Saturday, September 7, 2024

could the developer kill the project from hell that the community can't?



"Claytor previously indicated that rejecting the highway sign could cause developers to abandon the project."


Mayor Brandy Hawkins Boies asked if the trees could be removed, but Otis said they are on VDOT property and cannot be removed.

Council member Dane Hooser said "the design of the neighborhood was flawed from the start."

Council member Brad Stover said he wouldn’t interfere as long as the proffers are met. “I’m not going to dictate what you’re going to do with your commercial property,” Stover said.

Council member A.D. Carter IV urged a straightforward approach when the council votes, and asked members not to be side-tracked by residents’ wide-ranging concerns. 
“We have to be single-minded and say this is what it is, and this is what has been met,” he said. “Here it is.”

“I always thought phase one was residential and phase two was the commercial component,” Otis said. “To me, this is phase two. There is no development left to take place. Now is the time to do it.”

From the looks of it strasburg town government is trying to make the I-81 interchange at Route 55 the next south of the border.


Despite the mayor, town council, and town staff continuing their efforts to push ahead with this project, and despite the community's continuing opposition to it, this project may collapse of its own weight.



Monday, September 2, 2024

a novel approach to town planning

so, the town is revising its zoning ordinance and they're holding a public hearing for citizens to provide comments and recommendations before the ordinance is adopted. translation: we're just about done and we need to get this public hearing check-mark done so that we can adopt the revisions. ergo, we're too late in the process to fool around with citizen input.


click on "Episode 34: Building Possibility". it's worth your time to listen.

the point: get citizen input BEFORE the town BEGINS the process.




Wednesday, August 28, 2024

tiny homes?


who thinks this stuff up? 

Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan said:
“Everyone's entitled to their own opinion. Everyone is not entitled, however, to their own facts.”

“Personally, I think this would be a neat selling point for Strasburg,” Zeimet said. “I don’t think Winchester has anything like this or the surrounding areas, and it just seems like this would give you a better quality of life versus, you know, a bunch of apartments that go up and up and up and got people just stacked on top of each other.”

Councilmember David Woodson mirrored those thoughts, sharing that he thought it would be a great option for the retired community of Strasburg, along with young couples and single people.

“Most people who retire don’t want to retire to townhomes,” Woodson said. “They want to retire to something like this.”

Mayor Brandy Hawkins Boies also expressed enthusiasm for the tight-knit communities tiny home clusters could potentially create.

“It’s like an instant neighborhood of connections,” Boies said.


Where are the facts to back up the "I think...I don't think...It just seems like...he thought...most people don't want to retire to townhomes. They want to retire to something like this...could potentially create an instant neighborhood of connections...etc."?


Here are some facts:
and this is from a guy (Peter Velin) who is a tiny home advocate who built and lives in his own tiny home. 


Also, if you look closely at the photo below you'll see the wheel. Why wouldn't "tiny home developments look like a trailer park"? dah!!!


Here's an idea. Why don't you research the facts before you leap?



attribution: Tammy, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons




Saturday, August 17, 2024

if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it's a...

duck! 


homeowners, you're right! There are serious safety concerns. the town planning commission messed up in approving a gas station at this location. they should have approved zoning that is no different from the zoning in your adjacent, much larger, community. 

keep hammering away! don't let the town tell you different from what you already know. building a gas station at this location would be a colossal mistake--an obvious safety hazard to your community and a slap in the face.

don't let the town make you pay for their screw-up!



attribution: Lisa Roukis and flickr


Do you ever wonder what goes on behind closed doors at town hall? 
What I do know is this: I'm 77 years old and I've been around the block more than a few times. I don't need some nanny or nannies at town hall telling me what is good for me and bad for me. I can figure that out for myself. so can you. 



Thursday, August 15, 2024

gridlock

what do you get when you combine an intersection of two US routes with weird geometry, narrow streets, huge tractor trailer trucks, a milk plant, and antique shops, restaurants, and other small businesses lining both sides of the intersecting state highways?

answer: gridlock



The intersection of US 11 and US 55 in old town Strasburg VA may be the worst intersection that I've ever seen. 

What's being done about it?

answer: NOTHING

While the current mayor and former mayor tout their supposed accomplishments prior to November's election, NOTHING has been or is being done about the worst intersection that I've ever seen.

yada yada.

PS add street lights in the roadway of US 55 to the weirdest intersection that I've ever seen.








