[00:00:03]
YES.[1. MOMENT OF SILENCE]
CALL THE FRONT ROYAL TOWN COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING FOR AUGUST 26TH TO ORDER, AND WE'RE GONNA START WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE.I HOPE YOU'LL ALL KEEP THE FAMILY THAT LIVE HERE IN TOWN THAT LOST EVERYTHING, UM, THIS WEEKEND DUE TO A FRIAR IN YOUR PRAYERS.
[2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ]
DO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, AND I'M GONNA CALL MARY LANE FORWARD.IF YOU GUYS JUST HANG TIGHT FOR A SECOND.
UM, SO, AS YOU KNOW, DURING MY TERM AS MAYOR, I INVITE STUDENTS FROM THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL TO LEAD OUR COUNCIL IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
THIS MONTH WE WELCOME MARY GENEVIEVE, THERESE LANE, AND HERE SHE IS AS, UM, I'D LIKE TO SHARE THAT MARY IS THE DAUGHTER OF DIXIE AND CHRISTOPHER LANE.
MARY IS 13 YEARS OLD AND IS IN EIGHTH GRADE AND IS HOMESCHOOLED.
HER FAVORITE SUBJECTS IN SCHOOL ARE SCIENCE AND ENGLISH.
SHE HAS GOTTEN SEVERAL PIECES OF WRITING PUBLISHED THROUGH MAGAZINES AND NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL WRITING CONTESTS.
WHEN SHE WAS YOUNGER, SHE CAME TO MY DOOR WITH HER MOM AND SHARED THAT THEY WERE CREATING A MAGAZINE OF CREATIVE WORKS OF SHE AND SOME OTHER STUDENTS, AND THEY WERE TAKING PRE-ORDERS.
DO YOU REMEMBER THAT? YEAH, I DO.
AND I, OF COURSE, BEING A TEACHER WANTED TO SUPPORT THEIR CREATIVE EFFORTS.
SO I, I ORDERED ONE AND THEY DELIVERED THE LITERARY MAGAZINE ONCE IT WAS PUBLISHED.
I BOUGHT FOR MANY FUNDRAISERS OVER THE YEARS OF KIDS WHO CAME TO MY DOOR.
MARY LOVES ANIMALS AND WANTS TO TAKE THAT LOVE AND BECOME A VETERINARY PSYCHOLOGIST WHEN SHE GROWS UP.
SHE'S PLAYING FOR THE SECOND YEAR ON THE ST.
JOHN'S SAINTS VOLLEYBALL TEAM.
SHE OWNS AND OPERATES VARIOUS SMALL BUSINESSES AND INCLUDING LAWN MOWING AND JEWELRY MAKING.
AND I WILL SHARE WITH YOU THAT ON SOME OF THE HOTTEST DAYS OF THIS PAST SUMMER, SHE AND HER SIBLINGS HAD A LEMONADE STAND SET UP AT THE BOTTOM OF MY STREET.
WE WON'T TALK ABOUT A BUSINESS LICENSE.
I LOVE THAT ENTREPRENEUR EFFORT.
OF COURSE, I SUPPORTED THEIR BUSINESS NO MORE THAN ONE OF THOSE DAYS.
UH, THIS YOUNG LADY IS GOING TO DO GREAT THINGS ONE DAY FOR SURE.
SHE CHOSE HER GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM ME TO DNL CAMPUS ON MAINE, AND SHE'S ALSO RECEIVING A CERTIFICATE THANKING HER FOR HER PATRIOTISM AND PARTICIPATION IN THE FRONT ROW TOWN COUNCIL MEETING TONIGHT.
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.
[3. ROLL CALL ]
CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? MAYOR COCKRELL HERE.[4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
UP ARE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.DO I HEAR A MOTION? MADAM MAYOR? I, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL APPROVE THE 2024 COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF THE JULY 22ND REGULAR MEETING, THE AUGUST 5TH WORK SESSION AND THE AUGUST 12TH WORK SESSION AS PRESENTED SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT, LET'S DO A ROLL CALL.
COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS IS ABSENT.
I THINK I HAVE TO PARTIALLY ABSTAIN FOR AUGUST 12TH.
THAT WASN'T, UH, WASN'T PRESENT, BUT THE OTHERS I COULD AFFIRM.
UM, ABSTAIN OR NOT? ALL RIGHT.
[00:05:01]
OKAY.[5. ADDITION/DELETION OF ITEMS FROM THE AGENDA OR REVISION TO ORDER OF BUSINESS ]
ITEM NUMBER FIVE, WHICH IS ANY ADDITION OR DELETIONS OF ITEMS FROM THE AGENDA.MADAM MAYOR, I, I HAVE A DELETION TONIGHT I MOVE THAT CONSENT AGENDA.
ITEM 10 D, APPOINTMENT TO PLANNING COMMISSION BE REMOVED FROM TONIGHT'S CONSENT AGENDA SECOND AND, AND PLACED ENCLOSED AT OUR NEXT WORK SESSION FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.
AND I BELIEVE THERE WAS A SECOND.
UM, I DON'T, I DON'T, IF THERE'S ANY DISCUSSION, WE CAN, IF NOT, WE'LL JUST DO A ROLL CALL THEN.
MS. PRESLEY, VICE MAYOR SEA LOT? YES.
COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES.
SO WE WILL MOVE THAT, UM, TO A FUTURE WORK SESSION AND POSSIBLY, UH, THE CLOSE THEN AT THE NEXT ONE.
[6. RECOGNITIONS/AWARDS/REPORTS/PRESENTATIONS]
ARE RECOGNITIONS AWARDS, REPORTS, OR PRESENTATIONS.AND I BELIEVE MS. DOWNS IS HERE.
MY NAME IS LYNN DOWNS AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL NONPROFIT GROUP DINNER TOGETHER.
FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW WHO WE ARE, DINNER TOGETHER IS A LOW BARRIER COMMUNITY MEAL SERVED FOUR EVENINGS WEEKLY BY MORE THAN A DOZEN CHURCHES AND CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS IN FRONT ROYAL.
TOGETHER WE SERVE MORE THAN 350 HOT MEALS EACH WEEK TO OUR NEIGHBORS IN THE COUNTY.
OUR MISSION IS TO WORK TOGETHER AS A UNITED COMMUNITY OF FAITH AND CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS TO REDUCE HUNGER AND IMPROVE COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE OUTCOMES IN WARREN COUNTY BY PROVIDING FRESH, HOT MEALS TO OUR NEIGHBORS.
ACCORDING TO A 2022 REPORT COMPILED BY FEEDING AMERICA, 5,080 PEOPLE IN WARREN COUNTY ARE FOOD INSECURE WITH 1,430 OF THOSE BEING CHILDREN.
THESE CHILDREN MAKE UP 28% OF THIS POPULATION AND 25% OF WHO WE FEED NIGHTLY THEY MAKE UP THERE IS A 12.5% FOOD INSECURITY RATE IN WARREN COUNTY, BUT WITH CHILDREN THAT 16.1%, 32% WHO ARE FOOD INSECURE, FALL ABOVE THE THRESHOLD TO RECEIVE SNAP BENEFITS.
AND 26% OF CHILDREN ARE INELIGIBLE FOR ANY FEDERAL NUTRITION PROGRAM AT ALL.
ANYONE HUNGRY IS WELCOME AT DINNER TOGETHER.
WE DO NOT REQUIRE ANY PROOF OF RESIDENCY INCOME OR IDENTIFICATION.
THE AVAILABILITY OF HOT READY TO EAT MEALS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO THOSE WHO ARE UNHOUSED THOSE LIVING IN MOTELS OR OTHER HOMES WITHOUT A KITCHEN RUNNING WATER, ELECTRICITY.
THOSE WHO WORK DURING FOOD PANTRY OPERATING HOURS, AND THOSE WHO MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY TO QUALIFY FOR GOVERNMENT FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ASSET LIMITED INCOME CONSTRAINED, EMPLOYED, WHICH WE REFER TO AS THE ALICE POPULATION OR THE WORKING POOR, MAKE UP THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE WHO ARE FACING FOOD INSECURITY IN THIS COUNTY.
AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF WHO WE FEED NIGHTLY IN OUR PROGRAM, ALICE RESIDENTS FACE UNIQUE BARRIERS THAT THE MEALS PROVIDED BY DINNER TOGETHER HELP THEM OVERCOME.
THESE INCLUDE EARNING TOO MUCH MONEY TO QUALIFY FOR THE BENEFITS WE TALKED ABOUT WORKING DURING REGULAR OPERATIONAL HOURS OF FOOD PANTRY, OR THEY JUST DON'T WANNA FACE THE STIGMA OF GOING TO A FOOD BANK OR MAY NOT WANNA GO THROUGH THE REGISTRATION PROCESS AT THEIR LOCAL PANTRY.
WE ALSO SERVE A VITAL ROLE IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WHO FACE BARRIERS TO WORKING, SUCH AS MENTAL ILLNESS AND SUBSTANCE MISUSE ISSUES.
PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR SUBSTANDARD HOUSING MAY QUALIFY FOR SNAP OR FOOD PANTRY DISTRIBUTIONS, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO A KITCHEN RUNNING WATER ELECTRIC, OR THEY DON'T HAVE A CAR TO GET THEIR AND GET THE MEALS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
BECAUSE OF THAT, WE DELIVER MEALS ON THURSDAY NIGHTS.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE A LITTLE INCOME CONFINED THAT WE CAN ONLY DO THAT THURSDAY NIGHTS, BUT WE DO DELIVER TO SIX 60 MEALS ON THURSDAY NIGHTS TO HOME BOUND, USUALLY SENIORS AND DISABLED THAT CANNOT GET TO OUR SERVICE.
UM, THESE SITUATIONS MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO PREPARE HOT FOOD FOR THEMSELVES.
PEOPLE LIVING IN MOTELS DO NOT HAVE KITCHENS.
SOME OF OUR GUESTS LIVE IN HOMES THAT DO NOT HAVE ELECTRICITY OR RUNNING WATER.
PEOPLE WHO ARE COUCH SURFING CAN'T STORE FOOD, DON'T HAVE KITCHEN PRIVILEGES.
SOMETIMES WE SERVE THOSE PEOPLE WHO FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS OF THESE TRADITIONAL SERVICES.
WE ARE A QUICK FOOD ACCESS FOR THOSE WHO SUDDENLY FIND THEMSELVES HUNGRY OR AWAITING BENEFITS TO BEGIN OR ARE TEMPORARILY EXPERIENCING FOOD INSECURITY MORE THAN A MEAL.
[00:10:01]
SERVICE TO OUR NEIGHBORS.WE CHERISH THE RELATIONSHIPS WE SHARE WITH OUR GUESTS AND ENTHUSIASTICALLY WELCOME ANYONE HUNGRY.
WE WELCOME PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS, BELIEFS, AND CIRCUMSTANCES TO WORK WITH US, SERVE WITH US, AND EAT WITH US.
WE MEET OUR GUESTS WHERE THEY ARE UNDERSTANDING EACH GUEST FACE CHALLENGES AND BEHAVIORS.
I MEAN ON BARRIERS WE MAY NEVER BE FULLY AWARE OF.
SEPTEMBER IS HUNGER ACTION MONTH.
WITH THIS YEAR'S THEME BEING CHOOSE TO END THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICES OF HUNGER.
AND FOR MANY OF OUR INDIVIDUALS, IT'S A CHOICE.
I TALK TO THESE PEOPLE ON A DAILY BASIS AND WHAT I HEAR IS RENT OR FOOD, SCHOOL SUPPLIES ARE FOOD.
EVEN THOUGH THESE THINGS ARE GIVEN OUT FOR FREE, MAYBE THEY CAN'T GET THERE TO GET THEM, OR MAYBE THEY'RE JUST DON'T WANNA ASK FOR THEM.
I HAVE ONE FAMILY OF NINE WHO SHE GETS IN LINE WITH HER SEVEN CHILDREN AND SHE MAKES THOSE BOYS COME UP AND THANK US FOR THAT MEAL EVERY NIGHT AND MAKES THEM CARRY IT BECAUSE SHE SAID, IF I HAVE TO DO THIS, YOU KNOW WHY MOM DOES THIS, YOU'RE GONNA SEE AND YOU'RE GONNA HELP.
BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING, I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE CHANCE TO MEET EACH OF THESE PEOPLE AND TALK TO THEM AND HEAR THEIR STORY AND MAYBE HELP THEM IN A WAY THAT THEY WEREN'T THINKING OF GETTING WHEN THEY CAME TO STAND IN FRONT OF US.
SO ONE WAY TO DO THIS TO THIS IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE OF HUNGER IS TO DONATE TO PROGRAMS LIKE OURS.
WE OPERATE ON DONATIONS FROM PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS, CHURCHES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND BUSINESSES TO KEEP PROVIDING HEALTHY, NUTRITIOUS MEALS TO OUR NEIGHBORS.
ANY ORGANIZATION CAN REACH OUT TO DINNER TOGETHER TO OFFER, PREPARE, AND SERVE A MEAL.
YOU CAN DONATE FOOD TO YOUR LOCAL FOOD PANTRY OR HELP DISTRIBUTE THOSE ITEMS TO THOSE WHO CAN'T GET TO THEM.
AS WE BEGIN THIS MONTH OF HUNGER AWARENESS, PLEASE CONSIDER HOW YOU CAN HELP YOUR NEIGHBORS WHO ARE STRUGGLING TO FIND ACCESS TO FOOD OR A HOT MEAL AND WORK TOGETHER AS THE UNITED COMMUNITY.
WE KNOW FRONT, ROYAL AND WARREN COUNTY ARE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT, MS. DOWNS.
CAN I, CAN I JUST ASK, IS THERE YOU, IS THERE A PARTICULAR PLACE YOU SAID ABOUT DONATIONS? IS THERE LIKE A WEBSITE? WELL, WE SERVE, YES, WE HAVE A WEBSITE.
COULD YOU MAYBE SAY THAT FOR THE PUBLIC'S BENEFIT? SURE, SURE.
IT'S DINN, THE NUMBER TWO G-E-T-H-E-R-F R.ORG.
AND WE'RE LOCATED OUT OF THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
UM, WE USED TO BE LOCATED IN ALL THE DIFFERENT CHURCHES, BUT WITH COVID IT MADE NICE TO HAVE A CENTRAL LOCATION.
THEY KNOW WE SERVE MONDAY THROUGH THROUGH THURSDAY, UM, AND THEY HAVE A HUGE COMMERCIAL KITCHEN AND WE ALSO HAVE A WALK-IN FREEZER THERE.
SO IT'S NICE YOU'RE BACK IN THE EDUCATIONAL BUILDING, RIGHT? WE ARE, WE ARE IN THE FELLOWSHIP HALL.
AND WE HAD A VERY, LIKE, WE HAD A DONATION OF A VERY NICE WALK IN FREEZER.
UNFORTUNATELY THAT FREEZER WENT OUT ABOUT A MONTH AGO.
WE LOST ALL OUR FOOD AND IT COST US $5,000 TO FIX IT.
AND IT TOOK OUR, OUR FINANCES DOWN TO ABOUT $2,000 WE HAVE RIGHT NOW FOR THE NONPROFIT.
SO WE GOT THE FREEZER RUNNING, BUT WE DON'T HAVE MONEY TO FILL IT.
AND YOU CAN GO ON THERE AND YOU CAN CONTACT US.
WE CAN TALK TO YOU ABOUT COMING AND JUST VOLUNTEER IN TIME.
WE JUST, PEOPLE TO SERVE, PEOPLE TO COOK.
YOU KNOW, WE NEED, WE DON'T TURN AWAY ANYTHING.
WE JUST GOT OUR NONPROFIT IN JANUARY.
OUR ROTARY CLUB DOES IT THE FOURTH TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH.
OR FIFTH TUESDAY, I BELIEVE IT IS.
AND, UM, WE SERVE ANYWHERE FROM 60 AS HIGH AS 140 A NIGHT.
SO THERE FOR EVERYONE LISTENING AT HOME, IF YOU DON'T THINK THERE'S A NEED OUT THERE, IT CERTAINLY IS.
AND WE'RE FORTUNATE ENOUGH, WE HAVE ENOUGH CLUB MEMBERS TO PREPARE THE FOOD, BRING THE FOOD, SERVE THE FOOD.
BUT I KNOW MANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO PUT THAT ON DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE IT.
PLUS, UM, THE FINANCIAL CRISIS CREATED BY THE FREEZER GOING OUT.
SO, YOU KNOW, ON BEHALF OF OUR ORGANIZATION, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
AND WE HAVE FOOD DONATED BY THE FOOD BANK.
SO WE DO THE BEST TO TRY TO MAKE THAT STRESS FOR THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE SMALLER.
UM, SOMETIMES IT'S REALLY, REALLY OUTTA THE BOX THINKING FOR WHAT WE SERVE.
SOME NIGHTS, IT'S, SOME NIGHTS IT'S STUFF YOU WOULD NEVER THINK WOULD GO TOGETHER, BUT GOES TOGETHER JUST FINE.
AND, AND THE INDIVIDUAL, OUR GUESTS LOVE IT.
THEY'LL BE LIKE, THAT WAS REALLY, THAT WAS SO COOL.
BECAUSE I WAS REALLY STRUGGLING TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO FEED TONIGHT.
SO, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
AND AGAIN, ANYBODY WANTS TO GO ON THE WEBSITE.
AND I'M ALSO, ANYTIME YOU CONTACT THAT, UM, THERE'S AN EMAIL ON DEREK THAT GOES RIGHT TO ME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TONIGHT.
[7.A. Rezoning Application from Rappahannock HC, LLC Requesting an Amendment to the Zoning Map to Reclassify 1321 Happy Creek Road from R-S, Suburban Residential District to R-1, Residential District. ]
OUR NEXT, UM, ITEM IS NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH[00:15:01]
IS A PUBLIC HEARING.UM, I'M GONNA START ALL, I'M GONNA READ THE TITLE AND THEN HAVE MS. PRESLEY READ THE SUMMARY.
SO THE TITLE IS A REZONING APPLICATION FROM HANOCK, H-C-O-L-C REQUESTING AN AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING MAP TO RECLASSIFY 1321 HAPPY CREEK ROAD FROM RS SUBURBAN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT TO R ONE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT.
MS. PRESLEY, DO YOU MIND READING THE SUMMARY? SURE.
COUNSEL'S RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM RAPPAHANNOCK H-C-L-L-C, THE APPLICANT TO CONSIDER AN AMENDMENT OF THE ZONING MAP OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL TO RECLASSIFY 1321 HAPPY CREEK ROAD TAX BACK NUMBER TWO OH A TWO ONE DASH TWO DASH FOUR FROM RS SUBURBAN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT TO R ONE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT TO PERMIT SMALLER RESIDENTIAL LOTS, ALLOWING CONSTRUCTION OF AN ADDITIONAL 22 RESIDENTIAL LOTS FOR A TOTAL OF 104 SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL UNITS FOR THE PROJECT NAMED MARSHALLS GLEN.
UM, BEFORE, UH, WE START THE PUBLIC HEARING, I, UM, I'M ACTUALLY GONNA HAVE STAFF SPEAK.
APPLICANT'S GONNA SPEAK AND THEN I'M GONNA READ THE, THE RULES FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO, MS. BE, ARE YOU READY? ALL RIGHT.
SO THIS APPLICATION IS A REZONING, UM, AND THIS PRESENTATION IS A QUICK SUMMARY AS I CAN PUT TOGETHER AS A 500 PLUS PAGE APPLICATION.
UM, SO THIS PROPERTY IS APPROXIMATELY 42.9 ACRES AND IS LOCATED IN OUR LEACH RUN PLANNING AREA, WHICH IS LIKE OUR 13TH PLANNING AREA.
IT'S IN THE NORTHEAST PORTION OF TOWN OFF OF HAPPY CREEK ROAD.
UH, CURRENTLY IT IS ZONED RS UH, THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING THE HUNDRED AND FOUR, UM, LOT SUBDIVISION.
AND SO THAT WOULD GO FROM AN RS ZONE TO AN R ONE ZONE.
UM, AND IN THIS ZONE, THE, UM, THE CURRENT, UH, DIMENSIONAL REQUIREMENTS ARE BASICALLY THAT THE MINIMUM LOT SIZE IS ONE HALF ACRE.
WHAT THEY'RE REQUESTING IS THAT THEY WOULD GO TO THE R ONE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT, WHICH WOULD ALLOW A MINIMUM LOT SIZE OF 10,000 SQUARE FEET.
THE REQUIREMENT WOULD BE THAT THE LOTS WOULD'VE TO BE 75 FEET WIDE.
YOU'D HAVE A 35 FOOT FRONT TO SETBACK, MEANING YOU'D HAVE TO AT LEAST BE 35 FEET AWAY FROM THE, UM, FROM OF THE LOT.
AND THEN 25 FOOT TOTAL SIDE WITH NO ONE OF THE SIDES, NO LESS THAN 10 FEET.
UM, WHICH WOULD MEAN THAT THERE WOULD BE NO HOMES THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE CLOSER THAN 20 FEET TO EACH OTHER.
UM, THEN YOU'D HAVE A 30 FOOT REAR SETBACK.
UM, AND OUR CODE ACTUALLY DEFINES THE DENSITY AND THAT IS THE NUMBER OF DWELLING UNITS PERMITTED PER ONE ACRE OF LAND.
THAT'S HOW THAT 82 HOMES BY RIGHT CURRENTLY, UH, WAS CALCULATED, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE LATER.
BUT ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING TONIGHT IS ALIGNMENT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
SO THIS BODY ADOPTED OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN LAST YEAR AND OUR COMP PLAN CALLS FOR THIS LEACH RUN, UH, TO BE AREA, SORRY, THIS PROPERTY TO BE A SINGLE FAMILY, UH, RESIDENTIAL USE OF MEDIUM DENSITY, WHICH IS THREE TO SIX DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE.
UM, AND THE ACTION STRATEGIES FOR THIS SECTION, UH, REQUEST THAT FUTURE SUBDIVISION DESIGN CONNECTS LOCAL STREETS WITH EXISTING SUBDIVISION STREETS, CREATE A MORE COHESIVE NETWORK, UM, AND ENSURE THAT FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IS INCLUSIVE OF PEDESTRIAN AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES, SUCH AS PLAY AREAS OR OTHER AMENITIES.
AND THAT'LL COME INTO PLAY AS WE KIND OF TALK THROUGH THESE PROFFERS.
UM, BUT THE PROPOSED DENSITY WOULD PUT THEIR, UH, SUBDIVISION AT 2.42 UNITS PER ACRE, WHICH IS LESS THAN THE SURROUNDING SUBDIVISIONS, THE HAPPY CREEK KNOLLS AND ODIN RIDGE.
UM, THIS RENDERING HERE JUST SHOWS YOU THE POTENTIAL HOMES THAT COULD BE BUILT ON THE SITE, BUT THIS IS JUST CONCEPTUAL.
UM, AND AS PART OF THE REZONING APPLICATION, WE HAVE DOCUMENTS THAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT.
SO WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE IS JUST A QUICK SUMMARY OF THE CONCLUSIONS FROM THOSE DOCUMENTS.
SO ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS IS A WETLAND DELINEATION REPORT.
THAT REPORT FOUND THAT THERE ARE NO, UM, POTENTIAL WATERS, INCLUDING WETLANDS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED AND THERE'S NO SUSPECT OR WET AREAS OBSERVED DURING THE SITE EVALUATION.
THE PHASE ONE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT STATED THAT THERE ARE NO, THERE'S NO EVIDENCE OF ANY RECOGNIZED ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, CONDITIONS.
UH, SO AT THIS POINT, FURTHER STUDY IS NOT NECESSARY.
THE TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS, UM, BASICALLY STATED THAT ON MARCH 5TH, 2024,
[00:20:01]
UH, THE TRAFFIC WAS ANALYZED DURING AM AND PEAK M PEAK AM AND PM PEAK HOURS.UM, AND BASICALLY WHAT THEY FOUND WAS THAT, UH, THE, THAT THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL NOT HAVE SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT ON THE SURROUNDING TRANSPORTATION AND ROADWAY NETWORK.
