Local News
Town of Stephens City Lost Bid to Purchase Old Aylor Middle School Building & Property
Once sold and lost, where will Frederick County find 23 acres of strategically located land with existing sewer, water, and parking?
Frederick County had sought bids for the old Robert E. Aylor Middle School near Stephens City, where students were educated until its closure in 2021. The 107,000-square-foot building sits on a 23-acre property at 901 Aylor Road. It is being sold “as is, together with all improvements, appurtenances, and rights of way belonging thereto,” according to a request for proposals issued by the County on April 19, 2023. The pre-bid site visits were scheduled for 10:00 a.m. until noon on May 3 and May 10. Bids were to be made through June 2 at 2:00 p.m.
The Stephens City Town Council did not believe that a competitive bid could be provided, so no bid was submitted during the six-week time frame. No bids were received by Frederick County by the June 2 date because the RFP stated no sale would occur without a deed restriction, citing that there could be no residential uses of the land. It is not clear that this is a legal way to rezone the property to restrict residential use.
Frederick County extended the bid due date through June 16. Stephens City was not made aware of the June 16 due date extension granted because the County only informed those entities who showed an initial interest during the pre-bid process. By the time the town personnel became aware of the extension in July, a bid was quickly put together, approved by the Town Council at the first available meeting on August 8, and a $400,000 bid was hand-delivered to the County Office. Apparently, the town’s bid was dismissed. For property sales or exchanges between local governments, state law does not require that they bid as private owners would do.
A Winchester Star article, “Supervisors accept $300,000 bid for old Aylor property,” dated August 11, cites, “After a two-hour marathon of a public hearing Wednesday night, the Frederick County Board of Supervisors accepted Eukarya Christian Academy’s $300,000 bid for the former Robert E. Aylor Middle School. The lone bid for the 23-acre property came from RCS Investments, a company whose owners have publicly stated their intention to convey the property to the private, nondenominational Christian school currently located on Valley Pike near Stephens City.” The article made no mention of the Town of Stephens City bid, although County administrative officials were aware of the higher offer.
On August 9, the County Supervisors accepted the RCS $300,000 bid by a 6-1 vote, with those in support being Chairman Charles DeHaven, Judith McCann Slaughter (Stonewall), Josh Ludwig (Shawnee), Shawn Graber (Back Creek), Heather Lockridge (Gainesboro) and Blaine Dunn (Red Bud).
Supervisor Bob Wells (Opequon) served as the lone dissenter. He understands the property’s appraised value falls between $2.9 million to $3.5 million. Mr. Wells does not think the sale of this very valuable asset for a price well below appraised value is a sound business decision. He believes the old Aylor Middle School could be repurposed and made into office space for the future needs of the County. The residents of Stephens City could be solicited for ideas to identify collaborative community enrichment opportunities while remaining public property. Reuse of the property would avoid costly site work, land acquisition, utilities, and stormwater management efforts.
Since a purchase agreement for the Old Stephens City Elementary School between Frederick County and Stephens City was finalized in October 2012, one might think the County would reach out to the Town to see if they would be interested in purchasing the old Aylor School property. The Grantee of this historic Main Street school property was to use or permit the use solely for such public or community non-commercial purposes as are intended for the benefit of the health, safety, welfare, education, recreation, cultural enlightenment, literacy, or civic awareness of the community, or any other public purpose permitted by law.
Plans for the renovation of the old elementary school at 5516 Main Street include a Town Council meeting room, staff offices, police department offices, a town history museum, and a community center. Why not do the same again with the old Aylor School property?
At the Board of Supervisors public hearing on Wednesday, August 9, Stephens City Town Council members spoke on the possibilities for the Stephens City area to repurpose this strategic property. They wanted the County to hold onto the property for tax-payer public future use.
If the Town of Stephens City had been awarded the bid and purchased the property, the Town Council would seek to partner with departments within the Stephens City area to add much-needed space for public services. The Town would meet with pertinent stakeholders to explore opportunities for re-use based on community desires and concerns. Re-use could include, but not be limited to, parks and recreation, food pantry and homeless shelter offices, a satellite office for the Sheriff’s department, and state police.