Tuesday, July 16, 2024

VDH algal mat alert
























North Fork Shenandoah River at Strasburg Park public boat landing in Shenandoah County VA. E. coli levels on Wednesday June 22 versus Thursday June 23, 2022.



The source of the Town of Strasburg's drinking water is the polluted Shenandoah River. Think about that the next time that you drink a glass of water.



Thursday, July 11, 2024

"Pa! a gas station is a-comin!"

**** UPDATE ****


They all seem to miss the point. 

What's the point of having zoning if a property (located between the I-81/US 55 interchange and an established residential development, which is zoned "Agricultural/Rural Residential"), is rezoned for a gas station and an office building?

answer: no point

what is it about town council et al that they don't understand that it's a betrayal of the people who live in the Cedar Spring community, to allow a gas station, that will service some of I-81's heavy volume of interstate tractor trailer trucks, to invade their residential community? The residents of Cedar Spring certainly didn't expect that when they chose to live in strasburg. is it callousness? is it arrogance? is it stupidity? or is it something far more sinister? whatever it is, it's strasburg.

****************

"right over yonder! between I-81 and Cedar Spring Drive!"

"Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit!"

 




here's the point. the subject property is a relatively small out-parcel bounded by an interstate highway interchange and a relatively new, but established, residential community. it's zoned "agriculture/rural residential".

what sense does it make to allow a gas station to be built on this site, leaving the shack as a "historical monument"?

answer: it makes about as much sense as allowing residential and commercial development around a smelly and dangerous (https://strasburgunderground.blogspot.com/2021/07/explosion-and-ammonia-leak-at-milk-plant.html) milk processing plant--with huge tractor-trailers navigating the historical district's narrow streets--fouling traffic while getting to and from it. or, allowing residential and commercial development around a huge, noisy industrial complex in the middle of town. or, allowing townhouses to be built next to the town's other interstate interchange at route 11.

granting an exception for a property immediately adjacent to an I-81 interchange (zoned "agricultural/rural residential") to allow a gas station COMPLETELY changes the development intended for the property. why was the exception even considered? why have zoning laws if such HUGE exceptions are granted? 

it's unlikely that we'll ever know the REAL answers as to who is/are responsible for this egregious zoning exception--and why. in short, it makes NO sense at all--and, it doesn't pass the smell test.

that's strasburg.


attribution: mmntz and flickr



Thursday, July 4, 2024

the "letter" in your water bill



Strasburgians, if you're looking for your "letter", then look in your water bill.


attribution: Rusty Clark and flickr




The town has been searching for a water plant manager for months.

This is your drinking water. Who do you believe/trust? the town? VDH? or a qualified, independent source(s)? 


This is a water quality issue that has never been addressed:

North Fork Shenandoah River at Strasburg Park public boat landing in Shenandoah County VA. E. coli levels on Wednesday June 22 versus Thursday June 23, 2022.



not even in a "letter" attached to our water bill.



Wednesday, June 26, 2024

noise news

after 3 months of earsplitting construction noise (https://strasburgunderground.blogspot.com/2024/04/demolition.html), 
we finally have some answers. 
https://www.nvdaily.com/nvdaily/strasburg-planners-greenlight-plan-to-split-one-shenandoah-drive-into-two-warehouses/article_0d50a8a4-90b5-53c9-981e-715cad5d4da3.html 

being outside during the last three months has been impossible with the nonstop noise. birds and wildlife have vacated the area.

the town is giddy with glee as they congratulate themselves for the project--as if they had anything to do with it. we'll see how it turns out. 

birds, wildlife and yours truly will be glad when the construction is complete. 

PS "landscaping" alone is not an effective way to abate noise. if one can see the source of the noise (direct "line of sight"), then one hears it unabated. that's science. it's also common sense.



Sunday, June 16, 2024

Travelers, BEWARE!

 








Don't stop in Strasburg!!! 

Stop at a place that has a hospital emergency room--Winchester, Woodstock, Front Royal.

Some day (decades from now), if the Corridor H connector (that will connect Interstate 81 with Interstate 79 in WVA) ever gets built, then a hospital with an emergency room may be built in Strasburg. In the meantime, stop at a place that has a hospital emergency room--in Winchester, Woodstock, or Front Royal.

The life that you save may be your own! 