THAT A RIGHT TURN LANE, UH, WARRANT ASSESSMENT RESULTS DETERMINED THAT A RIGHT TURN LANE IS NOT WARRANTED.
UM, AND WHEN VDOT REVIEWED THE APPLICATION, THEY FOUND THAT IN GENERAL THAT THE TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS IS FOUND ACCEPTABLE AND WE CONCUR WITH THE CAPACITY AND QUEING ANALYSIS RESULTS.
UM, AND THEN IN CONCLUSION, IF THE RIGHT OF WAY OF THE FOR THE FUTURE TOWN PROJECT IS ADDRESSED, WE FEEL THE SUBDIVISION WILL HAVE MINIMAL IMPACTS TO THE LOCAL ROADWAY NETWORK.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THIS IS THE SITE ENTRANCES.
UH, YOU HAVE AN ENTRANCE OFF OF HAPPY CREEK ROAD THAT WILL BE A RIGHT IN RIGHT OUT ONLY THEN YOU HAVE AN ENTRANCE OFF OF ODIN STREET.
SO THIS TIES INTO THAT CONNECTIVITY THAT WAS MENTIONED IN THAT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO TYING INTO EXISTING SUBDIVISIONS.
THEREFORE, YOU HAVE THAT ODIN STREET CONNECTION.
AND THEN THIS IS JUST AGAIN, A CONCEPT PLAN.
SO THIS SHOWS YOU THE GENERAL LOT LAYOUT OR THE IDEA FOR THE LOT LAYOUT.
UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE OPEN SPACE AREAS, THE STORM WATER RETENTION AREAS, THE RIGHT IN, RIGHT OUT THE RED IS THE AREA THAT WOULD BE PROFFERED TO BE DEDICATED TO THE TOWN FOR RIGHT OF WAY IMPROVEMENTS TO HAPPY CREEK.
THEY ALSO, THE APPLICANT ALSO SUBMITTED A FISCAL IMPACT ANALYSIS AND BASED ON THAT ANALYSIS, UM, THEY'RE STATING THAT THE AVERAGE OR THE ANNUAL FISCAL SURPLUS TO THE TOWN WOULD BE $407,620 PER YEAR AVERAGING OUT TO $3,920 PER HOME.
AS PART OF THIS PROCESS, STAFF SENT THIS APPLICATION OUT TO OTHER REVIEW AGENCIES TOO.
SO WE'VE COMPILED THOSE COMMENTS AS WELL.
UM, WARREN COUNTY PLANNING BASICALLY STATED THAT THIS CONCURRED WITH THE, WITH THEIR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN BECAUSE, UM, BACK IN I THINK 2014 IT WAS THE TOWN AND COUNTY DESIGNATED THIS PORTION OF THE TOWN IS THE URBAN DEVELOPMENT AREA, WHICH THE STATE REQUIRED BECAUSE OF GROWTH RATES.
UM, SO HERE THE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AT A MINIMUM DENSITY OF AT LEAST FOUR SINGLE RESIDENTS PER ACRE PROVIDE FOR COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
THIS IS THEIR, JUST THE DEFINITION OF THE UDA.
UM, BUT WE DO FIND THAT THIS IS IN COMPLIANCE.
UM, THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT AND THE FIRE MARSHAL OFFERED COMMENTS BACK IN APRIL.
BASICALLY WHAT THEY'RE SAYING HERE IS THAT THEY'RE GONNA DEFER TO SITE PLAN AND PRELIMINARY PLAN, UH, TO ACTUALLY COMMENT.
AND THEN AGAIN, VDOT REVIEWED THAT TRANSPORTATION IMPACT ANALYSIS.
AND THE CONCLUSION WAS IS THAT THE, UM, IF THE RIGHT OF WAY FOR THE FUTURE TOWN ADDRESS THAT'LL BE, THERE'LL BE MINIMAL IMPACTS.
AND THEN THE WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, UH, WERE ALSO GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT.
THEY HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THE BUYRIGHT UNITS WERE CALCULATED, HOW WE DETERMINED 82 UNITS.
AND THAT WAS BASED OFF OF THAT DEFINITION OF DENSITY IN OUR ZONING ORDINANCE.
AFTER THAT, THESE COMMENTS, THE APPLICANT, UM, VOLUNTARILY CAME BACK ADJUSTED THAT CALCULATION.
SO INSTEAD OF CALCULATING BY RIGHT UNITS AT 82, UH, REDUCED IT DOWN TO 61 AND THEN, UM, INCREASED THE AMOUNT OF CASH PROFFERS TO THE SCHOOLS.
SO FOR THE PROFFERS, UM, THEY'RE BASICALLY ENABLED BY VIRGINIA STATE CODE.
UM, BUT THE IMPORTANT THING HERE IS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, AT THE TIME OF THE FILING OF THE APPLICATION, UH, THE OWNER AND THE APPLICANT, UM, THAT THEY CAN PROFFER FOR ONSITE OFFSITE IMPROVEMENTS DURING THIS PROCESS.
UM, SO SITE DEVELOPMENT, THE PROPERTY SHALL BE SERVED BY PUBLIC WATER AND SEWER AND IT'LL BE INSTALLED AT THE OWNER BY THE OWNER AND, UM, THEY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
THAT'S OUR SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT FEES.
AND THEN THE OWNER SHALL INSTALL THE APPROPRIATE STORM WATER MANAGEMENT FACILITIES.
THOSE ARE TO BE MAINTAINED BY THE HOA.
UM, AND THEN THE PORTION OF THE PROPERTY SHALL BE RESERVED AS OPEN SPACE, WHICH IS DEPICTED IN EXHIBIT A AS WELL.
UM, THE OWNER IS PROFFERING TO INSTALL AN ENTRANCE FEATURE.
TYPICALLY THAT'S GONNA BE A MONUMENT SIGN THAT WILL BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR ZONING REQUIREMENTS.
UM, AND THEY'RE ESTIMATING THAT THAT WOULD COST ABOUT $40,000 AND THAT WOULD BE MAINTAINED BY THE HOA AS WELL.
THEY'RE ALSO PROFFERING A TOT LOT, A LITTLE PLAYGROUND AREA IN THE OPEN SPACE, UM, AND THAT THEY'RE ESTIMATING IS AT ABOUT $60,000.
AND AGAIN, THAT WILL BE MAINTAINED BY THE HOA NOT THE TOWN.
UM, AND THEY WILL ALSO INSTALL A BOARD ON BOARD FENCE, A PRIVACY FENCE AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE SUBDIVISION OR PORTIONS OF THE PERIMETER OF THE SUBDIVISION TO BE MAINTAINED AGAIN BY
[00:25:01]
THE HOA AT AN APPROXIMATE COST OF $90,000.HERE'S JUST A RENDERING OF THE PROPOSED, UM, PLAY AREA, THE TOT LOT.
HERE'S THE RENDERING OF THE FENCE.
THIS WOULD BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR ZONING ORDINANCE.
IT'S YOUR TYPICAL BOARD ON BOARD PRESSURE TREATED LUMBER, FENCE TRANSPORTATION.
THE ROADS WITHIN THE SUBDIVISION OF THE PROPERTY SHALL BE PUBLIC AND CONSTRUCTED TO TOWN AND VDOT STANDARDS.
UM, AND THAT THE OWNER SHALL DEDICATE RIGHT OF WAY ALONG HAPPY CREEK ROAD FOR THE PROJECT'S ENTRANCE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, LET ME GO TO THE NEXT ONE.
AND ALL OF THESE WILL BE, UM, MAINTAINED BY THE HOA THAT WILL BE ESTABLISHED.
THEY'LL MAINTAIN THE PLAYGROUND.
AGAIN, THE ENTRANCE FEATURES, THE FENCE, THE STORM WATER MANAGEMENT FACILITIES.
UM, IT'S KIND OF DIFFICULT TO SEE, BUT YOU CAN GET THE BREAKDOWN OF THE CASH PROFFER.
SO THEY ARE PROFFERING, UM, ABOUT $6,436, UH, PER UNIT.
UH, THAT BREAKS DOWN ABOUT 3,300 FOR THE SCHOOLS AND I THINK ABOUT 3,300 FROM FOR OTHER PROFFERS.
UM, AND WHEN YOU ADD IN THE ADDITIONAL THE MONUMENT SIGN, THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT AND THE PRIVACY FENCE, YOU'RE TOTALING, UM, ABOUT $190,000 IN ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS, BRINGING THE TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO ABOUT $858,000.
AND THEN THE CALCULATED SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT FEES THAT WOULD BE PAID TO THE TOWN WOULD APPROXIMATE AT 429,000, UH, 600 AND I THINK $99 THERE FOR THOSE EXTRA 43 UNITS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME? MS. CAPISH? COULD YOU EXPLAIN FOR THE PUBLIC'S BENEFIT, THE 84 AND 61, BECAUSE THAT SEEMS TO BE, UM, OKAY, THAT SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE CONFUSING FOR PEOPLE.
UM, THAT, UM, I GUESS I JUST WANNA CLARIFY FOR THE PUBLIC'S INPUT THAT REGARDLESS OF THE OUTCOME OF THIS APPLICATION, UH, THEY CAN BUILD 84 HOMES.
SO THE DELTA THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR THIS APPLICATION IS ABOUT 22 2, TECHNICALLY ABOUT 22, ABOUT 22 HOMES.
SO, SO REGARDLESS, 84 HOMES COULD BE BILLED THERE, RIGHT? 82.
82, I'M SORRY, BUT I, I SAY THAT ABOUT THE 61 BECAUSE THAT WAS BROUGHT UP BEFORE AND I'VE HEARD, UM, MANY PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THAT IT'S REALLY FROM 61 TO 1 0 4.
SO COULD YOU CLARIFY THAT FOR EVERYBODY? YEAH.
SO THAT'S, UM, OUR DEFINITION OF DENSITY.
SO THAT'S 1 75 DASH THREE, THAT'S OUR DEFINITION SECTION IN OUR ZONING ORDINANCE.
AND THAT DEFINES DENSITY AS THE NUMBER OF DWELLING UNITS PERMITTED ON ONE ACRE OF LAND.
SO WHEN YOU GO TO OUR RS SECTION AND THAT, UM, I DON'T HAVE THE CODE UP THERE, IT'S, BUT IT'S 1 75, UM, THAT GIVES YOU THE MINIMUM LOT SIZE.
SO CURRENTLY THE MINIMUM LOT SIZE IS HALF AN ACRE OR 21 THOUSANDISH SQUARE FEET.
UM, SO WE CALCULATE THAT BASED ON, SO WE TAKE THAT, UM, 42 ACRES.
BASICALLY YOU'RE DOUBLING IT SO YOU CAN GET TWO UNITS PER ACRE.
AND THAT GIVES YOU, BETWEEN THAT 82 84 THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, WHEN THE SCHOOL CAME WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM CAME BACK WITH THAT COMMENT ABOUT THIS MAY NOT BE REALISTIC, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, WE REQUIRE SIDEWALKS, ROADS, THERE'S INFRASTRUCTURE THAT GOES INTO THESE SUBDIVISIONS.
AND THAT'S WHERE THAT DELTA FROM THE 82 DOWN TO, OR SORRY, THE 84 DOWN TO THAT 61 CAME ABOUT.
AND WHAT THEY DID IS WHEN THEY DID THAT, THEY UPPED THE CASH PROFFERS TO THE SCHOOLS.
SO THEY ELECTED VOLUNTARILY TO GIVE ADDITIONAL CASH TO THE SCHOOLS TO OFFSET THAT.
SO WITHOUT, WITHOUT AN APPROVAL OF THIS APPLICATION, THEY CAN BUILD 84 HOMES MM-HMM.
THAT'S BY RIGHT, RIGHT BY RIGHT.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, 'CAUSE I THINK THAT THAT CAN, UM, THAT CAN BE CONFUSING TO SOMEONE WHO'S NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT, THAT I, I KNOW THAT I, SEVERAL PEOPLE CONTACTED ME IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND I TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT REGARDLESS, HOMES ARE GONNA BE BUILT THERE.
UM, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, IT'S 22 RIGHT? THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ADDITIONAL HOMES? YES.
DO YOU KNOW, AND I DID NOT SEE IT INCLUDED, AND I'M KIND OF OLD AND IT'S HARD TO READ SOME OF THIS, BUT THE, THE APPLICANT IS PROFFERING THE RIGHT OF WAY ALONG HAPPY CREEK FOR THE FUTURE, UM, IMPROVEMENT.
[00:30:01]
THAT INCLUDED IN THE PROPER? BECAUSE IF, IF THEY DIDN'T DONATE IT TO THE TOWN AND WE WENT TO EXPAND HAPPY CREEK, WE WOULD HAVE TO BUY THAT RIGHT AWAY, WOULD BE MY UNDERSTANDING.IS THAT CORRECT, MS. WALTZ? THE TOWN WOULD HAVE TO ACQUIRE THAT PROPERTY.
DO YOU, IS THERE A VALUE TO THAT? DO WE EVEN I DO NOT KNOW THE VALUE YOU CAN ASK THE APPLICANT.
THIS IS ALL IN LINE WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, CORRECT? CORRECT.
IT ALIGNS WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I, I HAVE A MAYOR, I HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING, UH, YOU MENTIONED THE, THE SIDE SETBACKS, UH, COULD BE 10 FEET MM-HMM.
UH, YOU KNOW, THIS PERHAPS MIGHT, MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT THE APPLICANT MAY BE WILLING TO SHARE.
IS THERE SOME CONCEPTUAL PLAN THAT THEY MIGHT BE LOOKING AT AS FAR AS, UH, WHAT THAT NUMBER WOULD BE? ALRIGHT, WELL THE NEXT, SO TONIGHT YOU'RE JUST LOOKING AT THE REZONING.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT DOES THIS ALIGN WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN? MM-HMM.
AND, YOU KNOW, IS THIS USE, IS THIS DENSITY APPROPRIATE ON THIS PIECE OF LAND? THE NEXT STEPS, IF THIS WERE TO GET APPROVED WOULD BE THE PRELIMINARY PLAN SUBMISSION, WHICH WOULD BE REVIEWED BY PLANNING COMMISSION.
THEN THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE SUBDIVISION PROCESS MAKE, THAT'S WHERE WE MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE DIMENSIONAL STANDARDS ARE MET.
THAT GOES BACK TO PLANNING COMMISSION AND WOULD ALSO COME TO TOWN COUNCIL FOR REVIEW.
SO AT THAT POINT IN TIME IS WHEN WE'LL KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THE HOUSES WILL BE SITUATED ON THE LOTS.
UH, THEN I'LL GO TO MY NEXT QUESTION, UH, REGARDING THE STORM MANAGEMENT PONDS.
UH, LOOKING AT THE CONCEPTUAL PLAN, UH, ON ASHBY STREET, THERE IS A DRY POND.
IS THIS PICTORIAL INCLUDING THAT DRY POND? OR WILL THAT LARGE POND TO THE RIGHT, WILL THAT BE A POND BY ITSELF? DO WE KNOW? I BELIEVE THIS IS DEPICTING THAT DRY POND, BUT THIS IS ALSO, I THINK THEY'RE GONNA COMBINE 'EM INTO, YOU KNOW, ONE STORM WATER MANAGEMENT POND.
BUT AGAIN, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE GONNA BE WORKED OUT DURING THE NEXT PHASES OF THE PROJECT.
THAT IS PRELIMINARY PLAN, UH, THE SUBDIVISION PLAN, AND THEN YOU GET INTO THE SITE PLAN.
YEAH, I JUST ASKED THAT QUESTION.
I ASKED THE QUESTION, UH, BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT THE, UH, SOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE HERE AT THE LAST, UH, COUNCIL SESSION, I BELIEVE HAD SHOWN SOME CONCERN ABOUT, UM, UH, WHEN, WHEN THEY REMOVE THE TREE, IT, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY MAY BE REMOVING TREES ON THE, ON THE, UM, ASHBY SIDE AT MM-HMM.
AND THEN THAT, SO THE WATER FLOWS DIRECTLY DOWN INTO THE STORM POND, AND THEN THERE'S A BANK UP THERE.
UM, THE, THE QUESTION IS, UM, AND I KNOW I'M GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF, BUT THE STORM, THE STORM MANAGEMENT, I'M ALL ABOUT WATER.
UH, THE STORM MANAGEMENT, UH, THEY WILL, THEY, THEY, THEY WILL BE DIRECTING THE WATER INTO THEIR SWALE ON THE OTHER SIDE.
SO WE HAVE WOULD THAT STANDARDS IN OUR CORRECT, YES.
WE HAVE STANDARDS IN OUR SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE THAT ARE GONNA REQUIRE THEM.
THEY'RE GONNA BE REQUIRED TO MEET THOSE, THEY'RE GONNA BE REQUIRED TO MEET OUR SLOPE STANDARDS.
THEY'RE GONNA BE PROVI REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THOSE STORMWATER CALCULATIONS.
BUT THE TOWN ITSELF DOES NOT REVIEW THOSE CALCULATIONS THAT GOES TO THE COUNTY WHO THEN ROUTES THEM TO DEQ AND THE STATE REVIEWS THOSE FOR COMPLIANCE.
THE STATE THEN COMES AND DOES THOSE INSPECTIONS AFTER THEY'RE CONSTRUCTED.
I JUST ASKED THE QUESTION BECAUSE OF THE CONCERNS OF THE CITIZENS AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE.
SO I ASKED THE QUESTION, AND IT MAY BE THAT SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS COULD BE ANSWERED BY THE APPLICANT TOO, AND THEY DID, IN YOUR PACKET, THERE'S A COMMENT RESPONSE LETTER FROM THE DEVELOPER OR FROM THE APPLICANT, AND I BELIEVE IT'S DATED JULY 8TH OF THIS YEAR.
[00:35:01]
AND THAT SHOULD ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING.AND THAT'S, THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT I WAS GETTING READY TO SHARE.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS FOR THE PUBLIC.
UM, 'CAUSE WE DO HAVE COPIES OF THIS, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY, UM, PART OF THE AGENDA PACKET TODAY THAT ANYBODY FROM THE PUBLIC, UH, COULD ACCESS TO.
BUT ON JULY 8TH, UM, HANOCK DEVELOPMENT GROUP TOOK, UM, THE CONCERNS THAT WERE SHARED DURING THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S PUBLIC HEARING, UM, AND ADDRESS THEM EACH ONE BY ONE COMMENTS THAT PEOPLE MADE, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE WIDTH OF ODIN STREET, UM, JUST OF, UH, THE DRAINAGE PROBLEM, UH, PROPERTY TAXES, UM, FISCAL IMPACT, ALL KINDS OF, UM, WHETHER OR NOT THE TOWN HAS THE UTILITY CAPACITY TO SERVE THE PROJECT.
UM, JUST, UH, I WON'T BORE YOU ALL WITH ALL OF IT, BUT I DO THINK THOUGH THAT IF YOU WERE SOMEBODY THAT HAD QUESTIONS AND SHARED THOSE AT THE, UM, PLANNING COMMISSION, THAT THAT, THAT WOULD ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS TOO.
AND I SHARED THIS 'CAUSE I HAD SEVERAL RESIDENTS THAT WERE CONCERNED WHEN THEY CAME TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS DIDN'T ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS.
AND I TRIED TO EXPLAIN THAT THAT'S REALLY THE, UM, THAT'S THE STRUCTURE OF THESE MEETINGS OR THAT WE HEAR PUBLIC INPUT, BUT, BUT NOBODY'S NECESSARILY ANSWERING IT RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT.
SO THAT IS AVAILABLE IN, UH, IN THE LINK.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR OUR STAFF AT THIS TIME? YEAH, MADAM MAYOR, I JUST, I DO HAVE ONE MORE, ONE QUESTION.
UM, AND LAUREN, I KNOW THAT YOU HAD SHOWN THE, THE, THE, UH, UH, PROFFERS THERE FOR, FOR THE SCHOOLS, BUT, AND I KNOW THAT, UH, OF COURSE THEY WENT BACK AND REVISED, BUT IS IT, WAS THERE ANY FEEDBACK FROM THE COUNTY ON THE REVISED? I DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK FROM THE ONE COUNTY SCHOOLS.
AND THOSE REVISED PROPERTIES CAME OUT, I WANNA SAY LAST WEEK OR THE WEEK BEFORE.
I WAS, HOPEFULLY THEY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND.
IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS FOR STAFF, WE'RE GONNA ALLOW THE APPLICANT TO COME UP AND, UH, SHARE ANY INFORMATION THEY WOULD LIKE FOR COUNSEL TO HEAR AND THE PUBLIC.
I'M CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER FOR RAPPAHANNOCK DEVELOPMENT GROUP.
WE ARE THE PROPERTY OWNER AS WELL AS THE DEVELOPER FOR THE PROJECT.
UH, ALSO HAVE WITH US TY LAWSON, WHO'S OUR LAND USE ATTORNEY, ARIEL GOLDING, WHO DID OUR FISCAL IMPACT ANALYSIS.
WILL COLEMAN, WHO'S IN CHARGE OF OUR CONSTRUCTION FOR OUR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, KEVIN SITMAN, WHO IS WITH GROVE SLATE, OUR TRAFFIC ENGINEER.
UM, AND CHRIS MOON, WHO'S OUR CIVIL ENGINEER.
SO IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS I CAN'T ANSWER, THEY'RE ALL, ALL HERE.
IF, UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASK, ASK THOSE QUESTIONS.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, UH, THE REQUEST FOR INCREASED DENSITY ON THIS SITE WAS FOR SEVERAL REASONS.
ONE WAS CONSISTENCY WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
I'M NOT SURE THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THIS PLAN AND YOU LOOK AT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, YOU COULD BETTER MATCH UP A PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AND WHAT IS IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IN TERMS OF LAND USE, DENSITY, TRAFFIC, UM, UTILITIES, SCHOOLS, AMENITIES, RIGHT OF WAY, DEDICATION.
UM, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE WERE IN NOT ONLY COMPLIANCE WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, BUT TO WORK WITH STAFF TO MODIFY THE PLAN AND TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION CITIZENS' CONCERNS AS WE WENT FORWARD TO TRY TO MAKE IT THE BEST PROJECT WE COULD ON THE FISCAL IMPACT ANALYSIS.
UM, WE DO SHOW A NET ANNUAL SURPLUS FROM THIS PROJECT.
THAT IS BECAUSE THE TAXES COLLECTED FROM THIS PROJECT WILL EXCEED THEIR COST TO THE TOWN.
SO THE TOWN TAXES, YOU SPLIT SOME OF YOUR TAXES WITH THE COUNTY, BUT THE TAXES DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY FROM THE DEVELOPMENT AND FROM THE RESIDENTS LIVING IN THE DEVELOPMENT WILL EXCEED THE COST TO THE TOWN BY A COMPUTED $407,000 A YEAR.
UM, THAT'S MONEY THAT CAN GO BACK INTO THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
UM, PEOPLE SHOPPING AND EATING LOCALLY HERE.
UM, THAT WILL HELP THE COMMUNITY CONTINUE TO GROW IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION.
WE ALSO INCLUDED VOLUNTARY TRANSPORTATION PROFFERS.
NOW NORMALLY, OR, UM, PROFFERS IN GENERAL THAT CAN BE USED AT THE TOWN'S DISCRETION.
NORMALLY WHEN YOU DO PROFFERS, IT'S TIED TO A SPECIFIC CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT THAT IS PLANNED THAT THE PROJECT WILL IMPACT OR WILL BE NEEDED TO SERVE THE PROJECT.
IN THIS CASE, THERE WEREN'T ANY.
AND SO WHAT WE PROPOSED TO DO WAS TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL PROFFER THAT COULD BE USED AT THE TOWN'S DISCRETION, EITHER TO SUPPORT THE HAPPY CREEK ROAD WIDENING PROJECT OR OTHER PROJECTS THAT MAY EXIST, THAT WHERE THE FUNDING IS NEEDED, THAT THERE ISN'T A DEDICATED FUNDING SOURCE FOR.
