Harpers Ferry - Development Proposed

[Dignann]

Project seeks annexation of 638 acres into Charles Town

by DAVE McMILLION
The Herald-Mail

HARPERS FERRY, W.VA. - A $200 million office space and hotel project being proposed next to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is coming under attack by local residents and government officials because they say it is "out of character" for the area and could lead to problems like traffic congestion.

The project is also under fire because developers want to annex the 638-acre site into the City of Charles Town, which is roughly 5 miles away.

Under the annexation procedure, the City of Charles Town would use U.S. 340 to reach the property and take it into the city's limits, Charles Town Mayor Peggy Smith said.

Using a highway to reach a property is sometimes referred to as a "pipestem" annexation and such annexations have been criticized by Jefferson County officials, who say such annexations interfere with their ability to plan growth.

Harpers Ferry Mayor Jim Addy, who is opposed to the project, said Monday he immediately wrote a letter to Smith expressing concerns about it.

Addy said he opposes the project because he thinks it is too close to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and questioned the appropriateness of Charles Town having the property.

"It's 5 miles away," Addy said.

The project would include three properties - the Old Standard quarry site, Alstadt's Corner and Bugler's Rest - which are south of the intersection of Millville Road and U.S. 340, said Charles Town attorney J. Michael Cassell, who is representing the developers.

The project, which is being proposed by developers Gene Capriotti, Herb Jonkers and Jim Gibson, calls for the construction of office buildings around a lake on the quarry property, Cassell said. The lake is about 1 mile long.

A hotel built along the lake would have about 150 rooms and meeting space, Cassell said.

Cassell said descriptions of the project have been exaggerated on the Internet, and he said the office buildings will be "low-rise" structures that will blend with the environment.

Although details of the project are still being worked out, Cassell said it would provide about one million square feet of office space and would cost $200 million to $250 million to build.

Cassell downplayed criticism of the project, saying the benefits outweigh the objections.

The developers believe the office space will attract high-tech employers and the buildings will have "all the high-tech connections" for such clients, Cassell said. The hotel would be ideal for business travel associated with companies that use the office space, Cassell said.

Cassell said the developers want the site to be annexed into the city because they believe county officials are not interested in such a project there.

"It provides a solid plan for economic progress in Jefferson County," Cassell said.

Smith said she has not received Addy's letter in opposition to the project.

Smith emphasized that the city does not seek annexations and that anyone is free to petition the city for annexation.

Smith also said she understands Addy's concern about the city annexing a property near Harpers Ferry.

"It is too far out. I will be the first to say that," Smith said.

But Smith said it "breaks my heart" to see business opportunities lost in the county and said she hopes the debate over the project will spur county officials to speed up the process of attracting new business to the county.

In regards to the Charles Town City's Council's view of the proposal, Smith said "I don't think the votes are there."

A meeting will be held March 16 at 2 p.m. at Independent Fire Co. in Ranson, where the project will be presented to Smith, City Manager Jane Arnett and Jeremy Camp, director of community development for the City of Charles Town. The proposed annexation will be presented to the Charles Town Planning Commission on March 21 at 7 p.m. at the Independent Fire Co., Camp said.

If the planning commission approves it, the annexation would go before the city council in April, Camp said.

Donald Campbell, superintendent of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, said the land is surrounded on two sides by park property. Campbell said he understands a city's need to have commercial growth to generate tax revenue, "but this just isn't the place for that."

On Monday night, Theresa Eisenman of South Samuel Street presented Charles Town City Council members with a 600-name petition asking that the city to stop annexing housing developments until the city and county can jointly develop a plan for growth.

Eisenman said the citizens' concern over growth patterns turned to outrage when they learned of the 638-acre annexation proposal near Harpers Ferry.

"We are on the verge of really harming this community," council member Matt Ward said at Monday's meeting.

The process

First: The annexation request will be reviewed by Charles Town city officials March 16 at 2 p.m. at Independent Fire Co., 202 E. Second St. in Ranson, W.Va.

Next: The annexation will be reviewed by the Charles Town Planning Commission March 21 at 7 p.m. at the fire hall.

