Local Government
County Ends 2025 with Ongoing Debate on some Action Items, and a Seasonal EWM ‘Bobcat Chorus’ Musical Performance
In its last meeting of 2025, the evening of December 9, the Warren County Board of Supervisors tackled a multifaceted agenda, including 5 Public Hearings, 2 Unfinished Business items, and a 15-item Consent Agenda from which 3 items were removed for discussion. There was also monthly routine business, including board and staff reports, and departmental financial matters.
But before that all began, the E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School “Bobcat Chorus” performed three Christmas Seasonal songs to an overflow meeting room crowd of fans, many of whom left at the conclusion of the opening musical presentation.
The EWM ‘Bobcat’ Chorus welcomed in the Christmas season musically to open the meeting. Final shot shows much of the crowd leaving at the conclusion of their 3 song performance. Royal Examiner Photos Roger Bianchini
Three of the Public Hearings were now familiar Conditional Use Permit (CUP) requests to accommodate three Short-term Tourist Rentals. A fourth involved permitting allowing construction of an Accessory Dwelling Unit on property at 150 High Bluff Road.
The Short-term Rental permitting requests involved properties at 138 Wooded Lane in the Morgan’s Ridge Subdivision in the Happy Creek District; 565 Ridgeway Road in the Fork District; and 262 Woodcliff Lane in the South River District.
The item drawing the most Public Hearing comment was the fifth and final item involving a rezoning request of “approximately 448.21 acres from Agricultural to Industrial and Commercial to facilitate tax revenue-generating commercial development in the North River District off Winchester Road. It was noted that the rezoning would comply with the County’s Comprehensive Plan for future development.
However, neighboring residential property owners were firm in urging the county’s elected officials not to ignore possible impacts on their home lives, some retirees having moved there to escape Northern Virginia-style development. Others pointed to potential danger to children used to playing in the somewhat remote area’s neighborhood streets.
If our notes are correct, a rezoning applicant with a technical advisor, left, responds to stated concerns of neighboring residential home owners to potential businesses attracted by the rezoning if approved.
The debate was passionate on both sides of the proposal. The supervisors then unanimously approved Cheryl Cullers motion, seconded by Hugh Henry, to table a vote on the matter until the first meeting of January 2026. The tabling was requested by the applicant and owner of much of the current involved farmland.
The first four public hearing permitting requests were all approved by unanimous votes of 5-0, except for the Ridgeway Road request, which was approved by a 4-0 vote when Shenandoah District Supervisor John Stanmeyer recused himself with a smile for having previously received a pet dog as a present from the applicant.
Also of public interest were 3 items pulled from the Consent Agenda.
Those were items: Q-4, a proposed Resolution submitted by Supervisor Richard Jamieson on his limiting initiative concerning county attorney Jason Ham’s suggestions of open meeting adjounment to closed meeting on potentially legally debated FOIA or contentious matters:
Item Q-5, Approval of funding for 2 Ambulance Transport Units for County Fire & Rescue;
WC Fire & Rescue Assistant Chief Gerry Maiatico at the podium addresses the financial implications of the timing of County funding of the acquisition of 2 new Ambulance Transport Units. The only concern expressed by dissenting approval voters, Cheryl Cullers and Hugh Henry, was the source of those purchases being money originally committed to operational funding of Samuels Public Library.
And Q-6, adoption of another Resolution, this one declaring Warren County a Second Amendment — right to bear arms — locality. Q-6 passed unanimously on a motion by Hugh Henry.
Items Q-4 and Q-5 (Jamieson motions, Stanmeyer 2nds) were both approved by 3-2 votes, with Henry and Cheryl Cullers dissenting. Concerning the negative votes, Cullers and Henry made it clear on the Fire & Rescue ambulance funding that they were not opposed to county Fire & Rescue receiving adequate funding for the purchases, but that it was being done with county revenue originally approved for the county funding share for Samuel Public Library operations.
And on the Legal Services Transparency and Review policy surrounding decisions to adjourn to Closed Session to discuss potentially legally contentious matters, both Cullers and Henry urged the board not to make the mistake of weakening the County’s legal position on often crucial matters by revealing too much about the County’s legal position on such matters in open session. But as on item Q-5 outgoing board Chairman “Jay” Butler sided with Jamieson and Stanmeyer, providing the 3-2 majority deciding vote on the Resolution in support of Jamieson’s perspective on “Legal Services Transparency Policy”.
The county’s elected officials were not always eye to eye on items involving previously allotted tax revenue committed to Samuels Public Library, or who should be making the decision on the need for convening to a closed session for discussion of potentially legally contentious matters. Below, outgoing Chairman ‘Jay’ Butler is pondering colleague Richard Jamieson’s lengthy explanation for his rationale for the necessity of a resolution on board entry into closed sessions. Butler ended up casting the deciding vote in favor of Jamieson’s proposed Resolution. Below is a graphic from Jamieson’s presentation.
It should be interesting to see how, among other things like Samuels Library funding, this Resolution is viewed by the new board majority poised to take office in January.
Another item of interest early in the meeting was a presentation and discussion of a community farm proposal in the Rockland Park area. The proposal was brought forward just prior to the 7:30 start of the Public Hearings. Jarrett Fox presented an overview of the project. Responding to a question, Fox indicated that the involved oversight entity would be a non-profit he would bring forward. And while it was not an action item, the board appeared interested in receiving more information on the proposal.
Community Farm in Rockland Park area proponent Jarrett Fox explains his proposal to the county’s elected officials.