UM, BOTH THOSE PROFFERS, THE SCHOOL PROFFERS
[00:40:01]
AND THE OTHER PROFFER WILL BE COLLECTED ON A PER UNIT BASIS.AS THOSE ARE DEVELOPED, WE HAVE ADDED THE TOP LOT PLAYGROUND.
UM, IT'S NOT EXP EXPLICITLY STATED IN HERE, BUT THE PLAYGROUND WILL NOT HAVE SIGNS UP SAYING ONLY FOR MARSHALLS GLEN.
SO, UM, RESIDENTS IN THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD, IF THEY WANT TO COME OVER AND USE THE, THE PLAYGROUND TOP LOT, THEY'RE WELCOME TO DO SO.
I DON'T BELIEVE THOSE, UM, PROJECTS HAVE, UM, PLAYGROUNDS IN THEM OR TOT LOTS IN THEM RIGHT NOW.
UM, IN ADDITION, THERE WAS SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT UTILITIES AND UTILITY IMPACT FEES.
UM, IN GENERAL, THIS PROJECT WITH, IF, IF IT'S AS IT'S DEVELOPED WITH 104 LOTS WOULD GENERATE ROUGHLY ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS IN UTILITY FEES THAT COULD GO TOWARDS SYSTEM UPGRADES AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SYSTEM BOTH IN WATER AND SEWER.
UM, DURING OUR MEETING AND WHAT WAS INCLUDED IN DURING THE PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING, WHAT WAS INCLUDED IN OUR RESPONSE LETTER WAS THE ISSUE DEALING WITH THE DRAINAGE ON THE ADJOINING SUBDIVISION.
UM, WE HAD OUR ENGINEERS TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
IT DOES APPEAR THAT A PORTION OF THAT DRAINAGE IS IMPACTED BY HOW THE SUBDIVISION WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED.
IT WAS DESIGNED TO HAVE A SWALE RUNNING ALONG THE BACK EDGE OF THE PROPERTY.
THE OTHER ISSUE IS THERE IS SOME DRAINAGE FROM OUR PROPERTY THAT IS, UM, GETTING OVER INTO THAT DRAINAGE SHED AS WELL.
WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO, WE HAVE TO GET OUR FINAL ENGINEERING, BUT AT A MINIMUM TO INTERCEPT OUR DRAINAGE AND TO BRING IT INTO OUR PORTION OF THE POND.
SO IT NO LONGER HAS ANY, ANY INFLUENCE ON THE ADJOINING PROPERTY THAT HAS, THAT'S GONNA REQUIRE ADDITIONAL SURVEY AND ENGINEERING DESIGN.
BUT THAT'S WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO DO.
AND, AND SEEING THAT IT IS POST DEVELOPMENT RUNOFF FROM OUR SITE, IT'S IN THE STORMWATER CODE THAT TO CAPTURE OUR RUNOFF AND REDIRECT IT INTO OUR TREATMENT FACILITIES, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO.
WILL THAT BE DONE BEFORE YOU START ANY CONSTRUCTION? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE WILLING TO DO, AND THIS WOULD HAVE, THIS WOULD BE THE VERY FIRST PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION.
SO OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE TO GET A PERMIT TO MOVE ANY DIRT OUT THERE.
BUT WE WOULD BE WILLING TO COMMIT THAT THE, THE VERY FIRST THING WE WOULD DO IN CONCERT WITH OUR EROSION CONTROL AND CLEARING, WHICH IS THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENED ON A JOB, IS THAT WE WOULD MAKE, MAKE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS AND, UM, OR WILLING TO COMMIT TO THAT, THAT THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST THING DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONSTRUCTION FLOWS OR, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT THAT COULD GET OVER THERE IN THE INTERIM.
UM, AS FAR AS THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS.
THE BLUE SHOWN THERE IS DEPICTION OF A POND.
THOSE ARE EXTENDED DETENTION PONDS.
THEY'RE NOT INTENDED TO BE BE WET PONDS.
THEY WILL OBVIOUSLY ACCUMULATE WATER WHEN IT'S RAINING.
UM, THE CURRENT POND THAT KIND OF STRADDLES THE PROPERTY, A PORTION OF THAT POND WAS ACTUALLY BUILT ON OUR PROPERTY UNDER EASEMENT.
SO THERE WILL BE SOME RECONFIGURATION NEEDED IN THAT AREA IN ORDER TO GET BOTH TREATMENT FOR BOTH PROJECTS TO WORK EFFICIENTLY.
ULTIMATELY, WE'RE PROPOSING THAT OUR HOA THAT WE WILL DO THE, THAT CONSTRUCTION, OUR OHOA WILL MAINTAIN THAT COMBINED FACILITY.
SO THAT WILL HOPEFULLY ALSO HELP THE ADJOINING, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL BY HAVING US TAKE OVER THAT RESPONSIBILITY.
UM, A COUPLE OTHER THINGS I JUST WANTED TO GO LOOK AT.
UM, THE VALUE OF THE PROFFERS WE DID NOT INCLUDE IN THE VALUE OF PROFFERS, THE ROAD RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, DIFFICULT TO VALUE BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON WHERE AND WHEN THAT RIGHT OF WAY ACQUISITION OCCURS.
IF THE PROJECT WERE DEVELOPED AND THERE WERE IMPROVEMENTS AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WERE DISRUPTED, IT COULD GET VERY EXPENSIVE.
IF, IF IT WERE TO BE ACQUIRED TODAY, IT WOULD BE LESS MONEY.
SO WE DIDN'T FEEL IT WAS RIGHT TO THROW OUT A NUMBER AND SAY, WE THINK IT'S WORTH A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.
'CAUSE AS OF TODAY, IT'S, IT'S NOT.
SO WE DID NOT INCLUDE THAT AS A PROFFER ADDITIONAL VALUE.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING WE HAD PLANNED ALL ALONG TO, TO DEDICATE.
IF I MAY ASK FOR CLARIFICATION, THE DONATION OF THAT LAND IS CONTINGENT UPON THE 104 HOUSES, IS THAT CORRECT? IT'S CURRENTLY IN OUR PROFFERS, THAT IS CORRECT.
SO IF IT, IF IT'S NOT ZONED, THEN ULTIMATELY IT MAY BE CONDEMNED OR IT MAY BE ACQUIRED AT A LATER DATE, SO YES, THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, CAN YOU ALL PUT YOUR, I, UH, MR. BI, YOU SAID YOU'RE GONNA PUT SIGNS UP FOR THE ENTRANCE? YES, SIR.
WILL THEY BE SET FAR ENOUGH BACK OFF THE ROAD IN CASE WE DO WIDEN HAPPY CREEK, THAT THEY WON'T HAVE TO BE TAKEN DOWN AND MOVED? UH, YEAH.
AB ABSOLUTELY, IT WILL HAVE TO BE SET BACK AND, AND WE HAD SAID WE'D DEDICATE THE RIGHT OF WAY NEEDED FOR THAT AT NO COST.
SO EVEN IN THE CASE THAT IT WAS INSTALLED, WE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR RELOCATING THE SIGN AS WELL.
SO IF IT, IF THAT WAS NEEDED, WE WOULD RELOCATE IT.
BUT I, WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT THOSE IMPROVEMENTS WOULD BE AND
[00:45:01]
HOW WE COULD STAY WHERE WE WOULD NEED TO BE TO STAY OUTSIDE OF THAT AREA.AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION ABOUT SETBACKS.
UM, THE ULTIMATE SETBACK, THE MINIMUM SETBACK FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE, I BELIEVE IS TWO 10 FOOT SIDE YARDS WILL BE 20 FEET.
BUT FOR ANY ONE HOUSE, IT HAS TO HAVE A TOTAL OF 25 FEET.
ON AVERAGE, WE THINK THESE HOUSES WILL BE PROBABLY ABOUT 30 FEET APART.
IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE STYLE OF THE HOUSE.
AND IF IT'S TWO, TWO CAR GARAGE OR A THREE CAR GARAGE, IN SOME CASES YOU MAY HAVE TWO HOUSES THAT ARE 10 FEET OFF OF THE COMMON PROPERTY LINE, BUT IN THE OTHER SIDE, THEY'RE 20 FEET OFF OF THE OTHER PROPERTY LINE.
SO IT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH HOUSE SITING AND GRADING AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S DONE.
BUT ON AVERAGE, PROBABLY A, A MINIMUM OF 30 FEET APART BETWEEN BETWEEN HOMES.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, THAT'S KIND OF A GENERAL SUMMARY.
I THOUGHT STAFF DID A GREAT JOB.
WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
IF ANYTHING POPS UP OR IF THERE'S ANYTHING FROM THE CITIZENS WE NEED TO ADDRESS, UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO RESPOND.
UH, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
THE FIRST THING IS I REMEMBER, UM, I THINK I REMEMBER, YOU CAN CLARIFY IF I'M WRONG, THAT YOU HAD, UH, WE WERE TOLD THAT IF, IF THE A HUNDRED AND, YOU KNOW, IF THE, THE APPLICATION WERE APPROVED, THAT THE MONEY THAT YOU WERE WILLING FOR THE, TO, TO GIVE TO THE TOWN THAT YOU WOULD BE UPFRONT WITH IT VERSUS WAITING TILL EACH ONE.
AM I MAKING THAT UP? DID I REMEMBER YOU ALL TALKING ABOUT THAT IN, IN AN EFFORT THAT IT MIGHT HELP US WITH OUR SMART SCALE APPLICATION? AM I WRONG? NO, YOU'RE OKAY.
AS I WAS SAYING, I WAS LIKE, I THINK I REMEMBERED, BUT OKAY.
IS THAT STILL ON THE TABLE? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO, SO I MAY NEED HELP FROM STAFF ON THIS.
WHAT WE ORIGINALLY PROPOSED IT WAS THAT IT WOULD BE ON A PER LOT BASIS AT BUILDING PERMIT.
AND THEN IN OUR WORK SESSION, WE SAID IF THE TOWN WANTED US TO, WE COULD PAY THAT LUMP SUM FEE 12 MONTHS AFTER, UM, REZONING, WHICH WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHENEVER THAT WOULD GO THROUGH A YEAR FROM THEN.
UM, FURTHER CONVERSATION WAS, WE WERE TOLD THAT STAFF LOOKED AT IT AND FELT THAT KEEPING IT ON A PERLO BASIS WOULD BE PREFERRED.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE, INSTEAD OF HAVING THAT DEBATE, AND BECAUSE WE WERE GETTING THAT FROM STAFF, WE JUST DECIDED, LET'S JUST GO BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS, IT'S STILL ON THE TABLE, BUT WE DIDN'T WANT TO TALK THOSE KINDS OF THINGS IN FRONT OF, YOU KNOW, IN FRONT OF ALL THIS.
WE, IT WAS AN OFFER AND WHEN WE, WE WERE TOLD BY THE STAFF OF WHAT THE PREFERENCE WAS, WE SAID, OKAY, WE'LL WE'LL CHANGE THAT BACK.
SO THAT'S THE WAY IT'S CURRENTLY SET UP AS EACH LOT IS DEVELOPED.
AND, AND I, I THINK WHAT I RECALL WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT IS, IS THAT, IS THAT THERE COULD BE SOME FAVOR, UH, IT COULD BE TO OUR FAVOR FOR THE SMART SCALE APPLICATION IF WE BASICALLY, I THINK PEOPLE CALL IT SKIN IN THE GAME, BUT HAVE SOME MONEY UP FRONT.
ANOTHER QUESTION IS, UM, AS FAR AS BUILDING DO, UH, DO YOU ALL HAVE YOUR OWN, UH, STAFF OR WILL YOU BE USING ANY OF OUR LOCAL TRADESMEN? UM, YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT WOULD BE SURE.
BENEFICIAL TO, TO OUR, OUR LOCAL, UM, UH, TRADESMEN AND, AND HOW THAT AFFECTS OUR ECONOMY.
SO WE DO NOT HAVE CONSTRUCTION STAFF.
WE HAVE MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT STAFF WITH OUR COMPANY.
WE OVERSEE THE ENTITLEMENT PROCESS AND THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS, GETTING THE FINANCING.
IT'S ALWAYS IN OUR BEST INTEREST TO USE LOCAL CONTRACTORS, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO SITE WORK BECAUSE IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO HAUL EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS.
AND WE'VE ALREADY REACHED OUT TO SEVERAL, I THINK TWO OF WHICH ARE LOCATED WITHIN THE TOWN LIMITS, OR AT LEAST IN WARREN COUNTY.
UM, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO USE LOCAL CONTRACTORS FOR THINGS LIKE THE SITE WORK, CONSTRUCTION, UTILITY CONSTRUCTION ROAD, UM, LANDSCAPING, LIGHTING, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
BUT LIKE SHEET ROCK, THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU HAVE OTHER PEOPLE FOR THAT? WE ARE NOT THE VERTICAL BUILDER.
OUR BUILDER IS RYAN HOLMES IN VR AND MANY OF THEIR, UM, THEY HAVE TRUST PACKAGES THAT ARE MANUFACTURED OFFSITE AND BROUGHT ON SITE.
THEY ALSO HIRE LOCAL CONTRACTORS WHEN THEY CAN, BUT OFTENTIMES IT HAS TO DO WITH CAPACITY, UM, IF THEY'RE PUTTING UP HOMES.
SO THEY CAN'T COMMIT TO USING LOCAL, BUT IT'S ALWAYS TYPICALLY BETTER FOR THEM TO USE LOCAL WHEN THEY HAVE SOMEONE WHO CAN MEET THE SCHEDULES AND CAN GET IT DONE.
SO ELECTRICIANS, UH, LIKE YOU'RE SAYING SHEET ROCK PAINTING, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, THE FRAMING IS TYPICALLY SOMETHING THAT IS CONTROLLED BY, UH, OR IS DONE BY ONE OF THEIR GROUPS AND ALSO ON THE FOUNDATION.
SO CONCRETE IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY LOCAL.
SO POURING FOUNDATIONS USING, UM,
[00:50:01]
YOU KNOW, LOCAL CONCRETE COMPANIES AND UM, AND WORKERS TO PUT THAT IN TO DO THAT.SO WHILE YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THAT, YOU SAY THAT TYPICALLY THAT IS HOW THAT WORKS? THAT, THAT LOCAL YES.
WHEN THE WORKFORCE, WHEN THEY HAVE FOLKS WHO CAN, CAN MEET SCHEDULES, YES.
I'M, I'M NOT GONNA TELL YOU, IT'S ALL LOCAL CONTRACTORS.
THAT WOULD BE NOT, THAT WOULD NOT BE TRUTHFUL, BUT RIGHT.
UM, THEY DO TRY TO USE LOCAL CONTRACTORS WHENEVER THEY CAN.
AND, UM, LAST QUESTION IN YOUR RESPONSE, UM, UH, YOU HAD, WELL ANYWAY, IT SAID MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS.
SO HOW DO YOU CALCULATE, I MEAN, WHAT, WHEN YOU SAY AFFORDABLE, DO YOU HAVE ANY ESTIMATES OF WHAT THESE HOMES, I MEAN, I KNOW YOU CAN'T REALLY, WHO KNOWS A YEAR FROM NOW OR TWO YEARS FROM NOW WHEN IT'S BUILT, WE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT KIND OF PRICE RANGE WE'RE LOOKING AT? I MEAN, I KNOW IT WAS BROUGHT UP AT THE WORK SESSION, BUT I DIDN'T, IT'S IT'S MARKET DRIVEN AND I CAN GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF IF YOU HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING WHAT THINGS ARE SELLING FOR IN THE TOWN LIMITS AND WHAT THE, HOW THOSE HAVE CHANGED OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS.
I THINK THERE ARE HOMES IN THE SUBDIVISION NEXT TO US THAT ORIGINALLY SOLD IN THE, THE UPPER TWOS THAT ARE NOW BEING RESOLD IN THE MID FOURS.
UM, ON AVERAGE WE EXPECT THESE HOMES, THEY'RE, THEY'RE BIGGER, THEY'RE 3000 SQUARE FEET ON AVERAGE, 2,500 TO 3,500 SQUARE FEET.
SO WE DO EXPECT THEM TO START HOPEFULLY WITH THE FIRST NUMBER AS A FOUR, BUT IT WOULD BE UPPER FOURS AND LIKELY GOING IN GOING INTO THE MID TO UPPER FIVES.
I SEEM TO RECALL IT WAS LIKE 600 THE, WHEN WE TALKED ORIGINALLY, UH, THE FISCAL ANALYSIS.
AND WE CAN ASK MM-HMM,
I'M TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE, STARTING, WHAT THE STARTING SALE PRICE IS FOR THAT.
I THINK WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT IS THE ULTIMATE ASSESSED VALUE AT BUILD OUT.
SO THAT MAY BE PART OF THE DIFFERENCE, BUT, UM, I WOULD HAVE TO ASK ARIEL TO, TO TELL YOU WHAT HE'S COME UP WITH ON HIS NUMBERS.
WHO DID YOU SAY? ARNOLD? ARIEL.
SO WE CAN ASK ARIEL ABOUT THAT.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, MY MY QUESTION PROBABLY IS SOMETHING THAT S PATS HAS TO ANSWER.
I, I WANTED A LITTLE EXPANSION ON, UH, I READ SOMEWHERE IN THE PACKAGE, UH, I THINK THIS IS, UH, UH, HAS TO DO WITH THE, UM, OFFSITE, UH, MAYBE THE ON ONSITE OFFSITE, UH, PACKAGE WHERE, UH, THERE WAS PROJECTIONS OF THE TOWN BUSINESS EXPENDITURES COULD BE IN THE AREA OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, ABOUT POINT 12.6 MILLION, AND THEN THERE WOULD BE ANOTHER 25.82 MILLION IN BUSINESS EXPENDITURES ACROSS THE LOCAL ECONOMY, MEANING NEW JOBS, UH, AS YOU ALLUDED TO, PEOPLE SPENDING MONEY, THESE FOLKS, IF YOU'RE GONNA BUILD A $500,000 HOME, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF EXPENDITURE MONEY TO, UH, TO SPEND IN YOUR ECONOMY.
UH, I WAS JUST WONDERING HOW, HOW THE, HOW WE CAME UP WITH THOSE KIND OF FIGURES.
SO I'M GONNA LET HIM SPEAK TO THAT.
I, I WILL SAY IT IS A LITTLE CONFUSING.
THE ONSITE OFFSITE AND THE BASICS IS TAXES THAT ARE GENERATED WITHIN THE PROPERTY, BOUNDARY TAXES THAT ARE GENERATED OUTSIDE THE PROPERTY BOUNDARY.
SO REAL ESTATE TAX, PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX, ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, UH, REFUSE, UM, WATER AND SEWER, UH, YOU KNOW, FEES, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS ARE ALL, UM, GENERATED ON SITE.
THE OFFSITE IS WHEN PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THE DEVELOPMENT, UM, GO OUTSIDE OF THE PROPERTY AND SPEND MONEY WITHIN THE JURISDICTION.
AND SO THERE ARE FORMULAS THAT ARE COMPUTED THAT ARE ALL BASED ON TOWN, UM, BUDGETS AS FAR AS WHAT IS YOUR PER CAPITA SPENDING AND YOUR TOWN REVENUES PER CAPITA.
SO IT'S LOOKING AT HOW MUCH DOES THE TYPICAL THE AVERAGE PERSON SPEND ANNUALLY, AND THEN HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THE TOWN AND THEN HOW MANY PEOPLE, HOW MANY NEW RESIDENTS ARE THERE.
SO IT'S, IT'S MATH AND IT'S RUN THROUGH THAT ANALYSIS.
ANY MORE SPECIFIC THAN THAT? UM, I'LL HAVE TO DEFER TO ARIEL, SO I KNOW ENOUGH TO EXPLAIN THAT PART.
BUT BEYOND THAT, IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC NUMBERS, UH, QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NUMBERS.
UH, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF YOUR, THE BUILD OUT THE TIME FRAME? UM, SO WHAT'S LEFT IF AFTER AND IF THIS PROJECT IS REZONED,
[00:55:01]
UM, WE PROBABLY HAVE NINE MONTHS TO, TO 10 MONTHS OF ADDITIONAL PERMITTING BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE HAPPENS.ONCE THAT'S DONE, THERE'S PROBABLY A MINIMUM OF 12 MONTHS OF CONSTRUCTION BEFORE THE FIRST HOUSE IS FINISHED.
AND FROM THERE IT'S PROBABLY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF ABOUT WITH A HUNDRED LOT, UM, THREE TO FOUR YEARS BEYOND THAT.
SO WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT, UH, START TO FINISH FIVE TO SIX AND A HALF YEARS BEFORE THE DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE FINISHED IF WE DON'T HAVE ANOTHER RECESSION.
SO IF IT, IF IT EXTENDS FIVE TO SIX YEARS, UH, CONSUMER PRICE INDEX COULD KICK IN.
WHICH WOULD ADJUSTMENTS INFLATE SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE UM, THE PROFIT REQUIREMENTS, RIGHT? YES SIR.
WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR CHRIS? RIGHT? IS THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE
I GUESS IF YOU DON'T MIND, THEY, SO THAT THEY CAN ASK YOU THESE COUPLE, ACTUALLY I THINK ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WAS TOGETHER, DID YOU WANNA ASK THAT, THE NUMBERS THAT HE SAID THAT WOULD BE AN AERIAL QUESTION? YEAH, I MEAN THE HOME PRICES ARE BASED ON THEIR INPUT, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO SEPARATE WHAT HOME-BASED SALES PRICES WOULD BE VERSUS WHAT THE ULTIMATE SALES PRICE WOULD BE ONCE THEY'RE SOLD AND THEN THE ASSESSED VALUE OF THAT.
SO IT WOULD COME HIGHER THAN WHAT A LISTED STARTING PRICE WOULD BE ON A NEW HOME.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE GONNA SEE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT DIFFERENCE.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS WHAT IT ACTUALLY THEY WOULD BUY IT FOR, RIGHT.
YOU COULD SAY HERE'S THEN THEY'RE ASSESSED.
WELL, THERE'S A BASE PRICE OF A HOME AND THEN THE SALES PRICE INCREASES ONCE PEOPLE CHOOSE DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
SO AND THEN THE ASSESSED CHERRY CABINETS.
YOU KNOW, HARVEY FLOORS, THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO IT, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFICULT.
SO YOUR BASE MODEL, LIKE A CAR, THE BASE MODEL WOULD BE IN THE UPPER FOURS, BUT YOU KNOW, IF GET IT LOADED IT COULD BE IN THE RIGHT.
SO IN REALITY, RIGHT, IF I TOOK THE BASE PRICE, IT'S REALLY GONNA UNDERESTIMATE WHAT YOUR TAX REVENUE WOULD BE.
DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? OKAY.
MR. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT, YOU, YOU HAD THE QUESTION THAT HE SAID HE ANSWER.
YEAH, SO I THINK THE KEY WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THESE NUMBERS IS TO SEPARATE THE ONSITE AND OFFSITE.
AND WHAT'S SOMEWHAT UNIQUE IN THIS SITUATION IS THAT THE ONSITE, SO THAT'S THE REAL ESTATE TAX REVENUE ESSENTIALLY IS VERY POSITIVE.
ADDED TO THAT ARE THOSE OFFSITE REVENUES.
AND THAT'S FROM PEOPLE GOING OUT SPENDING MONEY, GROCERY STORES, RETAIL IN GENERAL, RESTAURANTS, WHATEVER IT IS BECAUSE THE ONSITE ARE ALREADY POSITIVE, YOU CAN VIEW THOSE OFFSITE EXPENDITURES AS AS GRAVY.
MEANING EVEN IF PEOPLE DIDN'T SPEND MONEY LOCALLY, WHICH WON'T HAPPEN, THOSE ONSITE NUMBERS ARE STILL POSITIVE.
SO YOU'RE ALREADY IN POSITIVE TERRITORY REALLY NO MATTER WHAT PEOPLE ARE SPENDING, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO THAT, I MEAN THAT'S A LITTLE BIT UNIQUE.