Then: If the annexation is OK'd by the planning commission, it could go before the city council for approval in April.

http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=160261&format=html

Eric

[Dignann]

Re: Harpers Ferry - Development Proposed

Annexation frustration
County commissioner calls proposal a 'land grab'

by DAVE McMILLION

The Hearld-Mail
March 9, 2007

CHARLES TOWN, W.VA. - For the second time this week, a proposed annexation to the City of Charles Town angered other government officials as concerns grew about how such annexations are affecting the ability to offer public services, among other issues.

The Jefferson County Commission on Thursday refused to certify the annexation of the approximately 48-acre Windmill Crossing project along U.S. 340 north of Charles Town after hearing about how annexations are making it difficult to handle 911 calls and other concerns that were raised.

On Monday, local residents and government officials criticized a proposed 638-acre annexation to the City of Charles Town near Harpers Ferry (W.Va.) National Historical Park, and there was general frustration at Thursday's commission meeting about how annexations are being handled in the county.

"It's turning our society upside down," Commissioner Rusty Morgan said.

The Windmill Crossing project involved the development of 15 commercial lots and condominiums.

The city was interested in annexing the property to build its commercial tax base, which Charles Town officials have said is an important issue for them.

To reach the property, the city proposed going up U.S. 340 to reach the property at the intersection of Marlow Road.

Using a highway to annex a property sometimes is referred to as a pipestem annexation, and county officials have complained that pipestem annexations make it difficult to do effective land planning.

Commissioner Greg Corliss made a motion not to certify the Windmill Crossing annexation because the project does not meet the state's definition of a contiguous property.

The commissioners unanimously voted in favor of Corliss' motion.

The vote came after a discussion between the city's attorney, county lawyers and others about how a reasonable annexation is determined.

Commissioner Dale Manuel questioned Charles Town officials about how they plan to offer city services such as police protection and snow removal at the distant end of the city, and the director of the county's 911 center said his agency has had difficulty in handing 911 calls in newly annexed areas because it is not always clear which jurisdiction should handle the call.

Commission President Frances Morgan said she believed Charles Town was being "aggressive" with the Windmill Crossing annexation and that it amounted to a "major land grab."

"I'm having a hard time controlling my anger over what's taking place," Morgan said.

The proposed 638-acre annexation to the City of Charles Town involves a section of land near the intersection of Millville Road and U.S. 340.

That proposed annexation, which is about two miles north of the intersection of Marlow Road, also is a pipestem annexation because the city would use U.S. 340 to reach it, officials said.

The 638-acre annexation is where three developers are proposing a $200 million office space and hotel project.

Opponents of the annexation say the project is too close to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and is "out of character for the area."

Charles Town attorney J. Michael Cassell, who is representing the three developers, downplayed criticism of the project, saying the objections are outweighed by the benefits.

The annexation plan is a new proposal, and it will be presented to Mayor Peggy Smith, City Manager Jane Arnett and Jeremy Camp, director of community development for the City of Charles Town, at a meeting March 16 at 2 p.m. at the Independent Fire Co. in Ranson.

The proposed annexation then will be presented to the Charles Town Planning Commission on March 21 at 7 p.m. at the Independent Fire Co., Camp said.

If the planning commission approves it, the annexation would go before the city council in April, Camp said.

http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=160551&format=html

Eric

[Dignann]

Re: Harpers Ferry - Development Proposed

Mayor opposes annexation of site near Harpers Ferry

by MATTHEW UMSTEAD

The Herald-Mail
March 17, 2007

RANSON, W.VA. - Charles Town Mayor Peggy Smith wishes a proposed $200 million office/hotel development project for a 638-acre site near Harpers Ferry National Historical Park could be closer to the city, but said Friday she was opposed to annexing the property.

"I truly cannot support this annexation," Smith said after presiding over a special session of city council convened at Independent Fire Co's station in Ranson, W.Va., to hear a presentation about the proposal.

Though located about five miles from the city's boundary, the land could be annexed through the city's use of U.S. 340 as a "pipestem" to connect to a cluster of properties the site entails - the Old Standard quarry, Alstadt's Corner and Bugler's Rest. The acreage is south of the intersection of Millville Road and U.S. 340, officials have said.

In a computer-aided presentation, attorney James P. Campbell on Friday said the developers would be willing to limit residential development to a maximum of 200 units, which he said was only 6 percent of the maximum allowed now through current Jefferson County zoning rules.

