION IF, IF YOU WANNA READ THAT, AND THEN WE'LL PRESENT IT TO THE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE.
THIS ONE MAY BE TOUGH RESOLUTION DEAD CASE TO NORTH COMMERCE AVENUE BRIDGE AND MEMORY OF SERGEANT DENNIS MICHAEL SMEDLEY.
WHEREAS DENNIS MICHAEL SMEDLEY WAS BORN DECEMBER 28TH, 1954 TO FRANCIS AND WANDA SMEDLEY.
AND WHEREAS MR. SMEDLEY WAS HIRED BY THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL POLICE DEPARTMENT ON OCTOBER 7TH, 1977 AS A PATROLMAN AFTER WORKING FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS SINCE MARCH OF 1976.
WHEREAS MR. SMEDLEY WAS PROMOTED TO THE POSITION OF SERGEANT SEPTEMBER 9TH, 1981.
AND WHEREAS AT 6:35 AM ON SEPTEMBER 20TH, 1983, SERGEANT DENNIS SMEDLEY RECEIVED GUNSHOTS ON HIS WAY TO WORK, ULTIMATELY SUCCUMBING TO THE WOUNDS AT 7:47 AM WHEREAS MR. SMEDLEY WAS THE POLICE OFFICER AND PUBLIC SERVANT WHO, WITHOUT A DOUBT PERFORMED DUTIES ACCORDINGLY, MAKING A COMMUNITY, MAKING OUR COMMUNITY A BETTER PLACE IN WHICH TO LIVE.
AND WHEREAS MRS. MR. SMEDLEY SACRIFICED HIS LIFE AND PAID HIM THE ULTIMATE PRICE, UH, TO, IN THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS DUTY, AND NOW THEREFORE BE, BE RESOLVED, THAT THE MAYOR AND TOWN COUN, UH, MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL DEDICATE TO NORTH COMMERCE AVENUE BRIDGE IN MEMORY OF 28 YEAR OLD FRONT ROYAL POLICE SERGEANT DENNIS MICHAEL SMEDLEY, WHO NOT ONLY FULFILLED THE DUTIES OF A SWORN POLICE OFFICER AND PUBLIC SERVANT AND, AND ANNOUNCED OUTSTANDING MANNER, BUT SACRIFICES LIFE AND THE LINE OF DUTY.
CAN I GET DENNIS'S TWO BROTHERS AND HIS SISTER UP HERE, PLEASE? AND WHOEVER ELSE WITH HIM WANTS TO COME UP A MINUTE.
[00:15:04]
ALL THREE.I'M GETTING READY TO ASK WHAT'S THE 20TH, RIGHT? 20TH.
LADIES, GENTLEMEN, I FORGOT TO TELL YOU THE, WELL, LET ME GET MY MIC ON.
UM, SO IF Y'ALL COME AFTER THAT, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
UH, AND THE REASON IS SEPTEMBER 20TH.
THAT'S 40 YEARS TO THE DAY I, SO IF Y'ALL COME OUT, APPRECIATE IT.
AND THANK YOU TO THE FAMILY FOR COMING THIS EVENING.
BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE PUBLIC HEARINGS, WE ACTUALLY, UH, FOR NUMBER FIVE, WHERE
[5. ADDITION/DELETION OF ITEMS FROM THE AGENDA OR REVISION TO ORDER OF BUSINESS]
WE HAD ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS OF ITEMS FROM THE AGENDA.UH, BECAUSE OUR EARLIER WORK DURING OUR CLOSING, UH, EARLIER THIS EVENING, UM, WE WERE NOT FINISHED WITH THAT BUSINESS BEFORE WE HAD TO COME AND BEGIN.
UM, OUR COUNCIL MEETING, WE, UH, NEED TO ADD FOR OUR SECOND CLOSE AT THE END OF THE EVENING, THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND FRONT ROW E D A, UM, MR. SAUNA, IS THAT ENOUGH THAT I DID THAT, OR DOES, DO WE HAVE TO, DO WE HAVE TO VOTE ON ADDING THAT ADDITION? A VOTE, PLEASE.
SO BEFORE WE VOTE ON THAT, WE NEED TO VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION, RIGHT? RIGHT.
SO, MS. PRESLEY, WE'LL DO ROLL CALL FOR ITEM SIX C, THE RESOLUTION TO DEDICATE AND NAME THE NORTH COMMERCE AVENUE BRIDGE IN HONOR AND MEMORY OF SERGEANT DENNIS BECKETT.
CAN I GET A MOTION IN A SECOND FOR THIS? YES.
UM, TO ACCEPT THE RESOLUTION FOR SERGEANT MIKE DENNIS MICHAELS SMITH SECOND.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND WE HAVE A SECOND.
COUNCIL COUNCILMAN DE DAMON PAYNE.
NOW THE ADDITION TO THE, UM, CLOSED MEETING MOTION THAT DOES TAKE A VOTE, CORRECT? MR. SONNET? IT DOES.
SO, UM, IF ONE OF MY COUNCIL MEMBERS COULD MAKE THE MOTION TO ADD THIS ITEM, UM, MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE ADD TO OUR CLOSED SESSION ITEM NUMBER 12, UM, PURSUANT TO 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 A, ONE OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE DISCUSSION, CONSIDERATION, ASSIGNMENT, APPOINTMENT, PROMOTION, PERFORMANCE, DEMOTION, SALARIES, DISCIPLINING, OR RESIGNATION OF SPECIFIC PUBLIC OFFICERS, APPOINTEES OR EMPLOYEES OF ANY PUBLIC BODY.
MORE SPECIFICALLY THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE FRONT ROYAL E D A.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
CAN WE DO A ROLL? UH, THERE'S PROBABLY NO NEED FOR DISCUSSION.
EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHY MS. PRESLEY, IF YOU CAN DO A ROLL CALL.
COUNCILWOMAN DE DAMON PAYNE? YES.
SO NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO OUR, UM, PUBLIC HEARING SECTION TONIGHT, AS LENGTHY AS IT IS.
UM, SO I'M GONNA READ A FEW COMMENTS FIRST BEFORE WE START.
UH, PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNSEL TO LEARN OF INFORMATION OF WHICH THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY AWARE.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE WAIT UNTIL YOU ARE RECOGNIZED, THEN COME FORWARD TO THE MICROPHONE AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
IF THE COMMENTS YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE, YOU MAY SIMPLY SAY THAT YOU AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER.
THERE IS A THREE MINUTE TIME LIMIT FOR SPEAKERS.
AT THE END OF THE THREE MINUTES.
WHEN THE TIMER GOES OFF, YOU'LL HAVE AN ADDITIONAL 30 SECONDS.
AND THEN DWAYNE WILL KINDLY, UM,
[00:20:01]
CUT THE MICROPHONE OFF.UH, I'M JUST GONNA REMIND EVERYBODY TO SPEAK TO COUNSEL ABOUT THE ISSUE.
NO PERSONAL ATTACKS AND DECOROUS LANGUAGE, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
OR, OR OTHER DISRUPTIVE CONDUCT.
ALL RIGHT, MR. PRESLEY, IF YOU CAN, UM, READ THE FIRST SUMMARY FOR ITEM SEVEN A, A SPECIAL
[7.A. Special Use Permit to Allow a Short-Term Rental at 912 Virginia Avenue – Joseph Chetupuzha]
USE PERMIT TO ALLOW A SHORT-TERM RENTAL.AT NINE 12 VIRGINIA AVENUE, COUNSEL'S RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM JOSEPH CHEA, AND I'M SORRY IF I MISPRONOUNCED THAT FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO ALLOW SHORT-TERM RENTAL AT NINE 12 VIRGINIA AVENUE, THE PROPERTY IS ZONED R DASH THREE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT.
THE APPLICANT PLANS TO RENT OUT THREE BEDROOMS WITH NO MORE THAN SIX OCCUPANTS AT ONE TIME.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED DENIAL OF THE APPLICATION BASED ON LACK OF ADEQUATE PARKING.
I'M GONNA OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
MS. PRESLEY, HAS ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WE HAVE NO ONE SIGNED UP, SIR.
ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO SPEAK TO SEVEN A, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME ON OUT? GOOD EVENING.
UH, I WANTED TO THANK, COULD YOU SAY THAT LAST NAME AGAIN, JUST SO I'LL KNOW FOR FUTURE JADA PERRA.
I WANTED TO THANK THE TOWN COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERING MY APPLICATION AT 9 1 2 VIRGINIA AVENUE.
WHEN I BEGAN THIS APPLICATION PROCESS, I INTENDED TO LIVE IN THE PROPERTY AND HAVE THE OPTION OF RENTING OUT ROOMS FOR SHORT-TERM RENTAL.
BUT ONCE I WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PARKING REQUIREMENT, I WOULD NEED FIVE SPACES BECAUSE I HAVE THREE BEDROOMS. IF I WANTED TO OCCUPY IT IN, IN IT AS WELL, UH, I SWITCHED MY APPLICATION TO ONE THAT WOULD GIVE ME THE OPTION TO RENT OUT THE WHOLE HOUSE.
HAVING THREE BEDROOMS AND ONLY TWO PARKING SPACES, I INTEND TO ONLY RENT OUT MY PROPERTY TO ONE FAMILY AND WILL MAKE CLEAR IN, IN THE LISTING IF APPROVED, THAT THERE IS ONLY, UH, THAT THERE WAS ONLY SPACE FOR TWO CARS.
IF AN DOCUMENT DOES BRING MORE THAN TWO CARS AND IMPEDES EITHER MY NIG NEIGHBOR'S PARKING SPACE OR THE COMMON AREA, I WILL COORDINATE TO HAVE SAID CAR REMOVED SWIFTLY.
I I AM HOPING THAT THE TOWN COUNCIL WILL GIVE MY APPLICATION A PARKING EXCEPTION SO THAT I WILL HAVE THE OPTION TO HAVE A SHORT-TERM RENTAL AT MY PROPERTY.
IF THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE, I, I ASK IF IT IS POSSIBLE TO AMEND THE APPLICATION SO THAT I AM ONLY ABLE TO RENT OUT TWO BEDROOMS TO SATISFY THE PARKING REQUIREMENT.
SO, MS. KAKI, WHERE'S MS. KA? OKAY.
SO, UM, IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH HE WANTS TO AMEND HIS APPLICATION.
UM, WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US, THE SUMMARY IS TO RENT OUT THREE BEDROOMS. UM, BUT THAT'S NO LONGER THE CASE.
IS THAT WHAT I UNDER, IS THAT HOW I'M INTERPRETING WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS YOU REALLY, YOU WANT TO ONLY RENT OUT ONE BEDROOM SO THAT THE PARKING YOU HAVE AVAILABLE WOULD MEET OUR ORDINANCE.
SO I WAS HOPING TO HAVE AN EXCEPTION IF POSSIBLE BECAUSE I ONLY INTEND TO RENT OUT TO ONE FAMILY.
I DON'T KNOW, THEY MIGHT USE THREE BEDROOMS, BUT ONLY TWO, TWO PARKING, UM, TWO CARS MAX IS WHAT I WOULD MAKE CLEAR.
IF THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE, THEN I, I WOULD ASK IF IT'S POSSIBLE FOR ME TO AMEND MY APPLICATION.
SO BEFORE US IS STILL THIS, THIS APPLICATION? CORRECT.
I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE UNDERSTANDING WHAT HE'S ASKING FOR.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT WISHES TO SPEAK ABOUT SEVEN A? ANYBODY? OKAY.
I'M GONNA CLOSE THE HEARING AND THEN OPEN IT UP TO COUNCIL.
DO I HEAR A MOTION MADAM MAYOR? I MOVE THAT COUNCIL, APPROVE THE REQUEST FROM JOSEPH.
CHAD, I'M NOT GONNA BE ABLE, I'M CHADA, HOW DO YOU SAY IT? CHEA PERRA FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO ALLOW A SHORT-TERM RENTAL AT NINE 12 VIRGINIA AVENUE TAX MAP.
20 A FIVE DASH THREE DASH THREE EIGHT DASH SIX A ONE AS PRESENTED.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION, WE HAVE A SECOND.
AND NOW I'M GONNA OPEN UP FOR DISCUSSION FOR COUNSEL.
SO IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION IN REGARDS TO THIS APPLICATION FOR, UM, SPECIAL USE PERMIT? UH, MADAM MAYOR? YES.
WE, WE, AS WE DISCUSSED IN OUR WORK SESSION, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO RETURN TO LOOKING AT THE, THE PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR, UM, AIRBNBS OR SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
UM, AND I FEEL THAT WHAT THE, THE RESIDENT HAS PROPOSED IS VERY LOGICAL.
THAT'S TYPICALLY WHAT PEOPLE DO.
THEY COME IN WITH ONE FAMILY, RENT ONE HOUSE, AND, UM, HAVE ONE, MAYBE TWO CARS.
SO I FEEL LIKE THAT THAT'S A VERY REASONABLE REQUEST.
[00:25:02]
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS TOPIC? NO, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY, UM, MADAM MAYOR, THAT, UH, THE, THE TWO, YOU KNOW, THE TWO SPOTS FOR PARKING, THAT WAS THE ONE, ONE DISCUSSION THAT POINT I HAD.WE, WE WENT THIS WORK SESSION, BUT, UH, I JUST LIKE TO ASK THE APPLICANT, I MAY THAT THE, UH, THE CURRENT PARKING THERE FOR, FOR, FOR OCCUPANTS IS ONLY TWO SPOTS PER, PER HOUSE ANYWAYS.
THAT'S WHAT, 'CAUSE THAT'S WHEN I DROVE BY THERE AND DID, DID A QUICK LOOK.
THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE TO ME.
SO ANY PARKING ISSUE YOU WOULD HAVE, EVEN WITH YOUR CURRENT OCCUPANTS, PEOPLE LIVE THERE.
I TAKE IT PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, WOULD GET TOWED ANYWAY, SO, SO, OKAY.
THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION BY COUNSEL? I HAVE DO YOU WANT TO GO FIRST? NO, GO AHEAD.
SO, UM, I DO RESPECT THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION OF, UM, DENIAL FOR THE APPLICATION BASED ON THE LACK OF ADEQUATE PARKING DUE TO THE TOWN CODE.
UM, WE IMPLEMENTED THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROCESS HERE IN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO.
UM, AND WE KNEW WHEN IT WAS LAUNCHED THAT THERE WOULD BE THINGS TO WORK THROUGH AND SOME HURDLES TO OVERCOME, AS WE DISCUSSED AT THE LAST WORK SESSION FOR THE PUBLIC HERE TONIGHT AND THOSE WATCHING AT HOME, UM, OUR PARKING CODE CURRENTLY DOES NOT MAKE SENSE.
UM, AS WE'VE DISCUSSED MANY TIMES, THERE ARE A LOT OF RESIDENTIAL HOMES IN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL THAT DON'T EVEN HAVE DRIVEWAYS AT ALL.
UM, FURTHERMORE, ONE CAR PER BEDROOM IS THE CURRENT CODE.
AND, UM, WHEN I STAY IN AN AIRBNB, YOU KNOW, MY CHILDREN HAVE ONE OR TWO BEDROOMS AND THEY DON'T EVEN DRIVE A CAR.
THEY CAN'T LEGALLY DRIVE A CAR.
AND THEN AS JOSH MENTIONED, ONE OF THE OTHER POINTS THAT I OFTEN MAKE IS THAT IF, UM, JOSEPH WERE TO RENT THIS HOUSE OUT AS A LONG-TERM RENTAL, WE WOULD HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO SAY OVER WHAT HAPPENED AT THIS PROPERTY, UM, HOW IT'S MAINTAINED.
THERE'S NO STANDARD NECESSARILY WITH THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
IT CAN BE REVOKED AT ANY TIME.
UM, I'M HIGHLY IN FAVOR OF PROPERTY OWNERS' RIGHTS, UM, AND AS I'VE SAID FROM THE DIOCESE MANY TIMES BEFORE, WHEN WE'VE GRANTED THESE EXCEPTIONS DURING C O V I D UNDER GOVERNOR HAM'S ADMINISTRATION, THE VIRGINIA RESIDENTIAL LANDLORD AND TENANT ACT WAS IN PLACE AND IT STILL REMAINS IN PLACE TO THIS DAY.
AND AS A RESULT, IF YOU HAVE A LONG-TERM RENTER IN YOUR PROPERTY, THEY CAN CEASE MAKING THEIR RENTAL PAYMENTS AND THEY CAN DESTROY YOUR PROPERTY OR DO WHATEVER THEY SO WISH, AND THEY HAVE RIGHTS AS A TENANT.
SO HAVING THIS SHORT-TERM RENTAL, UM, IS A BLANKET OF PROTECTION FOR LANDLORDS TO PROTECT THEIR PROPERTY, TO EVICT PEOPLE AS NECESSARY.
UM, AND AS WE'VE SEEN ALL ACROSS THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL, THE STANDARDS OF HOUSING HAVE REALLY RAISED, SINCE WE IMPLEMENTED THE SHORT TERM RENTALS, PEOPLE ARE TAKING CARE OF THEIR PROPERTIES SO THEY CAN MAKE THE MAXIMUM DOLLAR OFF OF THOSE.
I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ANY LANDLORD, UM, WHO HAS A HOME HERE WHO DOESN'T WANT IT TO BE IN ITS BEST KEPT SHAPE.
SO I THINK IN AN EFFORT TO KEEP FRONT ROYAL BUSINESS FRIENDLY, TOURISM FRIENDLY, TO HAVE PEOPLE COME HERE, SPEND THEIR MONEY, STAY THE NIGHT AND GO HOME, UH, THIS IS A HUGE ASSET TO THE TOWN AND, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S OWNED BY SOMEBODY LOCAL AND WHO'S MANAGING THE PROPERTY LOCAL.
SO THANK YOU FOR INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT, DID YOU OFFER, UH, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THAT THE, OUR PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, DID THEIR DUE DI DUE DILIGENCE AND, UH, THE ORDINANCE IS CLEAR.
UH, THERE IS LACK OF OFF STREET PARKING AND, UH, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL I'D SAY ABOUT IT.
IS THERE ANY, ANY OTHER, UH, DISCUSSION? COUNCILMAN ROGERS? MADAM MAYOR? UH, I ALSO THINK THE, UH, UH, THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID THEIR DUE DILIGENCE.
I, I THINK THERE'S A CONCERN IN, IN PARTICULAR ON VIRGINIA AVENUE THAT, UH, PARKING ON THAT STREET IN THIS AREA IS, IS, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY, UH, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT LACK OF, OF PARKING.
SO I'M CONCERNED WITH, UH, THE NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL CARS.
NOW, I ALSO, UH, SALUTE YOU FOR INVESTING IN THIS COMMUNITY, BUT I, I ALSO DON'T WANT TO IMPACT THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IF WE CAN TALK ABOUT AN AMENDMENT TO THIS AS YOU INDICATED, I WOULD BE VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF THAT.
AND IF WE CAN INCLUDE THAT, UH, I WOULD, UH, READILY SUPPORT YOU.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION BY COUNSEL? OKAY, MS. PRESLEY, I THINK WE'RE READY FOR A VOTE.
VOTING ON AN AMENDMENT TO, TO THIS OR CAN YOU GIMME GUIDANCE ON HOW THAT HAPPENS? YES.
UM, ACTUALLY, UH, THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR WAS THAT I MOVE THAT COUNSEL APPROVE THE REQUEST FROM JOSEPH TO APPROVE, AND THERE'S, IT'S R ISN'T IT Z? NOT Z H.
[00:30:01]
FROM A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO ALLOW A SHORT TERM RENTAL AT NINE 12 VIRGINIA AVENUE AS PRESENTED.UM, AND SO THE AS PRESENTED, I'M ASSUMING IS THE SUMMARY THAT SAYS THE, THAT UH, THAT THE APPLICANT PLANS TO RENT OUT THREE BEDROOMS WITH NO MORE THAN SIX OCCUPANTS AT ONE TIME, RIGHT? YES.
IS THAT, DID I CLARIFY? YOU DID.
OKAY, MS. PRESSLEY, I BELIEVE WE'RE READY.
COUNCILWOMAN DE DAMON PAYNE? YES.
CAN WE ACCEPT AN AMENDED VERSION OF THIS AT COUNCIL TONIGHT? WELL, TO ADDRESS THE REQUEST AT THE, UH, THE HUNG GEORGE IS DONE, I THINK, I THINK WE, I THINK WE HAVE A TY VOTE AT THIS POINT.
SO THAT NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED FIRST.
UM, AND SO I, UM, I'M GONNA VOTE YES.
SO, UM, THAT'S PROBABLY ENDS THAT DISCUSSION I'M GONNA SAY.
[7.B. Special Use Permit to Allow a Short-Term Rental at 417 Kerfoot Avenue – Mesa Rose Coral]
SEVEN B.UH, THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO ALLOW A SHORT, SHORT-TERM RENTAL AT FOUR 17 CURWOOD AVENUE BY MESA ROSE CORAL? NO, ONCE IT'S ONCE THE NO, WAYNE, ONCE I VOTED IT, THAT WAS IT.
MS. PRESLEY, I'M GOING TO, UH, HAVE YOU READ THE SUMMARY.
COUNSEL'S RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM MESA CORAL ROSE FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO ALLOW A SHORT-TERM RENTAL AT FOUR 17 CURF AVENUE.
THE PROPERTY IS ZONED R DASH ONE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT.
THE APPLICANT IS RENTING OUT TWO BEDROOMS WITH NO MORE THAN FOUR OCCUPANTS AT ONE TIME.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED DENIAL OF THE APPLICATION BASED ON LACK OF ADEQUATE PARKING.
OKAY, I'M GONNA OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.
MR. PRESLEY, HAS ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO, NO ONE SIGNED UP.
OKAY, SIR, ANYONE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK WITH REGARDS TO THIS APPLICATION? I JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, IS THE APPLICANT HERE? I DON'T BELIEVE SO BECAUSE SHE WAS PART OF THIS WAS SHE WAS GOING, YEAH, SHE MOVED.
IS SHE? UH, YEAH, SO FOR, ALRIGHT.
UM, SO NO ONE WISHES TO SPEAK.
I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND I'M GONNA OPEN IT UP TO COUNSEL.
DO I HEAR A MOTION? I MOVE THAT COUNSEL, APPROVE THE REQUEST FROM MESA CORAL ROSE FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO ALLOW A SHORT TERM RENTAL AT 4 1 7 KER FOOT AVENUE TAX MAP.
TWO ZERO A SIX DASH SEVEN DASH 41 AND 42 AS PRESENTED.
OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND NOW DISCUSSION FROM COUNSEL.
MADAM MAYOR, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD, FOR THOSE WHO DIDN'T SEE THE WORK SESSION THAT THIS APPLICANT IS, UM, A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHY WE IMPLEMENTED SHORT-TERM RENTALS HERE IN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL.
SHE IS SOMEONE WHO LIVES HERE LOCALLY AND BOUGHT A HOUSE AND THEN GOT ACCEPTED INTO COLLEGE AND DIDN'T INTEND TO BE MOVING.
HOWEVER, SHE STILL WANTS A HOME TO RETURN TO WHEN SHE'S HOME FOR THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS AND SUMMER AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
UM, SO AGAIN, SHE WILL BE OCCUPYING THE HOME A PERCENTAGE OF THE YEAR.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S NO GREATER INVESTMENT THAN THAT.
AND AS I'VE MENTIONED MANY, MANY TIMES OVER THE LAST YEAR THERE, THERE'S NOT ANY MOTELS ON THE TOWN LIMITS OF FRONT ROYAL THAT I WOULD PUT MY FAMILY UP IN.
SO HAVING THIS HOME ON CUR FOOT AVENUE WHERE THERE'S AMPLE OVERFLOW PARKING ON THE STREET ACROSS FROM THE SKATE PARK IS A PERFECT PLACE TO DO SO.
AND AGAIN, THERE'S LESS OCCUPANTS THAT ARE GONNA BE RENTING THIS ONE THAN THE LAST ONE WE JUST VOTED ON.
UM, SO THAT'S WHY I'M IN FAVOR OF THIS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO, UH, OFFER DISCUSSION, UH, ON THIS APPLICATION? YES, MADAM MAYOR.
I'D LIKE TO ADD THAT, UH, AND THIS IS WHAT WE, PRIOR TO THE, UH, OR TO THE PRIOR, UH, APPLICANT, UH, WITH THE POINT OF PARKING, UH, THIS, THIS PROPERTY IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF IF THIS WERE TO BE RENTED OUT AS A LONG-TERM RENTAL, PARKING WOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE, BUT TO RENT IT OUT AS A SHORT-TERM RENTAL PER OUR CURRENT CODE.
YEAH, THERE IS A QUESTION OF PARKING AS A SHORT-TERM RENTAL.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S THE POINT WE'RE TRYING TO REITERATE, AND THAT'S THE POINT THAT WE REALLY NEED TO GET STRAIGHTENED OUT EVENTUALLY.
BUT, UH, JUST THE LOGIC IN THAT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, TO ME, IT, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE WHY YOU, IF IT WAS RENTED LONG TERM PARKING WOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE.
IF IT'S RENTED SHORT TERM, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S, IT'S GOT HOLDER OUR STANDARDS.
SO YES, WE DO HAVE TO ADDRESS THAT AS A COUNCIL.
[00:35:01]
JUST WANNA MAKE THAT POINT THAT, UH, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF, OF THAT, OF THAT, UH, DISCUSSION WHAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING.SO ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WISH TO OFFER DISCUSSION? ONCE AGAIN? UH, MADAM MAYOR, UH, UH, THE CODE IS CLEAR.
UH, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE, UH, HAVING OFF STREET PARKING.
WE DO NOT HAVE OFF STREET PARKING AT THAT ADDRESS.
UH, I BELIEVE I, I READ IN THE, IN THE, UH, APPLICATION THAT THEY INTEND TO USE THE TWO SPACES IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE.
ANYONE CAN PARK ON A PUBLIC STREET.
THERE'S TWO DRIVEWAY PARKING SPACES THERE, THERE IS NO PARKING THERE AT FOUR 17.
NO, IT'S, IT'S A FRONTAGE, UH, COUNCILMAN MORRIS.
UH, THAT'S MY, MY ONLY POINT IS, UH, THERE'S NO, NO OFF STREET PARKING.
ANYBODY ELSE? ANY OTHER COUNSEL? OH, I'M SORRY.
I I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU, PLEASE.
THE ORDINANCE, YOU MEAN? THE ORDINANCE? YES.
ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WISH TO OFFER? OKAY.
LET ME, LET ME MAKE A, A COMMENT BEYOND THIS SPECIFIC PROPERTY.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE TWO NOW, AND THERE'S GONNA BE A BOATLOAD MOWER AT SOME POINT HERE.
WE HAVE SERIOUS PARKING ISSUES AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS THEM.
UH, IT, IT'S A COMBINATION OF THINGS.
THERE IS, I DON'T BELIEVE ANYONE ON THIS COUNCIL WANTS TO INTERFERE IN THE, UH, IN THE BUSINESS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, HOWEVER, WE'VE GOT CODES AND WE HAVE ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AGAIN, THIS IS A PROPERTY THAT DOES NOT HAVE PARKING AVAILABLE.
AND, UH, WITH THAT, UH, I WOULD AGREE THAT, THAT THE ZONING REGULATIONS HOLD, UH, UNTIL THIS COUNCIL OR THIS COMMUNITY ADDRESSES SOME OF THE PARKING NEEDS AND ZONING ISSUES THAT WE'RE FACING NOW WITH, AS, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, MORRIS INDICATED, WE, WE ADOPTED THIS PROGRAM SPECIAL USE PERMIT PROGRAM OVER A YEAR AGO.
IT'S A FANTASTIC PROGRAM WHEN IT'S RIGHT.
UH, AND AS WE'RE GETTING, GETTING A SENSE OF WE NEED TO ADJUST SOME THINGS, UH, BEFORE WE JUST GO AHEAD AND BEGIN TO, UH, ALTER NEIGHBORHOOD PARKING.
IS THERE ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WISH TO SPEAK REGARD? UM, MY LAST PIECE OF INFORMATION WOULD BE THAT SINCE WE HAVE BEEN GRANTING THESE THUS FAR, UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S CLEARLY AN ORDINANCE ISSUE.
I RESPECT THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THEIR RULING TO FOLLOW THE CODE.
HOWEVER, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS, UH, SINCE WE REALIZED IT WAS AN ISSUE.
WE TALK ABOUT THE REQUIREMENT OF OFF STREET PARKING, AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, ABOUT HALF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL DOESN'T EVEN HAVE OFF STREET PARKING.
THERE ARE HOUSES THAT DO NOT HAVE DRIVEWAYS.
UM, THEIR PRIMARY MEANS OF PARKING IS BESIDE THE CURB.
UM, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO PICK AND CHOOSE WHO WE ENFORCE IT WITH AT THIS POINT.
UM, SO UNTIL THE ORDINANCE CAN BE CORRECTED GOING FORWARD, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE FAIR TO DENY THESE.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK, UM, BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE? I, I JUST WANTED TO OFFER, UM, I, I WAS SITTING ON COUNCIL WHEN THE SHORT TERM RENTAL, UM, CAME BEFORE US.
AND, UM, WE SPENT MANY, MANY, MANY MONTHS DISCUSSING THIS AND TRYING TO BRING IT, UM, FORWARD AND, AND WITH THE RIGHT, UM, WITH, WITH THE RIGHT INTENTIONS.
AND WE GOT TO A POINT WHERE WE RECOGNIZED THAT WE WERE GOING TO LAUNCH IT.
AND IF THERE WERE THINGS THAT WE RECOGNIZED AFTER DOING THIS THAT, UM, HAD ISSUES OR PROBLEMS WITH THE ORDINANCE, THAT WE COULD GO BACK AND WORK ON THAT, UM, SORT OF LIKE A LIVING DOCUMENT, EVEN THOUGH IT, IT IS AN ORDINANCE.
