Supervisors Table Vote On Riverside Campground/Agra Business Operation, OK Two Short-Term Rentals On Split Votes

At its regular meeting of Wednesday, November 6, 2024, the Warren County Board of Supervisors tackled three public hearings and approval of a 15-item Consent Agenda as part of its Action Agenda. Those items addressed at the advertised time of 7:30 p.m. followed, not only the Public Comments on non-agenda items explored in a related story, but also a one-hour Closed/Executive Session convened at 6 p.m. on a number of topics.

Those closed meeting topics included the provision of LIBRARY SERVICES and  the now often revisited one of dueling litigations between the Town and joint Town-County EDA, and the more recently developing related ones of the FR-WC EDA’s “outstanding indebtedness” and “bank actions and potential actions related to the same”. There was no action on any closed session topic prior to the convening of the regular meeting at 7 p.m.

The first two public hearings involved Conditional Use Permit (CUP) requests for Short-Term Tourist Rentals. The first was by Jennifer Wynn for a property located at 198 Sunrise Lane located in the Junewood Estates subdivision in the Fork Magisterial District (26:20 video mark). The second was by Balachander Rajasekaran for a property located at 377 Avalon Drive in the Shenandoah River Estates subdivision in the Shenandoah Magisterial District (33:50 video mark). Both applicants were present to respond to questions from the board.

The county board was divided 3-2 on two votes on Short-Term Tourist Rental permitting requests, with Chairman Cullers and Vicky Cook dissenting on the majority vote of approval. Royal Examiner Photos Roger Bianchini

After some discussion of waivers of the 100-foot distance from adjoining properties for both, each of which had letters of support from those property owners located within the 100-foot distance requirement, both applications were approved by 3-2 votes, Chairman Cullers and Supervisor Cook dissenting over the adjoining property distance waivers. The motion to approve Wynn’s CUP was made by Vice-Chairman Butler, second by Supervisor Jamieson, who were joined in the vote of approval by Supervisor Stanmeyer. The motion to approve the Rajasekaran permitting application was made by Stanmeyer, second by Butler, who were joined by Jamieson in the vote for approval.

About that Campground/Agra Business

The third public hearing was a CUP request for a “campground and a river sports outfitter business for rental of canoeing, kayaking, boating and fishing equipment as an accessory use” on approximately 143 acres located at 204 Russ Johnson Rd. off Rivermont Drive in the Wayland subdivision (42:05 video mark). That campground permitting drew the most detailed board discussion on application variables, including a potential boundary adjustment, planned buffering, potential positive impacts on tourism and an increase in business at the nearby County-overseen Front Royal Airport (FRR).

Other than the applicant Gary Wayland and his project advisor only one person addressed the board during the public hearing. That was neighboring property owner Andrew “Andy” Stokes. Stokes supported Wayland’s permitting application, citing the project’s location and likely impact on increasing tourism to the community.

Campground/Agra Business permitting applicant Gary Wayland and his project advisor addressed the board on Wayland’s vision for a 143-acre environmentally friendly tourist attraction. Below, the board tabled action on a vote to Nov. 19 to facilitate a visit to the site and better perspective on operational dynamics.

The agenda packet staff summary of the request noted the following:

“The applicant is requesting a conditional use permit for a commercial campground for 100 camp sites for motorized recreational vehicles, campers and tent camping. The existing barn will be renovated and converted into an office for campground check-in and management and general store to provide goods and materials for campground guests. They propose constructing two sanitary facilities and installing a drainfield in the areas as shown in the general concept plan. The majority of the land will continue to be farmed and used for agricultural purposes such as making hay and forest management areas.

“The property owner states in their statement of justification that their intent is to preserve as much natural landscape as possible and implement sustainable practices for waste management and water conservation. The area designated for camping will be accessed through the farm pasture via an existing variable width access easement and dust-free road. The location of the camping areas will be within the Special Flood Hazard Area Floodzone ‘A’, which is directly adjacent to the river. This area has been designed so there will be free-flow of traffic in and around the campground to be accessed by the existing road, which shall be improved as part of the development of the campground.”

The staff summary, presented by Planning Director Matt Wendling, also noted the Planning Commission’s recommendation of approval with conditions:

“On Wednesday, October 9th, 2024 the Planning Commission approved the application to be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors with the following conditions which were recommended by staff and Planning Commission with the following amendments to include a 150-foot setback off the west property line, to plant evergreen trees to provide screening to be approved by Staff during the site plan phase, and to limit the stay of campground guests to 14 days.”

Let’s take a look first

After extensive back and forth with the applicant and staff, including County Attorney Jason Ham, the option of tabling a vote to enable a visit by the supervisors to the site to gain a better understanding of applicant Wayland’s planned property use and what was termed “Agra-business” uses to coincide with the camping and river uses.

Finally, on a motion by Cook, second by Jamieson, the tabling of a vote to the board’s November 19 meeting was approved by a 5-0 vote.

After a staff overview from Planning Director Matt Wendling, staff table at left, and discussion with applicant Gary Wayland on his vision for his tourism and environmentally friendly project the board decided to table action to visit the site. Hey, we may want to camp out there if we approve it.

Other business

The board approved a 15-item Consent Agenda from which six items, all appointments to the newly established Warren County Tourism Committee, were removed by Supervisor Cook for acknowledgment they were occurring. The Consent Agenda as amended was unanimously approved, as were the six removed items packaged together in one motion.

Acknowledgments

Earlier in the meeting there were several acknowledgments, one of retiring VDOT District Superintendent Dean Schillingberg after 39 years dating back to 1985, all spent in our VDOT district. VDOT rep Ed Carter introduced both Schillingberg and his successor, Cody Ryman, to the board (6:19 video mark). Schillingberg was presented with a plaque of appreciation for his long career of service to this community in developing its state road infrastructure.

Chairman Cullers presents plaque to retiring VDOT District Superintendent Dean Schillingberg after 39 years on our district’s state road infrastructure front lines. Below, the board gets in on the action for a group photo.

After that recognition Chairman Cullers apologized for previously leaving out one countywide Valor Award winner and looked to Sheriff Crystal Cline to help correct that omission (9:45 video mark). The sheriff introduced departmental Communications Officer Gabby LeValley, whom it was explained had helped a father through an early child home birth over the phone. Citing LeValley’s youthful age, 21, in a medically sensitive situation, Sheriff Cline lauded her relatively new employee’s composure under pressure.

“The Valor Award she received is well deserved and we’re lucky to have her on our team,” the sheriff enthused of her young communications officer.

Sheriff Crystal Cline lauds her young Communications Officer Gabby LeValley’s calm under pressure after netting a Valor Award for assisting in an unexpected home birth over the phone.

See the linked County video for all the above-referenced discussions, votes, acknowledgments, and board and staff reports, in part or in their entirety.

Click here to watch the November 6,  2024 Board of Supervisors Meeting.