Campbell also said the development would bring about 6,000 new jobs and $1 million in real estate and hotel room tax money to the city. The latter didn't include potential business and occupation tax revenues, he noted.

Smith said the project represented "everything" the city is looking for, except for the fact that it was not closer to the city's boundary.

She also noted receiving objections from town leaders of Bolivar and Harpers Ferry

"I'm hoping it will be tabled," Smith said after the session.

Despite Smith's apparent objection and at least two council members concerns aired on Friday, Campbell said after the session that his clients plan to move forward in the municipality's process for annexation request.

The annexation proposal is scheduled to be presented to the city's planning commission on Wednesday and then would be reviewed by the Finance Committee before a first reading by the City Council.

Campbell, meanwhile, didn't rule out asking the towns of Bolivar and Harpers Ferry to consider annexing the property.

"It is our intention to convince people that this project has merit," Campbell said.

The Charles Town attorney declined to say how much the cleanup of the quarry portion of the development would cost, but Charles Town councilwoman Amy Schmitt said Jefferson County leaders would spur the cleanup of the old industrial site, which Campbell said had shut down in the 1970s.

Campbell said about 200,000 cubic yards of burnt limestone or slay was left at the quarry and said the landscape's "moon-like" appearance was already visible from neighboring properties.

Opposed to the site's development, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park superintendent Donald W. Campbell offered his own idea for converting the quarry site into a state park recreational area and ideally purchasing the remaining acreage for expanding the national park, which he noted contributes millions of dollars to the state's economy.

"We could more fully tell the history that occurred there in 1862," Superintendant Campbell said, noting the Confederate troop movements led by Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill in the Civil War Battle of Harpers Ferry.

Also attending the meeting was County Commission President Frances B. Morgan, who said she was personally "horrified" by pipestem annexations and would support the site's inclusion in the national park.

But Morgan also said she wouldn't rule out looking at redevelopment ideas, at least for the quarry site, which Campbell said was in operation since the 1880s.

"I'm open to proposals," Morgan said.

http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=161177&format=html

Eric

[Dignann]

Re: Harpers Ferry - Development Proposed

Park chief: Harpers Ferry Battlefield development is ‘desecration’

By CHRIS BROWN

The Journal [Martinsburg, W.Va.}
March 29, 2007

HARPERS FERRY — The development of 638 acres at an abandoned quarry would damage Harpers Ferry National Historic Park, the park superintendent said this week.

“I think it would be a desecration of the national park,” said park Superintendent Don Campbell, who called the site of the proposed development “hallowed ground.”

Campbell said he did not trust the developers to respect the historic integrity of the battlefield site near the Old Standard Quarry. He said other developments near Harpers Ferry suggest that developers in the county were “heavy-handed.”

“(In other developments) darn near every tree and every blade of grass is cut down. ... They practice pretty heavy-handed development,” he said.

Because of the battles fought in the area, Campbell said environmental and historical concerns were paramount and that certain artifacts might still be within the proposed annexation site.

“That is certainly a concern,” he said, adding that several conservation groups have shown great interest in preserving the land because of Civil War battles fought there.

The Civil War Preservation Trust earlier this month declared the national park at Harpers Ferry one of the top 13 most endangered battlefields in the country and said residential and commercial development were among the biggest threats to the park.

The request to annex the property was brought before the Charles Town Planning Commission on March 21, but action was delayed because of an issue with the petition, according to City Clerk Joe Cosentini.

Cosentini said a description of the site in the petition was outdated and had to be revised before the commission could act on it.

The Charles Town Planning Commission will meet at 6 p.m. Monday at Zion Episcopal Church in Charles Town to discuss the proposed annexation. A regularly scheduled City Council meeting will follow.

Cosentini said the city has received a revised petition from the developer and that the Planning Commission would likely act on the petition.

The annexation request drew much opposition during a meeting on March 21.

Charles Town Mayor Peggy Smith said the site is too far away from the city to make it a good choice for annexation, despite the fact that it would generate much-needed revenue and job opportunities for area residents.

Jim Campbell, an attorney representing the developer of the property, said the possible development could bring thousands of jobs to the area. Developing the land also provided the opportunity to remediate the quarry grounds, which Campbell described as unsightly and “moon-like.”

