Is there a legal historian in the house? 

A recent article about the Afton redevelopment mentioned, with regards to the more recent history of the property and an aborted attempt at redevelopment, that “building taller than the courthouse downtown was and is forbidden by town zoning codes.” This seems, on the face of it, to be a ludicrous law, existing for no reason other than to make life more difficult for people. But it is often the case that seemingly asinine regulations were written for a logical (if not always good) reason.

Which then leads one to wonder, what reason was there behind this restriction on building heights? Unfortunately, I don’t know where to even begin looking for the answer to that question. If there is someone out there who knows the reasoning, I would be incredibly grateful.

Curiously yours,

Joe Plemmons
Front Royal, Virginia