Questions: (1) Why did the woman who placed the 911 call have to keep repeating herself? (2) Why did it take so long for police backup to arrive? (3) Why did it take so long for EMS to arrive? Town Hall and EMS are located at the bottom of the hill and the Ramada is at the top. Seconds are important in an emergency.

Transparency? Where's the timeline? When did 911 receive the call? When did Officer Rathore arrive at the scene? When did he call for backup? When did backup arrive at the scene? When did EMS arrive at the scene? When was Melissa Tompkins taken to Winchester Medical Center? When did she die? What was the cause of death from the autopsy? Could Melissa Tompkins have survived if she had been helped sooner? 

This investigation took six months. Any investigation worth its salt would have developed a timeline. Both Officer Rathore and Melissa Tompkins needed help. Maybe there's something that can be learned from the response times in this incident. If so, then we owe it to Officer Rathore, Melissa Tompkins, their families, and the public to learn how response times can be improved.

Who has seen the actual investigation report besides the investigators? What we have seen is a prepared video posted by Chief Sager on facebook. Who, independent of those being investigated and the investigators, has seen the actual report? Transparency requires that some independent, unbiased person(s) outside of the investigation review the actual report and report their independent, unbiased findings--e.g. the Northern Virginia Daily. Will that happen? I'm not holding by breath. 

Melissa Tompkins was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It cost her her life, and the life of her unborn child.


It's sad for me to think that if she had been in Winchester, Woodstock or Front Royal, with hospital emergency rooms, that she and her unborn child may be alive today.

Tuesday, June 4, 2024

get real

 

WOW!!! The photo says it all. 

here's another: 

Question: What is the attraction at this location? a gas station? or a restored log house?  

The answer is obvious. No one is going to stop at this location for a restored log house. Those who want to see restored log houses will visit Strasburg's historic district--which is two miles away. Anyone who thinks otherwise should have their head examined. 

Get real town council!



attribution: Doug Kerr and flickr




Thursday, May 9, 2024

thinking outside the box



It's encouraging to read that the town is seeking methods other than raising property taxes to cover spending overruns. Previous town discussions regarding this year's deficit were restricted to raising property taxes. 

In addition to decreasing spending, what about generating revenue from traffic tickets, noise violations and pay parking? 

Revenue from traffic tickets and noise ordinance violations wouldn't require any additional spending to implement. Town police could simply focus more on enforcement. Not only would that increase revenue into town coffers, but it would also create a safer, less noisy town. 

Pay parking would require an initial investment, but like revenue from traffic and noise violations, it's also a "win-win". Not only would the town be safer and less noisy, but also revenue from pay parking could be used to create a "rainy day" fund.

What this town needs is more "thinking outside the box". 



Monday, May 6, 2024

FYI: Shenandoah River pollution

On May 3 the Shenandoah Riverkeeper posted the following on Facebook:

"As some of you are aware, during the course of this week, we have experienced a fish kill on the South Fork of the Shenandoah in the Grove Hill area of the river with a number of reports coming in of dead and dying smallmouth bass.

Jason Hallacher, VA DWR fisheries biologist, along with USGS research scientists were out on that stretch earlier this week collecting tissue samples unrelated to the unfolding fish kill so hopefully their analysis may yield some insights. And DEQ folks are being good public stewards as they immediately responded and are on that stretch of water today collecting data.

Way too many questions and few answers as to why this occurred or is still occurring. Fish kills can occur naturally and we do know that the spawn is underway and the sudden temperature jump (over 10 degrees this week) did happen but no clue if they are contributing factors. Environmental conditions change so quickly and there is often only a short window in which to collect quality samples.

Many fish kills can occur as a result of fluctuations in the natural environment such as harmful algal blooms and resulting water quality issues such as low oxygen or production of toxins. Environmental factors such as changes in pH, dissolved oxygen levels and significant algal growth and we can't ignore ag issues like herbicides being used to knock down cover crops along with parasites and pathogens that add significant stress to the spawn. No shortage of suspects at all.

Stay tuned." 