YOU DON'T ALWAYS SEE THAT WITH RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS.
PART OF THAT IS 'CAUSE THE TOWN'S NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SCHOOLS.
SO THE COST FOR THE TOWN IS LOWER THAN WHAT YOU WOULD SEE MAYBE FOR THE COUNTY.
THE COUNTY WILL BE THE ONE THAT WILL BEAR THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SCHOOLS.
SO WHEN YOU DO THESE STUDIES IN A CITY THAT OPERATES AT SCHOOLS AND YOU HAVE A FULLY RESIDENTIAL PROJECT, YOU'LL LOOK AT ONSITE AND IF IT'S EVEN YOU'RE HAPPY IN THIS CASE IT'S VERY POSITIVE EVEN BEFORE PEOPLE STARTED SPENDING MONEY LOCALLY.
SO, AND THAT'S GOOD NEWS FOR YOU.
NOT GOOD NEWS FOR THE COUNTY, BUT GOOD NEWS FOR THE TOWN.
WE, THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME WE'VE HEARD THIS.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS WELL WE DIDN'T CALCULATE IT FOR THE COUNTY, SO I, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SPEAK TO IT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR, IS IT ARIEL? ARIEL? THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT.
SO, UM, WE NOW COME TO THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION OF THE AGENDA.
PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNCIL TO LEARN OF INFORMATION OF WHICH THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY AWARE.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE RECOGNIZED AND COME FORWARD TO THE MICROPHONE AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND INDICATE IF YOU'RE A RESIDENT OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL.
IF THE COMMENTS YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE, YOU MAY SIMPLY STATE THAT YOU AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER.
THERE IS A THREE MINUTE TIME LIMIT FOR SPEAKERS.
AFTER THREE MINUTES THE MICROPHONE WILL CUT OFF.
PLEASE REMEMBER, YOU ARE TO ADDRESS YOUR COMMENTS TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND TO REFRAIN FROM WORDS OR STATEMENTS WHICH ARE DEFAMATORY TO SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS OR DISPLAY OTHER DISRUPTIVE CONDUCT INCLUDING OBSCENITY AND VULGARITY.
AND SO AT THIS TIME I'M GONNA OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
MS. PRESLEY, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WE DO NOT HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP.
SO, UM, THEY DIDN'T, I SEE HANDS RAISED HAVE RAISED,
[01:00:01]
SO THAT'S OKAY.EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T SIGN UP, YOU STILL GET TO SPEAK.
SO REMEMBER, THIS IS ABOUT SPEAKING ABOUT THIS PUBLIC HEARING AND THIS REZONING APPLICATION.
SO WOULD YOU LIKE TO START? AND ONCE YOU SAY YOUR NAME AND ALL THAT STUFF, MS. PRESLEY WILL GET ALL THAT.
I CURRENTLY RESIDE AT 1212 ODIN STREET.
MY NAME IS CHRISTINE DAWSON AGAIN.
I'M A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF WARREN COUNTY AND A PROPERTY OWNER ON ODIN STREET.
ODIN STREET IS PROPOSED TO CHANGE TO ODIN DRIVE WITH THE ADDITIONAL DWELLINGS INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I KNOW I CAN'T CHANGE THE APPROVAL OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT AS A MOTHER, I COME HERE TODAY TO VOICE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE.
I HAVE LIVED ON ODIN STREET SINCE 2020 AND IN THIS SHORT TIME I OBSERVED A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE SPEED ON THE STREET.
THE SPEED LIMIT IS CURRENTLY 25 MILES PER HOUR, BUT THERE ARE MANY RESIDENTS THAT ARE ON THE STREET THAT ARE ACTUALLY NOT ABIDING BY THE SPEED LIMIT.
ALSO, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S NO OUTLET AS OF TODAY, WE HAVE BEEN GETTING AN INCREASED AMOUNT OF VEHICLES THAT SPEED DOWN THE STREET AND THEN CIRCLE BACK UP ONCE THEY'VE REALIZED THAT IT'S JUST A CUL-DE-SAC.
THIS COMES AT GREAT CONCERN BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY SMALL CHILDREN THAT ARE VERY YOUNG THAT LIVE ON OUR STREET.
THE BENEFIT TO LIVING ON A CUL-DE-SAC IS THAT THERE IS A REDUCED AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC ON THE STREET TO CONTEND WITH, AS WELL AS OTHER CHILDREN FOR OUR KIDS TO PLAY WITH, THIS WILL BE OF GREAT IMPACT WITH THIS INCREASED TRAFFIC.
MY ASK AND WHY I'VE COME HERE TONIGHT IS TO ASK THE COUNCIL TO MAKE TWO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S NOT JUST ON OUR STREET THAT I RESIDE ON, BUT AN ISSUE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING AS WELL.
THE FIRST ASK IS THAT THE SPEED LIMIT BE REDUCED TO 15 MILES PER HOUR.
UM, THE SECOND IS THAT SPEED HUMPS OR SPEED BUMPS BE ADDED TO THE DEVELOPMENT TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE ARE IN FACT SLOWING DOWN WHILE DRIVING THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
I DO BELIEVE THAT TAKING BOTH ACTIONS WOULD MAKE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD A SAFER PLACE FOR OUR CHILDREN BECAUSE THEY ARE THE FUTURE OF WARREN COUNTY, JUST LIKE I WAS WHEN I WAS A CHILD GROWING UP HERE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION OF MY REQUEST.
I WOULD ADD THAT I WAS ON YOUR STREET OVER THE WEEKEND AND I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT WERE NOT FOLLOWING THE SPEED LIMIT.
ALRIGHT, WHO ELSE? UH, WE HAD ANOTHER HAND BACK THERE.
ALRIGHT, I CAN I GO WITH HIM FIRST? JUST 'CAUSE HE ALRIGHT.
I LIVE AT 4 1 0 3 REMOUNT ROAD, UM, JUST OUTSIDE OF TOWN LIMITS, SW COUNTY.
UM, BUT THE, UH, THE WATER USAGE IN THE TOWN THIS PAST YEAR, UM, RIGHT PAST SUMMER SPECIFICALLY, UM, I'M ON A WELL, BUT I HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS I KNOW WHO WERE IN TOWN, INCLUDING MY MOTHER-IN-LAW.
AND THE MANDATORY, UH, WATER CONSERVATION USAGE WAS SOMETHING THAT I KNOW A LOT OF TOWNS FOLK HAVE AN ISSUE WITH.
UM, IT'S KIND OF IMPACTED THE TOWN EVERY YEAR THERE'S A DROUGHT AND A LARGER NUMBER OF HOMES IN THIS AREA WOULD ALSO IMPACT THAT.
UM, SO I KNOW MONEY IN THE HAND NOW SOUNDS REALLY GOOD, BUT WATER USAGE RIGHT NOW IS REALLY IMPACTING THE TOWN EVERY SUMMER.
UM, AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE TECH, THE, UH, TAXES WERE JUST RAISED THIS YEAR.
SO THERE IS KIND OF AN INCREASE LONG TERM, UM, INCOME TO THE TOWN AND 65 HOMES IN THE AREA, OR 82 HOMES IN THE AREA WOULD BE AN INCREASED REVENUE FOR THE TOWN.
BUT 104 HOMES IN THE AREA SOUNDS LIKE A, UM, BOTH AN INCREASE ON THE TOWN'S, UTILITIES, WATER SCHOOL FOR THE COUNTY.
UM, AND THEN A, UH, AN IMPACT ON, UH, KIND OF THE OVERALL INFRASTRUCTURE OF THAT AREA.
I WENT TO, UH, I WENT TO SCHOOL AT CHRIST ANDUM, DOWN DOWN HAPPY CREEK ROAD AND WHERE THE OUTLETS ARE PROPOSED ON HAPPY CREEK.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, THAT'S A PRETTY NARROW STRETCHER ROAD.
I KNOW THERE'S SOME CONVERSATION AROUND WIDENING IT, BUT AT LEAST IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE, THAT'S A REALLY DANGEROUS KIND OF CURVE ON THE ROAD.
UM, AND INCREASED TRAFFIC ON THAT ROAD, UH, I THINK WOULD BE AN IMPACT.
AND THE LAST THING I'D NOTE IS JUST, THESE ARE ALL SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN THIS, IN THIS COMMUNITY.
SINGLE FAMILY HOME CAN MEAN FIVE KIDS.
THIS IS A VERY YOUNG, VIBRANT COMMUNITY.
UM, SO WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 82 HOMES OR 104 HOMES OF TWO PEOPLE IN EACH HOME.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOMES THAT COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE SEVEN PEOPLE LIVING IN THEM.
SO I WOULD JUST ADD THAT TO CONSIDER, WHEN YOU THINK
[01:05:01]
ABOUT WATER USAGE, PARTICULARLY THE SCHOOLS, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A YOUNG COMMUNITY WITH THE KIDS, UM, PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE ALREADY OVERFLOWING.MOST PRIVATE SCHOOLS ARE AT MAX.
SO, UM, JUST KIND OF WANTED TO BRING THOSE THOUGHTS TO YOUR ATTENTION WHEN YOU CONSIDER THIS.
I PERSONALLY WOULD, WOULD DEFINITELY PREFER TO KEEP THIS COUNTY MORE RURAL.
A HALF ACRE LOT SOUNDS A LOT BETTER AS A HOMEOWNER, AS A FATHER, HAVING A FAMILY MUCH RATHER HAVE A HALF ACRE LOT THAN A QUARTER ACRE LOT IF I HAD THE CHOICE.
UM, SO LOOKING AT THIS PROPOSAL TO THE RESIDENTIAL CODE OF, HEY, NOW TECHNICALLY YOU COULD BUILD SIX LOT, SIX LOTS ON AN ACRE INSTEAD OF TWO.
UM, THIS SOUNDS LIKE A STEP IN KIND OF A BIT OF A BACKWARDS DIRECTION TO ME IF WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP THE COUNTY RURAL, KEEP THE COUNTY, UM, APPEALING TO, TO FAMILIES WITH MULTIPLE KIDS.
DID, UM, I I I WAS GOING SAY NO, I KNOW, BUT I, I THINK COUNCILMAN WOULD, DID YOU WANNA ADDRESS? I JUST WANNA ABOUT THE TAXES.
WE NORMALLY DON'T LIKE, UM, COMMENT ON UH, PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT, UH, BUT IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO CLARIFY.
TAXES WERE RAISED THIS YEAR, BUT NOT IN THE TOWN.
THE COUNTY RAISED TAXES, BUT THE TOWN DID NOT.
SO JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE AWARE THAT I, I MEAN, NOT THAT YOU WOULDN'T BE AWARE, BUT JUST TO CLARIFY IT SO WE HAVE ANOTHER SPEAKER.
MY NAME'S UH, WILLIAM BLACK AND I LIVE IN 1121 ASHBY STREET, WHICH IS RIGHT WHERE THAT CORNER IS ON.
SO MY BIGGEST QUESTION, WHAT YOU WAS TALKING ABOUT, MR. RAPPAPORT IS THE HILL.
IT'S ABOUT AT LEAST 10 FEET GOING UP AND I JUST CAN'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS IS EVEN GOING TO HAPPEN.
IF I'M GONNA HAVE A LARGE DEBRIS COME MY YARD, I WANNA KNOW WHERE THE FENCE IS GOING TO BE.
UH, IS IT A SETBACK AND HOW FAR IS IT GONNA BE? AND THEY'RE GONNA TAKE CARE OF THE TRIMMING ON MY SIDE.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS I HAVE AND I DON'T KNOW HOW I GET ANSWERS.
UH, WHERE THE, AND SURFACE WATER, I THINK LATER LAST WEEK, TALKED ABOUT THE SURFACE WATER.
UH, IT GOES INTO THAT DRAIN RIGHT NOW.
IT COMES DOWN MY BACKYARD AND WELL, IT'S ACTUALLY THEIR PROPERTY.
YOU KNOW, IT GOES THROUGH MY BACKYARD.
AND, UH, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THIS WATER.
'CAUSE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO PIPE IT SOMEHOW EVEN TO PUT A FENCE THERE.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE IT COMES RIGHT DOWN THROUGH THERE.
SO, ANOTHER ONE, MY QUESTION IS, HOW DO I GET ANY ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS?
UM, WE DON'T GENERALLY ANSWER THE QUESTIONS FROM HERE, BUT I WILL SAY THIS, THAT WE GIVE THE APPLICANTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO SPEAK AGAIN.
AND SO MAYBE THEY'RE HEARING SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS AND THEY'LL BE ABLE TO ANSWER THOSE.
THAT'S, UH, IS THIS FENCE GONNA LOOK NICE ON MY SIDE? YOU KNOW, THEY TELL YOU FENCE SIX FOOT HIGH.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA UGLY FENCE 'CAUSE I LOVE MY BACKYARD.
I'M GONNA MISS IT 'CAUSE THE DEER AND THE BEAR COME AND I'M, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN FACING THESE WOODS.
I'VE BEEN THERE 11 YEARS AND I LOVE IT.
AND I'M CONCERNED, LIKE I SAID ABOUT THE DEBRIS, WHEN THEY START CUTTING TREES AND MOVING DIRT, IT'S DOWNHILL TO MY HOUSE.
SO I NEED TO KNOW IF THEY'RE GONNA CONTROL THAT AND NOT LET IT COME IN MY YARD.
AND, UH, AND THE NUMBER OF HOUSES LAST TIME I WAS HERE WAS 80.
NO ANSWER TO THAT EITHER, HUH.
AND ANYWAY, I GUESS THAT'S MAINLY WHAT I WANNA TALK ABOUT.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS PUBLIC HEARING? I'VE STILL GOT MORE HANDS.
I, I KEEP A SMILE ON MY FACE FULL TOP SO I CAN, UH, MY NAME IS GLENN HUNT.
AND, UM, I HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS OF CLARIFICATION.
UM, IN READING THE ORIGINAL, UH, DOCUMENT THAT WAS SENT AROUND, IT WAS VAGUE TO ME AS TO JUST WHEN THE HAPPY CREEK ROAD ENTRANCE WOULD EVEN BE CONSIDERED.
SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN TO HAPPY CREEK ROAD BEFORE YOU CAN BUILD AN ENTRANCE THERE.
AND IT'S PRETTY SHARP CURVES THROUGH THERE.
SO, UM, IF THAT'S THE CASE THAT THAT HAPPY CREEK ENTRANCE WON'T BE DONE, THAT MEANS ALL HUNDRED PLUS HOMES WILL EXIT THROUGH ASHBY STREET OUT ACROSS THE EWELL TO THE PARKWAY.
AND I KNOW YOU DID A, A TRAFFIC STUDY BACK IN MARCH
[01:10:01]
SINCE MARCH.HAPPY RIDGE ROAD EXTENSION HAS GONE THROUGH AND THERE'S PROBABLY 35 MORE HOMES DUMPING INTO THAT INTERSECTION.
SO MY CONCERN IS, YOU KNOW, AT SCHOOL TIME, JUST DURING THE DAY, YOU NOW HAVE A HUNDRED HOMES GOING THROUGH THAT INTERSECTION OUT ONTO THE PARKWAY.
YOU HAVE ANOTHER 35 OR 40 HOMES COMING ACROSS HAPPY RIDGE DRIVE ONTO EWELL.
SO MY QUESTION IS, UM, SINCE THAT STUDY WAS DONE IN MARCH, IS THERE A WAY THAT THAT COULD BE UPDATED BASED ON THE NEW STATISTICS AND THEN CLARIFY WHEN THE ENTRANCE, THE SECONDARY ENTRANCE IS GONNA BE MADE.
'CAUSE ONE ENTRANCE FOR 104 HOMES OR WHATEVER THAT IS SEEMS LIKE A LITTLE, LITTLE STRANGE TO ME THAT WHY WE WOULD APPROVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND I GUESS THE OTHER COMMENT I HEARD IN THE PRESENTATION WAS THAT THE HAPPY CREEK ROAD ENTRANCE DOESN'T MEET VDOT STANDARDS.
SO IT SORT OF IMPLIES THAT YOU HAVE TO IMPROVE HAPPY CREEK ROAD BEFORE YOU CAN PUT THAT ENTRANCE IN THERE.
UH, STEVEN PELON, I LIVE AT 1138 HAPPY RIDGE DRIVE.
UM, I MEAN, BEYOND THE FACT THAT I WISH I HAD BOUGHT THAT LAND 16 YEARS AGO WHEN I MOVED IN THERE.
UM,
BUT IS IT GONNA BE A, A CLEAR CUT CLEAR OR ARE THEY GONNA TRY TO SAVE SOME OF THE NICER TREES THAT ARE IN THERE? UM, BECAUSE THAT, THAT TO ME MEANS A LOT.
HAVING SOME NICE OLD GROWTH TREES IN THERE, IF THEY CAN SAVE THEM.
I KNOW IN A PROJECT LIKE THIS, IT'S PROBABLY NOT GONNA HAPPEN, BUT MAYBE ON THE EDGES IF THEY COULD DO IT.
UM, AND THEN THIS FENCE, UH, FOR THE PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO ALREADY HAVE A FENCE ALONG THERE, ARE THEY PROPOSING TO, TO WANT TO DO ALL THE FENCE SO IT'S ALL MATCHING ALONG THEIR SIDE? OR ARE THEY GONNA LEAVE SOME OF OURS ALONE? OR JUST, UH, JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT SINCE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD AFFECT ME.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PUBLIC HEARING? OKAY, SO COUNSEL, UM, NO ONE ELSE HAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
UM, IT IS NOW IN COUNSEL'S HANDS WHETHER OR NOT, UH, YOU IF, UM, I'M JUST WAITING TO SEE.
SHOULDN'T WE BRING THE APPLICANT? OH, I'M S BACK UP.
WELL, I ANSWER THE QUESTION YES, BUT WE, SO HERE'S THE THING.
IF WE ARE CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING, THEN THE APPLICANT COMES BACK UP.
IF WE ARE LEAVING THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN, THEN THE A WELL, THAT'S WHAT I'M WAITING TO HEAR THERE.
THERE'S THE, SO I MOVE, WE CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? UM, YEAH, THAT'S FINE.
I JUST, THERE WAS A, THERE WAS THAT, THAT PARTICULAR MOTION'S NOT NECESSARY.
YEAH, NO, I KNOW THAT WHAT MOTION WASN'T NECESSARY.
I, SOME PEOPLE HAD DISCUSSED LEAVING THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN, SO I DIDN'T KNOW TO GET SOME OF THESE ANSWERS.
BUT IF NOT, THEN IF THERE'S NO INTENTION, THEN I'LL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IS THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING? OKAY.
AND NOW I'LL OPEN IT UP TO COUNSEL.
THAT WE WERE, UH, THERE WAS, WE WERE WAITING TO SEE WHAT WAS PEOPLE, SOME OTHER THINGS.
SO, UH, SOME, SOME GOOD COMMENTS.
UH, WE HAVE INSTALLED TRAFFIC CALMING IN SOME OF OUR DEVELOPMENTS WITH SUCCESS.
UM, WHAT DID YOU CALL THEM? THEM TRAFFIC CALMING.
SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WAS, HOW DO YOU SLOW PEOPLE DOWN? UM, DIFFERENT VDOT IS RATHER PARTICULAR AS ARE EMS SERVICES ABOUT SPEED BUMPS IN CERTAIN AREAS.
I WOULD SAY ON ODIN STREET, WHICH IS IN INCREDIBLY WIDE FOR A SUBDIVISION ROAD.
UM, SOMETHING LIKE PERIODIC, YOU KNOW, BUMP OUTS IN THE ROAD, HELP SLOW PEOPLE DOWN WHEN YOU CONSTRAIN LANES.
UH, WE ARE WILLING TO LOOK AT THAT WITH STAFF AND VDOT TO SEE IF THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO THROUGH OUR DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL DISCOURAGE CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC, UM, FROM RUNNING THROUGH THERE TO MAKE IT LESS DESIRABLE.
HAVE YOU EVER PUT THE SPEED TABLES IN? WE HAVE DONE SPEED TABLES BEFORE.
UM, PART OF THE, USUALLY A SPEED TABLE IS DONE
[01:15:01]
WHEN YOU HAVE A CROSSWALK TO SLOW PEOPLE DOWN.AND YOU HAVE SOME CONFLICTS NOWADAYS, VDOT AND CERTAIN STREETS DOESN'T LIKE CROSSWALKS UNLESS IT'S AT A SIGNALIZE INTERSECTION AS WELL.
SO I I I'M NOT TRYING TO BE EVASIVE, BUT THE RULES CHANGE EVERY SIX MONTHS.
AND SO WHAT I CAN COMMIT TO IS WORKING WITH STAFF AND VDOT TO LOOK AT TRAFFIC CALMING WITHIN OUR DEVELOPMENT TO SEE IF THERE'S SOME THINGS WE COULD DO THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO VDOT INTO THE TOWN EMS SERVICES AND OTHERS THAT WOULD DISCOURAGE SPEEDING THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT.
SO, UM, WE'RE WILLING TO DO THAT.
UM, I WOULD JUST, UH, COUNTER THAT.
UM, IN PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, UH, SPEED TABLES ARE BASICALLY, IN CERTAIN DEVELOPMENTS ARE, UH, THERE, UH, THEY, THEY ARE USUALLY YOU HAVE TO HAVE A SIGN THAT WARNS THE, THE, UH, DRIVER DRIVER THAT THERE'S AN UPCOMING SPEED TABLE.
UH, IT'S GOTTA BE X NUMBER OF FEET, BUT BEFORE YOU GET TO THE SPEED TABLE, AND IT USUALLY HAS TO BE ON A STRAIGHT SHOT.
UH, EXAMPLE IN FRONT ROW, WE HAVE SPEED TABLES, UM, ON, UH, I THINK IT'S CURVE FOOT, BUT MY RECOLLECTION IS THERE'S NO SIGNS THAT TELLS YOU THERE'S A SPEED TABLE, BUT, UH, PROBABLY SHOULD BE AND MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK AT.
UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT POINT THAT I'VE SEEN SPEED TABLES.
I'VE SEEN THEM IN F FRED FREDERICKSBURG, UH, OFF, UH, NEAR LANSDOWN.
I'VE SEEN 'EM, UH, IN HAYMARKET.
I'VE SEEN THEM IN, UH, PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY.
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT OUTTA THE QUESTION THAT WE, WE COULDN'T GO THERE.
CONDITIONS AND WE HAVE NO PROBLEM.
WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I DON'T STAND HERE AND SAY, WE'LL PUT SPEED TABLES IN AND, AND THEN FIND OUT I'VE GOTTA COME BACK BECAUSE A JURY, BECAUSE SOMEONE IN WHO HAS TO APPROVE THAT SAYS, NO, WE DON'T WANT THOSE THERE.
UM, WE'LL COMMIT TO, TO WORKING WITH STAFF TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO SLOW THAT DOWN.
I ALSO WANTED TO RESPOND TO THE COMMENT ABOUT THE CONNECTION TO, UM, OUT TO HAPPY CREEK ROAD.
UH, WE DO PLAN TO MAKE THAT CONNECTION EARLY IN THE PROCESS.
I BELIEVE IT'LL PROBABLY BE SOMEWHERE AROUND BEFORE MAYBE 25 TO 30% OF THE HOMES ARE BUILT.
IT IS A RIGHT IN RIGHT OUT ENTRANCE.
SO THAT LIMITS THE ISSUES WITH VEHICLES COMING OUT AND MAKING LEFT TURNS OR TRYING TO MAKE LEFT TURNS IN.
BUT IT DOES NOT ELIMINATE SOME OF THE, THE NEED TO DESIGN IT TO MAKE SURE IT WORKS WITH SITE DISTANCE.
SO THAT ROAD, CURRENTLY, IF WE WERE TO PUNCH OUR DRIVEWAY IN THE SITE DISTANCE, WHICH IS WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING OVER, YOU CAN'T SEE THE CARS COMING OR THE, BECAUSE OF THE TREES AND BLIND SPOTS, WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MET SITE DISTANCE.