The site could be utilized for various types of recreation or social service activities, such as a gymnasium to support full-day summer camp programs or a daycare center to support single and dual-working parents. The site includes spacious athletic fields for football, baseball, and outdoor basketball courts, greenspace, and abundant parking. The City of Winchester has these types of programs, while the South Frederick County area does not.
The Town would work with non-profits that require temporary space to provide essential services to offset government expenditures. The Boy Scout Troops and Cub Scout Packs could stage their Scouting for Food drop-off programs here, and the Marine Corps Toys for Tots programs might use this building as a drop-off location.
Stephens City Council Members are continuously grappling with community matters. Their engagement and commitment to communicate is clear. Especially for exploring development opportunities, the Council is firmly rooted in its goal of uplifting the South County area community.
The old Aylor Middle School acreage should not be designated surplus property and offered to a private entity. Frederick County should endeavor to retain this property for public service. Once sold and lost, where will the County find 23 acres of strategically located land with existing sewer, water, and parking? The Frederick County Board of Supervisors should be good stewards of property purchased with our tax dollars. The County could and should have held onto this valuable tax-payer asset for future multipurpose use.
Frederick County should set aside the sale and re-open the process after it rezones the property to remove the residential component.
Mark Gunderman is a Stephens City resident, Vice President of Autumn Glen HOA, and a member of the Newtown Heritage Festival Committee.
Local News
POLICE: 7 Day FRPD Arrest Report 4/28/2024
Front Royal Police Department’s arrest report for the past 7 days:
Local News
VDOT: Warren County Traffic Alert for May 6 – 10, 2024
The following is a list of highway work that may affect traffic in Warren County during the coming weeks. Scheduled work is subject to change due to inclement weather and material supplies. Motorists are advised to watch for slow-moving tractors during mowing operations. When traveling through a work zone, be alert to periodic changes in traffic patterns and lane closures.
*NEW* or *UPDATE* indicates a new or revised entry since last week’s report.
INTERSTATE 66
*NEW* Mile marker 0 to 15, eastbound and westbound – Overnight alternating lane closures for pavement marking installations, 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. Monday and Tuesday nights.
*NEW* Mile marker 0 to 2, eastbound – Right shoulder closures for utility work, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. through May 31.
*NEW* Mile marker 8 to 7, westbound – Right shoulder closures for sign work, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Mile marker 9 to 7, westbound – Overnight right lane closures at Shenandoah River bridge for utility work, 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Thursday night.
INTERSTATE 81
*UPDATE* Mile marker 299 to 300, northbound – Overnight alternating lane closures for overhead sign repairs, 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. Monday night.
Mile marker 299 to 300, northbound – Right shoulder closures for utility work, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. through May 31.
Mile marker 299 to 300, northbound and southbound –Overnight lane closures and traffic-lane shifts as needed, 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. through December 2024. Shoulder closures 24/7. Work zone speed limit: 55 miles an hour. Work is related to southbound acceleration ramp extension and bridge widening, with estimated completion in late 2024.
PRIMARY ROADS
*NEW* Route 55 (John Marshall Highway) – Flagger traffic control between Front Royal town limits and Route 647 (Dismal Hollow Road) for guardrail upgrades, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday (May 2) and Tuesday (May 7).
*NEW* Route 340 (Stonewall Jackson Highway) – Flagger traffic control between Route 674 (Limeton Church Road) and Route 607 (Rocky Lane) for pipe replacement, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 7 – May 14.
SECONDARY ROADS
Route 658 (Rockland Road) – Closed to through traffic between Route 340/522 (Winchester Road) and Route 705 (Fishnet Boulevard) for the construction of a bridge over Norfolk Southern Railway. Estimated completion December 2025.
Vegetation management may take place district-wide on various routes. Motorists are reminded to use extreme caution when traveling through work zones.
Traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511 or at www.511Virginia.org.
Local News
VSP Investigating I-81 Dump Truck/Sheriff’s Vehicle Accident
The Virginia State Police are investigating a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 81 in Shenandoah County. The crash occurred Friday, May 3, at 5:46 a.m. at the Route 646 overpass at the 292-mile maker of I-81.
A 2005 Kenworth dump truck was traveling north on I-81 when the driver accidentally engaged the dump bed, which raised it and caused it to collide with the bridge overpass. The collision caused the dump bed to detach from the truck, slide backward, and land on a northbound 2022 Ford Explorer, which was driven by a Frederick County Sheriff’s deputy.
The dump truck driver, Gaylon R. Miller, 71, of Toms Brook, Va., was not injured in the crash. He was wearing his seatbelt.
The sheriff’s deputy suffered minor injuries and was transported to Winchester Medical Center for treatment.
Miller was charged with reckless driving.
(From a Release by the Virginia State Police)
Local News
WCSB Approves New LFK Principal; Accepts Scholarships for Baseball, Softball Seniors
The Warren County School Board unanimously approved the appointment of a new principal who will take over at Leslie Fox Keyser (LFK) Elementary School starting this summer and accepted baseball and softball scholarships being offered by the Front Royal Cardinals for four seniors attending Warren County Public Schools (WCPS).
Board chair Kristen Pence, vice chair Antoinette Funk, and board members Andrea Lo, Thomas McFadden, Jr., and Melanie Salins, during their regular meeting on Wednesday, May 1, voted 5-0 to have Jennifer Cameron appointed as the LFK principal effective July 1.
“Ms. Cameron is an experienced educator and leader in Warren County,” said WCPS Superintendent Christopher Ballenger in recommending her appointment to the School Board.
Previously, Cameron has taught as a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher and has experience as a literacy coach who supported grade-level teachers in her school building, Ballenger said, adding that as an administrator, Cameron has served as the dean of students and as an assistant principal.
“During her years of service, Ms. Cameron was selected as the Rotary Teacher of the Year in 2008 and was the [WCPS] Elementary Teacher of the Year in 2015-2016,” he added.
As a leader, Ballenger also said that Cameron has been integral in transforming E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School and has served as the chair for the division’s Attendance Committee for the past two years.
“Ms. Cameron is a great fit for LFK, and I know that her skill set will continue to move LFK forward,” said the superintendent.
Following the board’s vote, Cameron told board members she was honored to accept the LFK principal position and said she’s excited to rejoin the Lil’ Cat family.
“Thank you for entrusting me with this opportunity to nurture young minds and to foster the continued excellence of LFK,” she said. “I look forward to working with you to continue the path to excellence at Warren County Public Schools. I’m truly humbled at this huge responsibility that you have entrusted to me, and I look forward to the coming school year and this new adventure that awaits me.”
In other action items, the School Board unanimously accepted four scholarships with gratitude from the Front Royal Cardinals and approved the donation of auditorium seating from E. Wilson Morrison (EWM) Elementary School.
Donna Settle, president of Front Royal Cardinals Baseball, a nonprofit organization that is part of the Valley Baseball League, said that as part of the group’s fundraising activities, the board will sponsor Little League for both girls and boys and will give back to the WCPS baseball and softball programs.
“This year, our board has voted to bring scholarships back to Warren County,” Settle told the board. “I know we’re a little late in the season, but we have enough money set aside for the scholarships for the 2024 student-athletes.”
There are four new $500 scholarship opportunities beginning with the Class of 2024 that are available for a Skyline baseball and softball senior who plans to continue their education and for a Warren County baseball and softball senior who plans to continue their education.
The School Board also voted 5-0 to permit two auditorium seats to be donated to Robert MacDougall, founding principal of Transform Development, a commercial landlord and developer based in the Shenandoah Valley.
Seating in the EWM auditorium, which is being renovated to provide an indoor facility for students and staff, has been removed and is set to go to auction. MacDougall offered a facility to store the auditorium seating until they could be auctioned.