Stephen Johnson posted the following comment:

"Yep another fish kill to talk about for the next few years.
Meantime, nothing ever happens nor is there a result in findings other than pulling information from the article and re running it .
Run off - still on going
Nitrogen/ Phosphorous still leaching off farm land .
Bio- solids running off onto tribs .
So called Stewart’s [sic] of the land allowing cattle to stand in feeder streams .
Blind eye to Chicken Processors discharge .
Over flow from STPs that get a tap on the wrist when they discharge .
The North and South Forks are polluted for a reason .
That reason is nothing is done to stop any of the generators.
Just water samples and flesh samples collection and a report .
Then the cycle starts all over again .
Crock of crap"



There are those who will read this and say "That's Grove Hill and the South Fork. Strasburg is on the North Fork and 50 miles from Grove Hill". While that may be true, Grove Hill and the South Fork are connected to Strasburg and the North Fork by the same river--the Shenandoah. 

Furthermore, Strasburg Underground reported pollution in the North Fork of the Shenandoah in Stasburg previously: 
2/14/24:
12/4/23:
8/24/23: 
6/30/23:
6/13/23: 
3/28/23:
3/8/23:
11/25/22: 
10/11/22: 


North Fork Shenandoah River at Strasburg Park public boat landing in Shenandoah County VA. E. coli levels on Wednesday June 22 versus Thursday June 23, 2022.



The source of the Town of Strasburg's drinking water is the polluted Shenandoah River. Think about that the next time that you drink a glass of water.



Tuesday, April 23, 2024

government futility




well done, Ryan Fitzmaurice! one would think that the USPS wouldn't make it harder for handicapped folks to mail a letter. AMAZING! 


Mr. Fitzmaurice, your article is an eyeopener for some of us and a reminder for others that some of our neighbors have difficulty with tasks that we take for granted: mailing a letter, getting stamps or mailing a package at the post office, getting groceries, getting supplies, finding a vendor, changing a light bulb, etc. One would like to think that government would help. Your article confirms the opposite. One would think that neighbors would help. The rub becomes connecting the neighbor who wants to help with the neighbor who needs help. Legal concerns make this difficult--or even impossible. One would think that local government would help. not so. it's a sad situation. 


This image says it all: 




attribution: Adam Fagen and flickr



Friday, April 12, 2024

government's calculations for inflation (CPI) are flawed

 "The CPI represents changes in prices of all goods and services purchased for consumption by urban households. User fees (such as water and sewer service) and sales and excise taxes paid by the consumer are also included. Income taxes and investment items (like stocks, bonds, and life insurance) are not included."





There you have it. the CPI only includes "out-of-pockets". Big ticket items like federal and state income taxes, state and local property taxes, healthcare costs (including prescription drugs), education costs, etc. aren't included. 

why? 

Mark Twain said it all: "Figures don't lie, but liars figure." 





public domain via wikimedia commons




attribution: Lance W. Haverkamp, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons



Thursday, April 11, 2024

cutting spending is the answer to strasburg's budget deficit

By the narrowest of margins town council got it right by voting against raising real estate taxes. 

https://www.nvdaily.com/nvdaily/strasburg-council-rejects-real-estate-tax-increase/article_d27b6663-1a87-5289-a4a2-9492b75254fd.html

questions remain.

The slim majority has it right this time. 

"Monahan called for the council to have a financial retreat next year to discuss needs in detail before she was ready to approve new taxes, stating she would not approve new taxes in this cycle.

“I have no interest (in raising taxes),” Monahan said. “The people of Strasburg are all struggling.”

“I would exhaust all other options before doing a tax increase,” Louder said."

  • how does a struggling homeowner deal with a 22% increase in real estate taxes? most people can deal with 3% inflation in the small items (gas, food, clothing, etc.). real estate taxes are a big ticket item in a struggling homeowner's budget. a 22% increase in real estate taxes in one year puts a HUGE burden on a struggling homeowner's budget.

The answer to the town's budget deficit is clear--cut spending--just like a struggling homeowner has to do if they have a budget deficit.





Wednesday, April 10, 2024

demolition

question: where's that noise coming from? 

answer: demolition at 1 Shenandoah Valley Drive. 




there's a sign: ARCO design and build



That's all I know--for now.

Stay tuned.



Friday, April 5, 2024

double-talk



Calvin Coolidge said: "Collecting more taxes than is absolutely necessary is legalized robbery."

strasburg has a history of spending taxes unwisely.
etc.

strasburg also has a history of double-talk. Beware of councilman Dane Hooser's advocacy for raising the real estate tax. 
in 2022 the real estate tax rate went down 11% while real estate assessments went UP a whopping 45%--resulting in a whopping 22% increase in real estate taxes. talk about inflation!!!

Here's a fourth option--cut spending.

 

attribution: Matt Deegan and flickr