New firehouse approved to be built on Philomont Horse Show Grounds
By Reed Carver
Alternate sites will no longer be considered for the Philomont Fire Station, according to a motion passed on Tuesday, April 9, during a Finance/Government Operations and Economic Development Committee meeting.
On April 10, at the Board of Supervisors Public Hearing, the Board voted unanimously to approve the station to be built on the Horse Show Grounds. The Philomont Volunteer Fire Department will donate the site to the County.
Before the vote, County staff, architect Paul Erickson, and Chief Keith Johnson of Loudoun County Combined Fire & Rescue System briefly reviewed the design, which was the original fire station plan considered by the BOS in January.
The design is based on local barn and equestrian aesthetics. It is on Snickersville Turnpike, set back 222 feet. Varying roof lines will help reduce the profile, as per the Rural Historic Village Design Guidelines.
In addition, oil-grit separators will be present to filter run-off before it enters the stormwater systems, they summarized.
Supervisor Laura TeKrony (D-Little River) asked if the site could be used as a dual-purpose property for community use and the PVFD. Johnson said no, because vehicles rushing out in an emergency could endanger people who would be there for recreational purposes.
He also said the justification for the location is based on response times, which are based on area population. He also said the design manual dictates the size of the station.
Two members of the PVFD spoke in favor of using the Horse Show Grounds for the site. One of the members added that they could possibly support the County converting the existing station for community use.
Local resident Erin Gable said this type of project is not right for Philomont. She is worried about the condition of local wells, and she has not been assured how the risks can be mitigated. It was selected, she said, only because the site was offered for free. She also said the PVFD, who also owns the current station, will not give the property to the County for renovation. Therefore that is one of the reasons for choosing the Horse Show Grounds.
John Benedict said the Horse Show Grounds are central to the identity of Philomont. He said the County may regret losing its historic places and traditions in the near future. Stephen Price added that Philomont is part of the Virginia Register of Historic Places, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. He added that the history of the Horse Show Grounds contributed to that registration.
PVFD assistant chief Peter West said he supports building on the Grounds, because they meet all the requirements for a new station. He said the historical registration seemed to be devised to block the building of a new station.
Addressing the fact that an EMS unit is not at the current station, Philomont resident Madeline Skinner said there has been an ambulance parked in the existing Philomont station for years. She said the PVFD tried to block the historic designation. The Grounds date from 1961; it is against the comprehensive plan to build this, she said. She expects the County will be responsible to convert the existing station for community use.
PVFD Chief Richard Pearsall noted he was a 27-year member of the department. He said further delay is risking the safety of the first responders and the community.
Supervisor Caleb Kershner (R-Catoctin) made the motion to approve the site. He explained that he came from a small town, so he understood how the community is attached to both the Grounds and the current fire station. “This really, really pains me, making this motion,” he said.
Tekrony said the health of first responders is a priority. However, the County does need to re-think how they chose sites in rural areas, and they need to consult the Heritage Commission in the process. She also said the community needs to be involved from the beginning in the decision-making. “This should be a unifying event, not a dividing event. There is a lack of consensus in the community,” she said.
Supervisor Matt Letourneau (R-Dulles) concluded, “The reality is there are no perfect sites … we have to look at the big picture.” He argued that the Aldie Fire Station ended up in a place people liked, but fire fighters were in a bad situation for two BOS terms [eight years], and there is a human cost to that delay. He didn’t want to let that happen again.
Comments
Any name-calling and profanity will be taken off. The webmaster reserves the right to remove any offensive posts.
So much to say about many of the statements made in this article. First, there is NO difference in response time, Chief Johnson was asked this question more than once at county meetings and he stated that there was no difference in response time with the .4-mile distance from current firehouse. What is more important is the fact that per a National Safety study, an average rural area fire call should be 8 min. Loudoun time averages 15 min and don’t get me started on the fact that there are almost 40 bridges and countless driveways that LCFR’s Standard LARGE firetrucks cannot access. Let’s be clear, this new firehouse will not fix county policies. Second, the county didn’t even consider getting more specifics on the 6 alternate sites documented in March 2020, just a “desktop” review and shelve the report. We were not made aware of that report until this meeting. At least two of those parcels as well as one of the 3 submitted in Jan/Feb would have worked…if they were given the right direction to make one of them work. Third, how do you “reduce the profile” of an 18,500-sq ft suburban style structure that will sit next to historic homes that are less than 2,000+ sq ft? I can assure you nothing in this design meets the county guidelines, I know, I helped review/revise them. Fourth, of course Pete West “supports the building” of this Rural Historic Village incompatible structure. He has been one of the supporters of it all along with Rick Pearsall and Doug Frost for 20 years. However, Mr. West made sure that he sold his adjacent historic home/property in an off-market sale that would have this fire house
“structure’ in full view! Other adjacent landowners may also try to sell before construction begins, as their property values will plummet. Last, is the complete disregard for our historic village and the environmental impacts to neighboring shallow wells and the pond that feeds into well-known tributaries. As stated, every Comprehensive Plan guideline and zoning requirements were “ignored” and “interpreted” to make sure the true violations were not published for the planning commission or the supervisors. Yes, I agree, the big picture is important. There was an addition/renovation design that would have worked and met all the LCFR safety and comfort guidelines along with village zoning and guidelines, but instead the county allowed 3 spiteful bullies to get their way. These bullies do not care one inth about our village or their ‘neighbors’. The county should have been there to protect us, instead they are allowing the eventual destruction of the history and landscape of Philomont and Snickersville Turnpike. As for the current firehouse’s future, it will only be of use if renovated and where is that money coming from…yes, the county, your tax dollars. The gaslighting, from those who had an agenda, that has taken place over the last 6 years could fill a book, I have documentation on all of it. The truth, the wants of the actual residents were completely ignored, and the county “community meetings” held over 10 miles away from our village is just an example of the many tactics taken to silence a village.