AND WE BELIEVE THAT A PORTION OF THE, THE HILL ON OUR PROPERTY THAT RUNS ALONG HAPPY CREEK ROAD WILL HAVE TO BE TAKEN DOWN.
IT'S GOT QUITE A BIT OF ROCK IN IT IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT WORK.
SO THAT CONNECTION IS NOT BEING DONE, WILL NOT BE DONE SORT OF HAPHAZARDLY.
IT'LL HAVE TO BE DONE TO MAKE SURE IT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS FOR SITE DISTANCE.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S RIGHT IN RIGHT OUT.
AND WE EXPECT IT TO BE IN BEFORE WE'RE 25% BUILT OUT WITH THE PROJECT.
WE'D LIKE TO DO IT SOONER, BUT JUST AS THE PROJECT PHASES, IT COULD GO IN SOONER.
UM, I THINK 20 TO FIVE TO 35% IS WHAT WE COULD COMMIT TO.
UM, IN REGARDS TO THE FENCES, I BELIEVE THE, THE LAW IS WHEN YOU BUILD A FENCE, JUST TO PUT THE NICE LOOKING SIDE ON THE OUTSIDE FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS, THESE WILL BE BOARD ONBOARDED FENCES, WHICH LOOK ABOUT THE SAME ON EITHER SIDE.
UM, THE GOAL WOULD BE IT, THEY WOULD ALL BE WITHIN OUR PROPERTY.
WE'RE SHOWING IT ALONG THE BOUNDARY, BUT IT'LL HAVE TO BE INSIDE OF THE BOUNDARY SO THAT IT WILL NOT BE RIGHT UP ON THE PROPERTY LINE.
SO IF SOMEONE ALREADY HAS A FENCE ON THEIR PROPERTY LINE OR JUST INSIDE THEIRS, THIS ONE WILL BE SET BACK.
BUT WE DO WANT IT TO BE CONSISTENT AND THE SAME FENCE THROUGHOUT.
SO IN SOME CASES THERE'LL BE, THERE'LL BE DOUBLE FENCES.
BUT, UM, IF YOU DO THE SETBACK FOR THE FENCES, LIKE THE GENTLEMAN ASKED, WHO'S GONNA TAKE CARE OF THE GRASS DURING HIS FENCE AND YOUR FENCE, UM, I DON'T KNOW.
WE CAN HAVE THE, WE CAN HAVE THE HOA MOW THAT MOW THAT STRIP.
I MEAN, IN SOME CASES GRADES WILL DICTATE AS WELL.
THE SLOPES WILL, WILL DICTATE THAT.
SO, UM, THE FENCE ITSELF IS BEING MAINTAINED BY THE HOA, I DON'T, I DON'T SEE WHY SOMEONE COULDN'T COME AND, AND MOW THAT SIDE AS WELL.
UM, I I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU THAT REALLY IS NOT EVEN A QUESTION FOR YOU.
IT'S A QUESTION FOR THE WORLD.
'CAUSE I'VE NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN AN HOA
BUT, UM, MY QUESTION IS, WHO ENFORCES? LIKE WHEN YOU WERE TALKING BEFORE ABOUT LIKE THE PLAYGROUND AND
[01:20:01]
THAT OTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, OTHER CHILDREN IN NEARBY ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOODS COULD USE IT.UM, I MEAN, MY EXPERIENCE, I'M ADJACENT TO A AN HOA AND THEY HAVE A POND AND THEIR KIDS CAN FISH AT IT, BUT NOBODY ELSE'S COULD.
SO I, I WAS JUST CURIOUS, LIKE, WHO MAKES SURE THAT THINGS ARE DONE BY THE, I KNOW THERE'S A BOARD I KNOW, BUT I I I TOTALLY GET ALL OF THAT.
I JUST, UM, I, I KNOW THERE'S A BOARD IN THERE, BUT IF THEY'RE NOT DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, THERE'S REALLY NO AUTHORITY FROM THE TOWN TO GO IN AND SAY YOU'RE NOT FOLLOWING THE RULES, RIGHT? SURE.
SO WE WILL FORM THE HOA MM-HMM,
CAN'T PAR PARK A BOAT IN THE STREET.
YOU CAN'T HAVE AN RV, YOU CAN'T PAINT YOUR HOUSE, YOU KNOW, BLAZE, ORANGE, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE.
ALL THOSE THINGS, INCLUDING IN THAT WILL BE THE RULES AND REGULATIONS, WHICH WE, AS THE AUTHORS OF THAT DOCUMENT CAN PUT INTO THAT, THAT THE, THE PLAYGROUND SHALL BE OPEN AND AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS WE, AS THE DEVELOPER MANAGE AND OVERSEE THE HOA, INCLUDING ALL THE COVENANT CONVI COMMITTEES, UNTIL THE PROJECT IS A HUNDRED PERCENT BUILT OUT FROM THAT POINT, THEN THE CITIZENS THEMSELVES ELECT THEIR OWN BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND THEY'RE THEN IN CHARGE OF THEIR OWN COMMUNITY, UH, AT THAT POINT.
SO WE CAN DICTATE ALL THOSE TERMS. AND IN THAT INITIAL DOCUMENT, AND NORMALLY THAT'S REVIEWED BY THE JURISDICTION TO CONFIRM CONFORMANCE.
WHEN WE GO THROUGH OUR SUBDIVISION PROCESS, WHEN WE GO THROUGH OUR SUBDIVISION PLAT PROCESS AND WE DO DEEDS, TYPICALLY A JURISDICTION WANTS TO SEE OUR HOA DOCUMENTS TO MAKE SURE ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE MAINTAINED AND THAT THE MONIES NEEDED TO MAINTAIN 'EM PROPERLY ARE RESERVED EVERY YEAR TO REPLACE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS LIKE THE PLAYGROUND, LIKE THE SIGNED, WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THEY'RE NEEDED.
SO THAT ALL OF THAT, IT WILL BE IN THAT DOCUMENT AND IT WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE TOWN AS PART OF THE SUBDIVISION PLAT PROCESS TO REVIEW.
AND, AND AT THE POINT OF TIME WHEN, WHEN IT'S HANDED OVER TO THE HOA, UH, THEY, THEY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE STORM WATER MANAGEMENT.
AND I, AND I JUST WANNA SAY ONE, ONE MORE THING, IF YOU DON'T MIND, UM, NEIGHBORS LOOKING FOR ANSWERS.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO CALL, EMAIL ME ANYTIME.
I'M HAPPY TO WALK THIS PROPERTY WITH YOU.
I'M, I'M HAPPY TO MEET YOU BEFORE CONSTRUCTION STARTS, WHETHER IT'S ZONE BY RIGHT OR IT'S OR NOT.
UM, WE DON'T, WE'RE NOT PROPOSING TO NOT INCLUDE FOLKS IN THAT DISCUSSION.
SO I'LL, I'LL LEAVE THESE UP HERE AND IF ANYBODY WANTS TO, TO MEET WITH US OR GO OVER WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING BEFORE WE DO IT, WE'RE, WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
UM, SO WE'VE HEARD FROM EVERYBODY.
I'M GONNA NOW COUNSEL, OPEN UP FOR IT'S COUNCIL'S PLEASURE, MOTION MOTION, UH, MADAM MAYOR AND FURTHER, AND SO THE PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES CONTAINED IN TOWN CODE 1 75 DASH ONE, BE I MOVE THAT COUNSEL APPROVE CONDITIONAL REZONING APPLICATION FOR HANOCK, HC LLC TO RECLASSIFY 1321 HE CREEK ROAD TAX MAP NUMBER TWO ZERO A 21 DASH TWO DASH FOUR FROM RS SUBURBAN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT TO R ONE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT FOR THE PROJECT KNOWN AS MARSHALLS GLEN, SUBJECT TO THE PROFFERED CONDITIONS.
THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR AND A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ANYONE? YES, MA MADAM MAYOR.
UM, I JUST WANT TO, I'VE HEARD EVERYONE'S CONCERNS.
UM, I'VE ACTUALLY TALKED TO SOME OF THE, UM, RESIDENTS THAT WERE OUT THERE, UM, UH, WITH THEIR CONCERNS.
UH, IN FACT, I MET WITH A LADY YESTERDAY AND, UH, UH, I, I UNDERSTAND THEIR CONCERNS, BUT I, I, I REALLY BELIEVE THAT, THAT, UM, THIS PARTICULAR GROUP, UH, HAS THE BEST INTEREST FOR THEIR INTEREST AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY'S INTERESTS, UH, IN MINE.
UH, I, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, MR. HORNING, UH, MADE IT CLEAR
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THAT, UH, THEIR INTENT IS TO MAKE, UH, SURE THAT THE, THE STORM WATER MANAGEMENT IS FLOWING, UH, AND TO THEIR STORM PONDS, UH, AND NOT AGGRESSING TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY OVER INTO THE EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD.UH, AND, UH, WITH THAT SAID, I WANT TO, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE THEM ON A INCREDIBLE PACKAGE THAT YOU HAVE PLACED BEFORE US COUNSEL.
UH, A LOT OF WORK PUT INTO A, A LOT OF THOUGHT PROCESS.
UM, WHEN YOU TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION OF THE, OF THE, UH, THE, THE PROFFERS AND THE, THE OFFSITE, UH, THE OFFSITE IMPACTS, I MEAN, YOU'RE LOOKING AT OVER A MILLION DOLLARS IN, UH, IN POTENTIAL REVENUE FOR THE, UH, COMMUNITY.
AND I'M ONE THAT I LOOK, UH, I LOOK AT THE WHOLE, UH, NOT JUST A PORTION OF IT.
AND I, I BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO BE A GOOD THING FOR THE COMMUNITY.
I DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARILY A, A BAD THING TO HAVE.
UM, FRANKLY, WE HAVEN'T HAD A, UH, A NEW DEVELOPMENT IN THIS, UH, COMMUNITY.
UH, I CAN'T, UH, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN, WHEN WE LAST HAD ONE.
AND I THINK THAT, UH, THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, UH, FOR FRONT ROYAL.
WITH THAT SAID, I'LL HAND IT OVER TO ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO, UH, COMMENT ON COUNCIL.
ANY, ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WISH TO SPEAK OR SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS? DISCUSS, UH, YEAH, MADAM MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO, UM, FIRST OFF, YOU KNOW, I, I DO, UM, I DO, UH, AGREE WITH, WITH COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT'S ASSESSMENT OF THE, OF THE, UH, APPLICATION.
I MEAN, THIS IS A LOT OF INFORMATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING WAS PRESENTED, UH, THINKING AND CLEAR AND, UH, VERY CONCISE MANNER.
I MEAN, IT, IT ANSWERED A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT I HAD, UH, INITIALLY.
UM, BUT MY, MY CONCERN FOR THIS IS, IS, IS NOT TO SENSE, YOU KNOW, THE SO MUCH APPLICATION ITSELF IS JUST THAT, UM, INCREASING DENSITY IN THIS PARTICULAR PART OF OUR TOWN.
UH, SHOULD WE ALLOW FOR IT ONCE? THE QUESTION IS, IS HOW MUCH MORE WE'RE GONNA ALLOW AND FOR FUTURE APPLICATIONS.
UM, THAT'S THE OVERWHELMING THOUGHT THAT I HAVE IN MY HEAD.
AND I'VE, I'VE GONE THROUGH THIS, UM, UH, SEVERAL TIMES.
UH, YOU KNOW, READING THROUGH ALL THE INFORMATION, AGAIN, ALL THE, ALL THE, ALL THE INFORMATION IS HERE.
UH, I THINK THE APPLICANT HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OF ANSWERING QUESTIONS.
UH, BUT I JUST, I JUST HAVE THE OVERWHELMING THOUGHT IN MY HEAD ABOUT WHAT THIS IS GOING TO, WHAT THIS DECISION COULD MAKE FOR NOT JUST THIS, NOT, NOT, NOT JUST THIS, UM, APPLICATION, BUT FOR FUTURE APPLICATIONS FOR INCREASED DENSITY, AND PARTICULARLY IN THIS PART OF, OF OUR TOWN, WHICH IS THIS AREA IS REALLY THE ONLY REMAINING PART THAT WE HAVE, UH, OF ANY OF ANY EXTENT, UH, TO BE BUILT AS, AS, AS MOST OF US KNOW.
SO FOR, FOR THAT REASON, LEMME SAY I'M, I'M, I'M HAVING MY RESERVATIONS ABOUT APPROVING THIS.
UH, HOWEVER, IF THE REST, IF THE COUNCIL DOES APPROVE THIS, I WISH THIS ALL THE BEST.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DO WISH IT FOR TO BE A WIN-WIN FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR BOTH THE TOWN AND DEVELOPER.
UM, BUT AT THIS TIME, I'M, I'M JUST, I HAVE MY RESERVATIONS ABOUT, UH, INCREASING DENSITY, UH, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, UH, FOR JUST FUTURE, FOR THIS FUTURE REFERENCE.
MA'AM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WISH TO, UH, YES.
OFFER DISCUSSION? I NEED TO ASK PLANNING ONE QUESTION ON THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
DOESN'T IT SAY WE HAVE 1300 BUILDING LOTS IN TOWN, AM I CORRECT WITH THAT? YOU MEAN VACANT LOTS? YES.
WE HAVE OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN STATES THAT WE NEED, UH, APPROX OR THAT THAT AREA OF TOWN HAS, THERE'S 1300, UM, POTENTIAL BY RIGHT UNITS OKAY.
I WAS GONNA SAY AGAIN, I, I THINK THIS THING WAS VERY WELL PUT TOGETHER.
[01:30:01]
CONCERNS OF THE PEOPLE ON ODIN AND IN BODEN DRIVES.UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY'VE ANSWERED JUST ABOUT EVERY QUESTION THAT WE'VE ASKED THEM SO FAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU DID IN, IN YOUR PRESENTATIONS TONIGHT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THEY'VE ANSWERED A LOT OF OUR QUESTIONS, SO LET'S TAKE IT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS? UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ECHO SOME OF THE COMMENTS MADE IN TERMS OF, I, I THINK THAT YOU ALL PRESENTED VERY WELL.
I THINK THAT YOU, UH, HAD ONE OF THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE APPLICATIONS I HAVE SEEN.
UM, AND YOU WERE VERY RESPONSIVE TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, SIMILAR TO JOSH, I HAVE A FEW, UH, COUNCILMAN ROOM, UM,
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME ACROSS MY MIND AS I WAS GOING THROUGH ALL THAT OPEN SPACE WAS WHY ARE WE TRYING TO CRAM AS MANY HOUSES AS WE CAN INTO 10 AND A HALF SQUARE MILES IN VIRGINIA? UM, WHAT BENEFIT DOES THAT HAVE FOR US LONG TERM? ARE WE DOING THIS PROJECT FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR COMMUNITY, OR ARE WE DOING IT BECAUSE ANOTHER COMMUNITY HAS AN OVERFLOW ISSUE WITH THE PRICES OF THE HOUSES? I HAVE TO QUESTION, UM, THAT THEY SEEM TOO HIGH.
I KNOW, I'VE, I'VE, I I PROMISE YOU I'M GETTING THERE IN TERMS OF, UM, RELINQUISHING TO THE REALITY THAT THE HOME PRICES OF TWO AND 300,000 ARE ALMOST GONE.
UM, BUT I REALLY FEEL LIKE WITH, UH, OUR CONTINUED INCOME THAT WE HAVE FOR THE PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY, THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FOUR OR FIVE, $600,000 HOMES, IF YOU'RE NOT ALREADY IN ONE, UM, YOU'RE GONNA BE COMING FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE WITH YOUR INCOME TO DO THAT, TO, TO PURCHASE THAT.
AND IT'S NOT THAT I HAVE ANYTHING.
I, YOU KNOW, GOT PEOPLE ALL OVER THE PLACE, RELATIVES AND FRIENDS WHO LIVE IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA OR WHATEVER.
BUT I, I JUST, I THINK IN TERMS OF THE IMPACT TO THE COMMUNITY IS MORE THAN HOW MUCH IT'S GONNA COST OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR EMS. IT'S ALSO GONNA BE WHAT IS, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO OUR COMMUNITY? ARE WE MAKING IT URBAN? IS THAT WHAT PEOPLE MOVE HERE FOR? DO THEY MOVE HERE TO, TO HAVE URBAN? I DON'T THINK SO.
I THINK THEY MOVE HERE BECAUSE ORIGINALLY THEY SEE, YOU KNOW, OPEN SPACE, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF RURAL, UH, CHARACTER.
UM, SO IT, AGAIN, I, YOU KNOW, I WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE HOMES.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, AFFORDABILITY, UH, I JUST DON'T THINK THIS MEETS IT.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IT'S NO REFLECTION ON, I REALLY DO FEEL LIKE YOU ALL HAVE PRESENTED VERY PROFESSIONALLY AND, AND YOU'RE GONNA BUILD BUY, RIGHT? ANYWAY.
UM, SO I'D JUST RATHER KEEP IT AT THE BUY RIGHT AMOUNT OF 82 RATHER THAN SHOVE 20 MORE THOUSAND, I MEAN 20 MORE THOUSAND, 20, 22 MORE HOMES AND REDUCE THE LOT SIZE BY HALF.
COUNCILMAN WOOD, BY SHO OF ANNS, HOW MANY OF YOU, UH, WERE BORN AND RAISED HERE? LOOK AROUND ROOM PEOPLE.
WHAT I'M HEARING IS WE DON'T WANT THEM PEOPLE HERE.
AND I WELCOME EVERYBODY BECAUSE I THINK THAT THE MORE PEOPLE THAT COME IN, THE BROADER, WE EXPAND OUR BASE.
WE HAVE PEOPLE TO VOLUNTEER, WE HAVE PEOPLE TO HELP OUT WITH THE, UH, THE, UM, DINNER TOGETHER, EXCUSE ME, AT A SENIOR MOMENT.
AND I DON'T THINK IT'S ABOUT THAT.
HOW MANY PEOPLE IN FRONT ROW CAN'T AFFORD OR WILL AFFORD A 500, $600,000 HOUSE? I KNOW I WON'T, BUT THEN I'M OF THE AGE, I'M LOOKING AT DOWNSIZING ANYWAY.
BUT PEOPLE WILL COME HERE FOR A LIFESTYLE.
PEOPLE WILL COME HERE FOR THE SAME REASON.
A BETTER ENVIRONMENT, FRIENDLY PEOPLE, UH, QUAINT LITTLE DOWNTOWN SHOPPING, LOW TAXES.
UM, UH, A GOVERNMENT BELIEVES IN PERSONAL PROPERTY RIGHTS.
I, I LOOK BACK ON MY COMMISSION PLANNING, COMMISSION TRAINING.
AND ONE THING I LEARNED OUT OF THAT, WE DON'T HAVE AN INFINITE AMOUNT OF LAND.
NOW, THE PLANNING DIRECTOR SAID, BUY RIGHT TOMORROW, THE LAND IN OUR COMMUNITY, YOU COULD BUILD ANOTHER 13 HOU HUNDRED HOUSES.
IS THAT THE SMARTEST USE OF THAT LAND? 'CAUSE FOLKS, WHEN IT'S GONE, IT'S GONE.
UM, I'M NOT LOOKING AT, THIS IS NOT TRACKS AND TRACKS OF TOWNHOUSES OR DUPLEXES, THEREFORE, WE, WE DON'T NECESSARILY
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REACH FOR THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT WE WILL HOPEFULLY ATTRACT RESIDENTS HERE WHO WILL CONTRIBUTE POSITIVELY TO THE COMMUNITY.AND THIS IS NOTHING ABOUT PEOPLE THAT CANNOT AFFORD THESE HOUSES, BUT PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE ABILITY TO BUY THESE HOUSES, I THINK WILL BRING ENERGY AND REVENUE.
UH, IT WILL CERTAINLY HELP US KEEP OUR TAXES LOW.
WE SET HERE AND WE HAD A ZERO TAX INCREASE THIS YEAR.
UH, A FRIEND OF MINE WHO HAS A A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY SAID, YOU KNOW, A TRUCK TIRE THREE YEARS AGO WAS $400.
WE, WE HAVE A FLEET, WE HAVE EQUIPMENT, WE HAVE SOME OLD THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO REBUILD AND DO, BUT IT'S NAIVE TO SIT HERE AND THINK THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN, UM, A ZERO TAX INCREASE GOING FORWARD WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF EXPANSION OF REVENUE.
AND THESE 104 HOUSES, IT'S A SIMPLE MATH, 82 EQUALS ZERO, 104 EQUAL OVER $900,000 IN OUR COMMUNITY, TO OUR SCHOOLS, TO OUR TOWN.
THOSE OF YOU WHO LIVE OUT THERE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT RED LINE, THAT IS THAT BAD CURVE, THE TOWN HAS WANTED TO IMPROVE THAT FOR, WELL, GENE ALT WAS PROBABLY, UH, THE TOWN MANAGER AT ONE TIME BEFORE HIM.
SO THIS NOT ONLY PROVIDES US WITH THE LAND TO DO THIS, BUT IT ALSO GIVES US SOME SEED MONEY TOWARDS THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, I'M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO LIVE ON AN ACRE OF LAND AND, UH, THE ONLY THING BEHIND ME FOR MANY YEARS WAS A FARM.
AND NOW THERE'S 142 HOUSES THERE.
AT FIRST I THOUGHT, WELL, YOU KNOW, BOY, I HATE TO SEE THIS HAPPEN.
BUT IT TURNED INTO A BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY, A WONDERFUL NEIGHBORHOOD.
PEOPLE WALK THE NEIGHBORHOOD, PEOPLE ARE FRIENDLY, THEY HELP OUT ONE ANOTHER.
AND ISN'T THAT WHAT A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD IS ABOUT? SO I HAVE TO SAY THAT THIS, IN ALL THE YEARS I'VE SERVED ON PLANNING COMMISSION AND NOW ON COUNCIL, THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST PRESENTATION, THE MOST THOROUGH PRESENTATION.
THEY'VE COME BACK TO US EVERY TIME QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED.
WE HAD QUESTIONS IN OUR FIRST WORK SESSION.
THEY HAD A WRITTEN RESPONSE FOR US AT THE SECOND, AND ANYTHING THAT CAME OUT OF THAT, THE GENTLEMAN PUT HIS CARDS OVER THERE.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU DO REACH OUT TO HIM, THEY WANT TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR.
WHETHER IT'S 80 OR 104, I'D RATHER TAKE THE 104 AND ALMOST MILLION DOLLARS.
UM, I, I, THERE'S, THERE'S AN ODD NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS UP HERE TONIGHT, SO I WON'T BE, THERE WON'T BE ANY NEED FOR ME TO BREAK A TIE, BUT I DO HAVE TWO COMMENTS.
ONE IS I'M CERTAINLY GLAD, NO, YOU'RE NOT.
I AM CERTAINLY GLAD ON MY TEACHER'S SALARY THAT I DO NOT HAVE TO BUY A HOUSE IN, IN THE MARKET THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY IN.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, I AM ENCOURAGED THAT I HEARD THAT SOME OF OUR LOCAL TRADESMEN MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT.
I THINK THAT OUR, UM, LOCAL CITIZENS WOULD BE, UM, HAPPY TO KNOW THAT, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WHEN WE TALK, PEOPLE TALK ABOUT ANTI-GROWTH.
UM, I THINK ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE WHO BUILD AND THEY'RE PART OF THAT, UM, THAT, THAT PROFESSION.
AND, UM, SO I'M, I'M GRATEFUL TO HEAR THAT, UH, AT LEAST THAT WILL BE HAPPENING OR AS MUCH AS YOU CAN CONTROL.
HOPEFULLY THOSE, WHOEVER WILL BE CONTROLLING IT WILL HEAR WHAT WAS SAID TONIGHT.
ALRIGHT, MS. PRESLEY, ROLL CALL.
[8. PUBLIC COMMENTS NOT RELATED TO PUBLIC HEARINGS ]
THE NEXT PART OF OUR MEETING ARE PUBLIC COMMENTS.UM, IT IS DUTY OF THE MAYOR TO PROTECT THIS MEETING IN AN ORDERLY MANNER.