SO I RECOGNIZE THAT, UM, I THINK TIME AND TIME, NOT EVERY SHORT-TERM RENTAL HAS PARKING, UH, BECOME AN ISSUE.
BUT AS COUNCILWOMAN MOORE SAID, PROBABLY MORE THAN HAVEN'T, UH, WE, THERE'S BEEN AN ISSUE WITH PARKING.
I CERTAINLY RESPECT ALL THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS, AND AS SOMEBODY ELSE MENTIONED, THEY ARE, UH, DOING THEIR JOB LOOKING
[00:40:01]
AT THE ORDINANCE.UM, BUT WE DID RECOGNIZE AND EVEN DISCUSSED IT AT THE LAST WORK SESSION THAT, UM, WE WOULD NEED TO PUT, WE WERE GONNA NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS AGAIN AND WORK ON THIS.
AS SOMEBODY ELSE MENTIONED, TOWN STREETS.
UM, ANYBODY CAN PARK ON THE TOWN STREET.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT I RECOMMEND THAT YOU GO PARK ANY IN FRONT OF ANYBODY ELSE'S HOUSE, BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT PEOPLE CAN, UH, SO I I JUST WANTED TO OFFER THAT, UH, IN, IN RECOGNIZING THAT, UM, THAT THIS MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE NEED TO REVISIT.
UM, WE DON'T WANNA INCONVENIENCE ANY OF OUR RESIDENTS.
UM, BUT AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, I, ANYBODY CAN PARK IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE.
THEY CAN'T PARK IN FRONT OF MY DRIVEWAY OR IN MY DRIVEWAY, BUT THEY CAN PARK IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE.
SO, UM, IF THERE'S NO OTHER DISCUSSION, MS. PRESLEY, ARE YOU READY FOR A VOTE? IS THERE MORE POINT, POINT OF INFORMATION? OKAY.
I JUST ALSO WOULD LIKE FOR THE PUBLIC WHO AREN'T AWARE TO KNOW THAT IN THE YEAR THAT WE'VE LAUNCHED THIS, WE'VE HAD ZERO COMPLAINTS TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT FOR ANY OF THE PROPERTIES APPROVED WITH EXCEPTIONS AND WITHOUT.
AND WE'VE HAD ZERO LAW ENFORCEMENT CALLS TO ANY OF THE PROPERTIES AS WELL.
UH, YOU KNOW, UH, SINCE, SINCE I'VE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS, WHICH IS EVEN BEFORE I WAS ON COUNCIL, UH, WE CAN MAKE EXCEPTIONS TILL THE COWS COME HOME, BUT, UH, THE CODE IS THE CODE, AND UNTIL WE CHANGE THE CODE, WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE CODE.
AND IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THERE'S NO OFF STREET PARKING, BUT I FEEL FOR THE APPLICANT.
UH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UH, YOU HAVE TO DRAW A LINE AT SOME POINT, UH, WHEN YOU'RE MAKING ALL THESE EXCEPTIONS.
SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH, UH, ALL, THAT'S MY FINAL COMMENT TONIGHT.
AS, AS I I RECOGNIZE IN THE SUMMARY IT SAYS, RENTING OUT TWO BEDROOMS WITH NO MORE THAN FOUR OCCUPANTS AT ONE TIME.
IT'S TWO BEDROOMS, NO MORE THAN FOUR.
UM, I'M THINKING TWO CARS MAX, RIGHT? UNLESS, UNLESS ALL FOUR OCCUPANTS ARE GONNA DRIVE A CAR THERE FOR TWO BEDROOMS, I DON'T KNOW.
UM, SO, AND RIGHT NOW THE OWNER WOULD HAVE ONE VEHICLE, SO THERE'S ALREADY ONE OCCUPANT THERE.
SO, ANYWAY, AND, AND AS, UH, VICE MAYOR
UM, I GREW UP ONE DUNCAN AVENUE UNTIL WE MOVED ACROSS TOWN.
MS. PRESLEY, ARE YOU READY FOR MM-HMM.
I WOULD JUST REITERATE AS I HAVE WITH EVERY SINGLE ONE, THAT IF THIS LANDLORD MADE THIS A LONG-TERM RENTAL, WE WOULD HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO GOVERNANCE OVER THE PROPERTY.
THEY COULD HAVE 10 CARS AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO FIND WHERE THEY PARKED, AND IT WAS THEIR JOB TO DO SO, AND WE WOULDN'T BE GOVERNING THAT.
SO AGAIN, THE ISSUE IS THE ORDINANCE AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT.
AND I UNDERSTAND THE REASON FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S VOTE, BUT IN OUR DUE DILIGENCE IN GOVERNING, DO WE WANNA BE ABLE TO RESTRICT IT AND PULL BACK THE SS U P WHEN AND IF IT BECOMES AN ISSUE? OR DO WE WANT THEM TO PUT A LONG-TERM TENANT IN THERE WHO HAS 10 VEHICLES AND TEARS THE PLACE UP IT? THAT'S IT.
ANYBODY ELSE? ALL RIGHT, MS. PRESSLEY, LET'S DO A ROLL CALL.
COUNCILWOMAN DE DAMON PAYNE? YES.
AND THE MAYOR'S GONNA BREAK THE TIE WITH THE YES.
[7.C. Special Use Permit to Allow Two Dwelling Units to be Located on the Ground Floor at 1127 N. Royal Avenue – Independence Realty LLC]
C, WHICH IS A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO ALLOW TWO DWELLING UNITS TO BE LOCATED ON THE GROUND FLOOR AT 1127 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE.UH, MS. PRESLEY, CAN YOU READ THE SUMMARY? COUNSEL'S RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM INDEPENDENCE REALTY L L C FOR TWO DWELLING UNITS TO BE LOCATED ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF 1127 NORTH WORLD AVENUE.
THE PROPERTY IS ZONED C DASH ONE COMMUNITY BUSINESS DISTRICT AND LOCATED IN THE ENTRANCE CORRIDOR OVERLAY DISTRICT STAFF CONDUCTED A PROPERTY MAINTENANCE INSPECTION MARCH 2ND, 2023, AND FOUND THE SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING UNIT HAD BEEN CONVERTED INTO A MULTI-FAMILY DWELLING UNITS WITHOUT OBTAINING A ZONING PERMIT.
THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT IS REQUIRED FOR GROUND FLOOR RESIDENTIAL USES THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS.
NUMBER ONE, APPLICANT SUBMITS A PARKING
[00:45:01]
AGREEMENT WITH ADJOINING PROPERTY OWNER FOR AN ADDITIONAL TWO PARKING SPACES.AND NUMBER TWO, THE APPLICANT ENLARGES THE CURRENT PARKING AREA TO ACCOMMODATE FOUR SPACES.
I'M GONNA OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
MS. PRESLEY, HAS ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WE HAVE ONE.
UM, IT'S DEAL WITH A D I'M SO SORRY.
UM, WE HAVE EXTENDED THE PARKING.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY GET ALL SIX CARS IN THAT SECTION.
WE ACTUALLY OWN THE PROPERTY NEXT TO US WHERE WE WERE ASKING, AND WE ALREADY OFFERED THAT TO OUR TENANTS IN BOTH SETS OF BUILDINGS AS AN OVERFLOW PARKING.
I DON'T HAVE A NEW SURVEY FOR YOU, BUT I CAN SHOW YOU THE PICTURES OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE.
AND WHEN WE RENT THAT OUT, WE DO RESTRICT THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE ONE BEDROOM UNITS AND IT'S A HANDICAPPED GENTLEMAN WHO'S IN A WHEELCHAIR, AND HIS WIFE RECENTLY GOT A VEHICLE BECAUSE THERE WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, PROBLEMS WITH THE, THE TRANSPORTATION.
SO IN ORDER TO GET HIM TO AND FROM, SHE DID GO AHEAD AND GET A VEHICLE.
BUT YOU GUYS ARE WELCOME TO LOOK AT THESE PICTURES AND ASK ANY QUESTIONS.
I DON'T KNOW, JUST, JUST OVER THERE.
UM, AND THE OTHER PERSON, WE HAVE, UH, JUST ONE OTHER SINGLE PERSON AND THE OTHER ONES THAT ONE VEHICLE.
SO, UM, EVEN THOUGH THE REQUIREMENT, I GUESS WE WERE TOLD IT'S A MINIMUM, WE HAVE TO HAVE TWO PARKING SPACES FOR EACH BEDROOM, BUT WE ONLY RENT OUT TO SINGLE PEOPLE AND THAT'S IT.
SO THAT WOULD BE ONE CAR TO ALLOW FOR VISITORS AND SO FORTH.
AND, UM, THE ONLY COMPLAINT WE HAD, UNFORTUNATELY, WAS BROUGHT ON BY AN UNHAPPY TENANT WHO NO LONGER IS WITH US AND EVERYBODY'S HAPPY.
SO, AND IT'S, WHEN WE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY, IT WAS ALREADY A MULTI-USE PROPERTY AND IT HAD BEEN, I THINK SINCE 2005 AND WE BOUGHT IT IN 2015.
SO, UM, BEFORE WE, UM, AND I, I ACTUALLY WILL, UH, WATCH THE PLANNING COMMISSION WHERE YOU SPOKE.
SO, UM, BEFORE WE ALLOW ANYBODY ELSE TO SPEAK, DOES COUNSEL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT WHILE THEY'RE HERE? I DO.
HOW MUCH DID IT COST YOU TO EXTEND THE PARKING TO DO THIS? I DON'T KNOW THE FIGURES, BUT I, I KNOW IT WAS SEVERAL WEEKS OF, UH, THE MILLINGS AND THE RIP WRAP THAT WAS REQUIRED AND THE OTHER STUFF THEY STUCK DOWN THERE TO DO THAT, UH, I WOULD SAY CLOSE TO $10,000.
FOR THE PRICE OF, WE HAD PEOPLE COMING FROM MANASAS TO DO THIS.
WE HAD TO TRY TO WORK AROUND PEOPLE'S SCHEDULES.
ONE OF THE TENANTS AS A SURGEON, AND SHE WORKS, YOU KNOW, AND WE CAN'T MAKE HER MOVE.
SO IF WE DIDN'T CATCH HER IN THE MORNING BEFORE SHE WENT TO GO TO SLEEP AFTER BEING UP, WE DID NOT BOTHER HER.
AND MY NEXT QUESTION WAS, YOU SAID YOU BROUGHT THIS IN 2015 AND IT HAD BEEN A MULTI-USE SINCE 2005 AT LEAST.
WELL, THAT WAS THE LAST SET OF RECORDS THAT I UNDERSTOOD ANYTHING WAS ON FILE.
AND FROM WHAT I SAW, IT HAD BEEN A MULTI-USE BEFORE THAT MM-HMM.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF HE WAS SELLING IT OR RENTING IT, I DON'T RECALL AS COMMERCIAL, BUT AT SOME POINT IT, IT WENT TO A MULTI-USE BUILDING AS RENTALS AND THAT'S HOW WE PURCHASED IT.
AND SO YOU HAD TO APPLY FOR THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
JUST SO I UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE THERE WAS A COMPLAINT CALLED IN THAT YOU GUYS WEREN'T USING A SPECIAL USE PERMIT OR WHATEVER TO THE ZONE.
AND DECIDED TO DO WHAT SHE COULD TO CAUSE TROUBLE.
SO THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS FOR ME.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT? YEAH.
SO THE, UH, THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT YOU MADE IN THE DRIVEWAY, WERE THOSE, WERE THOSE DONE, UH, AFTER YOUR SUBMISSION, I TAKE IT OR, UM, YES.
WE WERE TOLD WE HAD TO EXTEND IT.
AND WE SAID OKAY, BECAUSE BEFORE WHEN WE HAD ASKED ABOUT EXTENDING IT, WE WERE TOLD NO, WE COULD NOT BACKFILL THE, THE GROUND.
WE WERE LIKE, OKAY, FINE, WE WON'T.
SO THE PARKING IS WHAT IT IS, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE ALWAYS LIMITED THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES TO ACCOMMODATE ONE VEHICLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD HAVE GAS, BUT ONE VEHICLE PER APARTMENT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT? NO.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK REGARDING THIS, UH, APP APPLICATION? I'M GONNA PASS THESE DOWN.
[00:50:01]
'EM IN ORDER.ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO SPEAK? OKAY.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND I'M GONNA OPEN IT UP TO COUNSEL.
DO I HEAR A MOTION? UH, MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL, APPROVE THE REQUEST FROM INDEPENDENT STERILITY L L C FOR TWO DWELLING UNITS TO BE LOCATED ON THE GROUND FLOOR AT 1127 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE TAX MAP, 2 0 8 3 DASH FIVE DASH 24 AND 25 CONDITIONED UPON THE FOLLOWING, ONE, APPLICANT SUBMITS A PARKING AGREEMENT WITH ADJOINING PROPERTY OWNER FOR AN ADDITIONAL TWO PARKING SPACES AND TWO, THE APPLICANT AND LARGEST THE CURRENT PARKING AREA TO ACCOMMODATE FOUR SPACES.
OKAY, THERE'S A FIRST AND A SECOND.
UM, UH, ANY DISCUSSION BY COUNSEL? YES.
UM, JUST SO I UNDERSTAND THE APPLICANT ALREADY, SHE MENTIONED YOU DO HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE ADJOINING PROPERTY OWNER AS WELL.
RIGHT? SO BOTH OF THOSE CONDITIONS ARE ALREADY IN PLACE.
THE NEXT POINT THAT I, WHAT WAS THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR? SHE'S, SHE SAID YES.
SHE WAS LOOKING FOR YOU WHILE WE HAD ALL OF THESE ON HERE TONIGHT, AND I KNEW THAT SEVERAL OF THEM WOULD BE CONTENTIOUS.
THE OTHER POINT THAT I INTENDED TO MAKE WHEN WE GOT TO THIS ONE, AND THE REASON I ASKED MY CLARIFYING QUESTIONS IS, LONG BEFORE THE FRONT ROYAL TOWN COUNCIL ADOPTED A SHORT-TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE, THERE WERE SHORT-TERM RENTALS IN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL.
WE HAD NO GOVERNANCE OVER THEM, AND WE MADE NO MONEY OFF OF THEM.
SO WHETHER WE APPROVE OR DENY THESE PEOPLE ARE DOING THEM, AND THE TOWN STAFF IS NOT CURRENTLY ACCOMMODATED TO GO AND ENFORCE THIS.
SO FOR THE PEOPLE WHO COME HERE AND DO IT APPROPRIATELY AND PROPERLY AND ASK PERMISSION, I COMMEND YOU.
I AM SORRY THAT YOU HAD TO SPEND $10,000 TO MAKE THAT WORK.
UM, I WOULD'VE ABSOLUTELY VOTED FOR AN EXCEPTION.
AND I THINK YOU ALL KNOW THAT.
ANYBODY ELSE? I I JUST WANTED TO THANK THE APPLICANT.
WELL, YOU KNOW, FOR FOLLOWING THE RULES, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT'S EXCELLENT.
UH, AND, UH, AS, UH, COUNCILMAN MORRIS SAID, UH, YOU ARE TO BE COMMENDED FOR THAT, AND I THANK YOU.
ANYBODY ELSE? MAYOR, I WANNA, I, I WANT TO COMMEND YOU AS WELL.
THIS WHOLE SPECIAL USE PERMIT, UH, PROGRAM IS PRESENTING NUMBERS OF PROBLEMS AND, AND SO MANY OF THOSE PROBLEMS DO IMPACT THE OWNERS.
UM, I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT ON THIS COUNCIL AND IT'S INCUMBENT ON THIS COUNCIL WORKING WITH OUR, OUR PARTNERS IN THE TOWN TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE GROWTH IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND I AM SORRY, SOME FOLKS, I'M VERY SORRY THAT SOME FOLKS ARE BEING CHALLENGED, UH, BY THE, UH, STATUTES AND RULES IN THIS COMMUNITY, BUT IT'S INCUMBENT ON, ON EVERYONE ON THIS BOARD AND WITHIN THIS TOWN COMMUNITY, UH, UH, TO, TO ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS.
I'M SORRY IT COST $10,000 ALSO.
UH, BUT I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK IN, IN YOUR HOME.
ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO SPEAK ON COUNSEL REGARDING THIS APPLICATION? OKAY.
I'LL JUST ADD THAT I THINK SHE, UH, GAVE US SOME ENCOURAGEMENT TO CONTINUE TO PURSUE OUR TRANSPORTATION ISSUES AS WE HEARD.
ALL RIGHT, MS. PRESLEY, WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES.
[7.D.Special Use Permit to Allow the Painting of Two Murals at 1314 N. Royal Avenue – William Kryssing ]
D, WHICH IS A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO ALLOW THE PAINTING OF TWO MURALS AT 1314 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE, UM, BY WILLIAM CHRISTING.WILLIAM I, I I'M SAYING THAT CORRECTLY, RIGHT? CHRIS? I'M THAT NAME HIM IN INSTEAD.
BUT AM I, AM I PRONOUNCING HIS NAME CORRECTLY? I'M NOT SURE.
ALRIGHT, MS. PRESLEY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ THE SUMMARY? COUNSEL'S RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM WILLIAM ING TO PAINT TWO MURALS LARGER THAN 60 SQUARE FEET ON TWO SIDES OF THEIR BUILDING, LOCATED AT 1314 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE.
THE PROPERTY IS C DASH ONE AND LOCATED IN THE ENTRANCE CORRIDOR OVERLAY DISTRICT PER TOWN CODE.
ANY MURAL IS A SIGN USED OR INTENDED TO ATTRACT THE ATTENTION OF THE PUBLIC.
THEREFORE, A WALL SIGN PERMIT IS REQUIRED AND THE MAXIMUM SIZE IS DETERMINED BY THE LENGTH OF THE BUILDING WALL.
ONE SQUARE FOOT OF SIGN PER ONE LINEAR FOOT OF THE BUILDING
[00:55:01]
WITH A MAXIMUM OF 60 SQUARE FEET.IF OVER THE MAXIMUM A SPECIAL USE PERMIT IS REQUIRED, THE APPLICANT WISHES TO PAINT TWO MURALS.
ONE TOTAL IS 210 SQUARE FEET AND THE OTHER IS 400 SQUARE FEET.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL.
HAS ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WE HAVE ONE.
AMANDA, NOW, RIGHT? I I I ALSO WATCHED THE PLANE COMMISSIONER YOU SPOKE RIGHT? YOU, YOU ARE THE ARTIST, THE MAYOR.
YOU'RE ACTUALLY OUT OF TOWN RIGHT NOW, SO I'M REPRESENTING THEM, UNFORTUNATELY.
IS IT MURALIST OR ARTIST? UH, MURALIST.
EVERYTHING HAS AN IS T AT THE END.
AND, AND WE ACTUALLY MET BEFORE, 'CAUSE I THINK DIDN'T YOU ALSO DO SOMETHING ON THE SIDE ON MAIN STREET? UM, I DID THE, THE WINGS, THE BUTTERFLY RIGHT IN THE WINGS.
YEAH, IT'S ALL OVER SOCIAL MEDIA.
WELL, I JUST WANTED TO THANK, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO APPROVE THIS.
UM, WE'VE WORKED REALLY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS WOULD BE AN ASSET TO THE COMMUNITY AND, UH, REALLY FOCUSED ON THE FIRST RESPONDERS SINCE THEY HAVE A REALLY DIFFICULT JOB IN OUR AREA, ESPECIALLY WITH FIREFIGHTING.
UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING MY CLIENTS ARE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT.
UM, ONE THING THAT WE ARE REALLY HOPING TO AFFECT IS THE CODE, WHICH WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT A LOT TONIGHT, ON WHAT ACTUALLY A MURAL IS AND, UM, WHAT THE STANDARDS ARE PER THE, UH, MATERIALS THAT WE'RE USING VERSUS, UH, ABOUT CONDITIONS OF WEATHER AND EVERYTHING ELSE LIKE THAT.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THIS FORWARDS ANY, UM, PUBLIC ART IN THE FUTURE, THAT WE CAN EXPEDITE THE PROCESS FOR NOT ONLY THE ARTISTS, BUT THE, THE COMMITTEE APPROVING SO THAT THERE'S CLEAR STANDARDS THAT CAN BE CHECKED, THE BOXES CAN BE CHECKED, AND IT CAN MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT, UM, A LONGER EXTENSION.
SO, UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU HEARING US AT THE LAST, UH, MEETING AND, UH, I'M, I'M REALLY, UH, HOPEFUL AND EAGER THAT WE'LL MOVE FORWARD THIS PROJECT.
SO I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A BEAUTIFUL, UM, ASSET TO COMMERCE.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. WARREN? OKAY.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK RE IN REGARD WITH REGARDS TO THIS APPLICATION? OKAY, THEN I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND OPEN IT UP TO COUNCIL.
MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL, APPROVE THE REQUEST FROM WILLIAM CHRISTING TO PAINT TWO MURALS LARGER THAN 60 SQUARE FEET ON TWO SIDES OF THEIR BUILDING AT 1314 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE TAX MAP.
20 A TWO DASH 4 56 DASH EIGHT AS PRESENTED.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION, MADAM MAYOR? I JUST WANTED TO, I WANT TO SAY THAT, UH, THAT I GUESS DEPENDING ON WHAT DICTIONARY YOU, YOU LOOK UP AS WHAT A SIGN IS, WHAT A MERL IS, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE THAT OUR COACH SHOULD HAVE THE, THE URIEL UNDER SIGNS.
UH, SO THAT'S SOUNDS LIKE MR. RAPPAPORT, THAT YOU RECOGNIZE THAT SOME OF OUR THINGS NEED TO BE LOOKED AT.
SO ANYWAY, THAT
SO, UH, ANYWAY, UH, THAT'S ALL I HAD TO SAY THAT.
ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WISH TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS APPLICATION? I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU, AMANDA, FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
I KNOW THAT YOU'RE BETTING ON THE WEATHER AND IT'S COOPERATION TO GET THIS DONE.
I KNOW WILLIAM AND JULIANA, I'M VERY EXCITED FOR THEIR BUSINESS COMING TO FRONT ROYAL.
UM, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE LIKE THE ONLY PELLET STOVE, WOOD STOVE, FIREWOOD COMPANY THAT WE HAVE, WHICH IS A GREAT NEED HERE.
AND THIS MURAL THAT'S CONSIDERED A SIGN ISN'T EVEN CHIMNEY SWEEPS.
IT'S NOT EVEN ADVERTISING THEIR BUSINESS.
SO, AS I MENTIONED IN OUR WORK SESSION, WHEN I TALK ABOUT PROPERTY OWNERS' RIGHTS, I CAN MAKE MY HOUSE INTO A BUSINESS.
I DO WORK FROM HOME, AND I CAN GO SPRAY PAINT ANYTHING I WANT ON MY HOUSE, AND THIS COUNCIL CAN'T DO OR SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
AND THERE'S NO PERMIT REQUIRED.
SO WHEN SOMEONE WANTS TO BEAUTIFY AN ENTRANCE CORRIDOR, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THAT.
UM, AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE IT.
AND I ALSO SAW HER WORK IN BUCKLE AND BELL ON MAIN STREET, UM, AND I SAW HER WITH CURTAINS PULLED ON ANOTHER ONE, WORKING ON SOMETHING INSIDE THE OTHER DAY AS I WALKED DOWN FOR A COFFEE.
SO I THINK THE BEAUTIFICATION OF FRONT ROYAL IS, UM, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALL EAGER TO SEE.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WISH TO OFFER DISCUSSION ON THIS? UH, MADAM MAYOR, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY I, I HOPE THEY HAVE A, AN OPENING CEREMONY.
I THINK IT'D BE KIND OF COOL TO UNVEIL THAT.
SO I BELIEVE THE PLAN, WASN'T IT OCTOBER 1ST AND SO THAT GAVE YOU FROM WHENEVER TO OCTOBER 1ST TO GET IT DONE RIGHT.
WELL, I I I WOULD SAY THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING NOW, YOU PROBABLY WON'T HAVE A LOT OF RAIN, UNFORTUNATELY, BUT, OKAY.
ANYBODY ELSE WANNA OFFER MADAM MAYOR? YES.
[01:00:01]
JUST A QUICK COMMENT.I THINK THE, UH, THE NUMBER OF COMMUNITIES THAT, THAT WE'RE SEEING USING, UH, ARTISTIC MESSAGES AND MURALS, UH, TO ADD, UH, AMBIANCE IF YOU WILL, TO, TO THE COMMUNITY IS, IS A, IS A GROWING, UH, IS IS SOMETHING THAT'S GROWING.
I THINK THE ARTWORK IS BEAUTIFUL.
UH, AND I APPLAUD YOU FOR, UH, FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO, THE SKILL YOU HAVE.
I THINK IT'S GONNA, IT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO ADD ART AS A COMPONENT OF VISITORS AND TOURISTS COMING TO OUR COMMUNITY.
ANYBODY ELSE? UM, ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY, MS. PRESLEY, WE'RE READY FOR ROLL CALL.
COULD YOU TELL ME WHO SECONDED THE MOTION? I THINK IT WAS OKAY.
COUNCILWOMAN DE DAMON PAYNE? YES.
[7.E. Amend the Town Zoning Map to Reclassify 1.2837 Acres at 10160 Winchester Road from Highway Commercial District C-3 to Residential District R-2 – Ramsey Inc]
E, AMENDING THE TOWN ZONING MAP TO RECLASSIFY 1.2837 ACRES AT, UH, TEN ONE SIXTY WINCHESTER ROAD FROM HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL DISTRICT C THREE TO RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT R TWO.UM, AND, UH, MS. PRESLEY, CAN YOU READ THE SUMMARY? COUNSEL'S RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM RAMSEY INC FOR AN AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING MAP OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL TO RECLASSIFY 1.2837 ACRES BEING THAT PORTION OF TAX MAP NUMBER TWO OH A FOUR DASH 24 DASH ONE LOCATED WITHIN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL FROM HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL DISTRICT C THREE TO RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT R TWO.
THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED NORTH OF THE INTERSECTION OF WINCHESTER ROAD AND GUARD HILL ROAD.
THE STATED PURPOSE OF THE REZONING REQUEST IS TO ALLOW FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A MULTI-FAMILY DWELLING UNIT.
THE APPLICANT CURRENTLY HAS APPROVAL FOR A LODGING HOUSE THAT WILL BE REVOKED AT THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST.
UPON APPROVAL OF THIS REZONING, THE APPLICANT INTENDS TO SUBMIT A NEW ZONING APPLICATION FOR A MULTI-FAMILY DWELLING UNIT.
THE TOWN CODE IDENTIFIES THE C THREE DISTRICT AS A HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL ZONE, WHICH EXCLUDES RESIDENTIAL USES.
THE R TWO DISTRICT IS SUITED FOR MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL USES.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION HELD A PUBLIC HEARING IN JUNE, 2023 AND RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THE REZONING.
UM, I'M NOW GONNA OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, MS. PRESLEY, HAS ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK CHRIS RAMSEY, WHICH IS ALSO THE APPLICANT, CORRECT? YES.
UH, THANK YOU FOR ENTERTAINING MY REQUEST.
UH, WE DO HAVE A, A ACRE AND A HALF THERE, SO TO SPEAK, THAT, UH, WE'D LIKE TO HAVE REZONED FOR THE PURPOSE OF BUILDING A, A HOUSE THAT COULD HANDLE TWO FAMILIES UNDIVIDED, SO TO SPEAK.
AND, UH, AS FAR AS IT BEING C THREE HIGHWAY FRONTS, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY FRONTAGE PER SE ON, UH, WE'RE ACCESSED BY A TOWN ACCESS EASEMENT.
AND SO WE DO NOT HAVE FRONTAGE FOR A COMMERCIAL BUSINESS THERE, BUT IT'S CONDUCIVE FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND THE IMPETUS OF THE WHOLE PROJECT TO BEGIN WITH WAS PROVIDE PERMANENT HOUSING FOR MY DISABLED STEPSON.
AND SO, UH, WE DO HAVE THE HOUSE THAT'S ALREADY, IF YOU'VE BEEN OUT TO SEE IT, IT'S, UH, THE OUTSIDE'S NEARLY COMPLETED.
AND SO THIS IS HOPEFULLY A, A STEP IN THE PROCESS TO FINISH THAT UP.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER COUNSEL.
DOES, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OKAY.
UH, MR. RAMSEY? UH, SIR, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
ONE OF MY CONCERNS WITH THE COMMUNITY IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, I WOULD BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A PROJECT THAT WOULD CONTRIBUTE, UH, TO THAT MR. RAMSEY, I THINK WE ARE IN, WE'RE IN DIRE NEED, I BELIEVE, OF, OF GOOD, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
I THINK IT'LL BE A GREAT ADDITION TO, TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IT, IT WILL, IT'S A, IT, THE TWO UNITS, EACH ONE'S A THOUSAND, 40 SQUARE FEET.
AND, UH, ENERGY EFFICIENT AND AFFORDABLE AND EASY ACCESS.
UH, THE, UH, I GUESS THE ACCESS ROAD, UH, FROM, UH, GUARD HILL, UH, IT, THE ENTRANCE WILL BE FROM, YOU'LL GET OFF GUARD HILL.
[01:05:01]
UH, 5 22 3 40.THERE'S A LEGAL ACCESS THIS ADJACENT TO THE SHELL STATION THAT MR. COOLEY, THE COOLEY ESTATE, WHERE ALL THOSE PROPERTIES ORIGINATED, RESERVED, THE RIGHT OF, OF PERMANENT EASEMENT AND ACCESS.
AND SO WE ARE EXERCISING AS THE OWNER AND SUCCESSION OF TITLE TO USE THAT, UH, ACCESS TO 5 22 3 40.
SO IT'S, IT'S AT A MUCH LOWER LEVEL OF FROM, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, UH, KIND OF, UH, CLOSER TO THE 5 22 YES.
UH, SO IS, IS THAT, IS THAT A, UH, A, A DIRT ROAD OR IS IT GRAVEL OR, ACTUALLY IT'S A PAVED, IT'S A PAVED ROAD.
