“As a council member it’s my duty to prioritize the well-being of our citizens” –Vice Mayor Chris Bertaut

By Valerie Cury

The Oct. 24 Purcellville Town Council meeting was full of back-and-forth discussion, but two issues stood out above the others. The first is the approval of an easement which would align Fields Farm Road to Mayfair Crown Drive but not join them together. Both roads would be separated by 120 to 140 feet. The second is the discussion of the Vineyard Square project, which was put back on the agenda by Mayor Stan Milan, who said he has a possible new vision for the plan.

Regarding Vineyard Square, Milan said he put the 21st Street topic on the agenda because he wanted to talk about the area. “I was just going to inform the council that the town manager and I met with Mr. Chapman on 21st Street, and talked about some options for the Vineyard Square [project] and the vision I have for the downtown.”

He said, “That downtown area needs to be revised, revitalized.” Milan said the Chapmans own a “majority of the property in that area.
We discussed the modification to the Vineyard Square.” 

Milan said he was “hoping to get an update from the planning commission liaison” regarding Chapman’s presentation to the planning commission. 

The Chapmans presented the same plan to the planning commission as they presented to the town council in September. They suggested decreasing the condo portion from 40 condos to 36. They would change the project from one large building into the retail building going on 21st Street and then put 4 condo buildings at 4 stories each behind the retail building.

In June or July 2024, the permits to build this approved 6-story project on 21st Street should expire unless the town’s zoning administrator approves another extension. Or there’s a possibility of lobbying the General Assembly to pass legislation to extend the project. The project has been extended twice this way.

If the project were to expire, then the applicant would have to present something that is in line with the C-4 District. The C-4 District does not allow for either multifamily in the area, or a 6-story building. 

The Vineyard Square’s permits were allowed by a town council vote over 12 years ago during Robert W. Lazaro’s tenure as mayor. The town council, the town attorney and the town manager did not comment on the fact that multifamily is not allowed in the district. A comprehensive plan and a zoning amendment were also never done.

The Lazaro council also overruled the Board of Architectural Review Committee which voted to recommend three stories and to preserve one brick façade building on 21st Street.

Milan said they looked at the Valley Business Park, which is owned by the Chapmans and their investors, and said he discussed affordable housing, office, commercial and residential for that area. 

He said they also went to Vulcan Materials Company, which is behind Dragon Yong In Martial Arts on 21st Street. Milan said this location would be “an ideal place for a condo” due to the proximity of both 690 and Hatcher Avenue.

“It was all discussion; nothing is firmed up,” said Milan. “I am looking for a comprehensive revitalization of the downtown area.”

Council Member Boo Bennett said she “would like to see the citizens involved in discussions. I will just say about condos, there’s not multifamily housing [allowed]in that area.”

Milan said it would require a rezoning, then it’s up to the town council. Bennett answered, “First it starts at the planning commission.”

“Well whatever,” said Milan. “It’s an idea. I don’t understand when I say things it’s gospel … It’s just an idea.”

Milan said they would be getting input from the town citizens because the Chapmans did “charettes and all that other stuff when they did Vineyard Square.”

The Chapmans did not do a charette for the Vineyard Square project. 

“Before anything is even implemented and put to paper, we check with the citizens to make sure it’s in line with what they desire,” said Milan.

He said the citizens are “involved. They are hearing what we are saying and they can weigh in on what we say.” 

“It doesn’t really seem,” said Bennett, “there’s anything to discuss. This developer has had these permits and these rights. Supposedly he went through a process. So we are waiting for it to be built,” said Bennett.

Easements for the town water tower

The second issue discussed was concerning the easements for the water tower. When Mayfair town resident Dan Carvill asked council if the county had removed the Northern Collector Road from its County Transportation Plan, Mayor Milan said “a letter was sent to the county” they “came back and said there would be no connection.” 

“So it’s dead, right?” asked Carvill. There was no answer.

In a letter dated Sept. 19 to Town Manager Rick Bremseth, County Administrator Tim Hemstreet said that it would take a Board vote to remove the Northern Collector Road from the County Transportation Plan.

At the June 13 Town Council meeting, council deferred the approval of drainage easements the county had negotiated for discharge of stormwater in the vicinity of Mayfair Crown Drive near their cul-de-sac. At the time, the reason given for these easements was vague and council asked for more time. 

At that same June 13 meeting when council went into executive session, the Blue Ridge Leader asked Dale Lehnig, Director of Engineering, Planning and Development, and Andrea Broshkevitch, GIS and Special Projects Coordinator, why the easements were needed. They said it was for the extension of Mayfair Crown Drive to Fields Farm Park Road, and the county needed a second entrance and exit to the school complex.

At the Oct. 24 meeting, both Lehnig and Broshkevitch said the easements are needed for both access to the school and the town’s proposed water storage tank. 

Milan said he spoke with engineering and they said the easement is for drainage only. They have no plans to connect Fields Farm Road to Mayfair Crown Drive. 

Looking at the plat of the proposed Fields Farm Road, only approximately 120 to 140 ft. separates the road from a Mayfair Crown Drive extension.

Mayfair resident Dan Carvill asked if there were any plans to move the access road further away from the Mayfair development. 

Milan said the engineers told him if they move the road west it would encroach on the boundary for town property. “The answer is no,” said Milan.

Vice Mayor Chris Bertaut said that the tank is needed to provide additional water pressure for the entire town system. “It would also allow for maintenance for the 1-million-gallon fresh water storage tank which is quite old.” 

“Citizens have expressed their concern that granting easements for drainage in the vicinity of Mayfair will pave the way to eventually connecting Mayfair Crown Drive with a Northern Collector Road which is still not off the County Wide Transportation Plan. [It would go] from there all the way to Rt. 690, making Mayfair Crown Drive a thoroughfare through a residential community. So this gives rise to questions about the drainage and construction easements.”

“As a council member it’s my duty to prioritize the well-being of our citizens,” said Bertaut.

The project must be completed by December 2026 and obligated by December 2024. The funding is through ARPA funding and is estimated to cost $3.746 million.

Lehnig said the county needs the drainage easements. “They are drainage easements only that will convey stormwater from the Fields Farm Road and the school access road.”

Council Member Ron Rise Jr. said, “I understand the rationale and I’m not a civil engineer, I am a software engineer, but from a person looking at this and I think why there’s discussion about this – is what it looks like. It looks presumptuous. When I saw that [plat] the first thing that I thought, it looks suspect. I know that’s what other people are going to think also.”

Bertaut said the right of way is “fairly large, so I would ask that we determine what the actual minimum requirement is under state standards.”

Broshkevitch said Fields Farm Road wouldn’t just open up between the end of the road and the Mayfair Crown Drive cul-de-sac. “There will be traffic delineators up there, barricades and signs and such.”

Milan said the communities’ concern is that they’re saying the easement is just the camel’s nose under the tent to make connection to Mayfair Crown Drive. 

Lehnig said, “If the town council would deny the approval of these easements, then we may not be able to meet the deadlines.” 

“So I’ve heard a couple of times,” said Bennett, “that you are passionate about the project. We all understand that. But I am passionate about that road not going through and I have been sitting up here for 10 months.

“Just about every project that comes up here for us to discuss and vote on is last minute and it carries this threat of lost funds and lost opportunity. I don’t know.  Is that more of a lost opportunity for these people that own homes and have families? So I’m pretty darn passionate myself.”