Council okays Stuart

Council okays Stuart

subdivision plan

By LOU HATTER

Rappahannock News Staff Writer

Subject to approval from the Zoning Administrator and the town’s attorney, the Washington Town Council approved a plan by Stuart Property Associates to subdivide a portion of its approximately 11-acre parcel on Calvert Street.

The plan proposed division and sale of a 1.5-acre parcel, including the vacant Victorian-style house adjacent to the Washington Cash Store. The parcel is being purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Robert T. Parrish. The lot’s 1.5acre size is the minimum allowed in a rural residential zone under the town’s amended zoning ordinance, adopted by the council at last month’s meeting. Rural residential lots not served by town water must be at least 1.8 acres in area.

Zoning Administrator John McCarthy, acting as the town’s agent, will approve the subdivision plat and verify that the lot has a Health Department approved septic system and that it is indeed served by town water.

Mayor Dean Morehouse urged that the council approve the application, “subject to the zoning administrator and town counsel taking a look at it for their approval.” He added that “the ordinance is a prudent and responsible tool to guide development. We’re open to all proposals — we told the public ‘Come and show us your plan’.”

The four council members present at the meeting (Mr. Morehouse, Brad Fisher, Nan Thomasson and Evelyn Willis) passed the application unanimously. Mr. Morehouse added as an afterthought that “any future work (on the property) is subject to town and Architectural Review Board ordinances.” Mr. Parrish said that he understood that stipulation.

Treasurer Brad Fisher reported that “all the town’s bills are paid. He added that the town has $9,000 in its checking account and $12,000 in savings, and that the Water Authority has a $1,200 balance in its account. He said that the last water main break cost the Authority $1,200 to fix, including the cost of replacing the entire main to the service lines on Jett Street “instead of patching the break. ”

Mr. Fisher said that each time a coupling is dug up to repair a break it is found to be corroded from the outside in, “indicating that the ground is acid enough to corrode the pipe — the inside of the pipe shows ho wear at all.”

In response to a query from Mrs. Willis, Mr. Fisher said that a ballpark figure for rebuilding the entire system is “$120,000 to $150,000 to bring it up to specs.” The council discussed various methods for funding an overhaul of the water system, but concluded that “it would be irresponsible to act tonight. We need a plan of action, a time frame . . . then we can decide where the revenue will come from,” Mayor Morehouse stated.

He added that the council needs to authorize an engineer to redraw the map of the town’s water supply system. “That’s the only way we’re going to get the water system under control.” The mayor also suggested that a consultant be hired to assess the groundwater supply, pointing out that private wells and septic systems are located close together and the possibility exists for problems with toxins from those systems.

Mr. Fisher replied that a “just completed” supply study of the upper Rappahannock basin projected that the town has an 80 percent surplus of supply until the year 2030. ,

Mr. Morehouse complimented Mr. Fisher for having “done a fine job keeping people in water.” Mr. Fisher replied that “it’s Ray (Pullen, the Water Authority’s lone employee) who has done an excellent job of keeping people in water.”

Mrs. Willis, who is also a member of the Architectural Review Board, told the council that they had received a request from Pat Foster to put up a sign advertising his woodworking business.

Mayor Morehouse observed that “it’s a home occupation — he can’t solicit retail business.” Jim Thomasson, another member of the ARB, explained that at the time Mr. Foster filed an application for his sign the old ordinance was in effect, but that by the time the ARB considered it the new ordinances had been passed..

Mr. Morehouse said that he felt that the discretion for approval of “transition” signs should lie only with the ARB, but “the ARB brought the problem back to the council — so the council must deal with it.” Mr. Fisher pointed out a consideration of intent. “People obviously felt they had a right for a sign and (they) submitted an application or put up the sign before the ordinance went into effect. ”

Mr. Thomasson added that at least three other people in town, including Mr. Foster’s wife, Camille Harris, had hung signs without applying to the ARB for approval. “We didn’t make them take the signs down. We told them

Continued on page 16