After Another Library Content Public Debate, Supervisors Agree to Delay SVGC Rezoning Public Hearing to October 24

(Writer’s Note: This story has been updated as of noon, August 17, in the lead paragraph as to the number of speakers on specific topics addressed during Public Comments.)

Public Comments on non-agenda items once again saw the allotted full hour taken up primarily by another confrontation between the two sides of the Samuels Public Library funding and book removal/relocation debate. Twenty speakers appeared at the August 14 Warren County Board of Supervisors meeting, many taking the full three minutes of individual speaking time to make their case. Our count was 13 in support of full library funding and keeping books they perceive as gender identity-themed education and emotional support for gender-confused youth reaching puberty, and five against that content’s continued presence in the library and/or availability in youth sections, with two speakers addressing only another issue, the recall move against Chairman Vicky Cook. Those “other issue” speakers were John and Marlene Lundberg in support of Chairman Cook against the recall initiative initially broached by County Planning Commission member Hugh Henry, as we understand regarding alleged politicization of her role as board chairman.

Comments on the library debate reflected the escalating hostility, with library supporters terming much of the anti-LGBTQ book content discussion as “hate speech”, while the CleanUp Samuels Library (CSL) contingent and supporters, most self-identified as from the local Catholic community, referencing pro-LGBTQ library book supporters beliefs as “insanity” and justification of sexual mutilation in the case of Trans-gender surgery, as opening speaker Mark Egger did.

Mark Egger opened Public Comments with a scathing attack on supporters of alternate gender identity materials being left in Samuels Public Library. Speaker number 13, Stevi Hubbard, below, delivered an emotionally charged counter against religiously-inspired intolerance of alternate sexual identity lifestyles.

See all the Public Comments beginning at 11:55 of the County video and ending at 1:09:00.

SVGC rezoning Public Hearing delayed

In other business, at the meeting’s outset, an item was added to the action agenda. That item was a request to delay the scheduled August 22 Public Hearing on the Shenandoah Valley Golf Club/Richard Runyon rezoning request. While Runyon had requested a three-month delay, the board approved an essentially two-month (plus one week) delay to October 24.

The request for the rezoning to Suburban Residential/Commercial from Agricultural to facilitate the development of 286 age-restricted over-55 housing on a 104-acre portion of the 195-acre SVGC property has drawn a firestorm of Rockland area opposition. However, much of that opposition, according to Runyon, appears to be based on miss-information, prominently on traffic and water utility impacts, as well as the visual impact on surrounding properties due to planned buffering and maintaining of either a 9-hole golf course or walking trail park area on the 91 undeveloped acres. Warren County native Runyon has explained his desire to diversify uses of his properties in the wake of lessons learned from the COVID-19 experience of mandated operational closings of businesses like the golf course and clubhouse rental events. However, with his purchase of the adjacent 36-hole Bowling Green Golf Course, he has said his SVGC residential/commercial development will essentially be a golf course-based community not incompatible with the Rockland area’s overall rural ambiance.

During board discussion, County Administrator Ed Daley said the applicant had indicated a desire to expand his communications with area residents to present his case on the nature of his proposal and impacts on existing neighboring properties, as well as facilitate some additional engineering planning work on the project.

The motion by Cheryl Cullers, who argued for the shorter extension, was seconded by Jay Butler and passed 4-1, with Chairman Cook casting the dissenting vote against the extension.

Under New Business, the board moved the agenda’s only public hearing to the outset of the meeting prior to Public Comments.

I. Public Hearing – Conditional Use Permit 2023-05-06, Erica Baker & Richard Case for a Short-Term Tourist Rental – Chase Lenz – A request for a conditional use permit for a Short-term Tourist Rental. The property is located at 31 Farms Riverview Rd. and identified on tax map 15D, section 1, block 3 as lot 2. The property is zoned Residential-One (R-1) and is located in the Shenandoah Magisterial District. After a summary by Zoning Administrator Chase Lenz and applicant Baker’s answering some questions about a property management plan, the board heard from one Public Hearing speaker, Tracie Lane, who spoke in favor of the permitting after having visited the site.

K. Agreement – Economic Development Authority

Later in the meeting, the board got an overview of the parameters of the legal Agreement between the County and the now unilaterally County overseen and in-house managed Warren County Economic Development Authority (EDA, WC EDA), legally still the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority (FR-WC EDA), as the County’s Director of Economic Development Joe Petty noted in opening his presentation to the board at the 2:09:00 mark of the linked County video. Earlier, during Finance Director Alisa Scott’s budget presentation (1:21:20), Petty answered some questions related to EDA budget items.

County Director of Economic Development Joe Petty explained the parameters of the EDA budget and debt service the County now covers and the proposed Agreement between the County and EDA on facilities and services under the County umbrella.

Discussing the County-EDA Agreement, Petty noted EDA plans to clear out its office complex at the Kendrick Lane old Avtex Admin building in order to rent it out, since they are now meeting at the WCGC. Plans are now to store documents and any remaining furniture at the County-owned house adjacent to the Sherwin-Williams store at the south-side of the WCGC parking lot. The agreement also proposed to provide phone, Internet website, and IT services to the EDA through the County.

Closed Session: Library funding, zoning regs, EDA

The supervisors began their evening with a Closed/Executive Session at which the financing agreement with Samuels Public Library was discussed, as were the board’s move to exempt itself from its own zoning ordinances and the various civil litigations involving the EDA, County, and Town.

Here is the motion into Closed Session in its entirety:

“I move the Board enter into a closed meeting under the provisions of Section 2.2-3711(A)(8), consultation with legal counsel employed by the public body regarding specific legal matters requiring the provision of legal advice by such counsel, such legal matters being the Samuel’s Library Funding Agreement, and zoning ordinances applicability to County properties.

“I further move the Board enter into a closed meeting under the provisions of Sections 2.2-3711(A)(7) and (A)(8) for consultation with legal counsel pertaining to actual or probable litigation and the provision of legal advice regarding the Industrial Development Authority of the Town of Front Royal and the County of Warren, Virginia (the “EDA”), the Town of Front Royal, the EDA vs. Jennifer McDonald, et al., the Town of Front Royal vs. the EDA, et al., the EDA vs. the Town of Front Royal, other potential claims and litigation relating to other possible liabilities of the EDA, the recovery of EDA funds and assets, the outstanding indebtedness of the EDA and potential bank actions related to the same.”

The board also approved a Consent Agenda of the following items:

J. Consent Agenda

1. Award Recommendations Senior Center Phase III – Alisa Scott, Finance Director

2. Citizen Appointment – Kristin Downs to the Front Royal/Warren County Joint Tow Board;

3. Citizen Appointment – James Wells to the Laurel Ridge Community College Board;

4. Flock Safety ALPR Cameras and Solution Sheriff’s Department – Alisa Scott, Finance Director. Board approved budget items “as adjusted” following some conversation with WCSO Captain Brogan.

5. Representative Appointments, Denise Acker and Warren County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Jeremiah Lang to the Community Policy and Management Team for Northwestern Community Services Board.

Click here to watch the Board of Supervisors Meeting of August 15, 2023