In a presentation on the Harpers Ferry National Historic Park Web site, the Old Standard Quarry is listed as comprising 25 percent of the proposed annexation, with the remaining 75 percent being a relatively untouched Civil War battlefield.

Park superintendent Campbell said the possible development threatened the core of the national park, which belongs to the American people.

“I think (the annexation) would desecrate the park, which was set aside for the American public,” he said.

http://www.journal-news.net/News/articles.asp?articleID=8077

Eric

[Dignann]

Re: Harpers Ferry - Development Proposed

Attorney: project near historical park not dead

by DAVE McMILLION

The Herald-Mail [Hagerstown, Md.]
April 4, 2007

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - The controversial proposal of putting a $200 million office space and hotel project next to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is not dead, a spokesman for the project said Tuesday.

The developers of the project are looking at all their options because they believe the proposal is still an effective way of increasing much-needed commercial tax base in Jefferson County and creating good-paying jobs for local residents, Charles Town attorney J. Michael Cassell said.

Cassell is one of two attorneys representing developers Gene Capriotti, Herb Jonkers and Jim Gibson.

Cassell would not say whether the developers of the Old Standard quarry site, Alstadt's Corner and Bugler's Rest would consider another development plan or a different annexation attempt.

He did say the developers are "exploring everything. There's more than one way to skin a cat," Cassell said.

The developers' first attempt in developing their project failed Monday night when the Charles Town City Council rejected a proposal to annex 638 acres where the project would be built. The city council rejected the annexation request on a 4-3 vote after more than 100 people attended the meeting and many speakers criticized the idea.

Cassell has said the developers wanted to be annexed into the City of Charles Town because they believe county officials are not interested in such a project there.

The three developers want to build about one million square feet of office space and a 150-room hotel off Millville Road.

Although proponents said the project would generate about 6,000 well-paying jobs for county residents, citizens and government officials worried how it would affect Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Park Superintendent Don Campbell has said that the development would be directly in the line of sight of Civil War battlefields.

Cassell said Tuesday that there should be serious consideration of the office space and hotel project because there are limited areas in the county for such a project. And the county needs such a center to create good-paying jobs, which will save some county residents from having to make lengthy commutes to metropolitan areas like Baltimore and Washington, D.C., Cassell said.

Cassell said in other areas of the state, like Monongalia County, county and city officials have worked together on economic development projects.

"Here, we have the cities and the county wrapped up in litigation with each other," Cassell said.

Bob Hardy, the mayor pro tem of Bolivar, W.Va., said he does not see any possible way for the project to succeed.

Harpers Ferry Mayor Jim Addy has expressed opposition to the project and Hardy said Tuesday that the Bolivar Town Council does not support the project and is not interested in annexing the property.

"They've got nowhere to go," Hardy said.

About the only avenue left to the developers is asking Jefferson County officials for a rezoning classification to allow such a project there, Hardy said.

The Jefferson County Development Authority, which helps to bring new business to the county and helps existing employers grow, did not take a position on the office project, said Jane Peters, executive director of the authority.

But Peters agreed with Cassell that there is little land in the county designated for commercial growth. The more job growth opportunities that are opened up in the county, the better, Peters said.

Peters said her office fields many calls from companies interested in office space in Jefferson County and they often want space as close as possible to Dulles, Va.

"Which would be that area," Peters said, referring to the Old Standard quarry site.

Campbell said the Old Standard quarry site has Civil War importance because it is where a flanking movement occurred that led to Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson's capture of 12,500 troops in 1862, the largest capture in the Civil War.

It remained the largest military capture until World War II, Civil War experts say.

Campbell said Tuesday it would be ideal if the federal government could acquire the land for the park.

Cassell previously declined to comment on whether the developers would be interesting in selling the property for park use.

Campbell said it is hard to say what will happen to the property or the developers' proposal.

"I have no idea where it's going to go," Campbell said.

http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=162382&format=html

Eric

[Dignann]

Re: Harpers Ferry - Development Proposed

Quarry rezoning draws concern

By BETH HENRY

The Journal [Martinsburg, W.Va.]
June 6, 2007

CHARLES TOWN — A rezoning request from the developers of a controversial business project attracted comments about the need for jobs as well as concerns about traffic congestion and historic preservation in a hearing Tuesday night.

