Candidate for Purcellville Special Election Q&A-Caleb Stought

Caleb Stought works from home as a software engineer, and in his spare time he studies history and does CrossFit. He has also served in the military for 10 years as a linguist, speaking Spanish, French, Arabic, and Persian. Stought lives in Mayfair with his wife and two daughters. They are expecting a third daughter in September.

Blue Ridge Leader: Why are you running for town council?

Caleb Stought: Service to others is a big part of my life and my family’s life. I served as a military linguist for 10 years, and my family and I enjoy serving in our church and our local community. My family and I also love living in Purcellville. It’s a special town where you can cheer for the local baseball team and then take your kids roller skating. 

If we want to preserve this special town for future generations, we must be good stewards of it now. This means engaging in responsible management of our town’s resources, staff, and money. I’m running for Town Council because I want to serve and preserve this town we all love.

I believe I will be effective as a council member because I am able to listen to people with different perspectives and understand their viewpoints. I always show respect to people even when I disagree with them. I also seek to draw conclusions from facts, rather than only accepting facts that support preconceived notions. 

As a councilmember, I will work hard to build good relationships with town staff, the local business community, and other local governments. We can’t get the results we want by attacking the people we disagree with. We are all neighbors, not enemies.

BRL: Is the Rt.7/690 Interchange good for the town; why or why not?

Caleb Stought: The 7/690 Interchange will be a tremendous benefit to the town. Town consultants and an independent study by VDOT have both confirmed the importance of the 7/690 Interchange for alleviating traffic congestion in town. The interchange will help reduce in-town traffic congestion by providing an additional outlet for cars to get to Route 7. Additionally, completion of the 7/690 Interchange will help get work started on the 7/287 Interchange, which is another important traffic improvement for our town.

Throughout the planning process, staff at both the town and county level have worked diligently to ensure the interchange does not negatively impact the floodplain. The hydrologic and hydraulic analysis shows that the interchange is not causing an increase in the Base Flood Elevation. The town has also confirmed that the project conforms with the requirements of the Town’s Floodplain Ordinance.

With the start of school, our most heavily traveled intersections are experiencing gridlock. All it takes is a drive along Hirst Rd or Main St at rush hour during the school year to understand how important this interchange is for Purcellville.

BRL: Do you support the Vineyard Square project on 21^st Street which is approved for a 6-story commercial and 40 condo building – and the extension of O Street to support it?

Caleb Stought: This project has already been approved by the town. Therefore, my goal with this project is to work with the owners to ensure the project fits the character of historic downtown Purcellville. This would mean working to ensure the building’s scale and architecture are consistent with the look and feel of historic downtown. It would also mean working with the project owners so that the street facing shops and restaurants become a contributing part of the local business community, not competition to it. Overall, the project should contribute to the character and economic activity of 21^st street, not detract from it.

As for O Street, I do not support extending it as this would be an unnecessary expenditure by the town. There are other transportation projects in town, particularly sidewalk projects that contribute to walkability, where that money would go to much better use.

BRL: Do you support the north west corner of 287 and Rt. 7 Cardinal Corner proposal?

Caleb Stought:This project was presented very recently to council and is still in the preliminary planning stages. What we know so far is it will include a small boutique hotel, a year-round farmer’s market, and a locally sourced farm to table restaurant. If done well, I believe this project has the potential to provide services to the community that are not currently available.

However, regarding annexation, I do not believe the town should support annexing this property unless we have the water capacity to support it. There are projects in town limits that will be built in the next few years. We must ensure that Purcellville has the infrastructure it needs to support what is currently within town limits before we consider any annexations. 

Our most recent water supply study projected a 100k gallon per day deficit by 2025. Unless we can guarantee utility services to current and planned in-town requirements, I would not support this annexation.

BRL: Would you support the annexation of the Kuhn property located on Purcellville Road?

Caleb Stought:As with the previous question, I do not believe the town should support annexing this property unless we have the water capacity to support it. Unless we can guarantee utility services to current and planned in-town requirements, I would not support this annexation.

BRL: How would you help keep utility rate increases to a minimum?

Caleb Stought: Utility rates should be set commensurately with the cost the town incurs to provide utility services. Rates should not be raised higher than needed, as this puts an undue financial burden on town residents. Rates should also not be artificially suppressed, as this typically provides a short-term benefit but costs residents more money in the long run. Any necessary rate increases should be done in a consistent and sustainable manner. This helps the town and its residents plan for the future.

There are town projects currently in the planning phase that will be built in the next few years. These projects will contribute financially to our utility systems but will also require services provided by the town. It is critical that we work to shape these projects to ensure they strengthen the financial health of the town rather than weaken it.