THE PAVEMENT IS NOT IN GOOD CONDITION AT THIS TIME.
WE INTEND TO, UH, BRING THE PAVING UP, UP A NOTCH AND, AND BE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN THE MAINTENANCE OF THAT.
UH, WE, I'M NOT ONE THAT, IF YOU'VE BEEN AROUND ANY OF THE PROJECTS THAT I'VE DONE, YOU'LL NOT FIND DIRT ROADS AND YOU WILL NOT FIND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF BARE DIRT THAT, UH, THAT'S LEFT PERMANENTLY IN THAT CONDITION.
YEAH, I KNOW, I KNOW YOUR WORK.
I JUST FELT LIKE I HAD TO ASK THE QUESTION.
YEAH, NO, WE, WE TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY.
I, I JUST WANNA SAY, I'M GLAD YOU CLARIFIED THAT THAT WAS A, A PAVED ROAD.
'CAUSE I WENT BACK THERE
'CAUSE IT IS THAT ROUGH AND IT'S, IT'S ROUGH TO TURN AROUND AND SUCH SO.
WE'LL BE, WE WILL BE, WE WILL BE MAKING PROVISIONS THERE FOR PARKING AND TURN AROUND AND THAT TYPE OF THING.
AS YOU APPROACH OUR PROPERTY, WE CAN'T FIX THE OTHER PART, BUT WE CAN FIX THAT PART THAT WE CONTROL.
ANY OTHER, UM, ANYBODY ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK REGARDING THIS APPLICATION? OKAY.
UM, THEN I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND OPEN IT UP TO COUNSEL.
I MOVE THAT COUNSEL APPROVE A REQUEST FROM RAMSEY INC TO AMEND TO THE ZONING MAP OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL TO RECLASSIFY 1.2837 ACRES BEING THAT PORTION OF TAX MAP NUMBER 20 A FOUR DASH 24 DASH ONE LOCATED WITHIN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL FROM HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL DISTRICT C THREE TO RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT R TWO ON PROPERTY LOCATED NORTH OF THE INTERSECTION OF WINCHESTER ROAD AND GAR HILL ROAD.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION BY COUNCIL? OH, GO AHEAD.
OH, SO I WAS GONNA SAY MADAM MAYOR, UH, I WAS LOOKING AT THIS WITH A, UH, FORMER, UH, HEAD OF BEING A PLANNING COMMISSIONER, YOU KNOW, AND ON, ON PAPER, UH, THERE'S A TERM THAT THAT'S USED CALLED SPOT, YOU KNOW, SPOT REZONING AND TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE KIND OF EDGE TO NOT, YOU KNOW, DO SPOT ZONING.
HOWEVER, UH, IF I, IF I THINK I KNOW THE MINDSET OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAVING BEEN ON IT, THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS WHERE IT MAKES SENSE, UM, GIVEN CERTAIN SETTINGS.
AND I WOULD SAY LIKE DOWNTOWN SETTING, UH, YOU KNOW, ANYWHERE PARTICULARLY IN THIS CLOSE VICINITY OF THIS BUILDING FOR THAT MATTER, MAY NOT BE SUITABLE.
HOWEVER, UH, GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IT'S SETTING NORTH OF TOWN WHERE IT IS, UH, I JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT, THAT IN THIS CASE IT MAKES SENSE.
SO, AND I, AND I'M, I'M HOPING THAT I'M LOOKING AT THAT.
I'M, I'M LOOKING AT A, A PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBER RIGHT NOW,
SO LIKE I SAID, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I, I, I KNOW THAT THAT WAS ONE THING THEY TOOK UNDER, WELL, THERE'S TWO.
ANOTHER ONE RIGHT HERE ACTUALLY.
BUT THAT'S ONE THING THEY TOOK UNDER CONSIDERATION, I'M SURE.
SO THAT'S ALL I'D LIKE TO SAY.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION BY COUNCIL MEMBERS? UH, MADAM MAYOR, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY AGAIN, I VISITED BACK THERE.
UM, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT ROAD WAS THERE.
UM, IT, I COULDN'T SEE HOW THEY EVER ZONED IT IN THE FIRST PLACE COMMERCIAL, BECAUSE IT HAS NO FRONTAGE AT ALL.
YOU WOULDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT THERE'S A HOME BACK THERE.
SO I THINK IT'S PERFECTLY APPROPRIATE TO DO THIS, UM, THIS CHANGE.
I WOULD JUST ADD THAT I DISAGREE THAT IT'S CONSIDERED SPOT ZONING.
I KNOW THAT THIS WAS TALKED ABOUT IN GREAT LENGTH AT THE WORK SESSION.
IF YOU WATCHED IT, MR. RAMSEY, AND I'M FAMILIAR WITH YOUR WORK.
I'VE GOT TO COME TO THE BUILDERS ASSOCIATION MANY TIMES.
THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THAT.
IT'S A GREAT ASSET TO THE COUNTY AND THE COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, I HOPE THAT ALL OF COUNCIL WILL AGREE AND KEEP THAT MINDSET BECAUSE THERE WAS A PORTION THAT WANTED TO SPOT ZONE ANOTHER PROPERTY ON JOHN MARSHALL HIGHWAY TWO MONTHS AGO, UM, IN REGARDS TO THE TRELLIS, AND THAT WAS SPOT ZONING AS WELL.
SO THIS MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE TO BE WHAT IT WAS, UH, HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL DISTRICT.
UM, SO HAPPY TO GET THIS FINISHED FOR YOU.
[01:10:01]
VOICES? ALRIGHT, WE GOOD? MS. PRESLEY? ROLL CALL.WE ARE HALF, WE'RE, WE JUST REACHED THE OVER HALF MARK ON OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS TONIGHT.
[7.F.Adopt the Certification/Recommendation of the Front Royal Comprehensive Plan dated May 19, 2023]
ADOPTION OF AND CERTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION OF THE FRONT ROYAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DATE OF MAY 19TH, 2023.AND MS. PRESLEY, IF YOU DON'T MIND, FEEL RATHER ATTACHED TO THIS PARTICULAR ITEM.
SO DO YOU MIND IF I READ THE SUMMARY OF GO AHEAD.
I, UM, I, UH, WAS ON COUNSEL WHEN THIS, UH, THIS INITIATIVE FIRST STARTED.
SO COUNSEL HAS REQUESTED TO ADOPT THE CERTIFICATION AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE FRONT ROW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DATE OF MAY 19TH, 2023, WHICH SHALL UPDATE AND SUPERSEDE THE FRONT ROYAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, ADOPTED MARCH 23RD, 1998, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CHAPTER 22, ARTICLE THREE 15.22223 THROUGH 15.22232 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA THAT OUTLINES THE LEGAL AUTHORITY AND REQUIREMENT THAT ALL LOCALITIES PREPARE, RECOMMEND, AND ADOPT A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
THE LAST UPDATE TO THE FRONT ROYAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OCCURRED IN 2012, BUT A COMPLETE REWRITE HAD NOT OCCURRED SINCE 1998.
THROUGHOUT THIS TIME, STAFF WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE PUBLIC TO DEVELOP A PLAN THAT ENCOMPASSES THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE COMMUNITY.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION HAS BEEN FUNDAMENTAL TO ENSURE THIS PLAN WILL ADEQUATE ADEQUATELY GUIDE FRONT ROYAL INTO THE NEXT 20 YEARS.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL ON JUNE 7TH, 2023 TO THE TOWN COUNCIL AND CERTIFIED THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOCUMENT DATED MAY 19TH, 2023 WITH ALL THE AMENDMENTS LISTED IN THE DOCUMENTS AND ENTITLED SPREADSHEET COMP PLAN MAY AMENDMENTS FUTURE LAND USE CATEGORIES, AMENDMENTS, AND ALSO WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS WAS A LIVING DOCUMENT.
I'M GONNA OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
HAS ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WE HAVE TWO.
MY NAME IS FRED ANDREA AND I FULLY SUPPORT AN ADDRESS PLEASE.
UM, BENTONVILLE, 3 6 7 OVERALL ROAD, BENTONVILLE.
UM, I FULLY SUPPORT FRONT ROYAL'S NEW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHICH HAS DEVELOPED, WHICH WAS DEVELOPED BY THE TOWN PLANNING STAFF WITH INPUT, UH, FROM TOWN AND COUNTY RESIDENTS.
IT'S A KEY TO SUSTAINING AND ENHANCING OUR TOWN'S CHARACTER AND KEEPS FRONT ROYAL A PLACE WHERE DIVERSE PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE AND WORK.
AMONG THE HIGHLIGHTS, TO ME, IS THE EMPHASIS ON PROTECTING THE NATURAL WORLD AROUND US.
WE'RE SO LUCKY TO LIVE AND WORK SURROUNDED BY MOUNTAINS, RIVERS, FORESTS, AND GREEN FIELDS.
THIS IS A PLACE OF GREAT BEAUTY.
WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE GOOD AIR AND WATER QUALITY.
OUR TRAILS, PARTICULARLY THEDO ROYAL SHADO GREENWAY, ALLOW US TO WALK SAFELY AND BE RENEWED BY NATURE.
OUR WORK IS NOT DONE, BUT WE HAVE A GOOD BASE TO EXPAND ON.
WHILE SAYING THAT, I, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE TOWN ENCOURAGES DEVELOPERS TO BUILD WITHIN THE TOWN WHERE WATER AND SEWER ALREADY EXIST, BUILDINGS OUT IN THE COUNTY DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
THERE WAS A BIG STINK, YOU MIGHT RECALL, IN THE DEVELOPMENT, TRYING TO DEVELOP, UM, ROCKLAND, UM, BECAUSE THE INFRASTRUCTURE JUST DOESN'T EXIST OUT THERE.
UM, I HOPE THAT THE TOWN COUNCIL, UH, WILL ABIDE BY THE ASPIRATIONS LISTED IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
AFTER ALL, IT LAYS OUT THE GOALS, DIRECTIONS, AND PUBLIC WANTS, THE PUBLIC WANTS THE COUNCIL TO FOLLOW.
AND MY WIFE AND I, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH THE, FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR ALL THOSE ALL THEY'VE, THEY'VE DONE IN, IN ESTABLISHING THIS PLAN.
MR. ANDREA, JUST, UM, WE HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET, BUT AS I UNDER, UM, ARE, ARE YOU NOT, WERE YOU NOT, UM, UH, DIDN'T YOU PROVIDE THE FUNDING FOR THE TRAILS BEHIND, UH, WAR MEMORIAL HOSPITAL? YEAH.
ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO SPEAK ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN? WE HAVE ONE MORE.
[01:15:03]
PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBER GET IT DONE.UM, GLENWOOD 1269 KESSLER ROAD, UH, WAS APPOINTED BY PHI FOLKS TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION BACK IN DECEMBER.
SO I GOT INTO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN REALLY LATE.
UM, I THINK IT'S A VERY GOOD PRODUCT, BUT RECENTLY I WAS OUT CANVASSING YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND THERE WAS A MAJOR CONCERN I WANNA BRING TO COUNCIL, AND THAT IS, UM, WIDENING AND IMPROVING JOHN MARSHALL HIGHWAY FROM THE TOWN LIMITS INN.
UM, I'VE SEEN PICTURES, I'VE EXPERIENCED IT MYSELF WITH TRAFFIC BACKING UP OVER THE HILL, DOWN TOWARDS WHAT USED TO BE LINFORD, IF YOU REMEMBER BACK THAT FAR.
BUT, UM, I, I WOULD SAY THAT UNDER OUR TRANSPORTATION PLAN, THE ROAD PRIORITIES, WE DID NOT MENTION THAT.
I MEAN, WE, WE KNOW THE CHAND SHORES AND MANY OF THE OTHER PROJECTS, WHICH WE HAVE A LOT OF, BUT, UH, SEVERAL CITIZENS WANTED TO IMPRESS UPON ME THE NEED TO DO SOMETHING.
JUST TO COMMENT ON THAT PARTICULAR AREA, UM, AS THAT HAS DEVELOPED WITH THE HOSPITAL LEECH RUN PARKWAY, A HIGH SCHOOL, UH, AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, UM, AND EVEN TWO PRIVATE SCHOOL, TWO, THREE PRIVATE SCHOOLS THERE, THERE DEFINITELY IS MORE TRAFFIC THERE THAN HAS EVER BEEN BEFORE.
SO IF YOU DO TRY TO FIGHT THAT MONSTER, IT'S TOUGH.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
UH, ANYONE ELSE WISH TO SPEAK ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN? YES, SIR.
I COULD MAKE A JOKE AND SAY, COME ON DOWN, BUT I REALLY AM SAD ABOUT BOB BARK, SO I I WON'T DO THAT.
MY NAME IS WAYNE CHATFIELD TAYLOR.
I'M A, I'M A FARMER AT, UM, AT 1135 MORGANS FORD FARM ROAD.
AND I'VE, I'VE WATCHED, I'M NOT VERY CONVERSANT WITH THE ENTIRE PLAN, BUT I'VE WATCHED IT IN THE, THE, THE STRUGGLE AND THE, AND THE, THE FOCUS AND THE HARD WORK AND THE, THE CREATIVITY THAT'S BEEN PUT INTO THIS OVER THE YEARS.
AND, AND, UM, I THINK THAT IT'S, UH, IT'S A FINE EFFORT AND, AND, UH, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, I SPEAK FOR IT, IT ACCOMMODATING AND, AND, AND RECOGNIZING THAT FARMING IS PART OF OUR COMMUNITY AND, AND WE WANTED TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
AND, AND, UM, UM, THAT'S WHAT I DO.
AND, UM, UM, THIS, THIS IS SOME OF THE BEST FARMLAND IN THE WORLD, AND I THINK THAT, THAT IT IS BEING RECOGNIZED FOR ITS VALUE AND IT, AND, UM, AND ENCOURAGING IT TO CONTINUE.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH.
COULD YOU JUST STATE YOUR NAME AGAIN FOR THE RECORD SO MS. PRESLEY CAN GET THAT? WAYNE CHATFIELD TAYLOR.
WOULD ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO SPEAK ABOUT THE PLANNING ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN? OKAY, I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND OPEN IT UP TO COUNSEL.
WE WOULD ALL IN MY MICROPHONE'S NOT WORKING.
ARTICLE THREE 15.22223 THROUGH 15.2 2 23 2 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA, AND THAT IT SUPERSEDES THE FRONT ROYAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ADOPTED MARCH 23RD, 1998.
WE HAVE A MOTION, WE HAVE A SECOND.
UM, I'M GONNA GIVE COUNSEL THE OPPORTUNITY WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO OFFER, I'M GONNA START DOWN HERE SO EVERYBODY GETS A CHANCE UP ASKING AND EVERYBODY'S GONNA WANNA SPEAK.
OR ARE YOU GONNA MAKE ME FIRST? OH, COME ON.
IF I MAKE YOU FIRST, IF I MAKE YOU LAST.
WHICH, UH, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, UH, I APPRECIATE, UH, ALL THE FOLKS THAT WORKED ON THIS.
UM, I KNOW IT MUST HAVE BEEN MANY HOURS IN TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS.
UM, I THINK IT'S A GREAT START.
UH, YOU KNOW, NOTHING'S PERFECT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A NICE GUIDELINE THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH.
AND, UH, AND LIKE, UH, EVERY, I BELIEVE IT'S EVERY FIVE YEARS IS IT SHOULD BE, YES.
UH, WE'LL BE TWEAKING IT AND, UH, I HOPE I'LL BE AROUND ON COUNCIL AND TWEAK IT FOR YOU.
SO, UH, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT.
COUNCILMAN INGRAM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO OFFER? YEAH, I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK MY, UH,
[01:20:01]
BACK WHEN I WAS ON PLANNING COMMISSION, MY FELLOW COMMISSION MEMBERS, UH, WHEN WE PUT THIS, STARTED PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, THAT WAS SOMETHING I WAS EXCITED ABOUT WHEN I, UH, WHEN I FIRST TOOK OFFICE AND THERE WAS TALK ABOUT GOING THROUGH THE COMP PLAN, AND, UH, AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW, WE WERE, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, UH, IN FULL SWING.BUT, UH, GIVEN THAT THE LAST ONE WAS NOT COMPLETED UNTIL, OR REVISED SINCE 1998, OF COURSE THE TOWN HAS, HAS, HAS CHANGED QUITE A BIT SINCE THEN.
SO IT DID, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THOUGHT WAS PUT INTO IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF CARE WAS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION FOR GETTING PUBLIC INPUT.
AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I, I THINK THIS IS, UH, I THINK THIS IS, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD VISION FOR OUR, FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I'M PROUD TO BE A PART OF IT AND PROUD TO BE PART OF THIS WITH MY, UH, CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL.
SO, WELL, I WON'T ADD THAT, THAT IS ALMOST AS OLD AS ME.
BUT, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK LAUREN AND THE ZONING DEPARTMENT AND THEIR HARD WORK AND, UM, THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
I KNOW WE HAD SEVERAL JOINT MEETINGS.
UM, I'M EXCITED TO SEE THE CURRENT GOVERNING BODIES ALL GETTING UP TO SPEED TO WHERE OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BE.
UM, I DO SECOND MR. ANDREA'S COMMENTS ABOUT THE BEAUTIFICATION OF FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE, BUT WE HAVE A FEDERAL NATIONAL PARK.
WE HAVE A STATE NATIONAL PARK.
WE HAVE MORE THAN SEVEN COUNTY PARKS.
WE HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES WE NEED HERE IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE WITH THAT.
SO I THINK THIS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ABSOLUTELY LAYS OUT THE CONSERVATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS STARTED, UH, AT MY FIRST RUN FOR COUNCIL, AND I RAN ON DON'T LOUD IN OUR COUNTY.
AND I THINK THAT THIS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OUTLINES EXACTLY THAT, UM, GROWTH IS INEVITABLE, BUT IT SHOULD BE STRATEGIC AND WE SHOULD PRESERVE THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE.
AND TO MR. WOODS' COMMENTS, I AGREE ABOUT JOHN MARSHALL HIGHWAY.
I HAVE MORE IN MY SPEECH LATER ABOUT THAT.
HOWEVER, UM, THE PLAN IS THAT THE ZONING ORDINANCES WILL BE UPDATED AFTER THIS IS ADOPTED.
WE WILL DO A FULL OVERHAUL OF ALL OF THAT, I BELIEVE AS WELL.
UM, SO GOOD STUFF HAPPENING, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
I THINK IT WAS 264 PAGES OF THIS TO READ.
SO VICE MAYOR ELECT OR ANYTHING.
WELL, I'M JUST GLAD TO SEE THAT WE'RE AT THE END OF THIS LONG DRAW WITH THIS.
I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE IT IN AND GET IT IN.
UM, IT'S BEEN A LONG, DRAWN OUT ISSUE.
UH, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A BIG HELP FOR US, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
COUNCILMAN ROGERS? YEAH, I JUST WANNA KIND OF ECHO WHAT THE, WHAT THE COUNCIL IS SAYING.
I, I WANT COMMEND, UH, LAUREN, YOUR ENTIRE STAFF, OUR PLANNING DIRECTOR AND MEMBERS, AND, UH, ALL OF THE FOLKS THAT PUT IN, UH, JUST A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY ON THIS.
UH, IT'S AMAZING TO SEE THAT IT WAS 1998.
I THINK THERE WERE A FEW CHANGES IN 2013, UH, BUT 1998, UH, IN A COMMUNITY THAT, UH, THAT HAS KIND OF NEEDED A LOOK AT WHERE WE GO ON HOW WE'RE GONNA GET THERE.
IT, IT IS A LIVING DOCUMENT AND I, I WANT THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT IT'S A LIVING DOCUMENT, THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THINGS THAT WE'VE EVEN BEEN TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT, UH, THAT, UH, THERE WILL BE, UH, CHANGES.
AND I'M GLAD TO SEE, AND IT WAS ECHOED TONIGHT.
THIS IS A DOCUMENT NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED EVERY FIVE YEARS.
UH, WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS.
UH, AND ESPECIALLY NOW BETWEEN 1998 AND NOW, A LOT OF CHANGES HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND WE'RE PICKING UP STEAM NOW.
SO WE'RE GROWING, UH, AS, AS WE'VE NOTED EARLIER TODAY.
SO, UH, THIS WILL BE A LIVING DOCUMENT THAT WILL GROW.
UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH PLANNING AND, AND, UH, ON, ON THE, UH, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION AS WELL AS PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH, WITH OUR TOWN MANAGER, UH, TO KIND OF LEAD US THROUGH AND, AND GUIDE, UH, THE, THE RESPONSIBLE GROWTH IN THIS COMMUNITY.
THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL, UH, BEAUTIFUL AREA ON THE MAP, AND WE NEED TO PROTECT IT.
UH, AND WE NEED TO BE SMART ABOUT, ABOUT OUR GROWTH.
SO, UH, THIS IS ONE STEP, UH, THAT WE'RE FINALLY MAKING, AND I COMMEND YOU AND THANK YOU.
UM, I, I TOO, UM, READ THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT.
I WAS NOT DEEPLY INVOLVED IN IT.
I'M SURE I ANSWERED SOME SURVEYS ALONG THE WAY, BUT, UM, I WAS VERY IMPRESSED BY THE DOCUMENT AND WANTED TO REITERATE THAT WHAT THE NEXT STEP IS, IS TO REALLY HELP THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND AND SEE IT.
[01:25:01]
ALTHOUGH IT IS A LIVING DOCUMENT AND A PLAN, DON'T PUT IT IN THE CLOSET AND THEN LOOK AT IT IN FIVE YEARS.YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT IT AS MUCH AS WE CAN ONGOING.
I KNOW THAT THERE ARE TWO, TWO PIECES THAT I WANT US TO CONSIDER AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND THIS IS NOT TO STOP IT AT ALL.
UM, ONE WAS, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT SOME LANGUAGE IN THERE TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THIS IS A COMMUNITY AND THIS PLAN IS EVERYONE'S RESPONSIBILITY TO IMPLEMENT.
YOU KNOW, WE NEED, WE NEED THE ENTIRE COMMUNITIES BUY-IN TO HELP IT.
UM, AND THE OTHER WAS, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE MORE THAN ONE AGENCY LEAD LISTED WHEN THERE'S PLACES OF RESPONSIBILITY, BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, UM, THE JOB MARKET CAN BE VOLATILE.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE TURNOVER AND WE DON'T WANT, UM, A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP TO MEAN THAT IT DERAILS THE WHOLE, UM, ASPECT OF OUR PLAN.
SO THOSE ARE JUST TWO AREAS, BUT I, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HOW WE'RE GONNA MARKET THIS TO THE COMMUNITY AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY BECOMES A PART OF IT IF THEY HAVEN'T BEEN SO ALREADY.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SOME COMMENTS MYSELF.
UM, I WAS ON COUNCIL, AS I SAID, WHEN, UM, I BELIEVE I'M THE ONLY MEMBER UP HERE WAS ON COUNCIL WHEN THIS FIRST STARTED.
WE, UH, EVEN OUR INITIAL KICKOFF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS, AND I DON'T WANNA LEAVE ANYBODY OUT, BUT I ALSO FEEL LIKE THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT WERE INVOLVED FROM THE BEGINNING THAT MAYBE EVEN AREN'T, UM, WITH US ANYMORE.
DOUG JONES, UM, WAS THERE, I BELIEVE WILL GORDON WAS THERE.
UM, OBVIOUSLY DARRELL WAS THERE AND JOSH WAS THERE, AND CONNIE WAS THERE.
UM, AND I THINK ABOUT THAT NOVEMBER DAY.
IT WAS THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING WAS THE FIRST PUBLIC INPUT THAT WE HELD DOWN AT THE PAVILION WITH COFFEE AND DONUTS, AND PASSED OUT, UH, THE QR CODES FOR PEOPLE TO START DOING SURVEYS.
THEY, UM, THEY FILLED OUT SURVEYS, THEY GAVE US, UH, THEIR THOUGHTS AND THEN, AND WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT IT.
WE WOULD BE REMISS IF WE DIDN'T THINK SUMMIT.
SO ANN WAS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THIS AS WELL.
I KNOW THAT, UM, THAT LAST YEAR WHEN I WAS RECOVERING FROM A BROKEN ANKLE, I WENT THROUGH EVERY PAGE OF IT AND WE FOUND, TRIED TO MAKE EVERY CORRECTIONS.
LAUREN PROBABLY WISHES THAT I DIDN'T HAVE A RED PEN.
UM, BUT, UH, THIS HAS JUST REALLY BEEN A PROCESS AND LOTS OF PEOPLE INVOLVED.
AND THE COMMUNITY, I, I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE AGAIN, THE COMMUNITY RESPONDED.
PEOPLE CAME TO THE OPEN HOUSES, EVEN THE TOWN HALL, UM, LITERALLY TOOK STICKY NOTES, PUT IT ON MAPS, GAVE US THEIR THOUGHTS.
UM, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE INPUT ON THIS.
I'M SO GLAD THAT MELISSA SAID THAT ABOUT, UH, NOT PUTTING IT ON A SHELF AND LETTING IT COLLECT DUST.
UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT IS A LIVING DOCUMENT AND WE'RE LOOKING AT IT.
SO I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
I, I FEEL LIKE IT'S ONE THING THAT I, I, UM, IT'S BEEN SOMETHING ON MY MIND THAT I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT WE ACCOMPLISHED.
AND, AND, UH, HERE IN A SECOND, I'M HOPING WE ARE.
SO, UH, IF NO ONE ELSE HAS ANYTHING TO OFFER, MS. PRESLEY, ARE YOU READY FOR THE VOTE? COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES.
I KIDDED LAUREN LAST WEEK ABOUT, I WISH THAT I COULD BRING CONFETTI, UM, AND THROW IT.
AND THEN I THINK ON THE ROYAL EXAMINER ARTICLE, I TALKED ABOUT BRINGING A, A, A BIRTHDAY BLOWER AND, AND I DIDN'T DO ANY OF THAT.
SO CAN YOU GUYS HEAR THIS
LAUREN'S, UH, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING.
YEAH, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING.
SO THANKS TO EVERYBODY MAKING THAT HAPPEN AND I'M DEFINITELY CELEBRATING.
[7.G.Ordinance Amendment to Chapter 75 Pertaining to Transient Occupancy Tax ]
G.THE ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 75 PERTAINING TO TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX.
MS. PRESLEY, CAN YOU READ THE SUMMARY? COUNSEL'S REQUESTED TO APPROVE AMENDMENTS TO TOWN CODE CHAPTER 75, SPECIFICALLY 75 DASH 33 THROUGH 75 DASH 43, MOTEL EXCISE TAX FOR TRANSIENT TO REFLECT CHANGES MADE TO THE CODE OF VIRGINIA RELATED TO SHORT-TERM RENTALS AS PRESENTED.
CODE OF VIRGINIA WAS REVISED TO ALLOW ACCOMMODATION, INTER INTERMEDIARIES THE ABILITY TO COLLECT AND REMIT TAXES IF APPROVED.
THE PROPOSED REVISIONS WILL BRING THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL MUNICIPAL CODE IN LINE WITH THE CODE OF VIRGINIA.
THE TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX RATE WILL REMAIN THE SAME AT 6% OF THE AMOUNT CHARGED.
OKAY, I'M GOING TO OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IS THERE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WE HAVE NO ONE SIGNED UP.
IS THERE ANYBODY THAT WISHES TO SPEAK? OKAY, I'M GONNA CLOSE
[01:30:01]
THE PUBLIC HEARING AND OPEN IT UP TO COUNCIL.MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL APPROVE AMENDMENTS TO TOWN CODE CHAPTER 75, SPECIFICALLY 75 DASH 33 DASH 75 DASH 43, MOTEL EXCESS TAX FOR TRANSIENT TO REFLECT CHANGES MADE TO THE CODE OF VIRGINIA RELATED TO THE SHORT TERM RENTALS AS PRESENTED.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION FROM COUNCIL? OKAY, MS. PRESLEY, YOU READY FOR A VOTE? COUNCILWOMAN DEAMON PAYNE? YES.
[7.H. Receive Public Input on a Request for Funding from Reaching Out Now to Revitalize the former Raymond E. Santmyers Youth Center at 201 E. 8th Street.]
H AND THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE PUBLIC INPUT ON A REQUEST FOR FUNDING FROM REACHING OUT NOW TO REVITALIZE, UH, THE FORMER RAYMOND E ST.MYERS YOUTH CENTER AT 2 0 1 EAST EIGHTH STREET.
AND THE SUMMARY SAYS, THE COUNCIL'S REQUESTED TO RECEIVE, RECEIVE INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC REGARDING A REQUEST FOR FUNDING FROM A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION NAMED REACHING OUT NOW, WHO PLANS TO REVITALIZE THE FORMER RAYMOND EAST ST.
MYERS YOUTH CENTER LOCATED AT 2 0 1 EAST EIGHTH STREET INTO A STUDENT UNION.
THE TOWN HAS BEEN APPROACHED TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO ASSIST IN GETTING THE PROJECT UP AND RUNNING.
THE CURRENT REQUEST IS $25,000 IMMEDIATELY AND $50,000 IN YEAR 2024.
AND SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND MS. PRESLEY, UH, WHO IS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WE HAVE FOUR.
OKAY, I'LL MAKE THIS VERY SHORT.
IN 1970, I WAS A BENEFACTOR OF THE YOUTH COMMUNITY CENTER.
THEY WERE WONDERFUL PEOPLE THAT SAT DOWN THERE EVERY NIGHT AND CHAPERONED US TO THE DEGREE THAT THEY COULD OR WOULD.
AND WE WOULD BE REMISS AS A COMMUNITY IF WE DID NOT, UH, FUND THIS AND BE ABLE TO REVITALIZE THIS.
AND MAYBE CHILDREN WILL START INTERACTING WITH EACH OTHER INSTEAD OF BEING ON THEIR CELL PHONE OR IN FRONT OF THEIR, UH, COMPUTER GAMING.