The Jefferson County Planning Commission set the public hearing in order to gain comments about the plans for commercial development on the Old Standard Quarry property, and whether rezoning the property would be in compliance with the county’s comprehensive plan.

Planning commissioners will decide for or against a rezoning recommendation during their regular meeting at 7 p.m. next Tuesday, and then the County Commission will make the ultimate decision on the project a few weeks later.

The Old Standard LLC project site is south of U.S. 340, and plans call for a 60,000-square-foot signature office building, a 150-room hotel with a 22,500-square-foot conference center and additional office buildings along the property’s lake and the Shenandoah River. Twenty acres of the site would be dedicated as parkland, which could be used for hiking and biking trails, as well as public fishing areas.

The business development and hotel will bring much needed high paying jobs and a commercial tax base to the county, according to attorney Jim Campbell, of Campbell, Miller and Zimmerman in Charles Town, which is representing the developers.

However, many of the people who spoke against the project said they feared the new commercial buildings would threaten an area where Civil War soldiers marched, as well as the scenic beauty of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, which owns some of the property adjacent to the Old Standard site.

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Superintendent Don Campbell said part of the property lies in the area where the largest surrender of Union troops took place in September 1862. “... development, in the core of the park’s historic and scenic setting, threatens loss of a Civil War battlefield and desecration of the park’s scenery,” he said.

Joy Oakes, senior Mid-Atlantic regional director of the National Parks Conservation Association, said before the hearing that she thinks the project’s impact on the park’s views, as well as increased traffic, are both big concerns.

“It’s an area that already has some traffic (problems) and the traffic generated from this development would be very difficult” for park visitors and area motorists, she said. “They (tourists) are there for the beauty — not the traffic.”

The property’s owners, Herb Jonkers and Eugene Capriotti, would pay for a new traffic signal at U.S. 340 and its intersection with Millville Road, as well as a new four-lane access road.

The Old Standard Quarry property consists of about 411 acres, which fall into two zoning districts. About 80 acres in the north part of the property are zoned for high density residential use, while the remaining section is in the rural district.

The rezoning petition requests that the County Commission change the property’s zoning to allow for commercial use, claiming that the current zoning is a mistake that needs to be corrected. Since the old quarry was active from the 1880s through 1970s and used as an industrial site, the petition claims the property has never been suitable for the rural district. The old quarry has crumbling buildings and contains piles of burnt limestone, and part of the property was once the site of the county’s old landfill.

The owners would also pay for cleaning up the limestone and other materials left behind on the former industrial site, Jim Campbell said.

He also said the rezoning petition does fall in with the comprehensive plan’s intentions, especially in regard to promoting growth and development that are economically and environmentally sound, and encouraging economic development so that residents can live and work in Jefferson County.

“It creates 6,000 new jobs,” he said, adding that those jobs would be high-tech, white-collar jobs, in addition to thousands of construction jobs, and would reduce the number of people who commute outside of the county.

Under current zoning, 1,634 homes could be built on one section of the property.

Car dealership owner Gary Chicchirichi urged county leaders to support the project because of the need for more jobs in the area. He said he sees too many people commuting more than an hour away, and they don’t get home until after 7 p.m.

“I’d like the next generation to be able to live here and work here,” he said, adding that he loves Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, but preservation efforts and economic development need to be better balanced.

Jefferson County Economic Development Authority Executive Director Jane Peters agreed the county needs more commercial development.

“Working to attract these types of jobs to the county is something I do every day,” Peters said, adding that the Development Authority has a large database of county residents who commute to the Washington metropolitan area. Of those workers, 85 percent would prefer to work closer to their homes if more jobs were available, she said.

Jim Campbell and Don Campbell each made 10-minute presentations and then answered questions from planning commissioners. All other people who spoke during the hearing were given three minutes to present their opinions.

