Supervisors talk trash: County weighing options to deal with chaos at dumps

Sperryville Estes Mill rezoning approved

Anyone who uses the county’s dumps has noticed what appears to be chaos at the two locations — full bins, cars everywhere blocking other cars, and confusion as to which bins to use.

County Administrator Garrey Curry told the Board of Supervisors at its Monday evening meeting that he is still investigating options for handling and processing the county’s refuse and recycling.

“Since [our last meeting],” Curry said, “I have met with Updike; I’ve met with Page County representatives twice; and received an unsolicited proposal from a local vendor. I’m still waiting on a proposal from Updike based on their Madison contract.”

He said he is still looking for the operational costs for a potential arrangement with Page County. But without knowing those costs, “it’s hard to say whether [a contract with Page] is viable or not,” Curry said. But it will involve some capital expenditures, which, for new containers and compactors for waste and recycling, as well as site and electrical work, “could easily cost $200,000.”

Curry said he and Treasurer Debra Knick are looking at available funding sources and trying to determine operation costs. And he hopes to have some options to present at the December Board meeting.

SPERRYVILLE REZONING

Sperryville resident John Hallberg got his wish at Monday’s meeting. By a vote of four-to-zero, the BOS approved Hallberg’s application to rezone the approximately 5 acres around his Estes Mill property from Rural Residential to Highway Commercial. (Piedmont Supervisor Christine Smith recused herself from the discussion and vote, explaining that a family member is close to Hallberg.)

At its August 2018 meeting, the BOS voted unanimously to approve Hallberg’s special exception permit to adapt the mill into the Appalachian Dulcimer Museum. Hallberg owns what he calls one of the world’s best collections of Appalachian dulcimers, numbering more than 60 instruments.

Then earlier this year, Hallberg applied for a permit to allow a farm winery on the property, where he intends to produce cider for museum patrons. However, Planning Commissioner Al Henry suggested the rezoning as a better way for Hallberg to achieve his goals.

With rezoning to Highway Commercial, Hallberg also gained the right to “uses not currently permitted in the RR-5 district, including a winery located within the Estes Mill,” according to Zoning Administrator Michelle Somers’ report to the BOS about the matter.

Somer’s report went on to list uses typically permitted in the HC zoning district but that will be prohibited for this parcel, per Hallberg’s proffers. The page-long list of prohibited uses includes: medical care facility with greater than 10 beds, attached two family dwelling, small contracting business, laundromat; auto repair shop, bus terminal, taxidermy, distillery, and shooting range.

After concerns raised by the Board about Hallberg’s future plans for outdoor music events, he amended his proffers to require that “any outdoor event to take place on the property will acquire administrative review and approval by the Rappahannock County Zoning Administrator,” according to the amended proffer document.

Hallberg appeared at Monday’s meeting despite being ill. After the vote, a BOS member said he wished Hallberg a rapid recovery, to which he replied, “I feel better already.”

In an email Tuesday, Hallberg said, “I want to thank the Board of Supervisors for approving the rezoning of Estes Mill to Highway Commercial. I hope for it to be one of the jewels of Rappahannock for many years.”

NEW POLICIES

The BOS voted unanimously to adopt the Board meeting agenda layout policy endorsed by the Rules Committee. The new policy lays out the order of business at BOS regular meetings, including a “consent agenda” that many in the community have been asking the Board to adopt. The consent agenda “shall be considered by the Board as a single item,” states the policy. “Approval of the motion to approve the Consent Agenda shall constitute approval, adoption, or enactment of each motion, resolution, or other item of business thereon, exactly as if each had been acted upon individually.”

Consent agendas normally contain items that don’t require much discussion. As outlined in the policy, the Rappahannock BOS consent agenda will include: “approval of minutes; accounts payable; supplemental appropriations; Board contingency fund process; and other action items as appropriate.”

Any board member who feels an item in the consent agenda needs discussion can request the matter be handled separately.

The BOS also unanimously voted to adopt a standard policy developed by the Rules Committee outlining the appointment process for boards, commissions, and committees. The policy reads, “It is the stated desire and intent of the Board to provide an orderly appointment process to facilitate and encourage citizen interest and participation.” It describes processes for tracking applications, vacancy notification, advertising for applicants, applying for positions, and notification of appointments and non-appointments.

OTHER BUSINESS

Meanwhile, Curry is also negotiating the Amissville tower lease agreement with vendor SBA Communications. The county has been working for over a year to secure an agreement with SBA, which owns the tower behind the Amissville Fire and Rescue Station, to use the location on that tower that is reserved for free use by the fire company.

Curry is also trying to reach an agreement with Harris Corporation on the cost to install generators at the Sperryville and Amissville tower sites.

In a moving ceremony, Stonewall-Hawthorne supervisor Chris Parrish read aloud a BOS resolution recognizing the life and passing of Henry Barnett “H.B.” Wood Jr, who died last month. “The Board of Supervisors mourns the passing of our friend and former member, Henry Barnett Wood, Jr.; wishes to formally extend its sympathies to his family at their loss; and that it further extends those sympathies to his friends and colleagues in our community who feel it keenly as well,” reads part of the resolution. Parrish then presented a plaque signed by all the supervisors to Woods’ family.