CONSENT AGENDA REQUEST

Sponsor:

Board of Supervisors Meeting Date: 

Richard W. Robison,  Center District Supervisor

 April 14, 2005

Staff Lead:

Department: 

Larry Miller, Director

Parks and Recreation

Topic: 

A Resolution Authorizing the County Administrator and the County Attorney to Execute All Documents Necessary to Acquire a Deed of Easement from the Commonwealth of Virginia for a Trail through Lord Fairfax Community College Property in Warrenton

 

Topic Description:

In 2001, the County received funding in the amount of $102,000 of a $323,769 request to initiate work on extending the Warrenton Branch Greenway to Lord Fairfax Community College.  With those funds it was the County’s intention to acquire property (approximately 2-3 acres) along Route 29 from the present terminus of the Greenway to the boundary of Lord Fairfax Community College.  A verbal arrangement had been reached with the landowner prior to application for the grant.  Almost a year transpired between the application and the acceptance of the grant.  In that time, land prices began escalating in the County and the owners decided that they would rather pursue development of their property and determined that selling a portion may hurt their development potential.  For three years the County continued to make contact with the owners and was delayed each time with tentativeness about the status of the development plans.  In late 2004, the development effort was deemed unsuccessful, but by that time the price for the portion of the property to be acquired had risen significantly beyond the funding allocated.

 

In order to keep the project moving, the Virginia Department of Transportation allowed the Parks and Recreation Department to focus on the Lord Fairfax Community College portion of the connector trail.  The County hired a planner to develop a plan through the college property.  That plan has been completed and approved by the Parks and Recreation Board, the Lord Fairfax Community College Board, the Virginia Art and Architecture Review Board, and is now going before the Fauquier County Board of Supervisors and the Virginia Community College System Board for final approval.  In the meantime, construction plans are being developed, and it is hoped that the initial grading can be accomplished with the funds that remain in the grant. 

 

Completion of the trail will be achieved when funding is located.  The Parks and Recreation Department plans to apply again for any enhancement funds that may be available in future years to finish the trail.

 

The Deed of Easement for the trail formalizes the agreement with the Virginia Community College System.  The Easement allows the County to install the trail and assigns responsibility for operation and maintenance to the County.  Initial maintenance of the graded portion will be minimal until the trail is completed. 

Requested Action of the Board of Supervisors: 

Consider adoption of the attached resolution.

Financial Impacts Analysis:

The application does not include any additional funding of the Board of Supervisors, but is matched with land and other in-kind contributions.

 

The Department anticipates costs of less than $2,500 per year for occasional bushhogging and other minimal maintenance tasks.

 

.

Identify any other Departments, Organizations or Individuals that would be affected by this request:

Lord Fairfax Community College

Fauquier Trails Coalition

County Attorney

 

Attachments:

  1. Plat
  2. Deed of Easement
  3. Resolution