SO I CERTAINLY ADVOCATE THAT WE DO THIS.
I THINK WE ALREADY HAVE YOUR ADDRESS RIGHT, MS. PRESLEY? YES.
GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE TOWN COUNCIL.
I LIVE AT 8 36 SHE SHORES ROAD IN FRONT, ROYAL VIRGINIA IN YOU.
WHEN I RAN FOR TOWN COUNCIL, REESTABLISHING A YOUTH CENTER WAS ONE OF MY MAIN AGENDA ITEMS. SO IT'S NO SURPRISE WHY I'M HERE TONIGHT IN FAVOR OF FINALLY GETTING THIS DONE.
ALSO, DITTO AND MR. WOODS THAT I WAS A AVID GORE OF THE YOUTH CENTER FROM I BELIEVE 1968 THROUGH 1970.
WARREN COUNTY IN FRONT ROYAL HAS A SERIOUS DRUG PROBLEM AMONGST ITS YOUTH.
THERE WERE 278 NON-FATAL OVERDOSES LAST YEAR IN THE REGION.
HOW MUCH IS THE LIFE WORTH? THERE IS NO IF, ANDS AND BUTS ABOUT IT, WE MUST DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO SAVE OUR YOUTH.
WHILE THE DRUG COURT IS A NECESSITY, THE DRUG COURT IS A REACTIVE APPROACH.
WE NEED TO HAVE A PROACTIVE APPROACH AND GIVE OUR YOUTH SOME PLACE TO GO THAT IS SAFE, WHERE THEY CAN GET SUPPORT FROM PROFESSIONALS IN THE COMMUNITY AND A RELAXED ATMOSPHERE, A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN GO AND FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES.
A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN ENJOY RESOURCES THAT THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE AT HOME.
[01:35:01]
CAN GO TO GET HOMEWORK, HELP, A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN GO TO COMMUNICATE WITH FELLOW STUDENTS, A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN GO TO UNDERSTAND THE DIVERSITY THAT EXISTS IN THIS COMMUNITY.AND MOST OF ALL, A PLACE WHERE THE PARENTS CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT THEIR CHILDREN ARE SAFE.
IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING, AND I JUST HEARD THAT THE ORGANIZERS ARE ASKING FOR $25,000.
THAT IS A, A NOMINAL AMOUNT OF MONEY.
AND THE $50,000 THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR IN JANUARY IS NOT THAT MUCH AT ALL EITHER.
I CONSIDER THIS TO BE REASONABLE FOR THE VALUE THAT I SEE THAT THIS TOWN CAN BENEFIT FROM.
IT SHOULDN'T BE DIFFICULT TO REPROGRAM SOME MONEY FROM SOME PROJECTS THAT MIGHT BE LESS IMPORTANT.
SO AS YOU THINK ABOUT THIS TONIGHT, COUNCIL, PLEASE CONSIDER THE YOUTH.
MS. PRESLEY, WHO ELSE WAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? UH, CLAIRE.
TONIGHT I STAND BEFORE YOU TO ADVOCATE FOR THE PROVISION OF FUNDING FOR THE REVITALIZATION OF THE YOUTH CENTER.
OUR YOUTH ARE THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW.
INVESTING IN OUR YOUTH CENTER IS AN INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY'S PROSPERITY, WELLBEING, AND SUSTAINABILITY.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE YOUTH CENTER WILL SERVE AS A SAFE HAVEN FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
IT WILL OFFER A SPACE WHERE THEY CAN GATHER, LEARN, CREATE, AND EXPLORE THEIR INTERESTS IN A SECURE AND NURTURING ENVIRONMENT.
IN A WORLD WHERE THE CHALLENGES AND PRESSURES FACED BY OUR YOUTH ARE CONSTANTLY EVOLVING, PROVIDING A SPACE WHERE THEY CAN ESCAPE FROM NEGATIVE INFLUENCES AND ENGAGE IN POSITIVE, CONSTRUCTIVE ACTIVITIES IS INVALUABLE.
BY INVESTING IN THE YOUTH CENTER, WE ARE OFFERING OUR YOUNG CITIZENS A SANCTUARY THAT EMPOWERS THEM TO MAKE CHOICES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR PERSONAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.
MOREOVER, THE YOUTH CENTER WILL SERVE AS A PLATFORM FOR SKILL BUILDING AND EDUCATION.
IT'S A PLACE WHERE OUR YOUTH CAN ACQUIRE PRACTICAL LIFE SKILLS, ENHANCE THEIR TALENTS, AND RECEIVE GUIDANCE FROM MENTORS AND INSTRUCTORS.
WHETHER IT'S LEARNING ABOUT LEADERSHIP, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, ARTS, OR TECHNOLOGY, OR WHATEVER THEY MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN.
THE YOUTH CENTER WILL PROVIDE A DIVERSE RANGE OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR SKILL ACQUISITION THAT WILL PREPARE OUR YOUTH FOR SUCCESS IN THEIR FUTURE ENDEAVORS.
BASED ON WHAT I HAVE HEARD FROM REACHING OUT NOW, THE YOUTH CENTER WILL FOSTER A SENSE OF BELONGING AND UNITY AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE FROM VARIOUS BACKGROUNDS, SOMETHING OUR COMMUNITY'S YOUTH ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF.
THROUGH CULTURAL EVENTS, WORKSHOPS, AND COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS, THE YOUTH CENTER PLANS TO CULTIVATE AN ENVIRONMENT OF INCLUSIVITY AND MUTUAL RESPECT, STRENGTHENING THE SOCIAL FABRIC OF OUR COMMUNITY.
I BELIEVE THAT A WELL-SUPPORTED YOUTH CENTER CAN HELP BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT, SUPPORTING OUR YOUTH AND BEING PREPARED TO CONTRIBUTE MEANINGFULLY TO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY AND SECURE THEIR OWN FUTURES.
THE YOUTH CENTER IS NOT JUST A BUILDING, IT IS A HUB OF PROMISE, POTENTIAL, AND POSSIBILITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE.
I AM HOPING YOU'LL RECOGNIZE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS INVESTMENT AND COMMIT TO PROVIDING THE FUNDING REQUESTED FOR THE YOUTH CENTER TOGETHER.
LET'S PAVE THE WAY FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR OUR YOUTH, WHERE THE VOICES AND ASPIRATIONS OF THEM ARE NOT JUST HEARD, BUT CELEBRATED AND SUPPORTED.
UM, I HAD SOMETHING WRITTEN, BUT WE KNOW YOUR NAME, BUT JUST ADDRESS.
MY NAME IS SAMANTHA BARBER AND MY ADDRESS IS 9 3 3 NORTH RIVER ROAD, MIDDLETOWN, VIRGINIA.
AND I AM THE PRESIDENT OF REACHING OUT NOW.
BUT TONIGHT, I STAND BEFORE YOU AS AN ADVOCATE FOR OUR CHILDREN.
UM, THANK YOU, MR. MR. WOOD, MR. KILBY AND MR. SCHMIDT FOR YOUR WORDS OF, UM, AFFIRMATION THIS EVENING.
UM, I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH THIS EVENING, THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS YOUTH CENTER FOR OUR YOUTH.
OVER THE LAST TWO AND A HALF WEEKS, WE HAVE HEARD OF SO MANY DIFFICULTIES ALREADY THAT IS GOING ON IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
LAST WEEKEND, WE LOST A STUDENT FROM WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL.
A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, WE HAD A STUDENT THAT OVERDOSED ON THE BUS.
AND JUST LAST WEEK WE HAD AN INCIDENT AT ONE OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT REACHING OUT NOW IS THE FIXER OF ALL
[01:40:01]
OF THIS, BUT WE ARE A PART OF THE SOLUTION.AND TONIGHT, AS A COMMUNITY, NOT JUST REACHING OUT NOW, LIKE WE ALWAYS SAY, THIS IS US.
SO TOGETHER WE KNOW THAT WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR THE KIDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE CAN BE A LIGHTHOUSE, A SAFE HAVEN, AND FINALLY, A PLACE THAT OUR STUDENTS CAN TRULY CALL THEIR OWN.
NOT JUST SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL, BUT THIS IS A PLACE FOR WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, AND EIGHTH GRADERS IN WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL AND SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
SO THE MYTH OF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S ONLY FOR SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
I LIKE TO HOPEFULLY PUT AN END TO THIS.
THIS IS FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.
AND SO TONIGHT I'M ASKING YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
I'VE MET WITH ALL OF YOU AT ONE POINT, SOME OF YOU.
SO TO GET BACK INTO THE NITTY GRITTY OF WHAT THIS PROPOSAL IS, YOU'VE, WE'VE LAID IT OUT BEFORE YOU.
SO TONIGHT, AS AN ADVOCATE FOR OUR KIDS AND AS A RESIDENT OF THIS COMMUNITY THAT I'M VERY, VERY PROUD TO BE A PART OF, I ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, 'CAUSE I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC KNOWS THE ANSWER TO THIS.
THAT THIS IS FOR ALL OF OUR, THIS IS FOR ALL THE YOUTH IN WARREN COUNTY.
NOT JUST WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL.
WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL, SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL.
IT WOULD BE FOR ALL OF OUR YOUTH, WHETHER THEY THEY'RE SCHOOL, PUBLIC HOMESCHOOL, PRIVATE SCHOOL.
I JUST, THE REASON WHY I MENTIONED THE ANSWER, BUT YES.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE, UH, MISINTERPRETED WHAT, UH, MISINTERPRETED WHAT YOU SAID.
I, THE REASON WHY I BROUGHT IT UP IS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN CONVERSATION THAT THIS IS ONLY FOR SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
BUT YES, IT IS FOR ALL OUR STUDENTS.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK AND, BUT DIDN'T SIGN UP? GO AHEAD.
UH, MY, MY NAME'S MARLENA CONNOR.
I LIVE AT TWO 14 EAST STONEWALL DRIVE IN FRONT ROYAL.
UM, I AM ALSO ON THE BOARD OF REACHING OUT NOW.
HOWEVER, I'M COMING HERE AS A TEACHER.
I'VE BEEN TEACHING IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR 16 YEARS.
AND LIKE MRS. BARBER JUST SAID, WE'VE HAD A REALLY ROUGH GO THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
UM, SO WE BELIEVE IN THESE KIDS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, I BELIEVE IN THEM SO MUCH.
I CAN GO ANYWHERE AND TEACH, GOT MASSIVE AMOUNT OF CREDENTIALS, BUT I FEEL LIKE THESE KIDS NEED ME AND I NEED THEM.
UH, I'VE SEEN A LOT OF DRUGS AND ALCOHOL AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND I KNOW THAT I FEEL LIKE IF I HAD SOMETHING LIKE THIS AS A CHILD, I PROBABLY WOULD'VE MADE A LOT LESS MISTAKES.
AND WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS YOUR HELP.
UM, SO I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT LIKE, YOU'LL BE A PART OF THIS AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, WE'RE ASKING FOR SOMETHING THAT'S PRETTY SMALL.
I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT SUPER SMALL
AND LIKE WE DID THAT, WE HELPED.
WE HAVE A REALLY, REALLY GOOD COMMUNITY.
WE'VE SEEN SOME REALLY GOOD SIDES OF THE COMMUNITY, AND WE'VE SEEN SOME REALLY POOR SIDES OF THE COMMUNITY.
BUT WE ARE TRYING TO BUILD THIS YOUTH CENTER SO WE CAN TEACH OUR CHILDREN ABOUT DRUGS, ALCOHOL, UM, SMOKING VAPES RIGHT NOW, VAPING IS OUT OF CONTROL.
AND I MEAN, LIKE I EX TOLD MY KIDS TODAY, BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT VAPING, UM, YOU CAN'T REALLY TRUST YOUR DRUG, DRUG DEALER, YOU KNOW,
I MEAN, SO WE WOULD JUST LIKE TO HAVE SOMEPLACE LIKE THEY, THEY SAID THAT THEY CAN GO AND THEY BELONG.
UM, WE'VE HAD CHILDREN AND REACHING OUT AND WE'VE HAD YOUNG LADIES AND YOUNG MEN AND REACHING OUT NOW THAT WE'RE KIND OF IN A ROUGH SITUATION.
THEY WERE SKIPPING SCHOOL, THEY WERE MISSING SCHOOL, THEY WERE DRINKING, THEY WERE SMOKING.
AND WE WENT TO, THEY'VE NOW GROWN TO WHERE THEY'RE SPEAKING AT SCHOOL BOARD EVENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEY'LL, THEY'LL TELL YOU THAT THIS, UM, THIS ORGANIZATION AND EVERYTHING HAS REALLY CHANGED THEIR LIVES.
AND SO IF YOU BELIEVE IN US, THEN, YOU KNOW.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WISHES
[01:45:01]
TO SPEAK MS. COLORS? IS THAT YOU? OKAY.COLORS, BENTONVILLE, VIRGINIA.
UM, I HADN'T PLANNED ON SPEAKING TONIGHT, BUT I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY PASSIONATE FOR ME.
UM, I DIDN'T GO TO THE THE YOUTH CENTER TOO MUCH BECAUSE LIVING IN BROWNTOWN DIDN'T HAVE THE TRANSPORTATION ALL THE TIME.
AND WHEN I DID GET TO, UM, TOWN, I SPENT MOST OF MY TIME AT THE HOSPITAL AS CANDY STRIPERS.
SO, UM, BUT I'VE, ALS ALWAYS HEARD, I KNEW THE ST.
MYERS WONDERFUL PEOPLE, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AS FAR AS SPORTS, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE THAT SPORTS IS NOT THEIR THING.
AND AFTER MEETING MRS. BARBER AND HEARING WHAT SHE HAS DONE WITH, UM, THE GROUP THAT SHE HAS SO FAR, I HAVE SO MUCH CONFIDENCE OF WHAT SHE CAN BRING TO THE PEOPLE THAT DON'T FIT INTO THE SPORTS AND THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO OFFER HERE CURRENTLY FOR THE YOUTH.
AND I KNOW WE HAVE TALKED, WE'RE BOTH VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS.
AND OF COURSE IT ALL COMES DOWN TO FUNDING IT.
AND I, I KNOW YOUR BUDGET IS TIGHT, OUR BUDGET IS TIGHT.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT WE CAN, WE CAN FIND THIS TO SUPPORT IT, THE SEED MONEY TO GET IT STARTED.
AND THEN I HAVE FAITH THAT MRS. BARBER IS IN THIS COMMUNITY IS THEN GONNA SUPPORT IT AND MOVE IT FORWARD.
SO HOPEFULLY WE ONLY HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FUND IT FOR ONE YEAR.
AND IT'S A PROJECT THAT I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING ANOTHER PROJECT THAT THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN CAN WORK TOGETHER ON.
AND, UM, MAKE SOMETHING THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO THE YOUTH IN THIS COMMUNITY SO THAT THEY'RE SITTING IN OUR SEATS IN A FEW YEARS AND PAYING IT FORWARD TO THE OTHER CHILDREN THAT ARE YOUNGER THAN THEM.
SO, I UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES, BUT, AND I KNOW YOU'LL DO THE RIGHT THING, SO THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME A TIME TO SPEAK.
ANYBODY ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS TOPIC? COME ON UP, MS. LOGAN.
I'M NOT TRYING TO DIVULGE EVERYBODY'S NAME, I JUST HAPPEN TO KNOW SOMETHING.
I JUST HAPPEN TO KNOW SOME OF THESE PEOPLE.
UH, I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO A TOWN.
I'VE LIVED HERE MY WHOLE LIFE AND NEVER BEEN TO A TOWN COUNCIL MEETING.
SO THAT SHOULD TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS.
AND I HAD NO PLANS TO SPEAK 'CAUSE MY GRANDSON JUST SHOW UP AND BE A BODY
AND I, I WANNA TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO ME.
I SPENT MOST OF THE DAY IN WINCHESTER AT, UM, SHENANDOAH ONCOLOGY PLANNING, STARTING MY, UH, CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENT TOMORROW.
BUT I'M HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE THIS IS IMPORTANT.
IF WE CAN'T HELP THE YOUTH OF OUR COMMUNITY, WHAT CAN WE DO? I TAUGHT FOR 31 YEARS AND THAT THEY ARE OUR FUTURE, OUR CHILDREN, OUR GRANDCHILDREN.
MY, NONE OF MY, WELL, ONLY ONE, ONE OF MY FIVE GRANDCHILDREN IS, YOU KNOW, GOES TO SCHOOL HERE.
BUT I HAVE SUCH ROOTS IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND MY HUSBAND AND I HELPED MRS. BARBER IN, IN TWO EVENTS SERVING FOOD AND BEING AROUND HER AND SEEING WHAT A CHANGE SHE MADE HAS MADE IN THOSE CHILDREN TWO EVENTS, AND I'M SOLD.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A BLESSING TO US.
SO IF WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE, SHE'S WILLING TO DO THE WORK AND SHE CAN DO IT.
IF I, THIS IS MY ONE MEETING, DON'T DISAPPOINT ME.
AND ANDREW, WE'LL ALL BE PRAYING FOR YOU AND, AND THE DAYS TO COME, I'M, I'M TOUGH.
ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS TOPIC? EVEN IT'S, IF IT'S JUST TO SAY, YAY, SHANE, COME ON UP.
I'M SHANE GOODWIN, SIX MASSEY STREET HERE IN FRONT ROYAL.
AS I LOOK AT THE GROUP AND I THINK ABOUT WHO EACH ONE OF YOU IS, I'VE CONNECTED WITH MOST OF YOU AROUND ISSUES ABOUT KIDS.
SO I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF CARE AND CONCERN IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR
[01:50:01]
CHILDREN.AS I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO SERVE AS PRINCIPAL HERE AT E WILSON MORRISON.
AND THEN AS HR DIRECTOR FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT WITH SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, BOTH FROM THE PAROCHIAL SIDE OF SCHOOL TO HOMESCHOOL, ALSO TO PUBLIC SCHOOL.
SO I STAND BEFORE YOU TO TELL YOU WHY THAT'S SO IMPORTANT IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE HAVE SO MANY KIDS, RICH, POOR CHILDREN, WITH CHILDREN WITHOUT CHILDREN GOING TO SCHOOL IN SO MANY DIFFERENT SETTINGS THAT NEED TO KNOW EACH OTHER.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN WITH REACHING OUT NOW IN THE YOUTH CENTER IS FOR THOSE CONNECTIONS TO BE MADE, BECAUSE THAT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO SEE EACH OTHER FOR WHO WE ARE, WHO WE CARE ABOUT, WHAT WE CARE ABOUT.
AND THAT STARTS WITH OUR KIDS.
I'VE KNOWN SAMANTHA, I GUESS I MOVED HERE IN 2018 WITH MY FAMILY, AND I MET SAMANTHA, I THINK THE YEAR RIGHT AFTER.
SO I, OF COURSE, UH, WHEN COVID CAME, WE STARTED WITH A GROUP WITH FOOD SERVICE AND GOT TO KNOW FAMILIES IN A REALLY PERSONAL WAY, AND THEN GAINED THE TRUST OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND THE ORGANIZATION GREW TO SO MUCH MORE.
BY THE WAY, I'M PRESIDENT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
SO AS I LOOK AT EACH ONE OF YOU, SOME OF YOU'RE MY NEIGHBORS, SOME OF YOU ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE, UH, BEEN AT MY SCHOOL AND HAD CHILDREN VERY, VERY CLOSE TO YOU THAT HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES.
AND SOME OF YOU, I DIDN'T GET TO SPEND AS MUCH TIME WITH YOU AS I WISH I HAD, BUT I JUST WANT TO STAND IN FRONT OF YOU TONIGHT TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY, NOT AS AN OBLIGATION, BECAUSE OUR KIDS DESERVE IT.
ALL OF THEM, EACH ONE OF THEM, THEM THAT ARE HERE.
AND I PROMISE YOU THAT SAMANTHA AND HER FAMILY AND THE FOLKS IN THIS ROOM THAT SUPPORT THIS ORGANIZATION, AND WHICH INCLUDES TINY LITTLE ME, EVEN THOUGH I'M TALL, UM, WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN.
SO THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING THIS AND I HOPE THAT YOU'LL SUPPORT IT.
ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO SPEAK? JAY, ARE YOU COMING TO SPEAK? OKAY.
IT'S JUST, IT'S A, JUST YOU'RE PASSIONATE, RIGHT? JAY MCCARTY, I DON'T RESIDE HERE.
UH, BUT AS A BENEFICIARY OF THE YOUTH CENTER FROM 73 TO 77, UH, I THINK YOU'VE HEARD MORE THAN, THAN, THAN I COULD BEGIN TO SAY ALREADY.
BUT IT'S, IT'S JUST SO, SO VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE, AND THIS IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY AND WE NEED TO SEIZE ON IT.
I DON'T WANT YOU COME ALL ON DOWN.
I, I THINK, I THINK WE, I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW.
I'M, IT'S NOT, I'M NOT, I KNOW, I KNOW.
HELLO, MY NAME IS LAUREN WOOD.
I RESIDE AT 2 46 SUGAR MAPLE ROAD.
UM, I ALSO WAS NOT PLANNING ON SPEAKING, I WAS JUST KIND OF TOLD TO BE HERE AND REPRESENT THE CAUSE.
UM, BUT I WAS LOOKING AT A COUPLE FACTS I JUST FOUND ONLINE.
THESE DO NOT PERTAIN TO FRONT ROYAL, BUT JUST THE US IN GENERAL.
UM, THE FIRST THING I READ WAS SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN AND YOUTH SPEND 80% OF THEIR WAKING HOURS OUTSIDE OF A SCHOOL WHILE ONE IN FIVE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE US ARE ALONE AFTER THE SCHOOL DAY ENDS.
AND I JUST THINK OF MYSELF AS A STAY AT HOME MOM AND EVERYTHING THAT I OFFER TO MY CHILDREN AND HOW MY EVENINGS ARE SO FULL, WHETHER THAT'S JUST TALKING TO THEM ABOUT THEIR DAY, HELPING THEM WORK THROUGH PROBLEMS THAT THEY ACQUIRED OR HELPING WITH HOMEWORK.
UM, AND SO MANY KIDS WON'T GET THAT.
UM, ANOTHER THING THAT I READ WAS AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS ALSO PROVIDE A SIGNIFICANT RETURN ON INVESTMENT WITH EVERY $1 INVESTED, SAVING AT LEAST THREE THROUGH INCREASING YOUTH'S EARNING POTENTIAL, IMPROVING THEIR PERFORMANCE AT SCHOOL, AND REDUCING CRIME AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY.
SO I KNOW THAT, UM, THE MONEY ASPECT IS PROBABLY WEIGHING ON EVERYBODY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALL PAY TAXES AND WE WANNA KNOW WHERE OUR MONEY GOES, BUT I FEEL LIKE THE BEST PLACE TO PUT OUR MONEY IS IN OUR CHILDREN.
AND, UM, JUST SPEAKING ON MORE OF A PERSONAL FRONT, I DID NOT GROW UP IN WARREN COUNTY.
I GREW UP IN KANSAS, AND MY SITUATION WAS, I WAS ONE OF FIVE CHILDREN TO, UM, A SINGLE MOTHER.
SHE WAS A NURSE, SHE WORKED, I WAS PRETTY MUCH A LATCHKEY KID.
AND, UM, I DID HAVE A STEPFATHER.
SO MY, MY HOME LIFE, I WAS ALONE, OR I WAS WITH AN ABUSIVE STEPFATHER.
[01:55:01]
THE 15 MINUTES DOWN TO THE YOUTH CENTER, AND THAT NOT ONLY GAVE ME POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT FROM ADULTS, BUT A WAY OF ESCAPING AN ABUSIVE SITUATION.I STAYED IN THAT THROUGHOUT HIGH SCHOOL.
MY HIGH SCHOOL MADE ME, UM, ONE OF THE REQUISITE, ONE OF THE REQUIRED THINGS TO GRADUATE WAS YOU HAD TO, UM, DO SOME KIND OF COMMUNITY SERVICE.
I CHOSE TO DO THAT WITH MY YOUTH CENTER AS A MENTOR.
AND THAT WAS WHEN I LEARNED HOW MUCH I REALLY, REALLY ENJOYED WORKING WITH KIDS AND HOW I WANTED TO GIVE BACK.
THROUGH THAT, I DECIDED TO BECOME A, UM, TEACHER.
I, UM, THE, THIS WAS AROUND THE TIME I MOVED TO VIRGINIA.
SO WHILE IN COLLEGE, I WAS A PRESCHOOL TEACHER AND WENT TO J M U.
UM, I GRADUATED, I TAUGHT FIRST GRADE FOR THREE YEARS, AND THEN AFTER THAT, I BECAME A FOSTER PARENT HERE IN WARREN COUNTY.
AND THAT ALL STARTED WITH MY EXPERIENCE AT THE YOUTH CENTER, WORKING WITH THOSE CHILDREN AND SEEING THAT THEY NEEDED POSITIVE ADULTS IN THEIR LIVES.
SO I THINK THAT THIS WOULD BE A WONDERFUL THING FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
I KNOW YOU SAID THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT PLANNED TO SPEAK, BUT I WAS GONNA SAY, I'M SURE GLAD YOU DID.
IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO SPEAK? NO PRESSURE.
UM, I DON'T, I KNOW WE DON'T NORMALLY DO THIS, BUT I KNOW THERE ARE SOME OF YOU OUT THERE THAT PROBABLY WANNA SPEAK AND JUST, THIS ISN'T YOUR THING, SO IF YOU JUST WANNA SAY A SHOW OF HANDS IF YOU'RE SOMEBODY THAT WOULD SUPPORT THIS PROJECT.
UM, ANYBODY ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK? OKAY, I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, NORMALLY WE WOULD SAY OPEN UP THE COUNCIL, BUT WE ACTUALLY, IT ISN'T SOMETHING, UM, COUNSEL, IT, UM, TAKES NO ACTION ON THIS, THIS EVENING.
BUT IF COUNSEL WANTS TO, I KNOW SOMETIMES THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNSEL TO SPEAK.
UM, IF ANYBODY, I KNOW THERE'LL ANYBODY WANNA SPEAK, OFFER ANYTHING, NOW GO.
I'M A PRODUCT LIKE MR. WOOD AND SOME OF THE OTHERS OF THE YOUTH CENTER.
UM, I REMEMBER OUR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS DOWN THERE, ALWAYS HAD A BAND OR, AND THE ST.
UM, I THINK BETWEEN THEM, I THINK THEY PROBABLY HAD, WHAT, 300 ADOPTED KIDS, BASICALLY.
UH, BUT THEY WERE REALLY GOOD TO US, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE IT COME BACK.
UM, I THINK THEY CHANGED A LOT OF PEOPLE'S LIVES, SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO, TO WORK ON IT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
UH, I'M GONNA KEEP THIS VERY SHORT.
UH, I MADE, UH, MADE A COMMENT AT, UH, WHEN THIS FIRST CAME BEFORE THE COUNCIL, UH, IN OUR WORK SESSION, AND I, I MADE A REFERENCE THAT, UH, THE COST OF THIS IS CHUMP CHANGE.
I, I, I DON'T, UH, WANT TO FRAME THAT AS, UH, AS, AS, UH, SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS, UH, I DON'T EVEN KNOW.
UH, WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE SPOKEN VERY PASSIONATELY, UH, ABOUT OUR KIDS, UH, ABOUT OUR YOUTH, UH, IS NOW THIS COUNCIL IS RESPONSIBILITY AND $25,000, AND I'M SPEAKING TO THE COMMUNITY, AND I WANT YOU TO HOLD US TO THIS.
$50,000 IS CHUMP CHANGE, AND I GUARANTEE YOU, I WILL WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FIND 25 AND $50,000 IN THIS BUDGET.
I'M ALSO PASSIONATE ABOUT YOUTH WHOM I'VE WORKED WITH MOST OF MY LIFE, AND I'VE BEEN IN DRUG DETOX WITH THESE FOLKS, AND I'VE BEEN WITH PARENTS THAT ARE PAINTING FROM THE LOSS OF THEIR CHILDREN.
THIS IS SOMETHING VERY PERSONAL, NOT ONLY TO ME, BUT PROBABLY MOST OF US IN HERE.
ALL OF US HAVE BEEN TOUCHED BY YOUTH IN CRISIS, AND WE HAVE IT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
MR. KIRBY, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THAT MONEY BECAUSE TOO OFTEN IT'S OVERLOOKED.
THIS IS IMPORTANT TO ME, AND SHAME ON THIS COUNCIL IF WE DON'T MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS.
[02:00:03]
OKAY.ANYBODY ELSE WISHES WHEN YOU SAID, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS? IT MAKES ME THINK OF, UH, FOREST GUM,
AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS.
YOU CAN TELL IT'S BEEN A LONG NIGHT.
MR. RAPPAPORT, YOU'RE UP NEXT? YES,
AS I, AS I LOOK, LOOKED AROUND IN THE, UH, UH, OUT IN THE AUDIENCE TONIGHT, I'VE SEE PEOPLE THAT, UH, WE'RE PRODUCTS OF THIS YOUTH CENTER AS WELL AS, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, LOC, I THINK COUNCILMAN MORRIS, I GOT TO GO THERE.
UH, I GOT TO GO THERE SORT OF AT THE TAIL END, RIGHT? THAT WAS THE LAST CLASS, PROBABLY, RIGHT? OKAY.
UH, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT ALL THESE PEOPLE AND I SEE SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE, AND, UH, THAT'S WHAT THE ST.
AND THAT'S, UH, THAT'S, UH, WHAT I BELIEVE IS WHAT, WHERE, UH, REACHING OUT NOW IS STRIVING FOR.
AND IT'S SORT OF, IF NOTHING ELSE, IT CAN MAYBE SCARE, UH, PEOPLE STRAIGHT AND FOLLOW THE RIGHT PATH.