With the School Board’s blessing, WCPS will now donate two seats to MacDougall, who will display them in the theater once its renovation is completed.
Regarding a request to have the Warren County Board of Supervisors (BOS) appropriate the fiscal year 2022 School Operating Fund Surplus, the School Board voted unanimously to table the item to a work session and FY2025 budget resolution.
Ballenger explained that the total fiscal year 2021-2022 school operating surplus is $973,098, and said it was being requested that the Warren County Board of Supervisors (BOS) appropriate $300,000 of the surplus to the School Transportation Fund that is held by the County and the remaining $673,098 to the School Capital Improvement Fund that is also held by the County.
The $300,000 designated for the Transportation Fund was originally included in the FY2025 Proposed School Operating Budget to purchase replacement buses and vehicle(s) but has since been removed contingent upon the funding appropriated to the Transportation Fund, he said.
Of the $673,098 requested for the County’s School Capital Improvement Fund, $40,000 was originally included in the FY2025 Proposed School Operating Budget to cover the repair/replacement of the chiller at Hilda J Barbour Elementary School and to upgrade the HVAC management systems at several schools. The remaining balance ($633,098) being requested for the Capital Improvement Fund would be requested at a future date for other capital priorities, such as the replacement of the tennis courts at the high schools.
As the budget process continues unfolding for both WCPS and the BOS, the School Board members agreed to work more on the item before taking action.
During the School Board’s community participation portion of its meeting, Leslie Mathews (above), a parent with two children attending Skyline Middle School, said that some of the School Board members are using the concerns expressed through emails by parents as “a crutch” for their own political motives. She called it a disgrace.
“I and we parents are only given three minutes a month [during School Board meetings] to get up here and express our concerns to you, or we’re told we can email you,” said Mathews. “But I no longer trust that method of emailing.”
Mathews, who last fall unsuccessfully challenged School Board incumbent Pence for the South River School Board seat, said “it’s such a disgrace for you as a public servant to go and encourage others to FOIA the concerns of parents who are not like-minded as yourself.
“So, therefore, our concerns are going public,” said Mathews, who didn’t name names. “If we want more positive in Warren County Public Schools, then we need to start at our leadership.”
Chamber News
Front Royal Welcomes CBM Team of Supreme Lending with Enthusiasm and Optimism
Front Royal, Virginia, celebrated a significant business merger that marks a promising future for local economic development. The CBM Team, a longstanding local business entity, has officially joined forces with Supreme Lending, expanding its reach and capacity to serve the community more effectively.
Nike Foster, Executive Director of the Front Royal/Warren County Chamber of Commerce, and Mayor Lori Cockrell welcomed the CBM Team to our community. The event underscored a vibrant community spirit and the potential for economic growth. Byron Biggs, Chairman of the Chamber, highlighted the merger as a symbol of positive evolution in the local business landscape. It is now poised to extend its influence beyond Virginia.
Mayor Cockrell shared personal anecdotes, reflecting on the profound local ties and the exceptional character of the individuals involved, particularly noting the entrepreneurial spirit of Cory Michael, a former student of hers and now a regional manager for Team CBM. Her words painted a picture of a community that values deep personal connections and collective growth.
The merger promises substantial benefits to Front Royal, bringing enhanced services and opportunities for home ownership that were previously out of reach for many residents. This union is a merger of two companies and a fusion of cultures and aspirations, aiming to enrich the local community while maintaining the cherished CBM brand identity.
Attendees left the event with a sense of excitement and anticipation for the future, confident in the continued prosperity and communal strength of Front Royal.
Local News
Congratulations to Warren County High School Seniors – Class of 2024
Royal Examiner presents the Warren County High School Class of 2024. Congratulations to these wonderful seniors on their hard work and deserved accomplishments! We wish you the best in your next big endeavors. Photos courtesy of Victor O’Neill Studios and Tolliver Studios, LLC.
If your Warren County senior is not listed, please send in their Name and Senior Picture to news@royalexaminer.com.