The Planning Commission meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. next Tuesday will be in the lower level meeting room of the Old Charles Town Library, which is the same room where the hearing took place.

http://www.journal-news.net/news/articles.asp?articleID=9808

Eric

[Barclay]

Re: Update: Harpers Ferry - Development Proposed

Landowners rebuffed on business park at W.Va. Civil War site (06/14/2007)

Debra Kahn, Land Letter reporter

HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. -- The Jefferson County Planning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday evening to oppose the transformation of a Civil War battlefield into a retail and office complex, setting the stage for yet another chapter in the modern battle of Harpers Ferry.

At issue is a 411-acre parcel of land adjacent to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. The former Old Standard Quarry, which developers plan to turn into a 2-million-square-foot office and retail complex, was also the site of a mid-September 1862 battle that immediately preceded the Battle of Antietam. It resulted in the largest surrender of Union forces in the Civil War.


Harpers Ferry, W.Va, as seen in this 1865 photo, Courtesy of the National Archives.
The parcel also borders another quarry site, the Shenandoah River, residentially zoned land and Schoolhouse Ridge Battlefield, which the National Park Service just opened to the public on June 2 in honor of National Trails Day.

Gene Capriotti, Herb Jonkers and Jim Gibson submitted plans to Jefferson County to rezone 330 acres from rural/residential growth to industrial/commercial use, after the City Council of Charles Town rejected their application to be annexed in April.

The mayors of Bolivar and Harpers Ferry passed resolutions, and the proposal has also drawn fire from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Park Conservation Association and the Civil War Preservation Trust.

NPS stands opposed
The National Park Service went on the record unequivocally opposing it for its "devastating impact on the rural, historic landscape."

Traffic and parking for the proposed office building, hotel, 25 commercial buildings -- with an expected 6,000 employees -- would "destroy the darkness and natural silence that is inherent in Old Standard and the surrounding Civil War battlefield lands," wrote Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Superintendent Donald Campbell to the Jefferson County Planning Commission ahead of a June 5 public meeting.

Along with the development, Old Standard LLC would build a wastewater treatment plant to handle the increased sewage. The membrane biotechnology plant, designed to exceed Chesapeake Bay's standards, would be transferred to the Jefferson County Public Service District for $1, according to the developers' rezoning application.

The Jefferson County Development Authority, which supports the plan, said "a well designed and landscaped office park would be preferable to the piles of limestone byproduct and old building rubble that currently occupy a large part of the land."


The site of the 1862 Schoolhouse Ridge Battlefield at Harpers Ferry, now part of the National Historic Trails system, with a view of the property proposed for a commercial development in background. Photo by Debra Kahn.
Scot Faulkner, president of Friends of Harpers Ferry, has been actively opposing development of the area for decades. Standing at the top of Schoolhouse Ridge last week, with the edges of the Blue Ridge Mountains visible in the distance, Faulkner pointed out an area across the road that has already begun excavation. Last year, he said, the developers began bulldozing water and sewer trenches without an NPS permit; the case is pending in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia.

"They've thrown out enough red herrings to start their own seafood restaurant," he said. If Faulkner had it his way, the land would be purchased and managed by a state/federal-private partnership, with remediation and a few hiking trails installed.

A cautiously jubilant Faulkner said he was pleased by the planning commission's unanimous vote (two members were absent). "Clearly, the stars aligned," he said. "I'm surprised in a very positive way."

The rezoning matter now goes before the Jefferson County Commission next month. But the struggle may not end there.

A previous rezoning battle on the site of the Battle of Second Manassas, about 50 miles from Harpers Ferry, culminated with President Reagan signing a bill that compensated developer John "Til" Hazel about $130 million -- far above what he originally paid for the 542-acre parcel of land.

The National Parks Conservation Association's Erin St. John said her group was talking to local leaders about the possibility of enlisting Congressional support but had not contacted federal lawmakers yet.

Congress would need to pass two bills in order to convert the land to parkland, St. John said; one expanding the park's boundary, and one appropriating funds. NPS's Campbell said this was not without precedent, as the 2004 Boundary Revision Act, sponsored by Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), expanded the park's borders to encompass Schoolhouse Ridge.

"Certainly a lot of people want to see this property protected," Campbell said.

Although Land Letter repeatedly tried to contact the developers, they were unavailable for comment after the board's vote this week.

