Shenandoah Farms and Blue Mountain Sanitary Districts completion of Tomahawk Way, Phase II Rural Addition project

Representatives in photo: Shenandoah District Board of Supervisors Member, Tom Sayre; County Administrator, Doug Stanley; Deputy County Administrator, Bob Childress; Shenandoah Farms Property Owners’ Association Board Chairman, Ralph Rinaldi, and other board members; Blue Mountain Property Owners’ Association Board Chairman, Jim McMannaway; and members of Warren County Fire & Rescue.

Warren County officials and representatives of the Shenandoah Farms and Blue Mountain Property Owner Associations recently gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Tomahawk Way, Phase II Rural Addition improvement project. Tomahawk Way lies within and serves several homes within the Blue Mountain Sanitary District and also serves as the primary access roadway to the Mountain View Section of the Shenandoah Farms Sanitary District, which includes over 100 homes and the potential for many more. The 0.25 mile long project to improve Tomahawk Way also included the reconstruction and paving of a 0.11 mile segment of the adjacent Old Linden Road, which also serves both Sanitary Districts. The long awaited completion of the Phase II project along with the original construction of Phase I, completed in 2013, now provides for a paved roadway for hundreds of residents out to Freezeland Road.

The project was identified as the Shenandoah Farm Sanitary District’s #1 Rural Addition priority in its Fiscal Year 2018/19 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The CIP, reviewed annually with the Property Owners Association Board (POSF) and approved by the Warren County Board of Supervisors, provides a blueprint for improvements within the District. The CIP includes both VDOT Revenue Sharing Projects and “in-house” projects in a prioritized list to provide guidance for staff to implement road and drainage improvements.

The project was funded primarily through VDOT’s Revenue Sharing Program with VDOT picking up 50% and Warren County 25% of the eligible costs. Since the improved roadways lie within and serve two separate Sanitary Districts, the remaining 25% costs were shared by the Shenandoah Farms and Blue Mountain Sanitary Districts on a 75/25 cost sharing basis. Since completion, the roadways have been accepted by VDOT for maintenance. Improving these types of roads and turning them over to VDOT allows for the Sanitary District funds that would normally be targeted for their maintenance to be used to maintain and improve other roads.

The completion of this project represent the 20th roadway the County has developed and upgraded through the Rural Addition program over the past 10 years. Since taking on the administration of the Shenandoah Farms Sanitary District road system in July 2010 the County has upgraded and turned over approximately 4 miles of roadways within the District to VDOT. This program allows for private subdivision roads to be upgraded to minimum state standards permitting their addition to the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) Secondary Road System. Tomahawk Way and Old Linden Road were reconstructed to provide a 20’ wide paved surface with 2’ stabilized shoulders.  Roadway culverts and private entrance pipes were replaced and/or supplemented throughout the project and side ditches constructed where necessary to improve drainage and safety signage installed.

According to Warren County Administrator Doug Stanley, “The VDOT Revenue Sharing Program allows the County to administer these types of projects at a much lower cost. Since we don’t have all the overhead costs that VDOT does, we can complete them much more cost effectively. Deputy County Administrator Robert “Bob” Childress, who manages the Shenandoah Farms Sanitary District for the County, developed and provided daily oversight of construction on the project. Bob’s background and experience in road maintenance and construction with VDOT prior to his employment with the County have proved to be invaluable as we seek to make improvements to the infrastructure of the Sanitary Districts.”

According to Childress, “The originally approved VDOT Revenue Sharing estimate for the project totaled $280,000, and while all final billing has not been processed, it appears the project has been successfully completed just under the budgeted amount.” The roadway grading and drainage work were completed by General Excavation, Inc. of Warrenton, with the asphalt surfaces being placed by Carroll Construction Company, Inc. of Winchester. Childress goes on to say, “We were very blessed to experience good weather this summer and to have had knowledgeable contractors on our team which allowed us to complete the project within our budget and construction schedule”.

Stanley further stated, “I am thankful for the partnering relationship between the County, the Shenandoah Farms, and Blue Mountain POA’s to advance and successfully complete this important project. The upgrading and paving of these local subdivision roads improve access, make travel safer for residents, and enhance response times for emergency vehicles/equipment.”