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Brandy Station homes spark fight
Brandy Station Foundation will challenge battlefield development plan in court
By DONNIE JOHNSTON
Date published: 9/3/2004
Free Lance-Star
A preservation group will continue its fight to stop a small housing development from being built on part of the Brandy Station battlefield in Culpeper County.
The Brandy Station Foundation announced yesterday that it would appeal a Board of Zoning Appeals decision on the matter to Culpeper County Circuit Court. The zoning board voted unanimously two weeks ago that it did not have jurisdiction to prevent Golden Oaks Construction Co. from building two houses on the 18.9-acre parcel at the foot of Fleetwood Heights.
Although only two homes are scheduled to be built at present, the Brandy Station Foundation contends that Golden Oaks will build six more before development ends.
The preservationists argued that houses would desecrate the land and obstruct views of the battlefield area where, on June 9, 1863, what is touted as the largest cavalry engagement in the Western Hemisphere took place.
The appeals board, however, said it had no authority to prevent the development since Golden Oaks owner Clifton Schull of Jeffersonton and his company had met all the zoning requirements.
The land was zoned R-1, allowing one-acre residential lots, in 1989 as part of the county's revised comprehensive plan. The law requires that any rezoning appeal be brought to the board within 30 days.
Since 15 years had passed, the board said--on the advice of both the county legal department and a special attorney--that it was powerless to act on the matter.
Wayne Stillwell, who sold the land to Schull several months ago, told the zoning board during the appeal hearing that he had tried to sell the land to the preservationists but they did not come up with the money.
At its regular monthly meeting Wednesday, the Brandy Station Foundation board voted to continue its appeal to the circuit court because of what it called "narrow interpretation" of the issues by the Board of Zoning Appeals.
"[The foundation] believes it will benefit the Culpeper community to continue the struggle to protect this historically significant battlefield," the group and its attorney, Ed Gentry, said in a statement released yesterday.
The foundation owns a small parcel of land adjacent to the one in question. The Civil War Preservation Trust owns about 1,500 acres of the Brandy Station battlefield in the area.
Eric
Brandy Station Foundation will challenge battlefield development plan in court
By DONNIE JOHNSTON
Date published: 9/3/2004
Free Lance-Star
A preservation group will continue its fight to stop a small housing development from being built on part of the Brandy Station battlefield in Culpeper County.
The Brandy Station Foundation announced yesterday that it would appeal a Board of Zoning Appeals decision on the matter to Culpeper County Circuit Court. The zoning board voted unanimously two weeks ago that it did not have jurisdiction to prevent Golden Oaks Construction Co. from building two houses on the 18.9-acre parcel at the foot of Fleetwood Heights.
Although only two homes are scheduled to be built at present, the Brandy Station Foundation contends that Golden Oaks will build six more before development ends.
The preservationists argued that houses would desecrate the land and obstruct views of the battlefield area where, on June 9, 1863, what is touted as the largest cavalry engagement in the Western Hemisphere took place.
The appeals board, however, said it had no authority to prevent the development since Golden Oaks owner Clifton Schull of Jeffersonton and his company had met all the zoning requirements.
The land was zoned R-1, allowing one-acre residential lots, in 1989 as part of the county's revised comprehensive plan. The law requires that any rezoning appeal be brought to the board within 30 days.
Since 15 years had passed, the board said--on the advice of both the county legal department and a special attorney--that it was powerless to act on the matter.
Wayne Stillwell, who sold the land to Schull several months ago, told the zoning board during the appeal hearing that he had tried to sell the land to the preservationists but they did not come up with the money.
At its regular monthly meeting Wednesday, the Brandy Station Foundation board voted to continue its appeal to the circuit court because of what it called "narrow interpretation" of the issues by the Board of Zoning Appeals.
"[The foundation] believes it will benefit the Culpeper community to continue the struggle to protect this historically significant battlefield," the group and its attorney, Ed Gentry, said in a statement released yesterday.
The foundation owns a small parcel of land adjacent to the one in question. The Civil War Preservation Trust owns about 1,500 acres of the Brandy Station battlefield in the area.
Eric
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