UH, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T THINK OF ANY, ANYONE, UH, RIGHT OFFHAND, UH, IN MY, IN MY ERA WHEN I WENT THERE, WHICH WAS IN AROUND THE 70, PROBABLY 1970 TO 70, UH, FOUR, AND THEN I WAS OFF COLLEGE.
UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, TO BORROW A LINE FROM, UH, THE FIELD OF DREAMS, YOU KNOW, IF WE BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME.
AND, UH, I REALLY BELIEVE THAT, UH, AND, UH, SORRY.
I SAID WE'RE ALL ABOUT THE MOVIES TONIGHT.
YOU KNOW, I SEEM TO ALWAYS GET A LAUGH AT HIM.
NO, I, NO, BUT, UH, I LAUGHED AT HER TOO, ACTUALLY.
YOU GOT, BUT, UH, YEAH, INSPIRE.
AND, UH, SO, UH, I, I, I THANK ALL THE, THE FOLKS THAT CAME OUT AND SPOKE TONIGHT.
AND, UH, UH, I HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, MS. BARBER AND, UH, I APPRECIATE ALL, ALL, ALL OF THAT YOU HAVE DONE AND YOUR STAFF, UH, AND YOUR SUPPORTERS.
AND, UH, I THINK YOU'LL DO A GREAT JOB WITH BRINGING THIS TO FRUITION.
WE JUST HAVE TO STEP UP AND I KNOW THE COUNTY STEPPING UP AND, UH, WE'LL MAKE IT HAPPEN.
AND I, I WASN'T REALLY, I WASN'T LAUGHING.
WE ALL KEEP USING MOVIE REFERENCES TONIGHT, SO I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT PERSON.
WHO ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? NO PRESSURE.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY, I THINK I MAY BE THE ONLY COUNCIL MEMBER UP HERE WHO ACTUALLY WILL HAVE THREE YOUTH IN THE COMMUNITY WHEN THIS IS LAUNCHED.
AND ONE, UM, WHO WILL BE OF THE AGE TO PARTICIPATE AND ATTEND THAT.
I DID GET TO ATTEND THE RAYMOND E ST.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, EXPRESS MY SUPPORT ONE, BUT A CLARIFY, I HAVE ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
I'VE ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUNDING MECHANISM.
I'VE ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PARTICIPATION FROM OTHER SCHOOLS BECAUSE WHEN IT WAS FIRST INTRODUCED, THERE WAS ONE SCHOOL THAT WAS INTRODUCED.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS NEVER OPPOSITION TO ASK QUESTIONS.
I FEEL LIKE IT WAS ME DOING MY DUE DILIGENCE AS NOT ONLY A TOWN COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT AS A MOTHER AND AS A TAXPAYER.
UM, AND I, I DON'T SEE WHAT NEGATIVE COULD COME OUT OF THIS.
UM, THERE ARE STILL SOME QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I'M OPPOSED TO LAUNCHING THIS OR SUPPORTING THIS OR ALLOWING MY CHILDREN TO PARTICIPATE IN IT IN ANY WAY.
AND I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER NEGATIVELY EXPRESSED THAT.
UM, AND IN REGARDS TO THE BUDGET I HAD MENTIONED AND CLARIFIED AND VALIDATED THAT POINT AT THE WORK SESSION THAT I JUST, OUR BUDGET TERM WAS OVER FOR THE YEAR, SO IT IS HARD TO GO BACK AND DO SO.
BUT AS WE SAW ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, WE HAVE A, A CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE IN OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT, AND I'M SURE THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO HELP US FIND THE FUNDS TO DO SO.
BUT I WAS DOING MY DUE DILIGENCE.
I DO SUPPORT THE YOUTH CENTER.
I DO SUPPORT REACHING OUT NOW.
I DO LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE COUNTY ON THIS.
UM, BUT AS ALWAYS, SAFETY IS A PRIORITY.
I KNOW THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED, UM, THE VAPE DETECTORS THAT YOU GUYS HAD MENTIONED IN YOUR, UM, FIRST EVER WORK SESSION THAT YOU CAME TO THE TOWN AND, YOU KNOW, AFTER LAST WEEK, IT'S MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER TO ENSURE
[02:05:01]
THAT THOSE TYPES OF MEASURES ARE IN PLACE.UM, SO YEAH, WITH ALL THAT BEING SAID, UM, I AM IN SUPPORT OF IT, BUT I DO ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND I WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO SPEAK? OKAY, OUR, UM, INTENT TONIGHT WAS TO RECEIVE PUBLIC INPUT.
AND SO I JUST WANNA THANK EVERYBODY THAT CAME OUT.
IT'S, UM, EVERYBODY, ESPECIALLY THE TOWN CITIZENS, BECAUSE THEY, UM, IT, IM, IT IMPACTS THEIR TAX DOLLARS.
SO I'M REALLY GLAD THAT, UM, WE HEARD FROM YOU.
AND, AND IF YOU'RE, UH, WATCHING AND YOU STILL WANNA SEND INPUT, FEEL FREE TO TO EMAIL US.
AND I'M GONNA MOVE ON TO SEVEN.
I JUST TO FOLLOW UP, UM, WE, WE WILL JUST, ANYWAY, THIS WILL OBVIOUSLY BE ON OUR WORK SESSION, AND THEN IF, IF COUNSEL WISHES TO MOVE FORWARD, THERE WOULD BE AN M O U AND WE'D WORK THINGS OUT FROM THERE.
[7.I. Continued Public Hearing to Amend Previously Approved Proffers for Anna Swan Estates – HEPTAD LLC]
SEVEN I IS A CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING TO AMEND PREVIOUSLY APPROVED PROFFERS FOR SWAN ESTATES.HAVE HABITAT, L L C MS. PRESLEY, CAN YOU READ THE SUMMARY FOR US? ON APRIL 24TH, 2023, COUNSEL MOVED TO CONTINUE THIS PUBLIC HEARING UNTIL, OOPS, I DON'T THINK THAT'S IT UNTIL TONIGHT.
THE REQUEST IS FOR COUNSEL TO AMEND THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED PROFFERS FOR THE SUBDIVISION ENTITLED WAN ESTATES DATED FEBRUARY 2ND, 2012.
THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED IN THE LEACH RUN PLANNING AREA AND CONSISTS OF 98.25 ACRES.
THE ORIGINAL HEPT, A ZONING APPLICATION WAS INITIALLY SUBMITTED TO THE TOWN ON JULY 5TH, 2005, REFERRED TO AS THE SWAN FARM.
IN 2012, COUNCIL APPROVED AN AMENDMENT TO THE ORIGINAL PROFFERS.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION HELD A PUBLIC HEARING ON DECEMBER 21ST, 2022, AND RECOMMENDED APPROVAL TO AMEND THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED PROFFERS FOR ANNA SWAN ESTATES WITH CONDITIONS.
NUMBER ONE, THE APPLICANT AMENDS THE LANGUAGE OF SECTION 3.1 TO STATE IN THE EVENT THAT THE FRONT ROYAL TOWN COUNCIL APPROVES THESE AMENDMENTS, SUCH APPROVAL WILL BE DEEMED AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BY THE FRONT ROYAL TOWN COUNCIL THAT LEACH RUN PARKWAY HAS BEEN COMPLETELY CONSTRUCTED.
AND L L C COMPLIED WITH ANY PRIOR APPROVED PROFFERS PERTAINING TO THE DEDICATION OF RIGHT OF WAY, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE PAYMENT OF THE RELATED CASH PROFFERS.
NUMBER TWO, THE APPLICANT IS ABLE TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE RESIDENTIAL PARKING.
NUMBER THREE, THE APPLICANT AMENDS THE LANGUAGE TO REMOVE THE WORD THE BEFORE WARRING COUNTY.
THE APPLICANT WILL AMEND THE PROFFER STATEMENT TO INCLUDE LANGUAGE ADDRESSING THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO EXPAND AND INSTALL THE ONSITE UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND FIVE, THE APPLICANT WILL AMEND THE PROFFERS TO INCLUDE LANGUAGE ADDRESSING THEIR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE COST OF INSTALLING STORMWATER FACILITIES ON SITE.
PROFFER AMENDMENT DATED MARCH 15TH, 2023, ADDS THE FOLLOWING, EACH PROFFER LISTED HEREIN AND MADE IN CONNECTION WITH THIS APPLICATION IS MADE VOLUNTARILY AND COMPLIES WITH APP APPLICABLE LAW.
PROFFER AMENDMENT DATED APRIL 4TH, 2023 CORRECTS THE AMOUNT PER RESIDENTIAL DWELLING UNIT, WHETHER SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED OR SINGLE FAMILY ATTACHED FROM 1040 $4 AND 31 CENTS TO $699 AND 40 CENTS.
AT THE JUNE 26TH, 2023, PUBLIC HEARING COUNSEL CONTINUED THE PUBLIC HEARING TO ALLOW TIME FOR THE COMPLETION OF A PROFFER ANALYSIS.
THE PROFFER ANALYSIS HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
PROFFER AMENDMENT DATED AUGUST 4TH, 2023, INCREASE THE CONTRIBUTION OF A ONE-TIME CASH CONTRIBUTION TO WARREN COUNTY FROM $4,247 TO $505,500 FOR EACH RESIDENTIAL DWELLING UNIT, WHICH SHALL BE USED BY WARREN COUNTY TO SUPPORT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT RELATING TO THE IMPACTS ON THE WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND REMOVED MENTION OF HOW THE NUMBERS WERE CALCULATED.
UM, I'M GONNA OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.
MS. PRESLEY, HAS ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WE HAVE ONE GLENWOOD.
BUT MAY I JUST ASK DO, WELL, WE'LL JUST HAVE MR. WOODS SPEAK AND THEN I I SOMETIMES WE HAVE THE APPLICANT SPEAK FIRST, BUT WE'RE GONNA LET WE'RE NO, WE'RE GONNA LET YOU GO FIRST.
YOU WERE, YOU WERE ALREADY ON YOUR WAY UP HERE.
SO I HAD JUST JOINED THE PLANNING COMMISSION WHEN THIS, UM, SUBDIVISION CAME BEFORE US.
AND, UM, AS, UH, PLANNING COMMISSIONER, WE LOOKED AT THIS AND DID IT MEET THE CERTAIN
[02:10:01]
CRITERIA, UH, ROAD ACCESS, THE, UH, LEACHES RUN PARKWAY AND EVERYTHING.AND WE MOVED ALONG BECAUSE PROPERS ARE REALLY NOT SOMETHING THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION DEALS WITH.
BUT, YOU KNOW, TO THE ELECTED, UH, BODY, I FELT LIKE DURING THE WHOLE PROCESS THAT PEOPLE SPOKE OUT AGAINST IT.
YOU GUYS DIDN'T REEL IN SOME OF THE PERSONAL ATTACKS OF PEOPLE THAT I GREW UP WITH AND I KNEW.
AND, UM, I DIDN'T COME HERE TONIGHT REALLY TO TALK ABOUT RON LEWELLEN, BUT, YOU KNOW, HE SERVED OUR COUNTY AS A SUPERVISOR.
RON HAS DONE A LOT OF GOOD FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
NOW YOU'RE GOING TO LISTEN TO MR. SALICK AND HE'S GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT THEY'RE WILLING TO DO, AND THE NEGOTIATIONS BEGIN OR CONTINUE.
I JUST ASK YOU TO HAVE A CLEAN HEART THOUGH.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS, LOOK AT IT AS A BUSINESS PROPOSAL.
IF IT MEETS YOUR REQUIREMENTS, IF IT MEETS THE PROFFERS THAT YOU HAVE IN MIND, VOTE IT UP.
BUT DON'T LET PERSONAL OPINIONS OR PUBLIC OPINIONS SWAY YOU IN DOING YOUR DUTIES.
SINCE WE'RE ALREADY ON THE IDEA OF IF THERE'S ANYONE ELSE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, WE'LL KEEP DOING THAT.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO.
LAURA, NOT YOU JUST KIDDING, KIDDING.
ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO SPEAK? OKAY.
AND MR. SELEK IS ACTUALLY ALSO THE, UH, WITH THE APPLICANT, RIGHT? CORRECT.
MEMBERS OF TOWN COUNCIL, MADAM MAYOR.
UH, FOR THE PATIENTS HERE, UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS NOW, ALMOST EIGHT COMPLETE MONTHS IN FRONT OF THIS COUNCIL.
AND I THINK YOU FIRST LOOKED AT IT AT A WORK SESSION IN JANUARY.
UM, JUST A COUPLE THINGS I I JUST WANNA DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO.
UM, YOU'VE HAD SEVERAL WORK SESSIONS.
UM, THE LATEST PROFFER AMENDMENT IN AUG, AUGUST THE FOURTH, UH, MS. PRESLEY, I THINK IT WAS, UM, WAS BASED ON THE, YOUR OWN CONSULTANTS' ANALYSIS.
AND REALLY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ANALYSIS THAT, UH, YOU HAD DONE AND WHAT GREENWAY DID BACK IN 2022 WAS THE SA SIZE OF THE SCHOOL.
UH, IT WENT FROM SIX 50 TO 600, OR EXCUSE ME, FROM 600 STUDENTS TO SIX 50.
AND OF COURSE, THE COST WENT UP BECAUSE OF THE LARGER SCHOOL, BASED ON THE MATH.
UH, THE ORIGINAL 2012 PROFFER NUMBER WAS $5,500 TO WARREN COUNTY SCHOOLS.
UM, SO WHAT WE DID WAS THIS MATCHUP, IT, IT JUST HAPPENED TO BE THE SAME NUMBER THAT THE JULY NUMBER, UH, NUMBER PREPARED FOR YOUR BENEFIT WAS $5,500.
SO, UM, WE DID NOT, UM, BASED ON YOUR ANALYSIS OR OR YOUR CONSULTANT ANALYSIS, WE LEFT THE PROFFER ALONE.
SO THE ONLY THING YOU BE REALLY DOING IS CLEANING UP SOME, UH, LANGUAGE IN THE PROFFER IS THAT LEACH RUN PARKWAY IS ALREADY BUILT.
UM, THE LAND'S BEEN DEDICATED, THE ENGINEERING'S BEEN DONE.
UM, AND THE COSTS NOW HAVE BEEN ASCERTAINED.
WE KNOW WHAT EXACTLY IT COST 'CAUSE IT'S BUILT, ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT DONE.
JUST TO CLARIFY,
UM, THE, UM, COST IS DONE AND AS YOUR ATTORNEYS HAVE TOLD YOU, NOT, I DON'T THINK MR. SONNET, BUT MR. SIMMONS HAVE INFORMED YOU HE CAN'T TAKE PROFIT MONEY FOR THINGS OVER, ABOVE WHAT THE IMPACTS WERE AND OUR IMPACTS.
WE FIGURED WHAT THE IMPACT IS.
'CAUSE NOW WE KNOW THE COST OF EACH RUN.
UM, SO WE BROUGHT THAT NUMBER IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE, UM, THE COST.
UM, TONIGHT'S BEEN VERY INTERESTING FOR ME BECAUSE JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO YOU APPROVED A NEW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
OKAY? SO I JUST WANNA POINT OUT A FEW THINGS IN THAT CON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
'CAUSE IT'S, SOMEBODY SAID IT'S 200 AND SOME PAGES LONG, SO MAYBE THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT I, I, I KNOW YOU ALL READ IT, BUT IT'S A LONG DOCUMENT.
ON PAGE 24, IT SAYS, IN THE NEXT TWO DECADES, THERE WILL BE A 12%
[02:15:01]
INCREASE IN THE TOWN'S POPULATION, AND WE'LL NEED SUFFICIENT HOUSING TO ACCOMMODATE AN ESTIMATE AT 2,233 PEOPLE.THAT FRONT ROW ON PAGE 33, IT SAYS, FRONT ROW IS THE, REALLY, THE, THE SEAT OF WARREN COUNTY.
IT'S THE HUB OF ACTIVITY, IT'S THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, IT ALSO GOES ON TO TALK ABOUT HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND ONE WAYS YOU GET AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS TO INCREASE HOUSING STOCKS.
WELL, ON PAGE ONE 11, UM, THE COMP PLAN SAYS THAT BY 2040, WHICH IS ONLY 17 YEARS FROM NOW, WHICH IS NOT THAT FAR OFF, YOU NEED 900 NEW HOUSING UNITS.
RIGHT? THAT'S, THAT'S AN AVERAGE OF 53 PER YEAR.
TODAY, I CHECKED ON THE BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED IN WARREN COUNTY FOR 2022 FOR RESIDENTIAL HOUSING.
HOWEVER, ONLY 18 OF THOSE HOUSING OF THE 156 WERE FOR HOUSES GOING TO BE BUILT IN THE TOWN LIMITS.
SO BASED ON THAT NUMBER, IT WOULD TAKE 50 YEARS TO GET TO 900 UNITS.
UM, I TH I I, I THINK YOU JUST PASSED THE NEW COMP PLAN SAYING WE NEED TO 900 UNITS.
ARE WE GONNA WAIT 50 YEARS TO GET THEM? JUST SOMETHING FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT.
THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN APPROVED, IT WAS REZONED IN 2012.
WE'RE JUST GOING IN TO MODIFY THE PROFFERS TO, TO, TO REFERENCE THE ACTUAL IMPACTS TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVEN'T TOUCHED THE SCHOOL PROFFER.
IT'S STILL 5,500 AND JUST A, A NUMBER.
IT'S NOT THE HOUSING UNITS IN THE TOWN THAT'S CAUSING THE SCHOOL PROBLEMS. IT'S THE BUYRIGHT HOUSES BEING BUILT IN THE COUNTY THAT ARE GENERATING SCHOOL KIDS.
YOU CAN JUST DO THE MATH AND FIND THAT OUT.
I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, AND WE ASK YOU TO APPROVE THIS TONIGHT.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS, YOUR IMPACT STUDY, THE FISCAL IMPACT STUDY SHOWED THAT YOU WOULD RECEIVE ALMOST A MILLION DOLLARS OVER $900,000.
YOU TALKED ABOUT NEEDING MONEY TO BUILD ROADS.
YOU NEED MONEY TONIGHT FOR A WONDERFUL PROJECT, THE SANTA MILES YOUTH CENTER.
AND YOU, YOU'RE GONNA STRUGGLE.
BUT HAVING THESE UNITS AT FULL BUILD OUT, UM, YOU WOULD MIGHT FIND THE MONEY TO DO THINGS THAT YOU REALLY WANNA DO.
AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
IF YOU'LL JUST HANG TIGHT THERE.
WE'LL LET YOU, BEFORE WE START THOUGH, YOU SAID ABOUT THE 5,500, WHICH IS TRUE, THAT WAS IN THE ORIGINAL PROFFERS, BUT, BUT WHAT WE DID HAVE PRIOR TO AUGUST 4TH WAS THE 4,247, BECAUSE YOU HAD REDUCED THE PROFFERS.
BUT WE, AND NOW YOU BROUGHT THEM BACK TO WHAT, BACK UP, CORRECT? THEY WERE, YEAH.
NO, I JUST WANTED TO, I WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT.
SO WE, WE BROUGHT THEM BACK UP, RIGHT? YOU HAD THEM THEN YOU TOOK THEM DOWN THE, OR WHEN WE FIRST SAW IT BACK IN JANUARY, AND THEN NOW THEY'RE BACK TO WHAT THE ORIGINAL WAS BASED ON SS PAT'S S PAT'S FINANCIAL IMPACT ANALYSIS AFTER THAT.
AND, AND IT JUST HAPPENS TO BE THE SAME.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S A FEW PENNIES YEP.
OFF THE NUMBER THAT IT'S OKAY.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT, THAT, OKAY.
UH, COUNSEL, DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT? AND WE CAN JUST, WE CAN START FROM THE TOP AND GO DOWN, OR UNLESS PEOPLE JUST WANNA JUMP IN THERE.
WHEN THE PROFFERS WERE REDUCED FOR THE SCHOOLS IN JANUARY, UH, WAS THAT DUE TO THE LESSER AMOUNT OF HOUSES IN THE DEVELOPMENT? WAS THAT WHAT I RECALL? NO, WHAT WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS GREENWAY CALLED THE COUNTY, WARREN COUNTY AND GOT THE FUNDING MECHANISM.
PARDON? IT WAS THE FUNDING MECHANISM.
AND THOSE NUMBERS WERE BASED ON WHAT THE COUNTY PROVIDED TO GREENWAY.
THAT NUMBER, THE, THE CONSTRUCTION COST WAS LOWER, AND ALSO THE SIZE OF THE SCHOOL WAS SMALLER.
UH, UH, THE ANALYSIS THAT WAS DONE BY YOUR CONSULTANT, IT WAS AN, AN ADDITIONAL $5 MILLION,
[02:20:01]
FIVE OR $6 MILLION, BUT I THINK IT'S 5 MILLION.I THINK IT WENT FROM 25 MILLION TO 32 MILLION TO 32 MILLION.
AND THEN THE SIZE OF THE SCHOOL WENT FROM 600 STUDENTS TO 650 STUDENTS, WHICH PROBABLY CAUSED PART OF THE INCREASED CONSTRUCTION COSTS, I THINK TO THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS HAVE GONE UP JUST IN THE CONVERSATIONS I HAD THAT DAILY, WHEN THAT NUMBER THEY GAVE THAT WAS 25 MILLION WAS BASED ON A FEW YEARS AGO, AND THEY HADN'T UPDATED THE NUMBER.
THAT'S WHAT THE LAST TIME THEY TALKED ABOUT CONSTRUCTING AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THAT THEY THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE 25 MILLION.
BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT NOW IT'S 32.
AND WE HEARD THAT, AND WE ADJUSTED THE PROPER AMOUNT TO COMPENSATE THAT.
OTHER MEMBERS OF COUNCIL WITH QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, UM, I, AND IT, AND IT DOESN'T ALL HAVE TO BE FOR MR. S, BUT WHILE HE'S HERE, IT'D BE NICE IF YOU GAVE HIM THE CHANCE TO ANSWER WHY HE IS AT THE PODIUM.
I HAVE A, I HAVE, WELL, I HAVE TWO ITEMS. UM, ONE IS, UM, THE SITUATION WITH THE LANGUAGE AROUND LEACH RUN PARKWAY.
UM, I MEAN IT, BECAUSE FROM THE TOWN'S COUNT PERSPECTIVE, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT'S NOT ACCURATE THAT IT'S COMPLETED.
UM, SO I DON'T UNDER, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT CREATES AN ISSUE FOR US.
IF WE AGREE TO YOUR, UM, TO WHAT YOU'VE PUT OUT THERE AND SAY, LEACH RUN HAS BEEN COMPLETED, IF WE DON'T HAVE TITLE TO IT, IF WE DON'T HAVE, UM, IF THERE'S STILL MORE TO BE DONE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT CREATES A PROBLEM FOR US LEGALLY.
I MEAN, I, I, WE CAN'T DISCUSS THAT.
I CAN'T DISCUSS LEGAL THINGS, BUT THAT'S ONE ISSUE.
THE OTHER ISSUE IS, UM, THAT LANGUAGE, I THINK IT'S IN, UH, FIVE EIGHT, MAYBE.
WHERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SIDEWALK AND, UM, THAT IT'S CONDITIONAL ON THE EASEMENTS OR DEDICATIONS BY THE SCHOOL BOARD, AND THEN THERE'S MAYBE IN ANOTHER SECTION AS WELL, BUT THAT COORDINATION BETWEEN SCHOOL BOARD AND TOWN, UM, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, TO, TO DO THE SIDEWALK AND TO EXTEND WESTMINSTER, THAT'S NOT ALL BEEN WORKED OUT, CORRECT? NO.
THERE IS A EASEMENT AGREEMENT THAT WAS SIGNED.
IT, IT'S A WRITTEN DOCUMENT THAT COMMITS SWAN FARM, L L C, WHICH IS A, THE PRIOR DEVELOPER UHHUH
THAT WAS THE, THE CONSIDERATION FOR THE EASEMENT TO CREATE THE CONNECTION TO WESTMINSTER.
UH, BETWEEN THE, UM, THE HASKELL AND THE, UM, HIL WHEN HIL, WHEN HILDA BALLER.
SO THAT'S, THERE WE ARE IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD.
I GOT A LETTER FROM THEIR ATTORNEY THIS MORNING.
WE, WE'VE TRADED SEVERAL LETTERS OVER THE LAST SIX WEEKS, SEVEN WEEKS.
UM, AND, UM, BASICALLY WE WERE WAITING ON THE DECISION TONIGHT, OR WHENEVER YOU DECIDE TO MAKE THIS DECISION ABOUT HOW WE CAN RESPOND TO THE LETTER I RECEIVED TODAY.
UM, RIGHT NOW, NO, AT THIS POINT, MR. SEK, I KNOW, I KNOW YOU'RE AWARE.
I'M NOT SURE EVERYBODY IN THE PUBLIC IS AWARE, BUT SO THE AREA FROM WALKER AVENUE BACK TO HILL TO J BARBER, THAT THE ROAD THAT GOES FROM, LIKE, IF YOU'RE GOING DOWN WESTMINSTER FROM WALKER TO HILDE, J BARBER MM-HMM.
THAT'S THE SCHOOL BOARD'S PROPERTY.
UM, YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT, RIGHT? I DON'T.
AND SO, UM, AND IF THAT IS PART OF THIS CONSIDERATION OF BRINGING IT INTO THE TOWN ROADWAY, IT WOULD MEET THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE TOWN.
I KNOW THAT DOESN'T AFFECT THE SIDEWALK, SO TO SPEAK, BUT, UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS PART OF THE, UH, THEIR ATTORNEY CONTACTING YOU ALL AND YOU ALL WORKING THINGS OUT.
I JUST WANNA THROW THAT OUT THERE.
THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, YEARS AGO WHEN ALL THIS STARTED, THE IDEA WAS THAT THERE WOULD BE AN ENTRANCE ONTO WESTMINSTER FROM SW ESTATES, CORRECT? YEAH.
AND, AND, AND THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL PLAN.
UM, OBVIOUSLY IT WAS NOT WELL THOUGHT OUT THAT THAT WOULD ACTUALLY, IT WOULD, UM, IT COULD DROP OUT ONTO IT, BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY THE SCHOOL BOARD'S PROPERTY, NOT THE TOWNS.
AND THE ROAD RIGHT NOW, UNLESS IT'S GONNA BE WIDENED, WOULDN'T BE WIDE ENOUGH TO BE A TOWN ROAD.
TO BUILD THAT ROAD, UM, TO, TO PROVIDE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SWAN SWAN
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DEVELOPMENT AND WESTMINSTER.SO IT WOULD DROP OUT ONTO WESTMINSTER FROM SWAN ESTATES.
BUT IT WOULD DROP OUT ACTUALLY ONTO WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A PRIVATE ROAD.
WE WOULD DEDICATE IT TO THE TOWN.
YOUR PART YOU WOULD DEDICATE TO THE TOWN.
BUT THE SCHOOL BOARD OWNS THAT PATCH, UM, OF LAND FROM THERE TO THE SCHOOL.
UM, AND I ONLY KNOW THAT BECAUSE I, I WORK THERE AND, UM, THE TOWN ONLY PROVIDES SERVICE ON THAT ROAD UP TO WALKER AVENUE.
SO FROM WALKER AVENUE BACK TO HILDE J BARBER, AND HE, UM, ROAD MAINTENANCE, UH, SNOW REMOVAL, ALL THOSE THINGS ARE ACTION.
IT'S UP TO THE SCHOOL BOARD NOW.
SO, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE THE SAME THING NOW THAT RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, WE WOULD DEDICATE TO THE TOWN UP UNTIL THE, UP UNTIL SCHOOL BOARD UP, AND THEN IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU WOULD EXTEND YOUR MAINTENANCE AND SNOW REMOVAL EXCEPT, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE, THE DEDICATED PART.
AND THEN THE SCHOOL BOARD WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE SNOW REMOVAL AND THE MAINTENANCE ON THEIR PROPERTY.
FROM WESTMINSTER BACK TO SCHOOL, BACK TO I GUESS TO, YEAH.
BUT YOU'RE SAYING LIKE WEST, UM, WESTMINSTER'S GOING THIS WAY, YOU'D BE DEDICATING INTO HERE.
THIS WOULD BE THE TOWN ROAD, BUT ONCE IT HIT WESTMINSTER WEST, WHERE WE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING WITH THAT.
AND, AND, AND THERE HAD, THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS NOT ADDRESSED THAT WITH US AT ALL.
THEY ONLY ADDRESSED THE SIDEWALK.
I, I JUST WANTED TO OFFER THAT UP.
'CAUSE THAT WAS ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT, I DON'T KNOW, THAT WAS PART OF MAJOR CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE THINGS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS FROM THE ORIGINAL EASEMENT.
UM, BECAUSE QUITE HONESTLY, WHEN THE ORIGINAL, WHEN THIS ORIGINALLY STARTED, THAT WAS NOT A HIGH SCHOOL.
THAT WAS, UH, WARREN COUNTY, JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL.
AND SO THE CAMPUS ITSELF WAS NOT, IT DIDN'T INCLUDE THE BASEBALL FIELD AND THE SOFTBALL FIELD.
SO ALL OF THAT SPACE OVER THERE, YOU KNOW, EXPANDED FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL PROPERTY VERSUS BEFORE THAT WAS JUST A FIELD.
SO ANYWAY, JUST, THAT'S JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOR YOU ALL AND, AND EVERYBODY ELSE.
SO WHO ELSE, UM, HAS EVERYBODY DONE UP HERE ASK ANY QUESTIONS? GOT ANYBODY DOWN HERE? GO AHEAD.
WAS THERE ANY, UH, I DON'T RECALL, BUT WAS THERE ANY STORM WATER, UH, ISSUES ON, THERE'S A PROVISION IN THE PROFFERS THAT WE ADDED BASED ON MR. SIMMONS' COMMENTS THAT WE WOULD COMPLY OR THE DEVELOPER WOULD COMPLY WITH ALL TOWN REGULATIONS AND ORDINANCE CONCERNING DRIVEWAYS, STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, UH, SIDEWALKS WITH THE STREETS, AND, UH, IS THAT CORRECT? ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE LANGUAGE? I BELIEVE THE LANGUAGE IS IN THERE.