[Dignann]

Re: Harpers Ferry - Development Proposed

Jefferson County quarry project voted down

By BETH HENRY

The Journal [Martinsburg, W.Va.]
July 20, 2007

CHARLES TOWN — Jefferson County commissioners struck down a petition to allow commercial uses at the Old Standard Quarry property on Thursday, after a crowd of about 100 people showed up to see the vote.

The controversial plans for a $250 to 300 million hotel and upscale commercial development attracted hundreds of supporters and opponents in recent weeks, and many audience members at Thursday’s regular meeting wore stickers that showed their positions for and against the plans.

County commissioners themselves were divided on the issue; President Frances Morgan and commissioners Rusty Morgan and Jim Surkamp voted to deny the petition to rezone the property to allow for commercial uses, while commissioners Greg Corliss and Dale Manuel voted against the motion.

Corliss and Manuel said they wanted to see more economic development, jobs and a stronger tax base that would be created by this type of project. However, Surkamp, Rusty Morgan and Frances Morgan said they could not support commercial uses at the site because of traffic concerns and the sensitive location next to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park land.

Commissioners heard 15 minutes of arguments from people on both sides of the issue during the meeting, which was moved from the courthouse to the Old Charles Town Library’s meeting room to accommodate the overflowing crowd.

Those who spoke in support of the commercial rezoning included the developers’ attorney Jim Campbell, Delegate Bob Tabb, D-Jefferson, and a number of concerned business leaders and residents who wanted to see more jobs and an increased tax base.

“This is a crucial element to the future of Jefferson County,” Tabb said. “I still think it’s about jobs and economic development. ... Jefferson County is a great place to live and work.”

Supporters said Jefferson County desperately needed the projected 6,000 new jobs and $4.4 million in tax revenues that could have been generated if the commercial plans were approved.

Meanwhile, those who asked the commission to reject commercial uses at the site included county residents, town leaders from Bolivar and Harpers Ferry and Joy Oakes, a representative of the National Parks Conservation Association.

Harpers Ferry Mayor James Addy said traffic increases and urban encroachment on the area would be a big problem if the rezoning was approved.

“Preserve our historic district ... give us a break on this,” Addy said.

The commissioners who voted against the rezoning petition said they didn’t think the vote would mean the end of discussions.

Frances Morgan said that although she did not think the proposed commercial project was appropriate for that area of the county, she said a different proposal could be brought forward in the future that might be compatible with the county’s comprehensive plan.

Manuel and Corliss felt otherwise, however. and said they wanted to continue gathering more information about this particular project instead of rushing to vote.

“We shouldn’t slam the door shut today,” Manuel said.

A vote for rezoning would have allowed developers to build 2 million square feet of upscale commercial office space and a hotel at the site, which is south of U.S. 340 along Millville Road. A park, hiking trail and a potential golf course were also part of the project.

“Obviously we’re disappointed with the outcome,” said one of the property’s developers, Herb Jonkers, who added that the decision wasn’t a surprise. He said he wished the County Commission had given him the opportunity to more thoroughly discuss the details and possibilities for the project with county staff and the commissioners.

“I guess we’ll be pursuing those things we can do by right and avoid going through any further approval process,” Jonkers said. About 1,600 housing units are already allowed on the portion of the quarry property that is zoned high-density residential, and Jonkers said he believes manufacturing and industrial uses are available as well because they would have been grandfathered in according to state code.

The property was used as an industrial site when the old quarry was active from the 1880s through 1974, prior to the adoption of the county’s zoning ordinance.

Developers had agreed to scale down the office buildings and stay below the tree line, so the development would have had little impact on the viewshed from adjacent Harpers Ferry National Historical Park land. Jonkers said that will probably not happen now.

“These folks who think they’ve won the battle — they’ve won the battle but lost the war,” he said. “What they’re going to get is a whole lot worse than what we were willing to do.”

http://www.journal-news.net/news/articles.asp?articleID=10738

Eric

[1stMaine]

Re: Harpers Ferry - Development Proposed

Comrades,

Sounds like a threat from Mr. Jonkers.

Southerners heard a lot of threats like that after the war. Sort of a "you better sell it to me now, or we'll take it through the courts later on".

I cannot fathom the destructive impact of 6000 new jobs on that area.

Respects,

[DJCasey]

Re: Harpers Ferry - Development Proposed

I am sitting in a hotel right now in Harpers Ferry, on vacation from Colorado. I visited the area today and will check out more in the morning. I cannot think of anything that would be more disruptive to this beautiful landscape, full of historical significance.