PERSONS ADDRESSING THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL ARE ASKED TO LIMIT THE REMARKS TO THOSE RELEVANT TO THE BUSINESS OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL.
NO PERSONS IN ATTENDANCE SHALL BE ALLOWED TO VOICE REMARKS EXCEPT AS RECOGNIZED BY THE MAYOR OR THE CLERK OF COUNCIL.
UPON RECOGNITION BY THE MAYOR OR THE CLERK OF COUNCIL, THE SPEAKER SHALL STATE THEIR NAME, ADDRESS, AND INDICATE IF THEY'RE A RESIDENT OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL.
[01:40:01]
THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL SHALL NOT ADDRESS THE SUBJECT MATTER OF A PUBLIC HEARING BEING HELD DURING THE SAME MEETING.STAY WITHIN THE ALLOTTED THREE MINUTE TIME LIMIT.
AFTER THAT TIME HAS EXPIRED, THE MICROPHONE WILL BE CUT OFF.
REFRAIN FROM WORDS OR STATEMENTS WHICH ARE DEFAMATORY TO SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS OR DISPLAY OTHER DISRUPTIVE CONDUCT INCLUDING OBSCENITY AND VULGARITY GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS IN THE AUDIENCE CREATING AN ATMOSPHERE DETRIMENTAL TO OR DISTURBING.
THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THE MEETING WILL BE WARNED TO REFRAIN FROM SUCH CONDUCT ANY ADDITIONAL DISTURBANCE AFTER THE WARNING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.
AND THE MAYOR WILL HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO ASK, UH, CHIEF MCGILLIS TO REMOVE THE INDIVIDUAL GROUP OR CLEAR THE ROOMS THAT THE COUNCIL CAN CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF THE TOWN.
MRS. PRESLEY, HAS ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WE HAVE SIX.
OKAY, LET'S GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD THEN.
MY NAME IS HOLLY GOODE AND I LIVE AT 1 78 OREGON HOLLOW IN WARREN COUNTY.
TODAY I ADDRESS A GRIM PICTURE OF THE CHALLENGES BEING FACED BY OUR SENIOR ADULTS NO LONGER ABLE TO WORK AND MOSTLY RELIANT ON SOCIAL SECURITY.
ON $914 A MONTH, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO COVER NECESSITIES LIKE FOOD, RENT, UTILITIES, AND MEDICATIONS.
DO THEY EAT OR DO THEY TAKE THEIR MEDICATIONS THEY NEED? THE LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS FORCING MORE OF THEM INTO PRECARIOUS LIVING SITUATIONS AND HOMELESSNESS.
SENIOR WOMEN IN THEIR EIGHTIES TODAY WERE MOST COMMONLY STAY-AT-HOME MOMS WIVES IN THE 1940S AND FIFTIES AND DO NOT HAVE SOCIAL SECURITY INCOME.
WHAT WOULD THEY, WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOUR DAD'S MONEY WAS TAKEN FOR YOU, HIS USE IN AN ASSISTED LIVING OR MEMORY CARE COMMUNITY? AND YOUR MOTHER COULD NOT ACCESS THAT MONEY BECAUSE FOR HER CARE, BECAUSE IT BELONGS TO HIM.
THIS IS WHAT KEEPS OUR SENIOR ADULTS WAKE EACH NIGHT WONDERING HOW THEY'RE GONNA MAKE IT THROUGH TO THE LAST DAY.
THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFT, PUTTING MORE PEOPLE IN THE 55 PLUS AGE RANGE IN OUR COMMUNITY IS LARGER THAN THE BIRTH TO 17 AGE RANGE.
IT FURTHER INTENSIFIES THE DEMAND FOR SENIOR SERVICES AND THIS WILL CONTINUE TO GROW EXPONENTIALLY.
AS BABIES BOOMERS AGE, THE BURDEN OF CAREGIVING MOST OFTEN FALLS ON FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE ALSO TRYING TO WORK AND RAISE THEIR OWN CHILDREN.
THE HIGH COST OF PRIVATE PAY SENIOR LEAVING COMMUNITIES STARTING AROUND 4,000 A MONTH ARE OUT OF REACH FOR MOST PEOPLE.
ON A FIXED INCOME, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU HAVE TO BE WEALTHY WHERE YOU CAN AFFORD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET OR ABSOLUTELY DESTITUTE WHERE YOU CAN QUALIFY FOR MEDICAID OR A WAIVER TO GET CARE.
THE MAJORITY OF OUR PEOPLE FALL INTO THE SPACE IN BETWEEN.
WE HAVE NO LOW INCOME HOUSING.
AS A REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL, I KNOW THIS FIRSTHAND AND IT IS NUMBING.
WE HAVE PEOPLE, SOME WITH CHILDREN LIVING IN HOTELS.
THE STRASBURG COMMISSION AND THE TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT DEVELOPING TINY HOME CLUSTERS AS A GREAT OPTION FOR THE RETIRED COMMUNITY ALONG WITH YOUNGER ADULTS.
THE WINCHESTER HOUSE IN WINCHESTER IS A SENIOR LOW INCOME APARTMENT BUILDING SUBSIDIZED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
THEY'RE BUILDING THEIR SECOND ONE.
IT'S TIME FOR US TO TAKE CARE OF OUR SENIORS.
IT'S A COMPLEX PROBLEM THAT REQUIRES COMMUNITY SUPPORT, GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES, AND INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES AND TO ENSURE THAT OUR SENIOR ADULTS, AS WELL AS LOW INCOME FAMILIES, CAN LIVE WITH DIGNITY AND SECURITY.
OUR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RECENTLY ESTABLISHED A COMMITTEE CALLED THE SENIOR ALLIANCE TEAM.
WE'RE A DEDICATED GROUP OF PROFESSIONALS WHO ADVOCATE FOR SENIORS, THEIR CAREGIVERS, AND THEIR FAMILIES TO PROVIDE RESOURCES, EDUCATION, AND SUPPORT.
HELLO MAYOR COCKRELL AND MY FRIEND ON THE COUNCIL.
MY PHONE HAS ALREADY TOLD ME THAT IT'S TIME TO GO TO BED, SO I'LL BE QUICK.
I LIVE AT TWO 19 EAST PROSPECT STREET.
AND TONIGHT I AM HERE AS THE PRESIDENT OF DOWNTOWN FRONT ROYAL INC.
IT HAS BEEN MAYBE A LITTLE OVER A YEAR SINCE I FIRST CAME TO YOU ALL SEEKING SUPPORT TO, UH, EMBARK ON THIS ENDEAVOR.
AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF UPDATE.
OUR FISCAL YEAR RUNS THE SAME AS YOURS.
WE APPLIED FOR A GRANT, A $15,000 GRANT.
[01:45:01]
GET THE 50% MATCHING FROM INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO SUPPORT OUR MISSION.UH, WE, WE HAVE USED THAT GRANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS ORGANIZATION DOESN'T GO AWAY AGAIN.
WHEN YOU LOOK THROUGH THIS, YOU'LL NOTE IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2007.
UM, WE HAVE REVAMPED THE MISSION AND THE VISION.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH A NONPROFIT CONSULTANT, UH, SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
SHE'S BEEN HERE ABOUT FOUR TIMES TO MEET WITH OUR BOARD.
WE HAVE DEVELOPED A STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, OUR IMPACT REPORT HAS COME OUT OF THAT.
WE'RE WORKING RIGHT NOW TO DEVELOP, UH, A FRIENDS OF DOWNTOWN FRONT ROYAL PROGRAM.
UH, OUR MARKET THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING SINCE MAY, THAT HAPPENS ON THE SECOND AND FOURTH SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH, STARTING IN MAY THROUGH OCTOBER, IS AN INITIATIVE STARTED BY OUR PROMOTION COMMITTEE, UH, THROUGH DOWNTOWN FRONT ROYAL.
WE HAD 15 VENDORS AT OUR FARMER'S MARKET THIS PAST SUNDAY.
AND ALMOST ALL OF THEM COMPLETELY SOLD OUT OF THEIR PRODUCT BY THE TIME THE MARKET WAS OVER.
WE'VE ALSO REACHED OUT TO, IT'S LIKE EVERY TIME THIS HAPPENS, WE GET A DIFFERENT IDEA TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
BUT EVEN OUR DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS THAT ARE OPEN ON SUNDAY HAVE SHARED WITH US THAT THEY HAVE SEEN INCREASED INCREASED REVENUE DURING THE TIME THAT OUR MARKET IS TAKING PLACE.
SO WE CONSIDER IT A BIG WIN FOR EVERYONE.
UM, WE'RE HOPING TO START A NEXT PROJECT THAT WOULD BE A DESIGN PROJECT, UM, TO MAYBE IMPROVE THE ENTRANCE DOWN ON THE COMMERCE END OF MAIN STREET.
THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS AND UM, WE'VE GOT SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING ON MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
FUNDRAISER GRANTS AVAILABLE, BUT FIRST WE HAVE TO HAVE A PROJECT AND GET PERMISSION FROM YOU ALL.
UM, BUT OUR END GOAL HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO ACHIEVE MAIN STREET ACCREDITATION.
SO RIGHT NOW, THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU ADOPTED, UH, PUT US IN THE EXPLORING MAIN STREET PORTION OF THAT.
I'M GONNA ATTEND A WEBINAR TOMORROW TO LEARN ABOUT THE NEXT STEP, WHICH IS MOBILIZING MAIN STREET.
UH, IF WE CHOOSE TO GO DOWN THAT PATH, WE'LL HANG OUT THERE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.
WE'LL LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO GET THAT FULL-BLOWN ACCREDITATION AND WE'LL BE BOLSTERING UP ALL OF OUR CREDENTIALS SO THAT WHEN WE DO GO AND APPLY FOR WHAT I THINK WILL BE THE THIRD TIME FOR OUR TOWN, WE WILL GET IT THIS TIME.
SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE 'CAUSE IT'S BEEN A WHILE.
SHARE THIS WITH YOU AND, UM, SAY THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.
AND SAY WE HAVE, I APPLAUD YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING AT MAIN STREET.
IT'S AMA AMAZING AND THE FARMER'S MARKET JUST SEEMS TO GET, WELL.
THERE'S MORE AND MORE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT IT.
SO Y MIGHT END UP HAVING TO LIKE TURN VENDORS AWAY EVENTUALLY, RIGHT? OH, NO, NO, NO, NO.
HELLO, MY NAME IS JENNIFER COELLO.
I RESIDE AT 2 58 DOUGLAS DRIVE IN WARREN COUNTY.
I SERVE AS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS AND THE ADMINISTRATOR OF WARREN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL.
LAST WEEK I SPOKE TO THE WARREN BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND I'M, I AM HERE TODAY TO ADDRESS SOME MISINFORMATION FROM RECENT TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGS AND NEWS ARTICLES.
THE GENERAL SENTIMENT I HEARD LISTENING TO THE COUNCIL WORK SESSION ON AUGUST 5TH WAS THAT VALLEY HEALTH IS NOT COMMITTED TO THIS COMMUNITY'S HEALTH.
AND IN FACT, ONE COUNCIL MEMBER EVEN STATED THAT THE MEDICAL SERVICES HAVE BEEN DOWNGRADED SINCE THE BUILD OF THE NEW HOSPITAL.
FIRST, I WILL SPEAK TO THE QUALITY OF HEALTHCARE BEING PROVIDED LOCALLY.
WARREN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE INDEPENDENT HEALTHCARE SAFETY ORGANIZATION, THE LEAPFROG GROUP, SEVEN CONSECUTIVE TIMES WITH THEIR HIGHEST LEVEL OF RECOGNITION, A GRADE OF A, THE LEAPFROG GROUP HAS ALSO AWARDED WARREN AS A TOP TEACHING HOSPITAL.
AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, WARREN SERVES AS THE SITE OF A THREE YEAR FAMILY PRACTICE PHYSICIAN RESIDENCY PROGRAM, AND SERVES AS A PIPELINE FOR RECRUITING PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS TO OUR COMMUNITY.
ADDITIONALLY, WARREN HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE CHARTS ORGANIZATION AS A TOP 100 COMMUNITY HOSPITAL IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND WE HAVE BEEN REC RECOGNIZED BY THE JOINT COMMISSION AS A CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR TOTAL HIP AND TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT.
EACH OF THESE QUALITY RELATED RECOGNITIONS HAVE BEEN AWARDED SINCE THE BUILD OF THE NEW HOSPITAL.
NEXT, I WILL SHARE THE ADDITIONAL SERVICES AND FEATURES THAT WERE ADDED TO OUR NEW FACILITY.
WE NOW HAVE AN OUTPATIENT PHARMACY SO THAT PATIENTS BEING DISCHARGED FROM OUR HOSPITAL DO NOT HAVE TO MAKE A STOP AT A PHARMACY TO PICK UP THEIR MEDICATIONS PRIOR TO GOING HOME.
WE HAVE ADDED A NEW MRI THEREBY EXPANDING OUR ADVANCED IMAGING CAPABILITIES.
WE HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDED OUR REHABILITATION SERVICES TO HELP PATIENTS REGAIN THEIR PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE ABILITIES SO THAT THEY MAY RETURN TO THEIR DAILY LIFE.
[01:50:01]
AND WE HAVE EQUIPPED EACH OF OUR INPATIENT ROOMS WITH HIGH DEFINITION CAMERAS AND VIDEO SCREENS TO ALLOW FOR CONSULTATION WITH SPECIALTY PHYSICIANS WHO ARE NOT PHYSICALLY PRESENT AT THE HOSPITAL AND TO HELP CONNECT FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE NOT LOCAL, BUT WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR LOVED ONE'S CARE.TO BE CLEAR, FRONT ROYAL IS FORTUNATE TO BE THE HOME OF ONE OF THE STATE'S NEWEST AND MOST TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED HOSPITALS.
I WILL CLOSE BY PROUDLY STATING THAT OUR COMMUNITY AND ITS CITIZENS HAVE EXTRAORDINARY HEALTHCARE RIGHT HERE AT HOME AT AN INVESTMENT OF MORE THAN $100 MILLION, AN EXPANDED FOOTPRINT OF 42% TO ALLOW FOR FUTURE GROWTH AND A WORKFORCE OF OVER 600 DEDICATED HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS.
WARREN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL ADMIRABLY SERVES OUR COMMUNITY BY IMPROVING HEALTH.
SO TODAY, JUST AS IT HAS DONE FAITHFULLY SINCE WE OPENED IN 1951, I WOULD WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO HOST EACH ONE OF YOU FOR A VISIT SO THAT YOU MAY MEET YOUR CONSTITUENTS WHO WORK AT WARREN MEMORIAL AND SEE FOR YOURSELF THAT OUR FACILITY IS WELL POSITIONED TO CONTINUE TO CARE FOR THE PEOPLE OF FRONT ROYAL FOR DECADES TO COME.
THANK YOU FOR THE TIME THIS EVENING.
I'M SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, UH, FOR WARREN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL.
AND I'M PRESIDENT OF WINCHESTER MEDICAL CENTER.
I'M HERE TONIGHT 'CAUSE I WANNA CORRECT SOME MISINFORMATION THAT WAS SHARED AT A RECENT TOWN COUNCIL MEETING.
AND ON BEHALF OF OUR ENTIRE EXECUTIVE TEAM, I WANNA SPEAK TO THE FEEDBACK THAT THIS BODY, WHEN YOU MAKE COMMENTS ABOUT THE CARE PROVIDED IN OUR COMMUNITY, EVEN WHEN MADE CASUALLY THE EFFECT THAT CAN HAVE ON THE CAREGIVERS ACROSS VALLEY HEALTH AND THE WORK THEY DO EVERY DAY.
I WANT TO FIRST ADDRESS DIRECTLY SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WAS SHARED RECENTLY THAT WAS INCORRECT FOR THE RECORD.
ZERO BABIES HAVE BEEN BORN IN A PARKING GARAGE AT WINCHESTER MEDICAL CENTER.
UM, WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE, CARING, COMPASSIONATE TEAM THAT SERVES OUR CANCER PATIENTS AND THIS COMMUNITY AND BEYOND.
AND EVERY SINGLE DAY, OUR ONCOLOGY CARE TEAM WORKS TIRELESSLY TO MAKE SURE THAT INDIVIDUALS WITH A NEW CANCER DIAGNOSES ARE SEEN WITHIN DAYS OF THAT DEVASTATING NEWS.
IT IS FACTUALLY UNTRUE THAT IT TAKES THREE TO FOUR MONTHS TO RECEIVE CANCER CARE AT WINCHESTER MEDICAL CENTER.
I'M HERE TONIGHT 'CAUSE I WANNA HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THAT COMMENTS LIKE THESE CREATE DAMAGE AND THEY ARE HURTFUL TO THOSE WHO SERVE EVERY DAY IN THIS COMMUNITY.
CARING FOR EACH OF YOU, THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE, THE PEOPLE, YOUR NEIGHBORS, EVERYONE THAT YOU WORK ALONGSIDE.
AND THEY'RE HERE FOR EACH OF YOU IN YOUR TIMES OF GREATEST NEED.
AND SO I WANNA SPEAK ON THEIR BEHALF TONIGHT.
I ALSO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE GREAT INTEREST IN MATERNITY CARE AND OBSTETRIC CARE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S BEEN A CONVERSATION OF THIS BODY.
AND I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT WINCHESTER MEDICAL CENTER, WHICH IS JUST 23 MILES AWAY, HAS INVESTED A LOT IN OBSTETRIC CARE, UM, AT OUR COMMUNITY HOSPITAL.
SOME OF THE EXAMPLES OF THE INVESTMENTS WE'VE MADE INCLUDE MATERNAL FETAL MEDICINE SPECIALISTS SO THAT WE CAN EXPAND CARE TO HIGH RISK PATIENTS.
WE INVESTED IN A STATE-OF-THE-ART 30 BED PRIVATE ROOM, NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT.
WE DEVELOPED AN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT JUST FOR OBSTETRIC PATIENTS.
AND WE'VE ADDED EXPANDED SERVICES FOR MIDWIFERY AND FAMILY CENTERED CARE.
I'VE READ YOUR RESOLUTION AND I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE THAT BRINGING MORE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND SERVICES TO THIS COMMUNITY AND REGION IS A GOOD THING.
WE BELIEVE THAT RECRUITMENT OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS REQUIRES COLLABORATION AND COMMITMENT FROM BUSINESS LEADERS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS WARM AND WELCOMING FOR HIGH DEMAND, IN DEMAND HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS.
WE NEED YOUR HELP IN CELEBRATING HEALTHCARE IN THIS COMMUNITY, NOT TEARING IT DOWN.
UNDERSTANDABLY, NURSES, DOCTORS, AND OTHER HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS WANT TO BE TREATED VERY WELL BY THE PEOPLE THEY CARE FOR EVERY DAY.
AND SO WE WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU TO DEVELOP A RESOLUTION CELEBRATING THE HUNDREDS OF FRONT ROYAL AND WARREN COUNTY PEOPLE WHO SERVE EVERY DAY IN HEALTHCARE FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU FOR THE SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
THANK FOR THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT YOU DO HERE.
I, I THINK, UM, WAS HE WITH THE OTHER ONE? HE SPOKE? YEAH, HE DID THE OTHER, UH, AND GLEN HUNT, I BELIEVE HE ALSO SPOKE AT THE OTHER PUBLIC HEARING.
[01:55:12]
MS. SMITH WITH A Y.MY NAME IS SHEILA SMITH AND I LIVE AT 7 0 6 PARKVIEW DRIVE.
I FEEL KIND OF OUT OF PLACE BECAUSE EVERYBODY SEEMS TO BE SO WELL INFORMED IN SOME TOGETHER.
BUT I'M JUST COMING TO ASK A PERSONAL QUESTION, UH, ABOUT MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
DO I HAVE THAT PRIVILEGE TO ADDRESS THAT? YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO ASK A QUESTION.
AS I HAD SAID EARLIER TONIGHT, IT DOESN'T, BECAUSE YOU WERE TALKING LOW AND I COULDN'T EXACTLY HEAR WHAT YOU SAID.
NO, YOU'RE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO ASK QUESTIONS.
IT'S JUST THAT WE DON'T, WE DON'T NECESSARILY ANSWER THEM FROM THE DIVES, BUT YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO ASK QUESTIONS.
YOU CAN WRITE IT DOWN AND GIVE ME A CALL.
I WAS HERE WHEN YOU CAME BEFORE YOU.
I HAVE BEEN, UM, UH, WRESTLING WITH A NEIGHBORHOOD PROBLEM FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME I CALL SOMEONE I'M ALWAYS PUT ON HOLD.
I'M ALWAYS, I, MR. WALSH IS, I'M WAITING FOR HIS CALL NOW,
BUT I JUST NEEDED TO FIND, I JUST WANTED THE COUNCIL TO KNOW THAT I DIDN'T KNOW THAT IT WAS APPROPRIATE.
OR YOU COULD STILL LIVE IN A RESIDENCE WITH NO RUNNING WATER OR ELECTRICITY.
MY NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN THAT WAY SINCE NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR.
I GUESS I'M THE SPOKESPERSON,
ANYWAY, THEY'RE, I'M THE ONE THAT THEY SENT AND IT'S JUST KIND OF DEMEANING FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE FEEL LIKE WE, AND WE ARE CLOSE TO A SCHOOL, WE ARE CLOSE TO RIGHT BEHIND RUY JEFFERS.
IT IS VERY INHUMANE BECAUSE SOMETIMES THEY COME OUTSIDE
BUT ANYWAY, AND THEN, UH, I DON'T HAVE SMALL GRANDCHILDREN, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE COMPANY AND ALL OF THIS IS GOING ON OUT IN THE YARD, SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING IT TO THE COUNCIL TO LET EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IS NOT BEAUTIFUL.
IT USED TO BE
MS. SMITH, WHAT'S YOUR ADDRESS AGAIN?
COME VISIT WAYNE
YOU TWO? UH, GLEN, MS. PRESLEY, IS ANYONE ELSE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO ONE ELSE HAS SIGNED UP.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK? OKAY.
SO OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE OVER.
[9.A. Report of Town Manager]
WE'RE GONNA START INTO OUR NEXT PART.UM, MR. WALTZ, DO YOU, WOULD YOU, YOUR, YOUR REPORT IS NEXT.
I WANTED TO REMIND MS. HOLD ON ONE SECOND.
I I DIDN'T MEAN I, I WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU ALL WOULD STAY 'CAUSE I HAVE SOME COMMENTS WHEN IT BECOMES MY PART, SO I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO HEAR IT.
UH, I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REMIND THE CITIZENS THAT OUR BUSINESS OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED NEXT MONDAY FOR LABOR DAY.
AND IF YOUR TRASH IS SCHEDULED FOR MONDAY, IT WILL BE PICKED UP ON WEDNESDAY NEXT WEEK.
I'M ALSO PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE LAUNCHED OUR FIRST CITIZENS ACADEMY LAST MONDAY, WHICH WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF OUR COUNCIL RETREAT IN JANUARY.
THIS WAS PART OF OUR PRACTICING GOOD GOVERNANCE GOALS TO PROVIDE A POSITIVE AND INTERACTIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR CITIZENS.
THE GOAL OF THE ACADEMY IS TO PROVIDE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING, TO PROVIDE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF OUR DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
AND, AND, AND PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN THE FUNCTIONING OF OUR GOVERNMENT.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED AND WANT, EXCUSE US, MORE INFORMATION.
IF YOU, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THE CITIZEN ACADEMY, PLEASE CHECK OUT ON OUR WEBSITE OR GIVE US A CALL.
WE'D LOVE YOU TO JOIN US AND LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TOWN.
THAT REPORT, THAT COLLUDES MY REPORT.
[9.B. Report of Council members]
ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS WISH TO SHARE? UH, MADAM MAYOR, I'LL BE SHORT AND SWEET.UH, THERE WAS NO, UH, TRANSPORTATION, UH, COMMITTEE MEETING THIS MONTH WHERE WE'RE GONNA RESUME IN, UH, IN SEPTEMBER.