'CAUSE I HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS BACK AND FORTH, AND MR. SIMMONS WAS SATISFIED THAT IT MET THE TOWN CODE FOR THE, THE THINGS THE PLANNING COMMISSION WANTED TO SEE IN IT.
MR. S IS THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL FOR QUESTIONS FOR MR. SIG TO ANSWER? 'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING YET, SO DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. SAGA? OBVIOUSLY, OF COURSE.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS AFTERWARDS, UM, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR US? WELL, NO, IT'S THIS, UM, THIS ISSUE ABOUT LELAND PARKWAY BEING COMPLETE MM-HMM.
SO IF THAT'S GONNA BE AN ISSUE, MAYBE WE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AGAIN ABOUT LEE UNA LELAND PARKWAY.
AND, AND, UM, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S NOT COMPLETED.
UM, AND WE CAN TALK, I MEAN, YES, FROM THE LOOKS OF IT, EVERYBODY THINKS IT'S COMPLETED, UNFORTUNATELY ISN'T, AND WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE PERMITS THAT WE NEEDED OR SO, SO ANYWAY, THAT'S A CONVERSATION WE PROBABLY ALL NEED TO HAVE, BUT, RIGHT.
UH, AND I'M, AND I'LL BE MORE THAN GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT MIGHT COME UP DURING, DURING YOUR DISCUSSIONS.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS? I, THIS PUBLIC HEARING? OKAY.
UM, I'M GETTING READY TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, RIGHT? EVERYBODY'S DONE.
I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND OPEN IT UP.
[02:30:02]
IS IT CLOSED? IT IS.I MAKE, I MAY, UH, I MOVE THAT COUNSEL, APPROVE THE AMENDED PROFFER STATEMENT OF AUGUST 4TH, 2023, AMENDING THE PREVIOUS, PREVIOUSLY APPROVED PROFFERS FOR THE SUBDIVISION ENTITLED SWAN ESTATES TAX MAP, PARCEL NUMBER 20 DASH 8 21 DASH TWO DASH ONE, AND NUMBER 20 A 20 DASH TWO DASH 11 DATED FEBRUARY 2ND, 2012 AS PRESENTED.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND, MADAM MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MOVE A MOTION AS WELL.
AND SO, DISCUSSION ON THAT MOTION TO APPROVE THE AMENDED PROPER STATEMENT.
MADAM MAYOR, UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE FRUSTRATED THAT THIS HAS TAKEN EIGHT MONTHS MM-HMM.
UH, THIS IS NOT TOWARDS ANY OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS OR DEVELOPERS.
I KNOW SEVERAL OF THEM, THEY WENT TO SCHOOL WITH MY PARENTS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
I OPERATE SOLELY OUT OF FAX OVER FEELINGS.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING AS OF TODAY THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD REACHED OUT TO THE APPLICANT ABOUT THE EASEMENT THAT WAS DATED IN 2003 AT THE REALIZATION OF NON-PAYMENT PAYMENTS WERE SUPPOSED TO BEGIN AT THE COMPLETION OF WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL, THEREFORE MAKING PAYMENTS 20 YEARS PAST DUE.
THIS WAS ABOUT THE TIME THAT WE CONTINUED THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR VARIOUS REASONS LAST TIME, THE BIGGEST BEING, HAVING OUR OWN IMPACT ANALYSIS STUDY DONE.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT WAS ONLY A FISCAL IMPACT ANALYSIS, NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING, AND DID NOT ENCOMPASS ALL THAT I FEEL IT SHOULD HAVE FOR THE DUE DILIGENCE OF THIS COUNCIL AND THIS COMMUNITY.
A TRANSPORTATION ANALYSIS IS THE ONLY LOGICAL WAY TO A ASSESS THE DEMAND ON TWO ALREADY UNSAFE OVER TRAVELED ROADS.
AS MR. GLENWOOD MENTIONED EARLIER, HAPPY CREEK ROAD AND JOHN MARSHALL HIGHWAY, YOU HAVE LEACH RUN PARKWAY, A FOUR-WAY ROAD FUNNELING OUT TO TWO, TWO LANE ROADS THAT WERE ALREADY PROBLEMATIC BEFORE ANY ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING THE HOSPITAL AND THE WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL TOOK PLACE.
IT IS NOW CLEAR TO ME THAT IT HAS BECOME PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE THAT THIS REMAINS AN UNRESOLVED ISSUE OF THE EASEMENT WITH THE WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND THE APPLICANT IS CURRENTLY AT RISK OF LOSING THE POINT OF ENTRY IN QUESTION WHEN SPEAKING WITH THE SCHOOLS TODAY, WESTMINSTER DRIVE.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO, AGAIN, LET THE RECORDS SHOW MY ISSUE WITH THE APPLICANT SEEKING TO RECEIVE A CREDIT FOR LEACH RUN PARKWAY, AND NOTIFYING OUR PLANNING AND ZONING DIRECTOR THAT THEY HAD TWO OTHER POINTS OF IN INGRESS EGRESS, WHICH ARE NOT FACTUAL AT THIS MOMENT.
THE OTHER ACCESS POINTS AREN'T FEASIBLE FOR THIS MAGNITUDE OF TRAFFIC INFLUX.
I AM ON THE TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE, AND I HAVE TALKED TO VDOT HAPPY CREEK.
PHASE TWO HAS BEEN ON THE AGENDA FOR MANY YEARS, AS WELL AS THIS ONE OF THE SAID ACCESS POINTS.
WEST MINISTER, UM, CANNOT BE CONSIDERED AS AN ACCESS POINT BECAUSE IT HAS NOT YET BEEN PAID FOR, AND IT IS AN ONGOING LEGAL MATTER, BUT THAT, THAT LEAVES US WITH FURTHER CONFUSION IF IT BECOMES ONE OF THE ACCESS POINTS.
IT'S NOT CLEAR THAT THE TOWN HAS AGREED TO TAKE OVER MAINTENANCE OF THIS ROAD ONCE IT'S IN PLACE AND ACCESSIBLE.
AND IT IS CURRENTLY A PRIVATE ROAD.
AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, THE TOWN DOES NOT MAINTAIN IT.
AND THIS DOCU THIS DOCUMENT'S BACK TO NEARLY 20 YEARS BETWEEN THE TOWN AND VDOT AND VDOT STATES IN ITS 2006 FINAL RULING WITH THIS GORILLA OF AN ISSUE, QUOTE UNQUOTE, THAT THE DEVELOPER HAD NO AUTHORITY TO PROMISE A PUBLICLY MAINTAINED ROAD JUST BECAUSE THEY RECEIVED AN EASEMENT IN ITS PLACE.
THIS IS ALL FOIBLE INFORMATION, AND MOST OF WHAT I'M READING TO YOU IS RECORDED AT THE COURTHOUSE.
THIS IS KNOWN AS SPECULATIVE REAL ESTATE BORROWING.
YOU ARE COMMITTING TO WHAT IT COULD BE OR WOULD BECOME FOR FINANCIAL OR DEVELOPMENTAL PURPOSES.
PAYMENT WAS DUE, AND IT HAS NOT BEEN PAID THE DAY AFTER THE EASEMENT WAS MADE FOR THE WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND HEPT, A A SPECULATIVE REAL ESTATE BORROWING TOOK PLACE, WHICH IS ON RECORD AT THE COURTHOUSE.
IT'S COMMON IN REAL ESTATE INVESTING.
HOWEVER, IN THE CONVERSATIONS OF MORAL OBLIGATIONS THAT SEEM TO BE RELEVANT TO THIS COUNCIL, IT SEEMS THAT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN MET.
THERE IS NO WAY I CAN CONTINUE TO KICK THE CAN ON THIS SUBJECT.
I WOULD BE WILLING TO EITHER DENY THIS AND COME BACK, OR WE CAN POSTPONE THIS AND ORDER A TRANSPORTATION ANALYSIS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE MONTHS AGO.
WE CAN CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING YET AGAIN WITH THREATS OF LITIGATION, OR WE CAN SIMPLY RECOGNIZE THAT THIS DEVELOPMENT NEGATES THE NEEDS OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL AT THIS TIME AS WE SIT HERE TONIGHT UNDER A MANDATORY WATER CONSERVATION.
AND MAKES ME QUESTION WHY ON EARTH, THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL IN YEARS PAST HAS NOT IMPLEMENTED STRICTER STANDARDS IN TERMS OF DEADLINES PERTAINING TO REZONING APPLICATIONS AND AMENDED PROFFERS SUCH AS THE COUNTY.
MANY LOCALITIES IN VIRGINIA HAVE DONE THIS WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW PATIENT THE
[02:35:01]
APPLICANT HAS BEEN, THE TOWN HAS BEEN PATIENT AND WAITING FOR THIS FOR 20 YEARS AS WELL.WE'RE CURRENTLY UNDER A MANDATORY WATER CONSERVATION.
AND THEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ADDING THIS GIANT DEVELOPMENT, AND WE DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND WHERE THE POINTS OF INGRESS EGRESS ARE.
THERE IS STILL MORE TO CONSIDER HERE, AND A DEVELOPMENT OF THIS MAGNITUDE TAKES PATIENCE.
FURTHERMORE, AS WE HAVE LEARNED, CASH PROFFERS DO NOT ENSURE PAYMENTS ONCE A REZONING IS COMPLETED.
AND IT MAKES ME ALSO CHALLENGE THIS GOVERNING BODY SITTING HERE TONIGHT, WHY WE HAVEN'T REVISITED THE WAY IN WHICH WE ACCEPT PROFFERS COMPARED TO THE OTHER SURROUNDING LOCALITIES, FOR EXAMPLE, BONDS.
I DO NOT FEEL LIKE THIS COUNCIL HAS BEEN ABLE TO OPERATE AND DO ITS DUE DILIGENCE TO UNDERSTAND AND SEE AND EXPRESS THE IMPACTS TO THE COMMUNITY OF THIS DEVELOPMENT.
THEREFORE, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.
WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR THAT NEEDS TO BE VOTED ON.
SO WE, THIS IS OPEN FOR DISCUSSION OR NO? YEAH.
I, I WANNA REFER TO, UH, THE, UH, GREENWAY, UH, ANALYSIS THAT THEY CAME, CAME WITH ON PAGE NINE 10 UNDER PUBLIC, UH, TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES.
UH, CRIME READS, PRIMARY VEHICLE ACCESS WAN ESTATE DEPENDENT UPON EXISTING LEASE RUN PARKWAY, A FOUR LANE MAJOR COLLECTOR ROAD, U V D THAT EXTENDS ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF THE SITE.
THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHICH WAS COMPLETED IN 2017.
PERONI ASSOCIATED INCORPORATED PERONI PREPARED A TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS IN 2013, DETERMINED THE DESIGN ELEMENTS REQUIRED TO ACCOMMODATE PLAN DEVELOPMENT SERVED BY THE ROADWAY AND FUTURE TRAFFIC GROWTH PER THE T I A A.
THE RECOMMENDED DESIGN ELEMENTS ASSUME THE PLAN CAPACITY IS 17,440 AVERAGE DAILY TRIPS A D T AT BUILD OUT YEAR 2028.
WE'RE IN 2023, WHICH EXPRESSLY INCLUDED THE A D T PROJECTED TO BE GENERATED BY SWAN ESTATES.
AS SUCH, THE T I A DEMONSTRATES THAT CONSTRUCTION OF LEACH RUN PARKWAY WAS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE THE PRIMARY VEHICLE ACCESS TO SWAN ESTATES.
AND FURTHER THAT THE ROADWAYS DESIGN WAS DICTATED IN PART BY SW ESTATES.
THE POINT, THE POINT BEING IS THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY DEVELOPMENT THAT I CAN THINK OF BETWEEN THAT TIME THAT THIS TRAFFIC STUDY WAS DONE TO WHERE THERE'S SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONAL IMPACT.
UH, SO I THINK WE'RE WELL WITHIN THE 2028 ASSESSMENT.
UH, I, I DON'T BUY IN INTO THE IDEA THAT, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE OVER CAPACITY RIGHT NOW.
SO MY, MY POINT IS, IS THAT I, I DON'T THINK THIS 335, UH, DEVELOPMENT IS, IS GOING TO BE AN, AN IMPACT, UH, TO THE POINT TO WHERE LEACH IS RUN PARKWAY, A FOUR-LANE HIGHWAY CAN'T HANDLE IT.
UH, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S MY POSITION ON IT, BUT, OKAY.
MR. UM,
THE POINT IS, IS YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED OUT THERE BETWEEN 2013 AND NOW, IT'S NOT.
IT'S NOT WELL, THERE ARE ANY DIFFERENT.
YEAH, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE ARE NO HOMES.
WE DO HAVE A HOSPITAL AND WE DO HAVE A MIDDLE SCHOOL THAT WASN'T THERE BEFORE.
BUT, BUT, UH, THOSE TRIPS, TRIP FORECAST, YEAH.
WELL, THE TRIP FORECAST HOSPITAL MIGHT NOT, THAT THAT HOSPITAL WA WAS, I BELIEVE PLANNED, UH, I BELIEVE THAT WAS PLANNED IN THE PLAN TO GO OUT THERE.
SO IT COULD BE THAT THEY TOOK THAT IN ASSESSMENT
[02:40:02]
INTO CONSIDERATION AS WELL.I, I, SO I, I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT TO COUNSEL.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO OFFER ANY MORE DISCUSSION ON THAT MOTION? I WILL AGAIN, ADD THAT THE ISSUE WASN'T LEACH RUN PARKWAY.
IT'S THE TWO POINTS OF ACCESS THAT LEACH RUN PARKWAY FUNNEL OUT TO.
THAT ABSOLUTELY WOULD BE IMPACTED BY 300 PLUS HOMES.
WE JUST SAT HERE AND HEARD THIS COUNCIL VOTE NO OVER NOT HAVING TWO OFF STREET PARKING SPACES FOR SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
BUT YOU THINK FIVE BEDROOM HOMES AND THE AMOUNT OF 300 AREN'T GONNA CHANGE A TRAFFIC STUDY FROM 2013 BEFORE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT TOOK PLACE ON THE PARKWAY.
AND THE PARKWAY IS NOT COMPLETED BY VDOT STANDARDS OR WHAT THE PLAN FOR LEACH RUN PARKWAY EVER WAS.
IT'S NOT TO MAKE THIS DEVELOPMENT MORE COMPLICATED, IT'S TO DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE AS PUBLIC SERVANTS UP HERE ON THIS COUNCIL.
UM, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT GETTING THE ACTUAL ANALYSIS THAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE ALL GONNA GET LAST TIME, BUT THERE WAS A MISCOMMUNICATION HARMS IN THIS.
UM, IT'S ARGUABLY THE LARGEST DEVELOPMENT IN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL OF MY LIFETIME, AND LIKELY TO CONTINUE TO BE, AND I'LL JUST GO BACK TO SOME, SOME STATISTICS REALLY QUICKLY.
156 BUILDING PERMITS, UM, AND ONLY 18 IN THE TOWN, THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN CANNOT BE COMPARED.
THE TOWN DOES NOT HAVE THE LAND THAT THE COUNTY HAS TO DEVELOP.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL EVENTUALLY COME TO THE TOWN.
AND TO MAKE IT AN EMOTIONAL, UM, ARGUMENT ABOUT MAKING $500,000 IN NET POSITIVE, UH, REAL ESTATE TAXES.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD ANOTHER DEVELOPER WHO HEARD THAT, AND THEIR HEARTSTRINGS WERE PULLED AND THEY MADE A PROFFER VOLUNTARILY FOR THE YOUTH CENTER PER HOUSE.
THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE HERE, IS THAT THE, THE, THE MONEY THAT WE'RE GONNA MAKE OFF OF RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TAXES, WHICH WE SAW IN THE FISCAL IMPACT ANALYSIS, DO NOT ADDRESS THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS.
AND IF ANYBODY ASKED THAT QUESTION, WHEN WE HAD MEETINGS WITH S PATS AND ASSOCIATES, AND WE'VE TALKED TO LAUREN AND WE'VE TALKED TO THE DEVELOPER, S PATS AND ASSOCIATES SAID, YES, THIS IS STRICTLY A FISCAL IMPACT ANALYSIS FOR HOW MUCH YOU WILL MAKE ON RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TAXES AND PROJECTED SALES TAXES OF MEALS.
IT HAS NO INKLING OF WHAT INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS WILL COST OR I, I REST MY CASE.
MY, MY ONLY, UH, COMMENT TO THAT, UH, IS THAT YOU CAN'T PUT IT ALL ON ONE DEVELOPER.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT POINT.
UH, I MEAN, UH, I, I HAVE A PROPERTY IN PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY.
UH, IT'S A 630 HOME DEVELOPMENT, HAS TWO ROAD ACCESS OUT.
ONE ONE GOES OUT TO LEE HIGHWAY THAT HAS 38,000, UH, AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC IS 38,000 VEHICLES A DAY.
UH, AND THE OTHER ACCESS OUT IS A, UH, TWO LANE HIGHWAY, UH, CALLED, UH, WELL CALLED GLEN KIRK.
UH, THI THIS, THIS DEVELOPMENT IS DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS ONE THAT WAS DENIED.
UH, THEY HAVE THE ROAD, YOU HAVE AN ARTILLERY ROAD, UH, WHICH IS HAPPY CREEK.
UH, YOU HAVE JOHN MARSHALL HIGHWAY.
UH, LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, FRONT ROYAL DOESN'T HAVE, UH, BACK THE GRIDLOCK LIKE, UH, NORTHERN VIRGINIA.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, BE HAPPY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE.
UH, WE COMPLAIN ABOUT NOT HAVING ANY HOUSING.
UH, SO WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WE, UH, WE'RE, WE, WE, WE WANT TO MAYBE NOT GO FORWARD WITH THIS.
UH, AND WE WILL DENY MORE HOUSING.
UH, SO, UH, WE'RE GIVING UP A LOT OF, UH, POTENTIAL HOUSING WITH SHORT TERM RENTALS.
UH, SO, UH, HEY, UH, I, I'M TRYING, I'M TRYING TO MAKE THE POINT THAT MAKES, UH, COMMON SENSE AND, UH, UH, WE'VE BEEN, UH, KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD WITH THESE THINGS FOR YEARS.
WE, WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE, UH, I DON'T, I DON'T SEE ANY BUILDERS COMING IN HERE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR.
[02:45:01]
WE HAVE, I'M TALKING ABOUT, UH, LARGE HOUSING LO LARGER HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS.AND AS THE APPLICANT POINTED OUT THAT, UH, WE NEED 900, UH, HOMES BY, UH, 2040, UH, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET THERE.
WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET THERE.
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO WANT TO COME OUT HERE AND IN, IN ORDER, IN ORDER TO GET THERE.
WE NEED, WE NEED BUILDERS THAT WANNA BUILD HERE.
AND, UH, I, I, YOU KNOW, I I, I'M TRYING TO MAKE A, MAKE, MAKE A CASE THAT MAKES SENSE.
AND, UH, I, I DON'T SEE A PROBLEM WITH THIS AT THIS POINT.
HE'S MET EVERY, EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE ASKED FROM, FROM THIS GROUP, THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY HAVE COME TO THE TABLE, UH, UH, AND, AND THEY HAVE PROFFERED THIS, THAT, THAT WE CAN'T ASK FOR IT.
AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T ARGUE WITH ANY OF THESE POINTS.
AND THEN, AND THEN THE LAST POINT IS THE FISCAL IMPACT ANALYSIS.
UH, THE FISCAL IMPACT ANALYSIS STATES THAT IT'S CA CASH PO POSITIVE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND, AND WE, AND WE CAN GET THAT MONEY AND WE CAN, WE CAN SPEND THAT MONEY TOWARD OTHER IMPROVEMENTS LIKE FIXING OUR ROADS, UH, UH, WHICH BY THE WAY, NEED FIXING.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M READY TO MOVE ON THIS, UH, TONIGHT IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
APPARENTLY I LACK COMMON SENSE BECAUSE I WAS ALSO TOLD IN THE LAST WORK SESSION THAT THIS, UM, INCLUDED CONDOS, TOWNHOMES, AND SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING.
UM, THAT IS NO LONGER THE CASE FROM WHAT WE GOT IN THE LAST, UM, PROFFERS IN THE LAST FISCAL IMPACT ANALYSIS.
I WILL AGAIN REITERATE, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO HOUSING.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A DEMAND FOR HOUSING AND THERE'S A SUPPLY AND DEMAND ISSUE.
I DON'T THINK THAT ANYBODY IS GONNA MAKE ONE OF THESE, UM, FIVE BEDROOM PLUS SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, A SHORT TERM RENTAL.
UH, SO I DON'T THINK WE'RE MISSING OUT ON ANYTHING THERE.
WHAT MY ISSUE IS, IS THERE'S A LEGALLY BINDING COMMITMENT TO PAY FOR AN EASEMENT THAT HAS NOT BEEN MET.
SECOND IS, I CAN ASSURE YOU, VDOT IS NOT GOING TO SAY THAT HAPPY CREEK IS ENOUGH OF A POINT OF ACCESS FOR THIS TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT.
AND I BELIEVE YOU WERE REFERRING TO LAKE MANASSAS EARLIER, WHICH IS A NOTHING COMPARABLE TO THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL, AND WE DON'T EVER WANT IT TO BE.
SO WITH ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO DEVELOPMENT.
I UNDERSTAND A HOUSING CRISIS.
BUT DO I THINK THAT MOVING FORWARD, BEC WE HAVE POSTPONED THIS FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS.
THE DEVELOPER POSTPONED IT FOR 20 PLUS YEARS, NOT THE TOWN OF FIRM ROYAL.
SO I DO NOT FEEL LIKE I AM BEING PRESSURED TO MAKE A DECISION OF THIS MAGNITUDE, BECAUSE WE'VE ASKED FOR MORE INFORMATION.
THE COUNCIL HAS ALSO HAD MANY CHANGEOVERS IN THIS TIME.
AND AT THE WORK SESSION, YOU'LL PROBABLY REMEMBER IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY, I LOOKED AROUND THE TABLE AND I SAID, ARE YOU GUYS SURE YOU'VE DIGESTED EVERYTHING? AND YOU READ IT TODAY? I REVISITED 2006 VDO T'S RULING ABOUT WESTMINSTER.
I MEAN, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR ANY OF YOU, BUT HAVE YOU GUYS READ THROUGH VDO T'S COMMENTS ON THIS DEVELOPMENT FROM 2003 TO 2006 AND BEYOND? AND LET ME JUST TELL YOU, SPEAKING WITH OLAN TODAY, WHAT I TALKED ABOUT, AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TALKS ABOUT IS HAVING THESE TIMEFRAMES ON THESE AMENDMENTS AND DOING THIS THING IS BECAUSE WHEN THIS STARTED IN 2003, THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY WERE MUCH DIFFERENT.
WE WERE A DIFFERENT COMMUNITY, AND WE WERE A DIFFERENT SIZE.
WE HAD DIFFERENT INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS.
SO TO SAY, I LACK COMMON SENSE FOR WANTING ALL OF THE INFORMATION.
REMEMBER ONE, OH, COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT.
THIS WILL BE THE LAST RESPONSE.
NO, YOU CAN RESPOND AS MUCH AS YOU WANT.
I JUST AFTER YOU, VICE MAYOR SILAC ASKED TO SPEAK.
SO JUST WANT TO STATE RECENT STATE STATUTES HAVE ESTABLISHED THAT NO NEW DEVELOPMENT SHOULD BE ASKED TO ADVANCE UNREASONABLE PROFFERS, NOR SHOULD ANY DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL BE REJECTED TO, TO, TO THE APPLICATION OF UNREASONABLE PROFFER GUIDELINES.
I DIDN'T REALIZE ASKING FOR INFORMATION WAS BEING UNREASONABLE.
CAN WE ASK, UM, THE STAFF, STAFF TO EXPLAIN THE SITE
[02:50:01]
PLAN PROCESS FOR US IN REGARDS TO THIS PROJECT? IF, IF THESE PROFFER AMENDMENTS ARE PASSED AND THE RE ZONING GOES THROUGH, THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE THAT THEY WOULD SUBMIT THEIR SITE PLAN FOR REVIEW TO STAFF THAT WILL GET ROUTED TO THE COUNTY.UM, AND AT THIS POINT, I'LL ALSO ROUTE THAT TO, UM, UH, IT GETS ROUTED TO STATE D E Q, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT ANY ACCESS WITH OR ISSUES WITH ACCESS, UH, THE ROADS BEING BUILT TO TOWN STANDARDS, VDOT STANDARDS, ALL OF THAT IS REVIEWED AT SITE PLAN.
I CANNOT PASS A SITE PLAN IF THEY DO NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT ACCESS.
THERE'S NOT SUFFICIENT TURNING RADIUS.
IF THE ROADS HAVEN'T BEEN DEDICATED PROPERLY, THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE WORKED OUT BETWEEN THE TOWN AND THE SCHOOL BOARD, NOT THE TOWN AND THE APPLICANT.
ONCE YOU GET TO THAT WESTMINSTER, SORRY, THAT PROPERTY LINE, UM, ONCE IT LEAVES THEIR PROPERTY, MAY I ASK LAUREN A QUESTION? YEAH.
SO IF WE GOT TO THAT POINT IN THE PROCESS, AND THEN, UM, VDOT WERE TO COME BACK AND SAY, IT NEEDS TO BE THIS, IT HAS TO BE THIS SPECIFICATION, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
SO WHEN VDOT REVIEWS THIS, THEY WILL, THEY'LL ISSUE THEIR COMMENTS AND THEY'LL SAY, THIS IS OUR RECOMMENDATION.
THIS IS WHAT WE WOULD REQUIRE.
THEN THE APPLICANT BUILDS THOSE ROADS TO THOSE STANDARDS AS FAR AS, OKAY.
AND SO, SO THE ONE THAT I, THE ONE THAT I'VE REFERRED TO MULTIPLE TIMES IS WESTMINSTER FROM WALKER.
THAT WOULDN'T BE THEIR RESPONSIBILITY.
'CAUSE THAT'S NOT PART OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT.
UNLESS IF THAT NOT IN THE PROFFER.
SO WHO, SO HYPOTHETICALLY, WHO WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT? SINCE IT BELONGS TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM? IF THE SCHOOL DEDICATED THAT TO THE TOWN, WE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S, THAT'S BUILT TO VDOT STANDARDS.
VDOT HAS RULED THAT IT CANNOT BE SO DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, ARE WE ALLOWED TO SAY NO, THANK YOU.
WE DON'T WANT IT? IF THEY, I'M JUST ASKING.
I CAN'T MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION FOR YOU.
I CAN'T MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION.
NO, I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
I'M ASKING YOU ARE WE ALLOWED, I'M ASKING YOU THAT IF, IF THIS WERE TO MOVE THROUGH AND THEY WERE TO SAY THAT, UM, WAN STATES WOULD, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, AN ENTRANCE WOULD BE ON WESTMINSTER AND I, AND I'M, I KNOW WHERE IT WOULD FALL.
IT'S, IT'S PAST WALKER, OBVIOUSLY, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
THAT ENTRANCE THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE CONSTRUCTED TO STATE STANDARDS, RIGHT? SO THEY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT ASPECT OF IT, RIGHT? THE ENTRANCE, BUT THE PIECE OF THE ROAD, YES.
THAT'S, THAT'S NOT WIDE ENOUGH THAT GOES LIKE THAT, THAT FALLS ON TO AVOID THE, THE RUNOFF.
I'M, I'M ASKING MAYBE MR. SONNET WOULD, I'M, I'M SORRY.
I'M, I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT YOU, I'M ASKING, UH, MR. SONNET, SO IF THIS, IF, IF ANY, WHETHER IT'S THE SCHOOL BOARD OR ANYBODY IN THE WORLD SAYS WE'RE GONNA DEDICATE THAT ROAD TO THE TOWN, IT DOESN'T, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE SYCAMORE IS NOT A PART OF THE TOWN.
UM, DO WE HAVE TO TAKE IT INTO OUR ROADWAY SYSTEM? THE MAD MAYOR, THE ANSWER TO THAT IS NO.
THE COUNCIL HAS TO ACT, EXCUSE ME.
COUNCIL HAS TO ACT TO ACCEPT THE DEDICATION.
I, I JUST WAS ASKING 'CAUSE IF WE, IF WE WERE BEING FOR, IF WE WERE FORCED TO TAKE IT INTO OUR ROADWAY SYSTEM, AND IT WOULD HAVE TO BE, UH, OBVIOUSLY MAJOR, RIGHT? UH, MAJOR, MAJOR CHANGES TO THAT ROAD, IT COULD BE A RATHER EXPENSIVE PROJECT FOR THE TOWN TO TAKE ON TO BE ABLE TO GET IT TO TOWN SPECIFICATIONS.
UM, OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, MADAM MAYOR, I'VE, I'VE BEEN SITTING HERE LISTENING OF COURSE, QUITE A BIT.
AND, UH, I JUST WANNA ECHO THE SENTIMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, I DO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE COME BACK AND INCREASED THEIR PROPER, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH THE SCHOOL ZONE, AND THEY MADE SOME CHANGES.
HOWEVER, UM, I TEND TO AGREE, YOU KNOW, AND THIS WAS MY HANGING THOUGHT TOO ABOUT LEACH ONE PARK, PARKWAY NOT BEING DONE.
AND WITH THIS SITUATION, WITH THE, UH, ACCESS POINTS
[02:55:01]
NOT BEING RESOLVED, I JUST GOTTA SAY, I, I MEAN, I WAS TORN ABOUT THIS QUITE A BIT UP UNTIL THIS MEETING, AND, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT'S A TOUGH DECISION AND STUFF.I THINK IT'S GONNA BE TOUGH DECISION, BUT I, UNLESS EVERYTHING'S LINED UP, I, I CAN'T SUPPORT THIS UNTIL EVERYTHING'S LINED UP.
