[I. CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:05]
SEVEN O'CLOCK, UM, CALL THIS MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO ORDER.
AND OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM IS, UH, SAYS IN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT, NOT, UH, I ASSOCIATED WITH THE PUBLIC HEARING TODAY.
SO IS THERE ANY, ANY CITIZEN COMMENTS? OKAY.
[III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
WE WOULD, NEXT IS APPROVAL OF MINUTES.IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS WRITTEN ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY HI, AND THAT'S OUR APPROVED.
[IV. PUBLIC HEARING: FRREZON2013-2020]
THE NEXT ITEM IS A PUBLIC HEARING ON F R R E Z O N TWO OH ONE THREE DASH TWO OH TWO OH EIGHT.REZONING APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL AND THE COUNTY OF WARREN ALSO REFERRED TO AS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TO REZONE, APPROXIMATELY 62.7 ACRES FROM THE R ONE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT TO THE I TWO INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYMENT, UH, DISTRICT.
UM, WOULD, UH, MR. WILSON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON THAT? YES, SIR.
MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT THAT WAS A GOOD SUMMARY.
UH, WHAT WE DO HAVE HERE THIS EVENING FOR THE COMMISSION'S, UH, PUBLIC HEARING AND RECOMMENDATION IS A REZONING OF PROPERTY, UH, FROM RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT R ONE TWO INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT.
I TO, UH, THE PROPERTY IS ACTUALLY TO THE WEST OF HAPPY CREEK TECHNOLOGY PARK AND WOULD ACTUALLY BE CONSIDERED, UH, AN EXTENSION OF THAT, OF THAT PARK, UH, THE FRONT ROYAL AND WARREN COUNTY EDA.
UH, AS YOU MENTIONED, THEY ARE LOOKING TO, UH, EXPAND THIS PARK TO IMPROVE ITS STATUS WITH THE STATE.
UM, MOVING IT UP A TIER SYSTEM, UH, TO TRY TO HELP, UH, WITH THE MARKETING AND SO FORTH OF, UH, OF THIS PROPERTY FOR, FOR FUTURE PROSPECTS.
UH, STAFF HAS LOOKED AT IT AND IF WE COULD, UM, AS FAR AS, UM, A VISUAL ON THIS, THE ZONING MAP THAT IS, UH, LOCATED IN THE, AND THE STAFF REPORT ON PAGE TWO, I THINK IS PROBABLY A VERY GOOD DEPICTION OF, UH, THE SURROUNDING PARCELS AND THE ZONING THERE.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN SEE A PROSPECT DRIVE GOING THROUGH THE EXISTING, UH, INDUSTRIAL PARK AREA.
AND, UH, THE TOP PARCEL THERE, UH, JOINED THE WEST WOULD BE THE PROPERTY FOR THE PROPOSED REZONING.
THE, THE APPLICANT HAS ALSO SUBMITTED, UH, PROPERS WITH THIS REZONING.
UH, THERE ARE IN THERE FOR YOU TO READ, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY ARE, UH, PROBABLY FAIRLY MINIMUM IN NATURE.
UH, PERHAPS ONE OF THE MORE IMPORTANT, UH, PROPERS WOULD BE, UH, THE DEDICATION OF, OF BROADWAY FOR THE EXTENSION OF PROGRESS DRIVE IN THE EVENT THAT THE EAST-WEST CONNECTOR, UH, EVER COMES, UH, TO BE IN THIS NORTHEASTERN PORTION OF THE TOWN, THAT WOULD BE AN IMPORTANT LINK.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN THE PROFFERS.
AND, BUT THAT SAID STAFF WOULD BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY, ANY QUESTIONS THE, THE COMMISSION MAY HAVE, I BELIEVE MR. GORDON WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A STATEMENT.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, I HAVE CONSULTED WITH DOUG NAPIER, THE TOWN ATTORNEY REGARDING THE FACT THIS REZONING APPLICATION BY THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IS BEFORE THE FRONT WORLD PLANNING COMMISSION.
I INFORMED MR. NAPIER THAT MY WIFE, MELISSA GORDON IS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE EDA.
I INFORMED MR. NAPIER THAT NEITHER MY WIFE, NOR I, NOR ANY MEMBER OF MY FAMILY WILL RECEIVE ANY FINANCIAL BENEFIT OR PENALTY FROM WHETHER OR NOT THE RESENTING APPLICATION IS GRANTED OR NOT.
I TOLD MR. NAPIER FROM MY NON-LAWYERS PERSPECTIVE, I DID NOT THINK I HAD A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
ALTHOUGH I DID UNDERSTAND IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE VIEWED BY SOME, AS CREATING BAD OPTICS, IF NOT TREATED PROPERLY, WHICH I DID NOT WANT EITHER FOR THE TOWN, FOR THE EDA OR MY WIFE OR ME PERSONALLY, I ASKED MR. NAPIER FROM HIS LEGAL ADVICE FOR HIS LEGAL ADVICE IN THIS SITUATION, MR. NAPIER ADVISED ME THAT LEGALLY AND ETHICALLY, I DO NOT HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST UNDER THE VIRGINIA STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONFLICTS OF INTEREST ACT.
HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT WHILE HE DOES NOT REPRESENT MY WIFE, IF MY WIFE WERE TO REQUEST INDEPENDENT ADVICE OF ANOTHER ATTORNEY, MR. NAPIER IS CONFIDENT THAT THE OTHER ATTORNEY WOULD ADVISE MY WIFE, THAT SHE HAS NO CONFLICT
[00:05:01]
OF INTEREST LEGALLY OR ETHICALLY UNDER THE ACT.EITHER I FURTHER STATE, I AM ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS REZONING APPLICATION REQUESTS BY THE EDA FAIRLY OBJECTIVELY AND THE PUBLIC INTEREST.
I FURTHER STATE, I REQUEST THAT MS. CONNIE POTTER RECORD THIS DECLARATION AND THE WRITTEN MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND FILE MY SIGNED WRITTEN DECLARATION WITH TINA PRESLEY, THE CLERK OF THE TOWN OF TOWN COUNCIL FRONT ROW, VIRGINIA.
I'D LIKE TO NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING TO ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON THIS APPLICATION.
UM, THEN WE WILL, UM, LET'S SEE, UH, I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING THEN.
AND, UM, SEE IF, UH, WE HAVE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS BY OTHER COMMISSIONERS ABOUT THIS.
I MIGHT ADD, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAD PREPARED TO, UM, APPROVE, BUT HAD THE UNFORTUNATE SITUATION OF NOT GETTING A, HAVING A QUORUM.
SO WE HAVE LOOKED AT THIS BEFORE, SO, OKAY.
WELL, IF THERE'S NO QUESTIONS THEN PERHAPS SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION MERCHANT.
UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, UM, I MOVED THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION ISSUE AT RECOMMENDATION FOR APPROVAL, THE TOWN COUNCIL FOR F R R E Z O N 2013, 2020.
ANY OTHER, UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS YOU WERE JUST ASK MR. CHAIRMAN, JUST FOR, TO MAKE SURE FOR CLARIFICATION OF THE MOTION, WOULD THAT INCLUDE THE ACCEPTANCE OF ALL VOLUNTARY PROFFERS IS OFFERED? RIGHT.
MY MOTION FOR THAT, I WOULD SAY JUST TO STATE THAT AS PART AND MAKE IT INCLUSIVE OF THE MOTION, MR. CHAIRMAN, I WOULD LIKE TO AMEND MY MOTION TO INCLUDE THAT WE ACCEPT THE PROFFERS AS SUBMITTED WITH THIS APPLICATION.
THAT'S PART OF THEN CAN YOU CALL US PAUL GORDON? YES.
I MEAN, VICE CHAIRMAN, MCFADDEN, EXCUSE ME.
THE MOTION IS PASSED AND, UH, WE, UM, THE NEXT ITEM IS CONSENT AGENDA.
WE HAVE NOTHING TO THE PLANNING
[VIII. PLANNING DIRECTOR’S REPORT]
DIRECTOR'S REPORT.WE HAVE SOMETHING, UH, I, UM, I DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING YET, UH, AFTER SIX WEEKS, OTHER THAN SAY I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT.
I'VE BEEN VERY WELL-RECEIVED, I'VE GOT SOME VERY GOOD PEOPLE HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL TO ME, UH, AND THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
AND IT'S, UH, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE.
AND WE DID HAVE MR. CHAIR, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE QUESTION OF, UH, MR. WILSON, PLEASE.
UM, WE DO HAVE AN OPENING ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION DUE TO THE RESIGNATION OF, UH, DR.
UH, IS THERE ANY MOVEMENT ON REPLACEMENT THAT YOU KNOW OF AT THIS POINT? UH, UH, ACTUALLY RIGHT NOW, I BELIEVE THAT THAT COUNCIL IS LOOKING AT TWO.
I BELIEVE THAT THERE'S ONE TERM OF ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS THAT IS COMING UP FAIRLY SOON AND WE DO HAVE THE UNEXPIRED TERM, UH, THAT HAS TO BE PLACED.
SO THEY'RE, UM, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, FOR TWO MEMBERS.
UH, THE LAST CONVERSATION I HAD WITH THE TOWN CLERK IS THAT, UH, SHE HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY APPLICATIONS THUS FAR OR POTENTIAL PLANNING COMMISSIONER.
AND I KNOW THAT AT THE, UH, AT THE COUNCIL MEETING, UH, UH, AT A PREVIOUS MEETING, I KNOW THAT THE TOWN MANAGER, YOU KNOW, DID MAKE A PUBLIC PITCH, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGING CITIZENS TO APPLY, SUBMIT APPLICATION.
UH, SO COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, COULD HAVE A POOL OF APPLICANTS TO, UH, HOPEFULLY SELECT FROM, THANK YOU, MR. HILL.
UM, ARE THERE ANY COMMISSION MEMBER REPORTS?
[00:10:08]
OKAY.THEN THAT'S ALL THE BUSINESS THAT WE HAVE.
IF WE CAN HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.