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PUBLIC
HEARING AGENDA REQUEST
Sponsor:
Board of Supervisors Meeting Date:
Staff Lead:
Department:
Elizabeth A. Cook
Community
Development
Topic:
A Resolution to Abandon a
Portion of
Old State Route
671 in
Fauquier
County
Topic
Description:
On
November 18, 2002
, the Board of Supervisors adopted a
resolution directing the
County
Administrator
to institute the road abandonment process
for portions of Old State Route 671 near
Paris
, and a revised resolution was adopted on
May 19, 2003
with a revision to the citation reference
revision. Beatrice Beckner and
Robert O. Beckner, whose property is located along and within this section
of Route 671, have requested that the County abandon this section of road
from the state system. As
asserted by the property owners, Route 671 was not historically located on
their property, but immediately west of their property line.
According to Mr. Beckner, their improved driveway has been used
over the years and an additional portion of their property cleared as
access to properties located in
Loudoun
County
. The
improvements and use of this section of roadway were not with the consent
of the Beckners.
In
1943,
Loudoun
County
adopted a resolution to discontinue
maintenance of Route 671 from the
Fauquier
County
line to the
Clarke
County
line.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) officially
discontinued maintenance of that section in 1944.
On
September 3, 2002
,
Loudoun
County
voted to abandon a section of Route 671
northeast of Beatrice Beckner's property.
At one time, it appeared that the road connected Route 50 to Route
601 near
Mount
Weather
in
Loudoun
County
. Today,
the only section of Route 671 north of Route 50 maintained by VDOT is from
Route 50 to the Paris Water Storage Tank (approximately 0.12 miles); while
the only portion not maintained within the state system is the section
along and within Mrs. Beckner's property (approximately 0.15 miles).
The Beckners indicate that they gated the road in the past for
several years; so access has not always been available to the public or
adjacent property owners via this route.
The
Beckners indicate that they have had trouble over the years with
unauthorized hunters, trespassers, and vandals coming onto their property.
With
Loudoun
County
's actions, no public should be using the
road for access purposes, as the public portion of the road ends at the
Beckner property. The Fauquier
County Zoning Ordinance definition of public street stipulates that it
must be maintained by VDOT, therefore the County does not consider this
section of Route 671 a public street.
Three
of the property owners in
Loudoun
County
who use this portion of Route 671 to
access their property have indicated that they are against the proposed
abandonment. One of those
property owners, Timothy Shearer, may be "landlocked" if the
abandonment is approved. However,
it is not clear whether or not the access to Route 601 in
Loudoun
County
is still available as a
"private" street. Mrs.
Beckner's representative has indicated that they would consider granting
an access easement to Mr. Shearer to prevent his parcel from being
landlocked. In addition, they
would grant
Fauquier
County
an access easement to a pump house and
spring situated in
Loudoun
County
to help alleviate water shortages in the
Village
of
Paris
.
The
VDOT Warrenton Residency is still researching the status of Route 671 in
Loudoun
County
. Generally,
VDOT has indicted that it is hesitant to abandon sections of roads when
opposition is expressed to the proposed closure.
Requested Action of the
Board of Supervisors:
Hold
a public hearing and consider adopting the attached
resolution.
Financial Impact
Analysis:
None
Identify
any other Departments, Organizations or Individuals affected by this
request:
VDOT
Landowners adjacent to this section of Route 671
Attachment:
GIS
Plat
Letter from Applicants' Representative
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