I MEAN, AS FAR AS KNOWING WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, UH, IF IT SHOULD IT GET, SHOULD IT BE APPROVED, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S QUESTIONS OUT THERE THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'VE BEEN ASKING, LIKE, AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN HA WE'VE, YEAH, WE'VE HELD THIS FOR EIGHT MONTHS, BUT I, I DON'T REALLY CARE.
I MEAN, WE CAN HOLD IT, HOLD IT FOR AS LONG AS WE NEED TO, TO GET THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, AND AGAIN, I AGREED WITH, WITH, WITH AMBER IN SAYING THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE PRESSURED INTO TRYING TO MAKING A DECISION QUICKLY.
UM, WHEN, WHEN WE STILL HAVE QUESTIONS.
AND THEN EVERY, EVERY TIME I'VE READ THROUGH THIS, I COME UP WITH SOMETHING NEW.
NOW WE GET, YOU KNOW, WE HAD INFORMATION, UH, LAST WEEK THAT WAS JUST PRESENTED TO US.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO COLLABORATE WITH THAT, YOU KNOW? SO, BUT YET, YOU KNOW, I'M SITTING UP HERE BEING TOLD, YOU KNOW, OR, YOU KNOW, AND I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT BEING, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO BE PRESSURED INTO MAKE A DECISION TONIGHT.
AND I GOTTA SAY, I, I CAN'T, MY VOTE CANNOT BE TO APPROVE THIS TONIGHT AS, AS IT STANDS.
CAN WE ASK MRS, ONE MORE QUESTION? YOU SAID THAT YOU HAD TWO POINTS OF AX, UH, EGRESS.
WE IN COUNCIL DISCUSSION AT THIS POINT FOR, BUT YOU CAN ASK A QUESTION.
ASK A YEAH, I MEAN, WE HAVE TWO.
THERE IS A STUB OUT, UM, THAT'S GONNA BE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SWAN DEVELOPMENT AND MR. RAMSEY'S DEVELOPMENT.
UM, HIS LAST PHASE OF HIS DEVELOPMENT, THEY'RE STUBBING IT OUT.
AND THEN THERE'S THE CONNECTION ON LEACH RUN PARKWAY.
SO THAT'S TO EVEN WITHOUT WESTMINSTER.
AND, AND I BELIEVE MS. UH, KAKI HAD TOLD US BEFORE THAT THERE ONLY HAVE TO, THERE'S ONLY A REQUIREMENT OF TWO.
WAIT, JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, WHAT'S THE ROAD THAT'S GOING CONNECT TO MR. RAMSEY'S PROPERTY? WHAT'S THAT ROAD? IT'S CALLED EIGHT MAJOR, I THINK ON THE FLAT HAYMAKER.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
AND THEN WE WOULD LET ME, OUR DEVELOPMENT WOULD CONNECT TO IT.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE WHILE I'M STANDING HERE? I DON'T THINK SO.
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING POINT OF INFORMATION REGARDING ROBERT'S RULES.
UM, I JUST HEARD A FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBER NOTE THAT THERE WERE INCREASED PROFFERS AND I WOULD LIKE TO ADD FOR A POINT OF INFORMATION, THEY WERE REDUCED AND THEN GIVEN BACK, THERE WAS NOT AN INCREASE IN PROFFERS.
UM, LASTLY, I WILL ADD, IF WE WANNA SIT HERE AND ARGUE ABOUT OUR COMP PLAN AND WHAT THIS COMMUNITY WANTS TO SEE, I'M FINE WITH MOVING FORWARD WITH A VOTE.
THIS COUNCIL IS THE ONES WHO HAS TO FACE THE PUBLIC WHEN THEY ANSWER.
IF WE WANNA ADDRESS THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS, I'VE HEARD WORKFORCE HOUSING AND, AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING 50 TIMES TONIGHT.
WE WOULD BUILD CONDOS OR SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY ADDRESSED THOSE NEEDS AND GET US CLOSER TO THE 900 NUMBER, NOT FIVE PLUS BEDROOM SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
ALSO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY ADDRESS THE HOUSING NEEDS FOR RESIDENTS OF FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY, BECAUSE NOT MANY TWO INCOME FAMILIES IN WARREN COUNTY IN FRONT ROYAL WILL BE ABLE TO AFFORD THESE HOMES.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL? OKAY, MR. PRESLEY.
OH, ONE, ONE OTHER, UH, UH, MR. SOAK, UH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME UP.
UH, THERE, THERE IS, UH, POTENTIAL FOR AN INTER PARCEL, UH, WITH HAPPY KNOLLS.
IS THAT, IS THAT CORRECT? HAPPY CREEK.
THAT'S THE PIECE THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT CONNECTING WITH, WITH YOURS.
I, I WAS UNCLEAR WITH YOU THAT, THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? OKAY.
MOTION ON THE FLOOR IS TO MOVE TO APPROVE THE AMENDED PROFFER STATEMENT, AMENDING THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED PROFFERS.
MS. PRESLEY, COUNCILWOMAN DE DEMON PAYNE.
JUST KEEP, JUST KEEP WINNING THE PRIZE TONIGHT, DON'T I? UM, DEMOCRACY AT WORK.
[03:00:01]
HEARTBURN ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR, UH, SITUATION FOR MONTHS NOW.UM, PART OF MY HEARTBURN IS FROM THINGS THAT I THINK THAT PREVIOUS COUNCILS, UM, REALLY, UH, GOT US INTO, UH, I'LL SAY THAT.
AND NOT JUST THIS COUNCIL, BUT BOARDS THAT GOT US INVOLVED IN THINGS.
UM, SO IT, IT, IT, IT'S A TOUGH, THIS IS A TOUGH, UH, SITUATION.
UH, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TONIGHT ARE THE AMENDED PROFFER STATEMENT.
THE ACTUAL PROJECT ITSELF WAS APPROVED BY A PREVIOUS COUNSEL, CORRECT? YEAH.
SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS THE PROFFER STATEMENT.
MY, MY HEARTBURN IS THAT WE DON'T KNOW SOME OF THE, UM, WE KNOW THE, UH, SOME OF THE IMPACTS, DEFINITELY THE FINANCIAL IMPACT ANALYSIS THAT WE ORDERED OR THAT WE ASKED FOR, UM, UH, GAVE US THE INFORMATION THAT TOLD US ABOUT, UH, WHAT THEY THOUGHT, THE FINANCIAL, THE PLUSES, UM, HOW IT WAS GONNA IMPACT US, YOU KNOW, TAX MONEY WISE.
WE HEARD THINGS FROM THE, UM, THE CONTRACTOR THAT WE WERE IN A BETTER POSITION THAN THE COUNTY BECAUSE, UH, WE DON'T HAVE THE SCHOOLS.
AND SO THEREFORE, OUR PLUS WAS SO MUCH MORE, UH, THAN, UH, SO MUCH MORE THAN, THAN WHAT WE WOULD BE IF WE WERE ANOTHER JURISDICTION.
AND WE WERE ALSO TOLD THAT THIS, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS A POSITIVE THING FROM THEIR STANDPOINT.
MY CONCERNS ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE BROUGHT UP TONIGHT, THE TRANSPORTATION PIECE OF IT, THE FACT THAT LEE TRIM PARKWAY IS NOT COMPLETED.
AND WHEN I SAY IT'S NOT COMPLETED, WE DON'T HAVE THE, AND I WISH THERE WAS SOMEBODY HERE THAT COULD TELL ME THE ACTUAL, WHAT IS IT? THE, THE, IS IT THE DEED? IS IT THE, THE, THE, WHAT'S THE PARTICULAR WORDING THAT THEY USE, LAUREN, THAT DO YOU KNOW THAT WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE, IT HASN'T BEEN DEDICATED.
YEAH, IT HAS NOT BEEN DEDICATED TO THE TOWN AT THIS POINT.
UM, THERE'S STILL AN ACTIVE PROPERTY, MR. SONIC.
IT'S NOT BEEN DEDICATED TO THE TOWN.
I'M SORRY THAT I CAN'T, UH, PROVIDE MORE.
BUT, UH, I, I REALLY, I REALLY DON'T KNOW THE, THE HISTORY OF, OF, OF THE, OF HOW THE E D A ACQUIRED THE RIGHT OF WAY AND WHERE IT CURRENTLY STANDS.
UM, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT HASN'T BEEN DEDICATED AND IT, IT HASN'T BEEN DEDICATED TO THE TOWN.
THAT'S, AND THOSE, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, HAVE BEEN, UM, BEEN COMING TO US.
THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION THAT WAS NEW INFORMATION TO US AS WE, UH, HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS.
SO THAT'S A CONCERN FOR ME BECAUSE WE, WE CAN'T GET IT TO BE DEDICATED TO US UNTIL IT'S DONE, AND WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET IT COMPLETED BECAUSE WE AREN'T, THE PROJECT MANAGER, I BELIEVE IS, OR IS IT PROJECT MANAGER, PROJECT ENGINEER, MR. SONNET, AND I, I, I KNOW WE'RE, I'M GONNA USE THE WRONG WORDING, BUT, UM, VDOT WON'T, UH, TALK TO US ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY DON'T, UM, WE DON'T HAVE THE DEEDED, I BELIEVE.
AGAIN, THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.
SO THERE'S, THEREIN LIES THE CONCERN IS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS BASED ON THINGS THAT, UM, WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS BASED ON ASSUMPTIONS.
AND THE ASSUMPTIONS WERE WAS THAT LEACH RUN PARKWAY WAS DONE.
AND EVEN, UM, EVEN MR. SP ACKNOWLEDGED THAT TONIGHT TOO.
IT WAS, YOU WERE UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT IT WAS DONE TOO.
WE, WE WERE, WE WERE AS WELL FOR QUITE A WHILE UNTIL MOST RECENTLY, UM, WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THINGS.
UH, AND AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, IT'S NOT BECAUSE THE TOWN WOULDN'T LIKE TO, UH, FINISH LERE PARKWAY, BUT WE ARE IN A POSITION WHERE WE DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY RIGHT NOW TO DO THAT.
UM, I, I, I REALLY WISH THAT THERE WOULD'VE BEEN, UH, I REALLY WISH THERE WOULD'VE BEEN A MOTION TO FURTHER CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING, BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED TO WORK OUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DON'T, UM, THAT WE, THAT WE NEED ANSWERS TO.
WE GOT A LOT OF ANSWERS AND THE FINANCIAL, OR THE, THE SS PETS, UM, ANALYSIS, UH, PUT TO
[03:05:01]
REST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ABOUT.AND SO I'M REALLY GRATEFUL THAT WE DID THAT.
I JUST WISH WE COULD ANSWER SOME OF THE OTHER CONCERNS, UH, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS UP HERE.
UM, I RESPECT, I I JUST WANNA SAY, I AM GLAD THAT COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT BROUGHT UP ABOUT, UH, THE ORIGINAL TRAFFIC, UM, STUDY, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN DONE IN 2013, 10 YEARS AGO.
UM, THAT 17,000 TRIPS TODAY, ABOUT 2028, WHICH AS YOU POINTED OUT, THAT'S STILL ANOTHER FIVE YEARS FROM NOW.
AND THERE HAVEN'T BEEN, UM, THERE HAVEN'T, THERE HASN'T BEEN MAJOR DEVELOPMENT ALONG LEACH RUN PARKWAY.
THERE HAS BEEN DEVELOPMENT IN THE HOUSING, UH, SUBDIVISIONS, UH, OFF OF LEACH RUN PARKWAY.
YOU KNOW WHAT WE WOULD'VE CALLED VALDA STATES, BUT I KNOW IT'S CALLED SOMETHING THAT DIFFERENT NOW.
BUT, UM, BUT WE DO HAVE THE HOSPITAL AND WE DO HAVE WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND WHILE SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT THINK THAT THAT CAUSES A LOT OF TRIPS, UM, I, I, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, BUT I CAN SPEAK FOR MY SCHOOL THAT ALMOST 50% OF OUR STUDENTS DON'T RIDE THE BUS.
THAT'S TWO TRIPS A DAY ON THERE.
SO I'M, I'M, I'M GONNA GO WITH MY HEARTBURN HERE AND, UM, SAY NO TO THAT MOTION.
I, UM, NOW I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UH, CAN WE AMEND THE MOTION NOW OR CAN WE, I DON'T HAVE A MOTION TO MAKE.
[8. PUBLIC COMMENTS NOT RELATED TO PUBLIC HEARINGS]
PUBLIC COMMENTS NOT RELATED TO THE PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE I READ ABOUT WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.UM, MS. PRESLEY, OR DO WE HAVE PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WE HAVE TWO.
WELL, LET ME GO AHEAD AND REVIEW THIS, THE PUBLIC COMMENTS PORTION OF THE AGENDA IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE RECOGNIZED AND COME FORWARD TO THE MICROPHONE.
UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING REASONABLE RESTRICTIONS.
UH, YOU'LL GET AN EXTRA 30 SECONDS IN THE MICROPHONE CUTS OFF SPEAKER'S.
COMMENTS SHALL BE RELEVANT TO THE BUSINESS OF THE COUNCIL AND DIRECTED TO THE COUNCIL.
COMMENTS DURING PUBLIC COMMENTS SHALL NOT ADDRESS THE SUBJECT MATTER OF A PUBLIC HEARING BEING HELD DURING THE SAME MEETING.
AND NO PERSONAL ATTACKS AND DECOROUS LANGUAGE OR DISPLAY OF SIGNS, PLACARDS, POSTERS, OR OTHER DISRUPTIVE CONDUCT OR DISPLAY WILL BE PERMITTED.
MS. PRESLEY, WHO IS OUR FIRST, UH, SPEAKER? JOHN JOHN LUNDBERG.
I LIVE IN FRONT ROYAL, IT'S BEEN A LONG EVENING FOR YOU.
I WON'T TAKE TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME.
I WANT TO READ A THREE MINUTE STATEMENT THAT I'VE PREPARED.
I CAN GIVE YOU ALL COPIES SO YOU CAN STUDY AT YOUR, YOUR CONVENIENCE ON SPEED CAMERAS.
I DON'T RECOMMEND A PENNY OF TAXPAYER'S MONEY BE SPENT ON SPEED CAMERAS AND FRONT ROYAL UNTIL A MUCH MORE DETAILED STUDY IS CONDUCTED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL.
THIS IS AN EXCEEDINGLY CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE.
NATIONWIDE DATE, IT APPEARS THAT THE TOWN COUNCIL'S RESEARCH ON SPEED COUNCIL HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT SHALLOW.
FOR EXAMPLE, HERE I'M A 14 QUESTION RAISED IN MY MIND AFTER I READ A VERY BRIEF SPEED CAMERA ANALYSIS BY A LOCAL RESIDENT, JOHN SCHWARTZ, WHO HAS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE INSTALLING AND MAINTAINING SPEED CAMERAS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
QUESTION NUMBER ONE, WHAT IS THE PROBLEM YOU'RE TRYING TO SOLVE? HOW MANY CHILDREN HAVE BEEN INJURED BY SPEEDERS AND LOCAL PEN SPEED ZONES IN RECENT YEARS? SCHOOL ZONES? EXCUSE ME.
QUESTION NUMBER TWO, OVERALL, HOW BIG A PROBLEM ARE SPEEDERS IN IN SCHOOL ZONES? QUESTION NUMBER THREE, IS THERE A CHEAPER WAY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF SPEED CAM THAN EXPENSIVE SPEED CAMERAS? QUESTION NUMBER FOUR, ARE YOU AWARE THAT THE BIGGEST REASON BY FAR THAT AMERICAN COMMUNITIES HAVE INSTALLED SPEED CAMERAS IN THE PAST IS NOT FOR SAFETY REASONS, BUT FOR RAISING REVENUE? QUESTION NUMBER FIVE, HOW MUCH DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE ADVERTISERS WHO SAY REVENUES WILL OFFSET COSTS? QUESTION SIX, HAS ANY OF THE TOWN COUNCIL RESEARCH BEEN BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE OF SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS WHO HAVE ACTUALLY INSTALLED AND MAINTAINED SPEED CAMERAS? QUESTION SEVEN, WHAT IS THE TOTAL COST OF THE SYSTEM TO FRONT ROYAL TAXPAYERS TO BUY THE EQUIPMENT, TO BUILD A PROCESSING CENTER, TO HIRE A STAFF, TO HIRE A COMPANY TO PROCESS THE PICTURES? QUESTION EIGHT, WHAT WILL THE IMAGE OF MY LICENSE PLATE AND POSSIBLY THE FACE OF
[03:10:01]
THE PERSON DRIVING MY VEHICLE BE SENT FOR PROCESSING OUT OF STATE, OUT OF COUNTRY? WHERE QUESTION NINE, ARE YOU AFRAID TO PUT THIS ISSUE TO A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE? I UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN SPEED CAMERAS ARE PUT TO A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE IN THE RECENT PAST IN, IN AMERICA, THE SYSTEM IS ALMOST SOUNDLY DEFEATED.QUESTION 10, WHAT KIND OF CAMERA RELIABILITY PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCED BY COMMUNITIES THAT INSTALLED SPEED CAMERAS? QUESTION 11, CAN LOCAL PROCESSING CENTERS WITH PICTURES OF MY CAR LICENSE PLATE AND FACIAL IMAGES OF THE DRIVER BE HACKED? QUESTION 12.
NEW YORK CITY HAS THOUSANDS OF CAMERAS AROUND THEIR CITY MONITORING FACIAL RECOGNITION IMAGES.
DO WE REALLY WANT THIS KIND OF A SYSTEM IN ARSENAL SMALL TOWN? QUESTION 13, WHY DON'T WE HIRE A CROSSING GUARDS AT SCHOOLS AT A FRACTION OF THE COST INSTEAD OF INSTALLING AN EXPENSIVE SPEED CAMERA SYSTEM? AND MY LAST QUESTION, WHAT ARE THE LONG-TERM THREATS TO OUR PRIVACY AND OUR LIBERTY BY CAMERAS ESTABLISHED ALL OVER OUR SMALL COMMUNITY? ARE WE BUILDING AN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT CAN BE TURNED AGAINST US AT THE END OF A LONG EVENING? THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR LISTENING.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR STICK TO IT.
AND AS FOR STICKING AROUND TO THE END, GLENWOOD IT, I WAS GONNA PASS THE OPPORTUNITY UP.
I'M GONNA GET YOU THE CHAIR UP THERE.
DO NO UNTIL MR. LUNDBERG TALKED ABOUT IT, BECAUSE YOU HAD ENOUGH CONTROVERSY TONIGHT.
I WASN'T GONNA TALK ABOUT THE CAMERAS, BUT YOU ALSO KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND BELIEVE ME, I'VE BEEN TALKING TO ALMOST 300 PEOPLE LATELY.
WE LIVE ON STRASSBURG ROAD AND WE SEE IT ON A DAILY BASIS.
THE SPEEDING THROUGH THE AS ROADS AREA.
COUNCILMAN SEA LOCK SIT AT BEST AT THEIR WORK SESSION.
HOW MANY CHILDREN HAVE TO BE INJURED OR DIED? AND WE COULD HAVE PREVENTED IT BY SLOWING TRAFFIC DOWN.
THIS IS NOT A REVENUE GENERATOR.
AND WHAT YOU DO WITH IT, IT SHOULD BE AT THE RECOMMENDATION OF YOUR TOWN MANAGER.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT BETTER INFRASTRUCTURE AROUND THE SCHOOLS.
MAY I REMIND YOU, THERE'S CAMERAS ALL OVER THE STATE OF VIRGINIA, AND WE LIKE TO THINK THAT WE'RE A RELATIVELY CONSERVATIVE STATE.
A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE WORKED FOR MANASAS PARK SCHOOL SYSTEMS, AND THEY HAVE 'EM, AND THEY DON'T HAVE A SPEEDING ISSUE.
AND COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS, THIS IS NOW THE FIFTH TIME.
WELL, I GUESS IT'LL BE THE FIFTH TIME COMING.
WHO, WHO KNOWS? YOU FINALLY TURN IT OVER TO STAFF, FIND THIS OUT.
LET THEM MAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, THERE'S COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EVERYWHERE.
EVERY TIME YOU GO THROUGH A COL, A TOLL BOOTH, THE CITY OF MARTINSVILLE, EVERY POLICE CAR HAS TAG READERS.
THE WARREN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IS PUTTING IN A REQUEST TO PUT 'EM.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE OUR CHIEF FEELS ABOUT THAT.
IT'S NOT ABOUT COLLECTING INFORMATION.
IT'S ABOUT THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN, COMMON SENSE, THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN, NOTHING ELSE.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA COLLECT INFORMATION.
I WOULD SUGGEST LISTENING TO MORE OF THE PROGRAMS. YOU WOULD KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO CREATE A PROCESSING CENTER HERE.
EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE DONE WITHIN THE STATE, WITHIN A LAW, UH, ENFORCEMENT, FORMER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
I MEAN, THIS THING HAS BEEN VETTED UP AND DOWN, BUT WE STILL ARE HERE TODAY TALKING ABOUT IT.
IF YOU DON'T WANT A TICKET, DON'T SPEED.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION FOR THIS EVENING? OKAY, BEFORE I, BEFORE ANYBODY JUMPS UP, MOVING ON TO NUMBER NINE.
[ 9.A. Report of Town Manager]
UH, REPORT OF THE TOWN MANAGER, MR. WALTZ.I JUST WANTED TO REMIND THE CITIZENS THAT WE'RE IN MANDATORY WATER CONSERVATION, AND WHILE WE'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE, IF WE DO NOT GET ANY SIGNIFICANT RAIN THIS WEEK, WE COULD BE AN EMERGENCY CONVERSA CONVERSATION.
UH, SO I JUST BEG, UH, UH, AND ASK CITIZENS TO BE CONSCIOUS OF THEIR WATER USE DURING THIS TIME BECAUSE THIS WOULD BE,
[03:15:01]
UH, SOMETHING RARE FOR US TO GET INTO THE EMERGENCY CONDITION.[ 9.B. Report of Councilmembers]
OF COUNCIL MEMBERS.UM, I'M JUST GONNA GO DOWN THE ROAD IF ANYBODY WANTS TO OFFER COUNCILWOMAN DE DOMINICAN PAIN.
UM, UM, SO I ATTENDED THE OPENING FOR DOWNTOWN BLENDS.
I CONTINUE TO BE IMPRESSED BY WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR DOWNTOWN, UM, THE MAIN STREET OFFICE.
AND IT, IT'S LIKE A RETURN TO THE OLD SODA FOUNTAINS, UM, WITH A NEW FUTURE TWIST.
AND I LOVE ALL THE REVITALIZATION THAT'S HAPPENING.
UH, AMBER AND I BOTH WE'RE AT THE AVTEX, UM, CONSERVANCY PARCEL.
WE TOOK A TOUR WITH E D A MEMBERS AND OTHER, UM, PUBLIC OFFICIALS.
AND, UM, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT SITE HAS BEEN SUCH A HUGE IMPACT, POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ON THIS COMMUNITY.
AND TO BE IN THERE WAS TRULY A PRIVILEGE.
AND ONE OF THE, PROBABLY THE BEST EXPERIENCES I'LL HAVE ON COUNCIL TO BE ALLOWED TO SEE WHAT WAS THERE AND, AND TO KNOW THAT THERE'S POSSIBILITIES FOR HOPE AND HEALING EVENTUALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GOOD DREAM.
UM, I ALSO WAS INVITED BY, UM, COUNCILMAN
AND I ONLY MENTIONED IT BECAUSE MY KIDS WERE, WERE NOT FOOTBALL PLAYERS.
MY HUSBAND WAS, BUT MY, MY KIDS NOT SO MUCH.
AND, UM, I WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH THE PARENTS, PARENTS GIVE UP THEIR WEEKENDS AND BUILD THIS WHOLE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THEIR CHILDREN AND DO ALL THIS VOLUNTEER WORK TO MAKE THINGS GO SMOOTHLY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ATTENDING, UM, WHO ARE ATTENDING, YOU KNOW, SPORTING EVENTS.
AND I, THAT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR YOUTH.
WE ALL CARE ABOUT OUR YOUTH, BUT IT, THERE IS PARENT COMMITMENT OUT THERE, AND I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THEM THAT TO KEEP UP THE GOOD FIGHT ON EVEN WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE TIME OF DAY REALLY TO DO THAT, THAT YOU, YOU CONTINUE TO SHOW UP FOR YOUR CHILDREN.
UM, THE OTHER THING I, I WANNA MAKE JUST ONE COMMENT ON THE SPEED CAMERAS.
AS I UNDERSTAND IT, OUR VOTE TONIGHT IS AROUND, UM, FOR OUR ATTORNEY TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT ABOUT SPEED CAMERAS AND WHY THAT IS, WHY THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I WOULD BE IN SUPPORT OF IS BECAUSE IT'S REALLY THE LANGUAGE OF THAT CONTRACT THAT LAYS OUT THE SCOPE OF WORK AND THE THINGS THAT THEY AGREE TO.
AND, AND EVEN THOUGH GLENWOOD IS PROBABLY THE ONLY PERSON I'VE HEARD OFF OF THE COUNCIL THAT, UM, HAS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF THIS AND THE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE NOT, UM, I, I DO FEEL IT IS, I THINK THAT IT IS SUPPORTIVE OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT WHEN THEY COME TO US AND THEY TELL US, LOOK, THIS IS THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY THAT WE CAN DO THIS.
I HATE WHEN I GET IN MY CAR AND MY, AND MY, UM, MY CELL PHONE TELLS ME HOW MANY MINUTES IT IS TO MY HOME.
AND I SAY, WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TELLING ME THAT I'M GOING HOME, EVEN THOUGH I AM, UM, OR WHEN I'M GOING TO MY MOTHER-IN-LAW'S HOUSE, IT'S TELLING ME, UM, WE'RE ALREADY BEING WATCH LIKE THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS A FOREIGN NATIONAL GONNA DO WITH THAT INFORMATION THAT I'M GOING HOME? YOU KNOW, SO I'M, I'M NOT, I'VE GIVEN UP BEING WORRIED ABOUT TECHNOLOGY SPYING ON ME.
UM, AND SO, BUT ANYWAY, MY POINT IS, WE, WE, I THINK LAW ENFORCEMENT CAME TO US, AND ULTIMATELY IT'S THE SUPPORT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME.
AND IF THE CHIEF SAYS, HEY, THIS IS THE BEST WE CAN DO WITH OUR RESOURCES, THEN IT'S GONNA BE ACCURATE, AND WE'RE GONNA DO OUR BEST TO PROTECT THE PRIVACY.
THEN IF WE GET ALL THAT STUFF AND ALL THE CONCERNS ADDRESSED IN THE CONTRACT, MY VOTE WILL BE YES, BUT I WANNA SEE THE CONTRACT.
SO TONIGHT I'LL BE VOTING, LET'S MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CONTRACT, AND THEN I'LL LOOK AT IT, AND THEN WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
COUNCILMAN ROGERS, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO OFFER? NO, I DO HAVE A NUMBER OF THINGS.
I, I, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THE LATENESS OF THE NIGHT IS GETTING, UH, I'M JUST, UH, AMAZED.
WE'RE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH MAYBE THREE QUARTERS.
I DO WANNA REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND SHARE SOME OF MY THOUGHTS ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, SPOKEN ABOUT AND, AND, UH, ADDRESSED, UH, THIS EVENING.
UH, I WILL REACH OUT, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, LATER THIS WEEK AND, AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO KIND OF SHARING MY THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS.
YEAH, I JUST WANT TO, UH, TELL THE TOWN MANAGER TO THANK YOU AND THANK YOU, YOUR STAFF AND THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT FOR GETTING THE PROSPECT STREET BRIDGE DONE.
IT'S DOESN TO RALLY YOUR EYE TEETH WHEN YOU GO ACROSS ANYMORE
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, JUST THANKS TO THE STAFF AND EVEN AND TO GEORGE FOR EVERYTHING THEY'RE DOING FOR US.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, THAT'S ABOUT IT.
I, I REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE, UH, AND THA OH, I KNOW WHAT I WANT TO ANSWER.
UH, THE GENTLE, HE JUST, HE LEFT, DIDN'T HE? MM-HMM.
UM, HE WAS ASKING WHAT THE COST OF THE SYSTEM IS TO TAX PAYERS.
[03:20:01]
THERE'S NOT GONNA COST TAXPAYERS A PENNY.UH, AND WE'RE NOT IN IT FOR THE REVENUE.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN IT TO PROTECT OUR KIDS.
UH, AND LIKE I SAID, WELL, MR. WOODS SAID IT FOR ME AGAIN A FEW MINUTES AGO.
UM, AND CHIEF, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IT DOESN'T TAKE THE PERSON'S DRIVING.
DOESN'T TAKE THE DRIVER'S PICTURE, JUST TAKES THE BACK PLATE.
THAT NEEDS TO BE EXPLAINED TO HIM.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THAT THE CHIEF AND HIS STAFF NOW, THEY'RE TRYING TO GET SOME MORE CROSSING GUARDS, BUT THE THING IS, NOBODY WANTS TO WORK.
IT IS A PROBLEM THEY'RE RUNNING INTO MM-HMM.
UM, AND HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE LONG-TERM THREATS ON THEIR PRIVACY.
WELL, YOUR EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY STOPS WHEN YOU WALK OUT YOUR FRONT DOOR OF YOUR HOUSE.
SO, YOU KNOW, UM, BUT I MEAN, THAT'S ALL.
UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR PUTTING UP WITH US TONIGHT.
SO THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS.
I THINK THAT THE FUTURE OF FRONT ROYAL IS VERY POSITIVE.
I THINK THAT WE HAVE A GREAT GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS THAT ARE INVESTED IN COMING TO THESE MEETINGS AND BEING A PART OF ALL THE VARIOUS SUBCOMMITTEES AND, UM, OTHER AUTHORITIES THAT WE HAVE ESTABLISHED.