UH, THAT'S THE JOINT COMMITTEE BETWEEN THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND TOWN COUNCIL.
UH, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY REAL QUICK THAT, UM, I, I WAS
[02:00:01]
HAVING BREAKFAST AT LDS ON SATURDAY, WHICH I OCCASIONALLY DO.UH, AND I WAS SITTING THERE, I ALWAYS SIT AT THE BAR 'CAUSE I'M USUALLY RIGHT BY MYSELF.
AND I SIT THERE NEXT TO A COUPLE THAT I'D NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
AND IT WAS UNUSUAL IN THE SENSE THAT WHEN I GO TO LDS, I USUALLY KNOW A, A GOOD CHUNK OF PEOPLE IN THERE.
BUT IT WAS ONE OF THOSE RARE TIMES WHERE I DIDN'T KNOW A SINGLE SOUL IN THERE OTHER THAN THE, OTHER THAN THE WAIT STAFF.
AND, AND I ASKED A COUPLE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS THE WILLING SEAT AVAILABLE IF THEY, IF, IF IT WAS BEING USED, AND THEY SAID NO.
SO I SAT DOWN AND I HAD A CHAT WITH THEM AND THEY WERE, THEY WERE FROM, UH, OH SHOOT, WHERE ARE THEY FROM? THEY'RE FROM WOODBRIDGE.
AND IT'S, IT'S FUNNY THAT ELLEN'S HERE TONIGHT 'CAUSE I WAS GONNA POINT THIS OUT.
SO SHE JUST HAPPENS TO BE HERE TO CATCH THE COMPLIMENT.
BUT THEY HAD MENTIONED HOW WELL THEY LIKED OUR TOWN AND JUST, JUST, JUST, UH, AESTHETICS OF, OF OUR GAZEBO AREA.
UH, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW CLEAN, YOU KNOW, OUR MAIN STREET AREA WAS THE FACT THAT THEY COULD PARK AND WALK AROUND, UH, TO SEVERAL OF OUR BUSINESSES.
THEY SAID THAT THEY SPENT A LOT, PRETTY MUCH EVERY, ANY GIVEN WEEKEND WHERE THE WEATHER'S GOOD, UH, TO COME OUT HERE.
'CAUSE THEY JUST ENJOY THE AREA AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY CONSIDERING MOVING HERE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I HAD MENTIONED, OF COURSE, LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN STARTING THIS YEAR.
WE HAVE A, A PARTICULAR, THE, UM, THE FARMER'S MARKET AND THEY SAID, YEAH, WELL WE'VE GOTTEN THERE AND THINGS HAVE BEEN SOLD OUT, SO YOU GUYS ARE DOING REALLY WELL WITH THAT
UM, BUT ANYWAYS, BUT I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT, THAT, UH, HEARING THAT FROM FOLKS, YOU KNOW, AND I JUST BROUGHT IT UP IN CONVERSATION.
I MENTIONED I WAS ON COUNCIL AND THEY SAID, WELL, FOR WHAT YOU GUYS LOOKS LIKE YOU GUYS ARE DOING GOOD OR, AND I SAID, WELL, SO I JUST WANTED TO EXTEND A THANKS TO, UH, THE STAFF, UH, IN PARTICULAR FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
I, I KNOW THAT, UH, THE MUSIC IN PARTICULAR.
ANOTHER THING I'D LIKE TO MENTION IS THE MUSIC ON THURSDAYS SEEMS TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
UM, WE HAVE A, A PERSON WHO'S SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WORKS, PARTICIPATED IN THAT, AND I'M GONNA GIVE HATS OFF TO HIM.
I'M NOT GONNA CALL HIS NAME OUT
I, I THINK THAT THAT'S BEEN A, UM, UM, A POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY, THE WAY, WAY WE'VE HAD THAT.
I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THAT'S BEEN AS SUCCESSFUL AS IT HAS.
BUT THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MADAM MAYOR.
AND, UH, WE'LL BE GOOD TILL NEXT MONTH.
ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO SPEAK? GO AHEAD AND VICE MAYOR.
I'M LIKE, I'M GOING TO MIMIC WHAT, UH, JOSH AND A COUPLE THINGS.
I'LL GO DOWN A LOT AND EAT AS WELL SAID IN THAT, THE TRIANGLE THERE, THEY HAVE ALL THE BENCHES AND THE FLOWERS, AND TALK TO PEOPLE.
I MET A YOUNG COUPLE FROM, MATTER OF FACT, THEY WERE FROM THE DAKOTAS.
UH, THEY BOTH TOOK JOBS WITH AN AGENCY AND THEY HAD TO MOVE, UH, INTO VIRGINIA.
THEY SAID THEY HAD RESEARCHED SEVERAL TOWNS AND THEY PICKED OUR TOWN, UH, AND THEY'VE GOT SOME OTHERS.
THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING THE SAME THING.
BUT, UM, AND THEY WERE TICKLED DEATH ABOUT THE MUSIC AT THE GAZEBO, YOU KNOW, THE THURSDAY NIGHTS, UM, I EXPLAINED THE FESTIVAL LEAVES TO 'EM, AND SINCE THEN, IT WAS PROBABLY A MONTH AGO SINCE THEN, THEY'VE BEEN BACK IN TOUCH WITH ME.
UH, AND WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA DO A FEW THINGS TOGETHER TO, AND THE IN TOWN ON MAIN STREET.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I'M REALLY PROUD OF OUR MAIN STREET.
SEEING THE, EVERYTHING THAT LIZZIE DOES DOWN THERE IS JUST WONDERFUL.
EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR THE MARKET IS JUST, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU HAVE TIME, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAVE A PRETTY, IT'S A LITTLE QUAINT TOWN UP THERE, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY LIKES IT, YOU KNOW? UH, I DON'T THINK IF CHIEF CAN PROBABLY ANSWER, AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S MUCH TROUBLE ON MAIN STREET AS IT USED TO BE AS THE CHIEF.
YEAH, HE'S HIDING BACKER BEHIND THE PODIUM, I THINK.
BUT AGAIN, UH, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR REPORTS TONIGHT.
ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WISH TO SPEAK? MADAM MAYOR, UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AND HAPPY 30TH ANNIVERSARY TO THE WARREN AND COALITION COALITION.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW THEIR MISSION, THEY DO A LOT OF GOOD IN OUR AREA.
THEY WILL BE SPONSORING, UM, I BELIEVE THEY CALL IT KIDS DAY NEXT MONTH AT THE 15TH STREET COMPLEX.
IF MICHELLE SMER HADN'T SNUCK OUT, SHE COULD HAVE CONFIRMED IT FOR ME.
I ALSO WANT TO CONGRATULATE AND THANK THE TOWN'S RESPONSE, UM, TO THE RESULTS AFTER STORM.
UM, DEBBIE DROPPED A LOT OF RAIN HERE.
UM, NOT EVERY CITIZEN WAS PLEASED WITH THE RESULTS.
UM, SOME BASEMENTS FLOODED AND SEWER BACKUPS, BUT OUR TOWN EMPLOYEES WERE OUT THERE 24 7 WORKING TO MITIGATE THE PROBLEMS. AND, UM, THEY GET ALL THE RESPECT IN THE WORLD, UM, FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN PROVIDING SERVICES TO TOWN.
UH, PERSONALIZED, DISAPPOINTED THAT THE LIAISON MEETING BETWEEN THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY WAS CANCELED, UM, BY THE COUNTY.
BUT, UH, I'M HOPEFUL AGAIN THAT THIS WILL BE RESCHEDULED IN THE NEAR FUTURE BECAUSE, UM, THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT PARTNERSHIP.
AND WE CERTAINLY WANT TO PARTICIPATE.
AND I'M GONNA ECHO WHAT MY FELLOW COUNCIL
[02:05:01]
MEMBERS HAVE SAID.THE GAZEBO GATHERINGS ENDED LAST WEEK, BUT I WILL SAY THIS TO YOU, UM, THEY HAD A MOST SUCCESSFUL SEASON.
UM, THERE WAS ONE RAIN OUT, UH, RICH FO AND I THINK YOU'RE GONNA GET HIM BACK IN FOR SOMETHING.
BUT, UH, WE GO DOWN THERE QUITE OFTEN, AND IT'S AMAZING THAT THE CROWD OF ALL AGES COME.
AND, UH, I JUST WANT TO THANK KIM CRUMP AND THE BLUE RIDGE ARTS COUNCIL FOR HEADING IT UP.
I KNOW THAT WE CONTRIBUTE TO THAT.
I BELIEVE THE COUNTY DOES, UH, THE CHAMBER.
UM, IT'S A LITTLE PART OF AMERICANA IN OUR OWN DOWNTOWN, SO THANK YOU ALL, UH, FOR EVERYONE WHO HELPS PUT THAT ON.
UM, DURING THE LAST, UM, MONTH SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, I ATTENDED THE WARREN COUNTY FAIR, AND I WAS PLEASED TO SEE HOW MUCH FOUR H LIVESTOCK SHOWCASING AGRICULTURAL AND HOME SHOWCASES ARE STILL HAPPENING IN OUR AREA.
UH, I THINK PEOPLE FORGET SOMETIMES HOW INSTRUMENTAL FOUR H ALONE CAN BE.
IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT YOUTH GROUP, AND IT TEACHES A LOT ABOUT PRESENTATIONS AND, UH, COMRADERY.
UM, I ALSO ATTENDED NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, AND IT WAS GOOD TO SEE NOT ONLY LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT THE NONPROFITS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE VERY COMMITTED TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
I, UM, WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, AS, AS OTHERS HAVE, UM, AGAIN, DURING MY TRAVELS, OUR MAIN STREET REALLY IS AT THE TOP OF THE LIST AS FAR AS HOW IT'S LAID OUT AND THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF.
UM, ON A SATURN NOTE, I KNOW THAT A, THERE'S BEEN A, UH, QUITE A FEW SUICIDES AND QUITE A FEW TRAUMAS IN OUR COMMUNITY LATELY.
AND SO I WANT TO JUST LET THOSE FAMILIES OUT THERE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE THINKING OF THEM AND REMIND CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, BE KIND TO YOUR FELLOW NEIGHBOR BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH.
AND JUST REMEMBER THAT, YOU KNOW, A SMILE CAN, CAN HELP FOLKS.
AND BEING KIND TO FOLKS AS FAR AS VALLEY HEALTH, UM, I HAVE FAMILY WHO WORK THERE.
I HAVE FRIENDS WHO WORK THERE.
UM, AND, UM, WHEN I HAD INSURANCE THAT WAS ACCEPTED BY VALLEY HEALTH, I HAD, YOU KNOW, MY OWN EXPERIENCE WITH, UH, GOOD HEALTHCARE.
THEY TREATED ME FOR CANCER AT, AT A TIME, UM, WHEN I WAS HAVING EMERGENCY SURGERY.
AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATED THAT.
I DO KNOW PEOPLE ALSO HAVE NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES.
AND, AND IT ALSO GOES ALONG WITH, YOU'RE GONNA GET CRITICIZED EVEN IF, IF YOUR HEALTH CONDITION, UM, IS NOT
UM, I, BUT I DO, I AM IN SUPPORT OF HOW WE ARE CALLING FOR MORE HEALTHCARE OPTIONS.
UM, NOW I HAVE KAISER, AND, AND THERE'S THINGS THAT I LOVE ABOUT KAISER.
SOME THINGS I DON'T LIKE, OF COURSE.
BUT I THINK THAT THERE ARE ALWAYS SERVICES AND ALWAYS HEALTHCARE OPTIONS THAT CAN BE BROUGHT IN AND CONSIDERED.
AND IF YOU ALL CAN'T DO IT, YOU KNOW, THAT I THINK IT'S PERFECTLY APPROPRIATE TO ASK, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT CAN COME IN.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY, I KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA LOSE HALF THE, THE HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
UM, FOLKS ARE AGING OUT, UM, AND ALSO LEAVING THE BUSINESS.
AND SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO HONOR OUR HEALTH PROVIDERS, BUT ALSO OFFER OPTIONS AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THEN, UM, I GUESS THAT, THAT ABOUT DOES IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, FOR YOU ALL WHO, WHO COME REGULARLY AND, AND PARTICIPATE IN YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WE LISTEN TO WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY, AND WE HOPE THAT YOU, UM, HEAR WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS ABOUT HOW WE MOVE THIS COMMUNITY FORWARD.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING
UH, I WAS INVITED TO THE, UH, PRESIDENTIAL, UH, INSTALLATION CEREMONY AT CHRIST COLLEGE YESTERDAY.
UM, AND I DID ATTEND, UH, AND IT WAS PACKED.
THERE MUST HAVE BEEN, UH, I DON'T KNOW.
I COUNTED THE ROWS AND IT WAS LIKE 800, MAYBE 800 PEOPLE IN THERE.
AND, UH, UH, JUST WANNA SAY THAT THE NEW, UH, PRESIDENT THERE, THIS IS THEIR FOURTH PRESIDENT.
UH, HIS NAME IS GEORGE, A HORN, UH, PHD, UH, GRADUATED FROM PRINCETON U UNIVERSITY.
[02:10:02]
HE GAVE A MOVING SPEECH, UH, THAT I BELIEVE, UM, IS LEADING THE FUTURE OF, UH, THAT PARTICULAR COLLEGE AND, UH, FOR THE FUTURE.AND, UM, THEIR, UH, CURRICULUMS. UM, UM, SECONDLY, UH, I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
UH, SECONDLY, UM, I ATTENDED THE, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN JULY.
UH, THEY CANCELED IT, AND THEN THEY RESCHEDULED.
IT WAS THE, UH, VML INFRASTRUCTURE, ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY POLICY COMMITTEE.
THEIR ANNUAL MEETING, UH, TOPICS CENTERED AROUND, UH, FLOOD RISK AND CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
UH, THEY WERE REALLY LOOKING AT, THEY NOTED, UH, ONE OF THE COMMENTS WAS THAT ONE INCH OF RAIN OF FLOOD WATER CAN COST A HOMEOWNER BETWEEN 10,020 $7,000 AND, AND DAMAGE, UH, DEPENDING ON THE, THE HOME SIZE.
UM, THEY BELIEVE THAT, UH, THEY COULD REDUCE, UH, FLOOD, UH, PROBLEMS BY BUILDING TO, IF COMMUNITIES, UH, WOULD BUILD TO HIGHER STANDARDS, RAISING THE FOUNDATION HEIGHT ABOVE THE MINIMUM.
AND, UH, TWO IN HIGH RISK AREAS, UH, PLACING MORATORIUMS ON, ON, UH, BUILDING AND UNTIL, UH, UH, UNTIL THEY CAN, UH, CHANGE THOSE CODES.
UH, SECONDLY, THEY WERE LOOKING AT, UH, SOMETHING CALLED PFAS.
UH, THEY CLAIM THESE ARE LIKE CHEMICALS THAT ARE SHOWING UP IN OUR DRINKING WATER SUPPLY, NOT NECESSARILY OURS, BUT MORE IN METROPOLITAN AREAS, UH, IN OUR TAP WATER, UH, UH, POLYFLUORINATED AKOELE ONE, UH, I'M, I'M OUTTA MY LEAGUE HERE.
UH, IT'S, UH, IT SHOWS UP IN FAST FOOD BOXES, UH, THAT MAY BE IN, THESE ARE, UH, PARTICLES THAT COME FROM FAST FOOD BOXES, NON-STICK COOKWARE, FIREFIGHTING FOAMS, THAT KIND OF THING.
YOU GET THE, YOU GET THE IDEA.
UH, THEY'RE LOOKING AT COST TO CORRECT.
UH, THE COST OF CORRECTING THIS PROBLEM, UH, IS GONNA PUT STRESS ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE THE KIND OF FUNDING THAT MAY BE REQUIRED TO DO, TO DO THESE REPAIRS, UH, TO OUR WATER SYSTEMS. UH, SECONDLY, UM, I WANT TO COMMENT ON SOMETHING THAT OCCURRED IN THE LAST, UH, IT'S A LITTLE BIT CONTROVERSIAL, BUT I WANT TO COMMENT ON SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST, UH, MEETING IN, UH, JULY.
UH, WE, WE, UH, FRONT ROYAL HAD $535,000 OF EXTRA MONEY IN OUR, UH, UH, UH, REVENUE, UH, GENERAL REVENUE FUND.
AND, UH, WE'VE RE REDIRECTED MOST OF IT INTO, UM, WHAT IS A CROSSER ROAD, UH, SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
UM, I KIND OF LIKE BLA BLANKED OUT, AND I THINK I OWE THE, UM, COMMUNITY SOMEWHAT OF APOLOGY IN THAT, UH, THERE WAS SOME FREE MONEY THAT MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE DIRECTED, UH, TOWARD A SORELY NEEDED PROJECT IN MY MIND, BECAUSE I'M, I WAS PART OF, UH, OF, UH, THE RAYMOND ST.
MYERS, UH, YOUTH CENTERS HERE.
UH, THIS IS A GROUP, UH, CALLED REACHING OUT NOW THAT IS TRYING TO BRING IN A, A STUDENT UNION, UH, INTO FRONT ROYAL.
UM, AND THEY ARE 5 0 1 C, BUT, UM, IT GETS A LITTLE COMPLICATED AS TO WHAT THE ISSUES ARE BECAUSE WE HAVE A, A, A VOLUNTARY SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WITH, WITH THE COUNTY.
AND I WON'T GET INTO THOSE DETAILS, BUT, UM, I JUST WANTED TO TELL THE PUBLIC THAT I, I AM INTERESTED IN
[02:15:01]
TRYING TO BRING BACK TO COUNCIL AT SOME FUTURE WORK SESSION TO DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH SOME FUNDING, UH, FOR THIS, UH, AS A DONATION.WE DID MAKE A DONATION LAST YEAR, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
YOUTH CENTERS CAN IMPROVE, UH, YOUNG ADULT ADULTS' LIVES BY PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES, SKILLS, AND SAFE SPACE TO CONNECT WITH PEERS AND MENTORS.
MENTORS, A YOUTH PROBE GRAMING CAN HELP YOUNG PEOPLE DEVELOP THE SIX CS, WHICH ARE DESIRED OUTCOMES, COMPETENCE, CONFIDENCE, CONNECT, CONNECTIONS TO COMMUNITY, CHARACTER, CARING, CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY.
UH, THESE ARE THINGS THAT BUILD CHARACTERS OF OUR YOUTH.
AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE COMBINE WITH THE COUNTY TO TRY TO MAKE THIS, UH, TO GET THIS THING OFF THE GROUND AND RUNNING.
UH, THE LAST THING THAT I HAVE TONIGHT, AND IT PRETTY MUCH, UH, HAS TO DO WITH, UH, A COMMENT THAT ONE OF THE, UH, I THINK IT WAS IN THE PUBLIC, UH, OPINION SECTION, UH, THERE WAS TALK ABOUT CAREGIVING AND THE COST OF CAREGIVING.
UM, I UNDERSTAND WHERE SHE'S COMING FROM, UH, UH, 60, IT, ON AVERAGE, IT COST ABOUT $65,000 A YEAR, UH, TO CARE FOR AN OLDER ADULT THAT NEEDS 24 7.
AND, UM, NOT MANY PEOPLE HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY.
I GET WHERE SHE'S COMING FROM.
I WILL SAY HER COMMENT REGARDING THE, THE, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS THE ZERO PACK.
SHE WAS REFERRING TO THE ZERO PACK, UH, DEVELOPMENT OVER IN WINCHESTER ON NORTH KENT STREET, I BELIEVE THAT, UM, WAS A SHOVEL READY PROGRAM OF WHICH CAME THROUGH A HUD AND IT CAME THROUGH THE NORTHERN VIRGINIA REGIONAL, UH, COMMITTEE, UH, AGENCY I BELIEVE OF.
UM, IT, IT HAD 40, IT WAS $40 MILLION ABOUT THIR THREE YEARS AGO.
AND, UM, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, FRONT ROYAL DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN ON THAT.
I KNOW THAT WINCHESTER, THERE'S 21 PLANNING DISTRICTS, AND, UH, CERTAIN DISTRICTS AROUND THE STATE GOT A PORTION OF IT.
I KNOW THAT WINCHESTER GOT SOMETHING LIKE $1.9 MILLION AND ANOTHER 150 OR A HUNDRED GRAND WENT OVER TO STRASBURG.
UH, I JUST HOPE THAT IN THE FUTURE, WHEN THESE KIND OF THINGS COME AVAILABLE, WHEN IT COMES TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN ON THESE THINGS.
UM, AND, UH, THE REAL, THE REALLY BIG ONE WAS DOWN IN MARION, WHERE THEY, THEY, UH, THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BUILD 33 AFFORDABLE HOUSES BETWEEN 250,300 $50,000.
AND THEN, AND THERE'S ANOTHER 66 THAT ARE WAITING TO BE BUILT.
AND, UH, THEY, THEY HAVE A PROGRAM DOWN THERE, UH, IT'S CALLED BLIGHT URBAN SOMETHING, BUT IT'S A TRUST FUND THAT ALL THE PROFITS THAT ARE GAINED FROM THE SALES OF THESE GO BACK INTO THE, THE TRUST FUND TO WORK ON THE NEXT UNIT.
UH, SO THESE ARE THINGS THAT I HOPE THAT WE AS A COUNCIL AND STAFF CAN WORK TOWARD GIVING WHAT WE HEARD EARLIER TONIGHT, WHAT, UH, THE PEOPLE NEED AND WANT IN TERMS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WITH THAT MAYOR, I WILL, UH, HAND IT OVER TO YOU.
[9.C. Report of the Mayor]
THE REPORT OF THE MAYOR,[02:20:01]
UH, JULY 30TH, I ATTENDED THE NEW TEACHER'S RECEPTION HELD AT WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, CHERYL COLORS, FOURTH RIVER SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER MELANIE SALAND.AND I HAD THE PLEASURE OF SPEAKING WITH THE NEW STAFF AS THEY CAME THROUGH THE FOOD LINE.
I LOVED SEEING THEIR ENERGY AS THEY SHARED WHAT SCHOOL THEY WOULD BE WORKING AT.
I ALSO SAW MANY FAMILIAR FACES FROM OUR COMMUNITY WHO I'VE DECIDED TO TAKE ON THE CHALLENGES OF EDUCATING OUR YOUTH.
AUGUST 3RD, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF ATTENDING THE WARREN COUNTY FAIR.
I THINK SOMEBODY ELSE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THAT.
I KNOW AFTERNOON RAINSTORMS, TRYING TO DAMPEN THINGS, BUT THE NIGHT I WAS THERE WAS THE GREASE PIG CONTEST.
AUGUST 6TH
UM, I ACTUALLY THINK IT SEEMS LIKE IT GETS BIGGER EVERY YEAR THAT I'VE BEEN ATTENDING.
AND SO I WANNA THANK OUR FRONT ROW POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OUR TOWN STAFF FOR THEIR EFFORTS TO BRING A FUN AND SAFE EVENT FOR OUR CHILDREN AND THE FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I ALSO WANNA THANK ALL THE FIRST RESPONDERS SUCH AS THE WARREN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, WARREN COUNTY FIRE RESCUE, ALONG WITH AS, AS, UM, UH, SOMEBODY ELSE MENTIONED, MANY OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT SHOWED UP AND GREET OUR CITIZENS, RAISED ON ANALOG, PROVIDED THE MUSIC.
AND IF YOU'VE NEVER HEARD THEM, THEY'RE PRETTY WONDERFUL.
UH, AUGUST 10TH WAS THE SECOND ANNUAL COMMUNITY FUND DAY THAT WAS HELD AT WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, THERE WERE REPRESENTATIVES FROM NOT ONLY EVERY SCHOOL, BUT ALSO MANY O UH, LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, OF COURSE, I SPENT 30 MINUTES IN THE DUNK TANK, AND I THINK I SPENT MORE TIME IN THE WATER THAN ON THAT LEDGE.