AND I THINK IT'S TIME FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO HEAL AND MOVE FORWARD.
AND WE'RE WORKING ON THAT RIGHT NOW, UM, AS A WHOLE.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S VERY PROMISING.
I DID WANNA SAY THANK YOU, MELISSA.
WE DID THE AVTEC TOUR TOGETHER.
UM, BUT IT, WE LEFT WITH MORE QUESTIONS THAN WE HAD BEFORE WE GOT THERE.
WE WERE, WE FELT VERY PRIVILEGED TO BE BACK THERE.
UM, ALSO, JUST TO SPEAK TO THE CAMERAS ONE MORE TIME, IT'S ON THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEM.
THAT DOES NOT MEAN WE'RE PROCEEDING WITH IT.
THAT GIVES US THE ABILITY AND THE POWER TO NEGOTIATE CONTRACT TERMS. AND IF WE DON'T COME TO TERMS ON A CONTRACT, THEN IT IS DEAD.
UM, AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'M VERY ANTI SPEED CAMERAS.
THIS ISN'T JUST SPEED CAMERAS LIKE NEW YORK CITY.
UH, THERE'S NO COMPARISON THERE.
UM, THIS IS SPEED CAMERAS IN FOUR SCHOOL ZONES WHERE WE HAVE DONE FIVE DAY STUDIES, I GUESS TECHNICALLY FOUR SINCE APPLE BLOSSOM WAS THAT FRIDAY.
AND WE'VE PROVEN THAT THEY'RE AN ISSUE.
UM, AND THE LAST THING I'LL ADD TO THAT IS, THE REASON WE HAVEN'T DONE A PUBLIC INPUT SESSION ON THAT, IN MY OPINION, IS, AND MAYBE IT'S, I'M BIASED, I GREW UP WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, PARENTS AND FAMILY, BUT I'VE NEVER HEARD OF LEAVING LAW AND ORDER UP TO THE PUBLIC INPUT, BECAUSE I KNOW IF I WAS A CRIMINAL, I WOULD COME SPEAK OPPOSED TO IT.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT I WOULD EVER COME SPEAK IN FAVOR WHEN THERE'S A MASS OF PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T WANT IT.
UM, SO ANYWAY, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO ADD FOR YOU GUYS.
UM, VICE MAYOR
I JUST WANTED TO OFFER TO THE CHIEF, UH, THE PURSUITS Y'ALL HAD THE OTHER DAY.
YOU GOT YOUR PEOPLE DID A GREAT JOB WITH QUICK RESPONSE AND, UH, MAYBE A LITTLE SWIMMING INVOLVED, BUT, UH,
I DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT TO REPORT.
I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE A QUICK RUNDOWN ON THE TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE, MEANING IT TOOK PLACE, UH, LAST WEEK ON WEDNESDAY ON THE 16TH.
UM, THE STAKEHOLDER FROM THE RAILROAD WASN'T, THERE WASN'T A WHOLE LOT DISCUSSED.
I MEAN, WE, THERE'S A MENTION ABOUT THE TROLLEY GOING UP, THE FAMILY DOLLAR, UH, THE TRANS, THE, UH, VDOT, UH, TRANSPORTATION STUDY FOR, FOR THE HAPPY FOR HAPPY CREEK.
UH, THAT'S GETTING, THAT'S GETTING UNDERWAY.
AND LAUREN'S NODDING
BUT, UH, OTHER THAN THAT, WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE MUCH TO ELSE TO DISCUSS.
UH, THE CHAIRMAN OF THAT SUBCOMMITTEE IS HERE.
I MEAN, IF, UH, I DON'T MIND IF SHE WANTS TO SAY ANYTHING ADDITIONAL, BUT REALLY, WE JUST, UM, UH, JUST TALKED IN GENERAL TERMS ABOUT CONTINUING, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH THE, WITH THE SUBCOMMITTEE AND, UH, NOT JUST, OF COURSE, AROUND HAPPY CREEK, BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S AN AREA OF CONCENTRATION.
BUT THERE ARE OTHER WORKS THAT WE WERE TALKING IN DISCUSSION AS WELL.
UH, MADAM MAYOR, UH, UH, WHAT CAN I OFFER YOU? UH, I ATTENDED THE, UH, V M L INFRASTRUCTURE POLICY COMMITTEE.
UH, THE V M L, UH, TOOK SOME LEGISLATION POSITIONS THAT THEY MIGHT WANT TO, UH, PRESENT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
UH, ONE OF THE TOPICS WITH FLOOD MANAGEMENT AND TOWING RATES, UH, LICENSE, UH, PLATE READERS, ADVANCED, UH, AVIATION, UH, NATURAL RESOURCE UPDATES.
AND, UH, STORM LOCAL, UH, STORM WATER LOCAL ASSISTANCE, UH, UH, WERE THE TOPICS THAT WERE BROUGHT
[03:25:01]
UP.UM, I ALSO ATTENDED THE VALOR AWARDS, UH, AT, UH, SENATOR, UH, VALLEY GOLF CLUB EARLIER, I THINK IT WAS THIS MONTH.
UH, MAYBE IT'S TOWARD THE END OF LAST MONTH, TWO MONTHS AGO.
UM, UH, AND THAT WAS A GOOD TIME.
AND, UH, AND, UH, AND, UH, I WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE, WITH SOME OF THE STORIES THAT I HEARD THERE.
UH, UH, I ATTENDED THE DOWNTOWN, UH, BLENDS, UH, GRAND OPENING AS, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, DEMON MONACO PAYNE, UH, POINTED OUT EARLIER.
AND WE CAN'T FORGET ABOUT NATIONAL NIGHT OUT.
UH, THAT WAS A GOOD TIME THERE.
UH, ALSO WANT TO PUT A NICE SHOUT.
UH, I RECEIVED A CALL ABOUT, UH, FROM A, UH, A, UH, CITIZEN REGARDING TENT PEOPLE,
UH, AND APPARENTLY THERE WAS A COMPLAINT FILED.
UH, I GUESS THE POLICE, UH, TOOK CARE OF IT BECAUSE, UH, THEY WERE GONE, UH, THE OTHER DAY WHEN I WALKED IT.
SO, UM, AND THE LAST THING IS I WANT TO PUT A SHOUT OUT, UH, FOR, TO DARRELL MERCHANT, UH, FOR SERVICE ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION ALL THOSE YEARS.
UH, AND ALSO BEING CHAIRMAN, UH, IT'S RARE WHEN YOU GET A GUY THAT'S A, A PROFESSIONAL SURVEYOR, A G I S MAPPING GUY, UH, AND, AND A, UH, A PLANNER FOR A MUNICIPALITY THAT CAN SERVE, UH, IN THOSE, UH, THOSE ROLES.
UH, UH, AND I'M HAPPY TO CALL HIM MY FRIEND.
SO, UH, THANK YOU DARRELL, FOR YOUR SERVICE.
[ 9.C. Report of the Mayor]
THE REPORT OF THE MAYOR, AND I'M GONNA DO WHAT THE COMMERCIALS USED TO SAY.FIRST, I HELPED SERVE LUNCH AT THE WARREN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LUNCH, AND WELCOMING WARREN COUNTY'S NEW TEACHERS WITH, UH, VICE CHAIR, UH, CHERYL CALL.
WE SERVED LUNCH THERE THAT DAY.
THEN I HUSTLED OVER TO THE CARDINAL GROUNDS FOR THE TOWN EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION PICNIC.
AND I WILL SAY THAT BOTH EVENTS WERE CATERED BY THE APPLE HOUSE WITH DESSERT FROM C N C FROZEN TREATS.
IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO, TO, UM, TO, TO, UH, PROMOTE THOSE BUSINESSES IN OUR AREA, TOO.
I ATTENDED THE ANNUAL VALOR AWARDS, UM, AS, AS OTHERS DID AS WELL ON JULY 27TH, WHERE FIRST RESPONDERS IN OUR COMMUNITY WERE HONORED FOR SPECIFIC ACTS OF BRAVERY OFFICERS.
SUE MARTIN AND ROSE MACK FROM THE FRONT ROW POLICE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED AWARDS THAT EVENING, ALONG WITH MEMBERS OF THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IN WARREN COUNTY FIRE AND RESCUE.
OUR COMMUNITY IS VERY GRATEFUL FOR THOSE WHO RISK THEIR LIVES TO KEEP US SAFE.
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT WAS A BIG HIT ON AUGUST 1ST.
IT WAS SO WONDERFUL TO SEE SO MANY CITIZENS, YOUNG AND OLD IN THE TOWN COMMONS AREA, AND ENJOYING THEMSELVES.
NOT ONLY DID LAW ENFORCEMENT ATTEND, BUT FIRE AND RESCUE AND MANY, MANY DIFFERENT GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS FROM OUR COMMUNITY WERE SET UP, UH, SHARING INFORMATION AND LITTLE GOODIES FOR THOSE IN ATTENDANCE.
COUNCILMAN ROGERS WAS THERE WITH THIS GROUP.
UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR.
AND REMEMBER, IT'S ALWAYS THE FIRST TUESDAY IN AUGUST.
NEXT UP AUGUST 12TH, MYSELF, COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT AND COUNCILWOMAN DE DOMENICO PAYNE ATTENDED THE RIBBON CUTTING FOR DOWNTOWN BLENDS IN THE OLD TROUT DRUG BUILDING.
WHILE I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE PINEAPPLE MANGO SMOOTHIE, I WANNA SAY HOW EXCITING IT IS TO SEE ALL THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE ON MAIN STREET.
THANK YOU TO ALL THE BUSINESSES AND BUSINESS OWNERS WHO ARE INVESTING NOT ONLY IN MAIN STREET, BUT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I KNOW THERE'S GONNA PROBABLY BE A RIBBON CUTTING COMING UP FOR SOME OF THESE OTHER BUSINESSES, BUT FOR THE COMMUNITY'S KNOWLEDGE, POPPY'S PLACE IS OPENED UP ON SOUTH ROYAL AVENUE.
CHEESECAKE IS MOUTH WATERING GARCIA AND GINO, WHILE IT'S, UM, ALREADY A BUSINESS IN TOWN, THEY'RE ACTUALLY OPENING UP A LOCATION ON MAIN STREET ACROSS FROM DOWNTOWN BLENDS, AS WELL AS THE OUN LODGE LOUNGE, WHICH WILL BE LOCATED BESIDE OF BARISTA.
UM, AND, UH, ALSO I'M TOLD THERE'S A RESTAURANT THAT'S SERVES GREEK FOOD.
BRUCE AND I WERE TOLD ABOUT THAT IN OUR RURAL EXAMINER INTERVIEW.
UH, A NEW RESTAURANT THAT'S GONNA SERVE GREEK FOOD THAT'S OPENING UP OVER BY BIG LOTS.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY TO, TO REMEMBER TO KEEP SUCH A DIVERSE GROUP OF FOOD OFFERINGS IN OUR LITTLE TOWN, WE NEED TO SHOW ALL OF OUR BUSINESSES SUPPORT.
LASTLY, BUT YOU AND I SHARED SEVERAL THINGS TONIGHT THAT WERE THE SAME.
SO LASTLY, I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO EXPRESS MY SINCERE APPRECIATION TO DARRELL MERCHANT.
[03:30:01]
SERVING ON OUR PLANNING COMMISSION SINCE I JOINED COUNCIL, AND MOST RECENTLY SERVED IN THE ROLE OF CHAIRMAN.SADLY, HE DECIDED TO NOT SEEK REAPPOINTMENT.
HOWEVER, I WANTED TO SAY THAT HIS KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED.
UH, MY MONTHLY SHAMELESS PLUG FOR OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
UH, REMEMBER WE HAVE OPENINGS ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION AS WELL AS THE FREE TO BOARD.
IF YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN GETTING INVOLVED AND SERVING YOUR COMMUNITY, PLEASE CONSIDER APPLYING FOR ONE OF THOSE.
UM, AND THE OTHER TWO THINGS I WAS GONNA BRING UP ABOUT THE BRIDGE AND THE WATER CONSERVATION, EVERYBODY'S DONE WITH THAT, EVERYBODY ALREADY DID ENOUGH OF THAT.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE RIGHT ALONG TO ITEM NUMBER
[10. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS]
10, WHICH IS THE CONSENT AGENDA.NO, YOU GO AND SHE'LL SECOND IT.
MADAM MAYOR, WE JUST HAD A CORRECTIONAL ON ONE OF THEM.
ACTUALLY, THERE WERE TWO, JUST NO CONSENT.
OH, CONSENT ONLY HAD ONE CORRECTION.
RIGHT, WHICH WAS SHOULD BE PART OF THE MOTION TOO.
UM, MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL APPROVE THE CONSENT AND AGENDA HAS PRESENTED A RESOLUTION FOR BLANKET PROJECT FUNDING COMMITMENT PROJECTS UNDER AGREEMENT WITH VDOT B BID FOR VARIOUS GRADES OF STONE F Y 24 C BID FOR VARIOUS GRADES OF ASPHALT, F Y 24 D BID FOR WATER AND WASTEWATER CHEMICALS, F Y 24 E ELECTRIC COST OF SERVICE ANALYSIS AND STATE RATE STUDY F PURCHASE, AND INSTALLATION OF A STANDBY GENERATOR, G CITIZEN APPOINTMENT TO THE JOINT TOWING ADVISORY BOARD.
H AUTHORIZED THE TOWN ATTORNEY TO NEGOTIATE AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM SPEED ENFORCEMENT SYSTEMS AGREEMENT WITH BLUE LINE SOLUTION L L C AS A COOPERATIVE PROCUREMENT.
BEFORE ANYBODY SECONDS, IT, I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT 10 G IS THE ONE THAT HAD A, UM, CORRECTION WE NEEDED TO MAKE, WHICH THE, UM, TERM FOR THIS CITIZEN APPOINTMENT WOULD NOT BE 2023, IT WOULD BE TO 2026.
SO, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE NOW WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
UM, THERE, WE DON'T HAVE TO, WE DON'T NEED A DISCUSSION FOR CONSENT AGENDA, CORRECT.
SO WE'RE JUST GONNA GO AHEAD AND, UH, DO ROLL CALL COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES.
[11.A. Request from Donald McCarty for the Vacation of a Portion of North Street and a Portion of an Unimproved Alley ]
11 A, WHICH IS A BUSINESS ITEM.AND THIS IS A REQUEST FROM DONALD MCCARTY FOR THE VACATION OF A PORTION NORTH STREET AND A PORTION OF AN UNIMPROVED ALLEY.
AND I'M GONNA READ THE SUMMARY.
ON JULY 24TH, 2023, COUNSEL VOTED TO APPOINT VIEWERS TO VIEW THE VACATION REQUEST FROM DONALD MCCARTY AND ABUTTING PROPERTY OWNER FOR THE TOWN TO VACATE 13,001 SQUARE FEET OF NORTH STREET EXTENDED TERMINUS, SOUTH OF THE INTERSECTION OF NORTH STREET AND ORCHARD STREET, AND A 14 FOOT PORTION OF AN UNIMPROVED ALLEY ADJACENT TO THE SOUTHERN PROPERTY BOUNDARY.
AND REPORT ANY INCONVENIENCE TO COUNSEL THAT WERE RESOLVED FROM GRANTING APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST OF DONALD MCCARTY.
THE VIEWING COMMITTEE HAVE GIVEN THEIR REPORT TO COUNSEL, AND IT'S ALSO IN THE AGENDA PACKET FOR TONIGHT.
COUNSEL HAS REQUESTED TO EITHER DENY THE REQUEST FROM MR. MCCARTY OR APPROVE THE REQUEST FOR THE TOWN TO VACATE A PORTION OF NORTH STREET AND A PORTION OF AN UNAPPROVED ALLEY CONDITIONED UPON THE APPLICANT PURCHASING THE PROPERTY FROM THE TOWN FOR AN AGREED PRICE TO BE PAID WITHIN 90 DAYS OF APPROVAL.
I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FROM COUNSEL.
I MOVE THAT COUNSEL, APPROVE THE REQUEST FROM DONALD MCCARTY FOR THE TOWN TO VACATE 13,001 SQUARE FEET OF NORTH STREET EXTENDED TERMINUS, SOUTH OF THE INTERSECTION OF NORTH STREET AND ORCHARD STREET IN A 14 FOOT PORTION OF AN UNIMPROVED ALLEY ADJACENT TO THE SOUTHERN PROPERTY BOUNDARY CONDITIONED UPON THE APPLICANT PURCHASING THE PROPERTY FROM THE TOWN FOR AN AGREED PRICE TO BE PAID WITHIN 90 DAYS OF APPROVAL.
I FURTHER MOVE THAT COUNSEL AUTHORIZED THE TOWN MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE A PURCHASE PRICE WITH THE APPLICANT TO BE PRESENTED TO COUNSEL FOR APPROVAL.
WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR AND A SECOND, AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION.
UM, I, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE FOR THE PUBLIC, I KNOW WE SAID THE, UM, VIEWERS, UH, VIEWING COMMITTEE'S COMMENTS WERE IN THE AGENDA PACKET FOR TONIGHT.
BUT JUST, UM, FOR, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OR DON'T WANNA PULL UP THE PACKET OFF THE WEBSITE, THE VIEWING COMMITTEE, UM, SHARED THAT THEY WOULD, UM, THEY'RE UNANIMOUS IN UNANIMOUS AGREEMENT THAT THE APPLICATION FROM MR. MCCARTY TO VACATE A PORTION NORTH STREET, UM, SHOULD BE APPROVED.
[03:35:01]
SOME OF THE COMMENTS THEY, THEY MADE IS THAT, UM, UM, THERE'S NO PUBLIC UTILITIES IN THAT ALLEY.PROBABLY WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE MOST, UM, NOTEWORTHY THING THAT THEY SAID IS THAT THEY REALLY COULDN'T EVEN, UM, WALK IT BECAUSE IT'S, UH, IT, IT'S, IT'S DUE TO THE HEAVY UNDERGROWTH, WHICH WAS THEIR, THEIR POINT WAS THAT NOBODY'S USING IT.
NOW, I KNOW WE'VE HAD OTHER ALLEYS COME UP, UM, SINCE MY TIME ON COUNCIL, AND THERE WERE SOME WHERE, UH, MANY OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT ABUTTED THE ALLEY OR ADJACENT TO THE ALLEY WERE USING IT.
WE WE'RE, WE HAD ACCESS TO IT AND WE'RE TAKING CARE OF IT, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SOUNDS LIKE FROM THIS VIEWING COMMITTEE'S, UH, OBSERVATIONS, THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY THE CASE.
UM, SO NEITHER THE PORTION NORTH STREET AND THE ALLEY REQUEST TO BE VACATED IS CURRENTLY IN USE BY ANYONE AND WAS COVERED WITH MISCELLANEOUS TREES AND HEAVY UNDERGROWTH.
SO, JUST THOUGHT I WOULD, UM, SUMMARIZE WHAT THE VIEWING COMMITTEE SAID.
SINCE THE LAST TIME WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, WE ASKED FOR A VIEWING COMMITTEE.
ANYBODY ELSE ON COUNCIL WANNA OFFER ANYTHING ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR ITEM? MADAM MAYOR? YES.
UH, THE BACK PORTION OF MY PROPERTY, UH, RUNS ALONG, UH, AN ALLEY.
AND THAT ALLEY IS, UH, SERVES DAILY AS A, UH, PASS THROUGH FOR MANY CHILDREN, UH, FOLKS THAT, UH, THAT, UH, ARE ON THEIR WAY, UH, DOWNTOWN AND BACK CARRYING GROCERIES AND SO FORTH.
SO THOSE ALLEYS GENERALLY SERVE A VERY IMPORTANT PURPOSE, UH, FOR MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS.
AND I THINK WE'VE HAD SEVERAL ALI VACATION, UM, REQUESTS THAT HAVE, THAT HAVE COME TO COUNCIL.
AND I THINK I'VE VOTED, UH, NO ON ALL OF THEM.
HOWEVER, FOR ME, UM, IT IS, UH, BASED ON, ON THE REVIEW, AND I, AND I RESPECT AND REALLY APPRECIATE THE REVIEW THAT WAS DONE.
UH, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS THAT, UH, OH, AND OH, BY THE WAY, MOST OF THE ALLEYS THAT, THAT WE SEE AND THAT ARE USED ARE TAKEN CARE OF BY FOLKS LIKE ME AND OTHER NEIGHBORS AND SO FORTH, THAT, THAT, UH, RESPECT THE FACT THAT IT'S A, A KIND OF A THOROUGHFARE.
UH, THIS ONE ON THE OTHER HAND IS NOT.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, I, I, MY FEELINGS ABOUT THIS ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN IN THE PAST, AND I RESPECT THE FACT THAT, UH, WE HAD OUR, UH, REVIEWERS TAKE TIME.
UM, SO, UH, I, I'M, I'M IN, IN FAVOR OF VACATING THIS PROPERTY.
UM, I WILL SAY WE, SINCE MY TIME ON COUNCIL, WE'VE HAD VIEWING, WE'VE APPOINTED A VIEWING COMMITTEE TWICE.
THE FIRST VIEWING COMMITTEE SAID NOT TO APPROVE, AND THIS ONE SAID TO APPROVE, SO YOU MADE SOME GOOD POINTS THAT THIS WILL, THIS, THIS, THIS ONE.
THEY GAVE US DIFFERENT INPUT, AND IT WAS VERY DIFFERENT INPUT.
AND IT REALLY GIVES US, UH, UH, AN IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, GO, NO, GO ON SOME OF THESE THINGS.
WHEN, WHEN THEY SERVE A PURPOSE, UM, UH, OR DON'T RIGHT.
WHEN THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF OR AREN'T, SO.
ANY, ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WANNA OFFER ANYTHING TO THIS PARTICULAR SUBJECT? MY ONLY COMMENTS TO ADD WOULD BE THAT I WAS IN FAVOR OF APPOINTING A VIEWING COMMITTEE FOR THIS VERY REASON.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I'M AN EXPERT IN OR CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE.
UM, AND I HAD MENTIONED TO YOU THAT I FOUND IT VERY INTERESTING THAT SINCE WE'VE STARTED DOING THIS IN THIS PROCESS, WE'VE HAD ONE RECOMMEND DENIAL, AND ONE RECOMMEND, RECOMMEND APPROVAL.
AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY REASSURING TO SEE IN THE COMMENTS, THE REASONINGS AND, UM, THE JUSTIFICATIONS FOR THAT.
AND FURTHERMORE, I THINK THAT, UM, THIS IS VERY WELL JUSTIFIED, BUT FOR MR. MCCARTY, BECAUSE OF WHAT HE'S TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THIS ALLEY VACATION AND THE LAND, UM, WE TALK ABOUT THE HOUSING ISSUE.
AND HAVING A MASTER SUITE ON THE MAIN LEVEL IS SOMETHING THAT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND IN AN, AN ESTABLISHED NEIGHBORHOOD HERE IN FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY.
SO A LOT OF OLDER PEOPLE ARE HANDICAPPED PEOPLE OR DISABLED PEOPLE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO GO ELSEWHERE TO FIND THAT OR BUILD IT.
UM, SO I THINK THIS ABSOLUTELY ADDRESSES ONE OF THE, UM, TYPES OF HOUSING THAT WE ABSOLUTELY NEED HERE IN THE TOWN LIMITS.
ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR ITEM? DO WE, SO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE.
I JUST WANTED, I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT.
[03:40:01]
LISTENED INTENTLY TO THE, UH, THE, UH, UH, I GUESS THE CITIZEN INPUT.IT CAME BACK A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
UH, AND, UH, THE, UH, THE PROPERTY OWNERS UP ON GRAND AVENUE.
UH, THEY ALL, UH, THE, AT LEAST THE MAJORITY OF 'EM, UH, I THINK IT WAS MAYBE TWO OR THREE, UH, IF I RECALL, UH, SPOKE OVERWHELMINGLY AGAINST VACATION.
UH, AND THEIR MAIN CONCERN, I GUESS, WAS, UH, THE, UH, THE VEGETATION, UH, THE, THE GROWTH THAT SEPARATED, SEPARATED, UH, THEIR PROPERTY FROM THE DEVELOPMENT.
AND I GUESS FOR THE QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANT IS, UH, IS THERE ANY ASSURANCES THAT, UH, THAT VEGETATION BACK THERE WON'T BE DISTURBED? UH, UH, DO I NEED TO COME UP? IT, IT, I MEAN, IT, IT DOESN'T GET UP AT US TO, TO, TO DISTURB IT.
UH, IT'S A NICE BUFFER AND, UH, WE HAVE NO INTENTION TO DO ANYTHING.
SHOULD I SAY THAT AGAIN? IF YOU MIGHT, YOU CAN.
WE, WE MIGHT BE THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT CARE, BUT YOU CAN GO AHEAD, STAY AWAKE NOW.
UM, SO NO, WE HAVE NO INTENTION TO DISTURB ANYTHING ON THE, THE, THE BUFFER, THE VEGETATION OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
UM, SO THE, THE VEG VEGETATION, THE OVERGROWTH, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I'LL, I'LL JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, A 15 FOOT THAT THAT EASEMENT, WE WON'T TOUCH THAT EASEMENT, BUT IT'S, BUT IT'S NEEDED FOR SETBACK REQUIREMENTS FOR RIGHT.
BUT, AND, AND THE 40 FOOT SECTION YOU'RE GOING TO, YOU'RE GONNA NEED THAT.
THAT PRETTY MUCH ANSWERS THE, MY QUESTIONS.
JUST, I JUST, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY IN CASE ANYBODY SURE.
BUT THE PEOPLE WHO PURCHASE IT, THEY MIGHT, I MEAN, THEY MAY OH, ABSOLUTELY.
THAT'S, WE'RE NOT GETTING, IT'LL BE THEIR PROPERTY AT THAT POINT.
THAT'S ABSOLUTELY, YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
THAT'S POSITION THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S TRUE.
I JUST DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO THINK WE'RE PROMISING SOMETHING.
'CAUSE THE PROPERTY OWNER'S GONNA MAKE THEIR OWN CHOICE WHEN THEY PURCHASE IT.
I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO ADD, JAY, IF I CAN CALL YOU THAT.
IS THAT, IS THAT, UM, I REMEMBER WHEN, UH, YOUR, UH, DOCTOR AND MRS. MCCARTY WOULD SEND THE CHRISTMAS CARDS OUT TO US EVERY YEAR WITH THE YOU FOUR BROTHERS.
SO, IN FACT, I SENT ONE BACK TO DAN
JASON JAY, IT'S TIME FOR US TO GO, BUT JUST BECAUSE WE'RE PASSING ON COMPLIMENTS, I WANNA SAY THAT WHEN WE HAD A COMP PLAN AND WE HAD PUBLIC INPUT, JAY ACTUALLY DROVE FROM HIS FAIRFAX YEAH.
FROM FAIRFAX, AND GAVE INPUT ON THE COMP PLAN BECAUSE, BECAUSE HE DOES HAVE AN INTEREST IN THIS MEETING.
SO THANK YOU FOR, THANK YOU FOR, UH, FOR THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT, MS. PRESLEY, LET'S DO A ROLL CALL ON THIS ONE.
[12. CLOSED MEETING]
12 IS CLOSED.BEFORE WE READ INTO CLOSE, I'M JUST GONNA REMIND WHOEVER IS READING IT THAT, UM, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE INCLUDE THAT ADDITIONAL ITEM THAT WE AMENDED THE CLOSED MOTION TO STATE MS. PR MS. UH, MS. UM, COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS HAS IT.
MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT TOWN COUNCIL CONVENE A CLOSED MEETING PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 AND 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 2 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSE.
ONE PURSUANT TO 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 A, ONE OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE DISCUSSION, CONSIDERATION, ASSIGNMENT, APPOINTMENT, PROMOTION, PERFORMANCE, DEMOTION, SALARIES, DISCIPLINING, OR RESIGNATION OF SPECIFIC PUBLIC OFFICERS, APPOINTEES OR EMPLOYEES OF ANY PUBLIC BODY.
MORE SPECIFICALLY THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND FRONT ROYAL E D A AND TWO, PURSUANT TO 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 A, ONE OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE DISCUSSION, CONSIDERATION, ASSIGNMENT, APPOINTMENT PROMOTION, PERFORMANCE, DEMOTION, SALARIES, DISCIPLINING OR RESIGNATION OF SPECIFIC PUBLIC OFFICERS, APPOINTEES OR EMPLOYEES OF ANY PUBLIC BODY, MORE SPECIFICALLY THE CLERK OF COUNSEL.
AND TWO THREE, PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 A SEVEN OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL AND BRIEFINGS BY STAFF MEMBERS OR CONSULTANTS PERTAINING
[03:45:01]
TO ACTUAL OR PROBABLE LITIGATION WHERE SUCH CONSULTATION OF OR BRIEFING AN OPEN MEETING WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE NEGOTIATING OR LITIGATING POSTURE OF THE PUBLIC BODY.MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL VERSUS THE FRONT.
ROYAL WARREN COUNTY, E D A AT ALL FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY, E D A VERSUS TOWN OF FRONT, ROYAL FIRST BANK AND TRUST COMPANY IN TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL VERSUS FRONT ROYAL LIMITED PARTNERSHIPS.
AND FOUR, PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 A THREE OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR DISCUSSION OR CONSIDERATION OF THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY FOR A PUBLIC PURPOSE OR OF THE DISPOSITION OF PUBLICLY HELD REAL PROPERTY, WHERE DISCUSSION IN AN OPEN MEETING WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE BARGAINING POSITION OR NEGOTIATING STRATEGY OF THE PUBLIC BODY, SPECIFICALLY PORTIONS OF NORTH STREET AND ADJACENT UNIMPROVED ALLEYWAY.
I MAY BE GETTING TIRED, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE YOU READ, UH, CLERK OF COUNSEL ON NUMBER ONE.
WE WILL NOT BE COMING OUT TO TAKE ANY ACTION.
CHIEF, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA SAY YOU'RE PROBABLY GOOD TOO.