UH, I WAS FOLLOWED BY CHIEF MCGILLIS WHO, UH, GOT, UH, HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET A FEW, UH, DIPS IN THE WATER HIMSELF.
AS I RECALL, IT WAS A HOT DAY.
UH, I ALSO WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE THERE GIVING AWAY.
THEY HAD BACKPACKS FILLED WITH SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR THE CHILDREN.
UM, AND REALLY, I JUST WANNA GIVE A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO BLAKE AND COMPANY HAIR SPA BLAKE, ALONG WITH TWO OTHER STYLISTS, UM, FROM HER, UM, BUSINESS OFFERED FREE HAIRCUTS TO CHILDREN.
THEY WERE SET UP CHAIRS THERE, ROBES, UM, AND I THINK THEY ENDED UP DOING MORE THAN 60 HAIRCUTS THAT DAY.
WHEN I LEFT, IT WAS AROUND 60 BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY, THE EVENT ENDED AT TWO.
BUT ANYONE WHO WAS ALREADY SIGNED UP BEFORE IT ENDED, BLAKE AND HER TEAM STAYED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY, UM, THAT THOSE CHILDREN GOT A NEW HAIRCUT TO START OFF THEIR SCHOOL YEAR.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THIS IS WHAT YOU GET IN A SMALL TOWN WITH CARING SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, LIKE BLAKE PIERPOINT AND HER STAFF.
SO PLEASE TELL BLAKE THANK YOU WHEN YOU SEE HER NOW, VALLEY HEALTH.
LAST THING I WANTED TO SHARE, UM, SOME THOUGHTS.
AND IT IS TRUE THAT AT A JULY WORK SESSION, THE TOWN COUNCIL DISCUSSED A RESOLUTION SHOWING SUPPORT FOR EXPANDED MEDICAL CARE, MEDICAL CARE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THAT DISCUSSION CONCLUDED WITH THE TOWN COUNCIL SAYING THAT THEY WANTED TO DISCUSS IT WITH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AT THE UPCOMING TOWN COUNTY LIAISON MEETING.
AS COUNCILMAN WOOD SAID, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT LIAISON MEETING WAS CANCELED.
UM, AND SINCE THAT TIME, UH, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ACTUALLY PASSED THEIR OWN RESOLUTION REGARDING THE SAME TOPIC.
UM, AND OUR TOWN COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS THE RESOLUTION AGAIN IN AN UPCOMING WORK SESSION.
SO, I, I WANTED TO SHARE THAT PERSONALLY, I HAVE NOT HAD NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES WITH VALLEY HEALTH.
IN FACT, ALL OF MY DOCTORS ARE WITH VALLEY HEALTH, AND I'VE ALWAYS FELT CARED FOR.
UM, I WAS ACTUALLY BORN WITH A KIDNEY DISEASE, AND THAT BROUGHT ABOUT MY FIRST SURGERY WHEN I WAS 20TH, THE OLD, UH, WINCHESTER MEDICAL CENTER.
SO WHEN I SAY I'VE BEEN AROUND WITH THEM FOR A WHILE, I HAVE, BUT MY PREGNANCIES WERE HIGH RISK.
SO I DELIVERED BOTH OF THE MY CHILDREN BY C-SECTION OF WINCHESTER MEDICAL CENTER.
MY SON WAS PREMATURE, AND HE WAS IN THE NICU BEFORE HE WAS EVEN AN HOUR OLD.
AND I WAS GRATEFUL FOR, AT THE TIME, THEY'RE NEWLY RENOVATED IN STATE-OF-THE-ART NICU.
AND I WILL FOREVER BE GRATEFUL FOR DR.
CLAWSON IN HER CARE OF MY VERY SICK LITTLE BABY BOY WHO'S NOW 27 AND VERY HEALTHY.
I'VE CONTINUED TO HAVE EXPERIENCES LIKE THAT AND APPLAUD THE MEN AND WOMEN WORKING FOR VALLEY HEALTH WHO CARE FOR THEIR PATIENTS SELFLESSLY.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, I'VE HAD MULTIPLE TESTS OR PROCEDURES.
I LIKE TO TELL PEOPLE THAT WHEN YOU HIT 50, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SEEMS TO COME ON.
UH, AND IT SEEMS LIKE I HAVE MORE DOCTORS THAN I DO FRIENDS SOMETIMES.
UM, I'VE HAD A CT, A RENAL ULTRASOUND, AN X-RAY, A MAMMOGRAM, AN ELECTROCARDIOGRAM, A STRESS TEST, AN MRI AND SEVERAL EKGS.
AND I THINK REALLY ONLY TWO OF THOSE HAPPENED IN WINCHESTER.
THE REST WERE RIGHT HERE AT WARREN MEMORIAL.
IN FACT, ON FRIDAY MORNING WHEN I WOKE UP AND FELT FUNNY AND MY APPLE WATCH TOLD ME THAT I WAS IN AFIB, I IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO WORRY.
AND ALTHOUGH I WAS BACK IN SINUS RHYTHM BY THEN, I STILL CALL MY CARDIOLOGIST.
AND HE WAS AT WAR MEMORIAL THAT DAY.
[02:25:01]
I EXCHANGED SOME OF MY APPLE WATCH READINGS THROUGH THE MYCHART APP AS THEY REQUESTED, AND HE ASKED TO SEE ME THAT DAY.THEY WORKED ME IN, UH, HE RELIEVED ME OF MY FEARS.
WE SCHEDULED A FOLLOW UP, BUT NOT BEFORE HE GAVE ME HIS CELL PHONE NUMBER AND TOLD ME TO CALL HIM IF I NEEDED HIM.
AND FOLKS, I'M JUST GONNA SAY I'M STILL IN AWE OF THAT EXPERIENCE.
I KNOW BACK IN THE DAY, UH, DOCTORS, UM, WOULD GIVE THEIR NUMBERS, BUT, UM, I WOULD, I JUST WAS TOTALLY, UM, TOTALLY IMPRESSED WITH THAT AND VERY APPRECIATIVE.
UH, I NEVER WANT THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WORK FOR VALLEY HEALTH TO THINK THAT I DO NOT APPRECIATE THEM.
SO I SHARE ALL OF THIS TO SAY THAT MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE HAS ALWAYS BEEN POSITIVE.
HOWEVER, IT'S JUST THAT IT, IT'S PERSONAL TO ME AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO LISTEN TO OUR CONSTITUENTS, OUR RESIDENTS, AND THOSE WHO ELECTED US TO OFFICE.
AND WE HAVE HEARD THE CONCERNS OF THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY WHO WANT THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE BIRTH LOCALLY.
UM, AND AFTER ALL, AS WE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT, WE ARE A GROWING COMMUNITY.
SO I, I JUST WANNA SAY THIS WAS NEVER A PERSONAL ATTACK, OR AT LEAST NOT BY ME, BUT RATHER ELECTED OFFICIALS OR DOING THEIR DUE DILIGENCE IN SHARING THE CITIZEN'S CONCERNS.
ULTIMATELY, UH, WE CANNOT FORCE ANY MEDICAL FACILITY TO OFFER CERTAIN SERVICES, AND, AND THAT IS THEIR DECISION.
UM, HOWEVER, IF THERE ARE OTHER PROVIDERS WHO MIGHT WANT TO EXPAND INTO THIS AREA ADDRESSING UNMET NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY, I THINK THE RESOLUTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED MIGHT SHOW, UM, THOSE FOLKS THAT THEY WOULD BE WELCOMED.
SO I APPRECIATE Y'ALL SAYING TO GIVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU ALL.
AND THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS FOR TONIGHT.
SO MOVING ON TO 10
DO WE HAVE A BUSINESS CARD WITH YOU? YES, MA'AM.
[10. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS]
NEXT ITEM IS THE CONSENT AGENDA.UM, DO I HEAR A MOTION, MADAM MAYOR? I MOVE THE COUNCIL APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED, MINUS NUMBER D OR ITEM D.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
AND MS. PRESLEY, CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? VICE MAYOR OCK? YES.
COUNCILMAN WOOD, ADDRESS THAT IN HIS MOTION.
COUNCILMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES.
[11.A. Request to Discontinue, Vacate and Sell a Portion of a Public Alley Behind 125 W. 8th Street Received from Michael D. and Jane M. McCool, Applicant]
OKAY.AND, UM, THAT'S A REQUEST TO DISCONTINUE, VACATE, AND SELL A PORTION OF A PUBLIC ALLEY BEHIND 1 25 WEST EIGHTH STREET RECEIVED FROM MICHAEL D AND JANE AND MCCOOL APPLICANT.
SO COUNSEL, I KNOW YOU'RE ALL AWARE, UM, ABOUT THIS, UH, APPLICATION AND DURING THE JULY 22ND REGULAR MEETING TIME, COUNCIL HELD A PUBLIC HEARING TO RECEIVE PUBLIC INPUT ON A REQUEST TO VACATE AND SELL.
UH, FOLLOWING THE PUBLIC HEARING, COUNSEL VOTED TO APPOINT VIEWERS TO VIEW THE VACATION REQUEST AND TO REPORT TO COUNCIL IN WRITING ANY INCONVENIENCE TO THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD RESULT FROM DISCONTINUANCE OF THE RIGHT OF WAY.
THE VIEWING COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED THAT THE COUNCIL DENY THE APPLICATION DUE TO INCONVENIENCE TO THE PUBLIC, WHICH WOULD RESULT FROM THE LOSS OF PUBLIC ACCESS BY OTHER LANDOWNERS ELABORATING THAT IF APPROVED, SEVERAL EXISTING LANDOWNERS WOULD NO LONGER HAVE PUBLIC ACCESS TO OTHER PORTIONS OF THE ALLEY ADJOINING THEIR PROPERTY.
SO, UM, AS AGAIN, WE'VE HAD A WORK SESSION ON IT, WE'VE HAD TWO WORK SESSIONS AND A PUBLIC HEARING, SO I'M GONNA OPEN IT UP TO COUNCIL AT THIS TIME.
MADAM MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO, UH, MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE APPLICANT, UH, FOR THE VACATION OF THE PUBLIC ALLEY, UM, BEHIND 1 25 WEST EIGHTH STREET, IF THE APPLICANT GRANTS AN EASEMENT TO THE TOWN TO REACH THE FURTHER SECTION OF THE ALLEY TO THEIR WEST.
IS THERE A SECOND, MADAM MAYOR? YES.
THAT MOTION DEPARTS FROM THE ORDINANCE.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE YOUR LEGAL ADVICE IS THAT, THAT THAT MOTION WOULD NOT
[02:30:01]
BE ALLOWABLE.IT WOULD REQUIRE AN AMENDMENT TO THE DRAFT ORDINANCE.
AND I, I, THAT'S SOMETHING I CAN'T DO ON THE FLY.
UM, WELL, FIRST OFF, MAYBE LET'S ASK IF THERE'S A, A SECOND.
IF THERE, IF THERE IS NO SECOND, THEN WE COULD, THE MOTION WOULD DIE.
UM, AND IF, YOU KNOW, IF, IF, YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY WE COULD ALL, YEAH, WE CAN MOTION, WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION IF WE SECOND YEAH, WELL, WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION.
AND THEN WE'D HAVE TO TAKE ACTION ON THAT MOTION.
SO GEORGIA
THE PROPOSED MOTION IS DIRECTLY TIED TO THE DRAFT ORDINANCE, WHICH WAS PART OF THE PUBLIC HEARING THAT'S ALREADY OCCURRED.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW TO AMEND A, THAT ORDINANCE, WHICH IS WHAT THE MOTION WOULD CALL FOR WITHOUT STARTING ALL OVER WITH A PUBLIC HEARING.
SO IF THERE'S NO SECOND, THEN THE MOTION WOULD DIE.
IS THERE A SECOND ON THAT MOTION? UH, I, I'LL SECOND IT FOR DISCUSSION.
I'M, I'M GONNA GIVE COUNCILMAN WOOD.
UM, THE REASON I MADE THE MOTION, UH, AND THE REASON WHY I ASKED YOU, MADAM MAYOR, TO PUT THIS ON A FUTURE AGENDA, THE WHOLE ALLEYWAY VACATION POLICY, UH, COSTS THE APPLICANT AN ASTRONOMICAL AMOUNT OF MONEY.
AND THIS CASE, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR.
OUR STAFF WENT ON THE PROPERTY IN APRIL AND SAW NO ISSUES WITH THIS.
THE APPLICANT HAS BEEN MAINTAINING THIS LAND FOR NUMEROUS YEARS.
AND, UM, I BELIEVE THAT, UM, UH, MR. WALTZ WOULD AGREE THAT THE ALLEYWAY IS CLOGGED, IT'S OVERRUN, GROWN UP WITH BUILDINGS ON IT.
IT'S NOT A FUNCTIONAL ALLEYWAY.
AND THE ONLY LOGIC THAT I UNDERSTAND THE VIEWING COMMITTEE SAID AND DENYING IT WOULD BE WE COULDN'T ACCESS THE FURTHEREST.
AND CORRECT ME, MR. WATSON, IF I'M WRONG HERE, COULD NOT ACCESS THE FURTHEREST TWO LOTS IF A TREE OR SOMETHING WOULD FALL OVER ON SOMEONE'S PROPERTY.
THE, THE APPLICANT, AS I UNDERSTAND, WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO BRING IN EQUIPMENT TO WORK IN HIS BACKYARD, BUT THE, THE ALLEYWAY IS NOT YOU, YOU CAN'T WALK THROUGH IT.
AND I THINK COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT COULD SPEAK TO THAT.
SO I'M TRYING TO FIND A WIN-WIN SCENARIO THAT WE PUT THIS PERSON THROUGH ALL THIS TIME, TROUBLE AND EXPENSE AND MULTIPLE MEETINGS.
AND IT'S BECAUSE OF OUR OWN FAILURE TO DO SOMETHING WITH THIS ALLEYWAY YEARS AGO.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT OUR CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, BUT WE HAVE A, A MESS THERE.
WE CAN'T TRANSVERSE THROUGH THE ALLEY.
WE HAVE SHEDS AND BUILDINGS ON OUR ALLEY.
SO TO DENY HIS REQUEST FOR SOMETHING THAT ADMITTEDLY, I THINK WE'D LIKE THE WHOLE ALLEY TO BE TAKEN OVER AND MAINTAINED AND GET US OFF OF.
WELL, WE'RE NOT MAINTAINING IT ANYWAY, BUT THAT'S MY CONCERN ABOUT THIS.
I'M TRYING TO FIND A WORKAROUND THAT WE CAN ALLOW THIS TO GO THROUGH.
AND YET IN, IN THE WORLD OF, WELL, WHAT IF THAT TREE FALLS DOWN OVER THERE, WE COULD STILL GET TO IT TO CUT IT UP OR TO REMOVE IT OFF SOMEONE ELSE'S PROPERTY.
THAT'S MY WHOLE SPIEL ON THAT.
I THINK THAT'S, WELL, MY, MY TAKE IS ON THIS IS THAT, UH, I MEAN, COUNCIL WOODS GOT A GOOD POINT, BUT I THINK WE GO BACK TO WHAT GEORGE JUST SAID, THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED AT THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND RIGHT NOW, I THINK WE'RE IN A SPOT WHERE WE EITHER DENY IT OR APPROVE IT.
AND IF THAT POINT OF DISCUSSION WAS THERE, I MEAN, THE APPLICANT'S NOT HERE.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK I'VE SEEN THE APPLICANT HERE SINCE, YOU KNOW, A, A PRIOR MEETING, UH, TO, TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.
BUT THE, THE, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS IT THE, THE LAND WILL BE LA LANDLOCKED AND IT, IT'S, WHETHER WE THINK ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S GONNA HAPPEN, IF SOMETHING DOES HAPPEN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S STUCK.
I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, IF, IF OUR ATTORNEY HERE IS TELLING US THAT WE'D HAVE TO REWRITE, YOU KNOW, WE'D HAVE TO BASICALLY DO ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING
[02:35:01]
AND, AND THEN DO A DRAFT ACCORDING TO A DRAFT ORDINANCE, UM, YOU KNOW, THEN WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE STARTING RIGHT BACK TOGETHER.SO IF, IF WE DON'T GO BY ONE OF THE TWO MOTIONS THAT ARE PRESENTED, I THINK WE'RE GONNA OPEN UP A CAN OF WORMS FOR WHAT, WHAT COULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, LATER FOR, FOR FUTURE FUTURE VACATION REQUESTS.
LIKE I SAID, I'VE, I'VE BEEN THROUGH THERE MYSELF.
IT'S, IT'S PRETTY MUCH UNUSABLE LAND, BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, UNLESS THERE WOULD'VE BEEN A WAY TO DO THIS SOONER TO MENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, I JUST, I JUST THINK WE'RE STUCK IN EITHER DENY IT OR APPROVE IT.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S MY TAKE ON IT.
IF IT CAN'T BE VACATED IN WHOLE, WHICH HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP SEVERAL TIMES BY OUR STAFF TO SAY THAT WAS A CONCERN THAT IT WOULD BE LANDLOCKED, UH, THEN MY TAKE IS WE SHOULD JUST DENY IT, YOU KNOW, UNLESS THERE'S A WAY OF OPENING IT ALL UP, YOU KNOW, UNLESS WE VACATE THAT WHOLE SECTION.
UM, THEN, THEN THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S JUST WHAT THE VIEWING COMMITTEE, WHICH WE ALL, WE, WHICH WE AGREED, UM, WE HAD A CONSENSUS ON AGREEING TO FOR THEM TO, TO DO.
AND, AND THEY SAID THE SAME THING.
SO BOTH OUR TOWN STAFF AND THE VIEWING STAFF HAVE GONE ON RECORD TO ADDRESS THE EXACT SAME CONCERN.
SO THAT'S NOT GONNA GO AWAY BY, JUST BY US TRYING TO MAKE A MOTION UP HERE THAT IT'S GONNA PROBLEMATICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, BE AN ISSUE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA CROSS BE PROBLEMATIC, I SHOULD SAY, IN THE FUTURE FOR IF OUR ATTORNEYS UP HERE IS TELLING US THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE QUESTIONABLE.
SO WHY OPEN UP THAT CAN OF WORMS WHEN WE JUST LEAVE IT AT, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR RIGHT NOW, JUST LEAVE IT AS A YES OR NO.
SO I, I WANTED TO ASK TOWN STAFF.
I, I, I DON'T, I DON'T REMEMBER YOU ALL RECOMMENDING THAT WE APPROVE THIS.
DID I, I DIDN'T REMEMBER THAT CONVERSATION.
NO, MA UM, JUST ADD SOME CLARIFICATION.
I THINK WHAT YOU SAW IN THE REPORT WERE DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS SAYING THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY, UH, ISSUES WITH IT.
STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION IS STILL NOT TO VACATE THIS ALLEY BECAUSE IT WOULD CREATE A NON-CONFORMING LOT WE WOULD HAVE NO ACCESS TO.
ALL I, I, I JUST, THAT'S WHAT I, THAT CONFUSED ME.
I, I KNEW THE ENERGY SERVICE AND STUFF.
PEOPLE SAID THERE WEREN'T THINGS IN THERE.
SO, UM, I MEAN, WE CAN DISCUSS THIS FURTHER.
IF, IF THERE'S GONNA BE MUCH MORE DISCUSSION, I WOULD ASK THAT WE POP SOMETHING UP ON THE SCREEN SO PEOPLE CAN SEE WHERE IT IS, IF THAT'S EVEN NECESSARY.
MAYOR, IF I, IF I CAN, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND WHERE, WHERE COUNCILMAN WOOD IS COMING FROM.
UH, AS I WALKED IT AND IT BECAME CLEAR TO ME, UH, WE HAVE NO ACCESS ON THE WEST SIDE THAT THERE'S A, THERE'S NO ACCESS.
UH, WE HAVE SOME NOW ON THE, ON THE EAST SIDE, WE HAVE SOME WORK TO DO.
AND, UH, AND I, I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT STAFF IS GOING TO ADDRESS THOSE.
UM, BUT WITH THAT SAID, THE FACT THAT, THAT WE HAVE NO ACCESS ON THE WEST SIDE, IF WE, IF WE DO GRANT THIS, THEN WE, WE GOT A PROBLEM.
SO, UM, A OUTTA COURTESY, I WAS GIVING, UH, UH, COUNCILMAN WOOD THE FLOOR SO THAT HE COULD ADDRESS HIS CONCERNS.
NO, MY, MY COMMENT WAS JUST GONNA BE MY RECOLLECTION WAS THAT, UM, STAFF HAD HAD POINTED OUT THE LANDLOCK ISSUE EARLY ON, UM, WHEN WE DISCUSSED IT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU DISCUSSED IT WITH, WITH THE APPLICANT EARLY ON.
DO YOU, EM, DO YOU KNOW WHETHER YOU, WHETHER YOU COMMUNICATED THAT THAT WOULD BE A PROBLEM TO HIM? I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.
WE DID, STAFF DID TAKE THE POSITION OF TRYING TO NOTIFY ALL THE ADJOINING PROPERTY OWNERS IN THAT ALLEY, WHICH WAS 22 PROPERTY OWNERS.
OF THOSE 22 PROPERTY OWNERS, ONE OWNER CALLED BACK AND NEVER RETURNED MY PHONE CALL.
SO WE GOT NO PARTICIPATION OR ENGAGEMENT FROM ANY OF THOSE CITIZENS OUT THERE, AND THEY RECEIVED CERTIFIED LETTERS.
AND AS I RECALL, AT ONE POINT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE WORK SESSION, THAT IF THE OTHER PROPERTY OWNERS ON THE WEST SIDE WOULD'VE, YOU KNOW, IF THEY WERE INTERESTED IN HAVING THAT PORTION VACATED AND TO TAKE IT OVER, THEN YOU KNOW, THAT THAT WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
BUT AS, AS TOWN MANAGER, WALT SAID, NONE OF THEM SEEM TO, UM, SEEM TO RESPOND.
UM, IF THERE'S, IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY, SO WE ACTUALLY NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON THE MOTION ON
[02:40:01]
THE FLOOR, UM, WHICH IS EVERYBODY FAMILIAR WITH WHAT THAT MOTION WAS? OKAY, MS. PRESLEY, THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR IS TO APPROVE THE, UM, APPROVE THIS IF THE APPLICANT GRANTS AN EASEMENT TO THE TOWN, TO THE WEST.I GOT A QUESTION FIRST, GEORGE, IS THAT A FAIR MOTION OR THAT CAN'T BE MADE? WELL, THE MOTION CAN BE MADE.
THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT IT WOULD AFFECT THE ORDINANCE, THE DRAFT ORDINANCE THAT'S ON ACCOMPANIES THIS ACTION.
SO IT'S NOT LEGAL FOR US TO, WHICH HAS ALREADY GONE TO A PUBLIC HEARING, RIGHT? RIGHT.
SO IF THE ORDINANCES CHANGED, WE GO BACK TO ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING.
SO THIS MOTION SHOULDN'T STAND THEN.
IT COULDN'T STAND IS WHAT HE'S SAYING.
COUNCILWOMAN DE DEMON PAYNE? NO.
SO THAT MOTION FAILS AT THIS TIME.
I WOULD ENTERTAIN, UH, ANOTHER MOTION IN REGARDS TO THIS.
UH, MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL DENY THE REQUEST FROM THE APPLICANT.
SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION? I BELIEVE THE DISCUSSION PROBABLY HAPPENED WITH THE PREVIOUS MOTION, SO I WOULD JUST SAY DITTO AND WE'LL, IF, UNLESS ANYBODY WANTS TO ADD SOMETHING TO IT.
UM, ALRIGHT, SO ANYBODY ELSE WANNA ADD ANYTHING TO IT? OKAY, LET'S TAKE HEY, THE MOTION TO DENY THE REQUEST FROM THE APPLICANT CO.
COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED EVER WHILE I'VE BEEN SITTING AT THIS DIOCESE ON A REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, BUT SINCE THERE IS NO CLOSED, WE ARE GOING TO ADJOURN.
DOES IT? I CAN, I CAN GET THE TACO BELL.