[Dignann]

Re: Harpers Ferry - Development Proposed

Museum planned for W.Va. quarry redevelopment

By DAVE McMILLION

The Herald-Mail [Hagerstown, Md.]
October 25, 2007

CHARLES TOWN, W.VA. — A new plan for redeveloping the former Old Standard Quarry was unveiled Thursday when local officials and developers said the site is being considered for a “significant” museum for the National Park Service that would house artifacts from across the country.

There has been concern about how any development at the site could be seen from nearby Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, and the museum would be built underground and would be “virtually invisible,” a spokesman for the project said.

The Old Standard Quarry had been the site for a planned $250 million office and hotel project, but the Jefferson County Commission rejected a request to change the land-use designation for the property to allow that proposal.

The office space project was controversial and the commission rejected a zoning change request for the land based on concerns that the project had divided the community and threatened the county’s heritage tourism.

A group of developers known as Stonewall Heights LLC is now working to purchase the quarry from local developers Herb Jonkers, Gene Capriotti, Lee Snyder and others who had been involved in the first proposal, said Bradley Gray, a member of the Stonewall Heights group. The project also includes two other properties with the total site spreading over approximately 500 acres, officials said.

Stonewall Heights LLC is proposing to build the museum at the top of a mountain with an observation deck outside, Gray said.

The observation deck would allow park rangers to explain to visitors in detail the Civil War history of the area and the facility will overlook the Shenandoah River, Gray said.

“The views are absolutely spectacular from this thing,” Gray said.

The area around the site was where Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson orchestrated the capture of 12,500 troops during the Civil War. Jackson’s capture of 12,500 troops in 1862 was the largest during the Civil War and it remained the largest military capture until World War II, Civil War experts say.

The project was discussed during Thursday’s regular Jefferson County Commission meeting when Tony Redman, director of the county’s planning and zoning departments, briefed officials on it.

“The first day I knew about it was yesterday,” Redman said.

On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., was briefed on the project in a meeting in his office, Gray and other officials said. County Commission President Frances Morgan, Commissioner Rusty Morgan and Commissioner Dale Manuel also attended that meeting, Commissioner Greg Corliss said.

Gray said his group wants to get endorsements of the idea from officials like Byrd and Gov. Joe Manchin as they proceed with it.

Gray declined to divulge other details of the deal, including how much the land is being sold for.

The size of facilities like a hotel and conference center planned for the site would be up to county planning officials as developers go forward with the project, Gray said.

“It will be significant. It will be big,” Gray said.

Gray said Donald Campbell, superintendent of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, has been consulted on the plan.

Campbell could not be reached for comment Thursday.

The National Park Service has a large number of artifacts related to personalities and places like Ford’s Theatre, President Lincoln and Robert E. Lee and their quality “rivals the Smithsonian,” Gray said in a telephone interview Thursday afternoon.

The museum would be used to house such artifacts that will come from around the country and “possibly all around the world,” Gray said.

Redman said the museum property will have access to a railroad line, meaning visitors from Washington, D.C., could ride a train to Harpers Ferry to visit the museum “without ever getting out of the car.”

Gray said another benefit of the museum is that the property will remain on the county’s tax rolls, which would not be the case if it was being built by the federal government.

Stonewall Heights LLC proposes to build the museum and lease it to the park service, Gray said.

Commission President Frances Morgan called the proposal a “bold idea.”

Corliss said he was concerned that county government staff members have known about the project before it was formally presented to the commissioners.

“It’s a bit awkward,” Commissioner Rusty Morgan said.

But Rusty Morgan said he was told that the buyers and sellers wanted it kept secret at this stage in the process and that it was “very complex.”

Several commissioners said they thought a rezoning request might have to be considered to allow the project.

http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=177725&format=html

Eric

[Dignann]

Re: Harpers Ferry - Development Proposed

Jefferson board learns of museum project

By Beth Henry

The Journal [Martinsburg, W.Va.]
October 26, 2007

CHARLES TOWN — A “spectacular” underground museum for the National Park Service might be built on the Old Standard Quarry property near Harpers Ferry, according to an announcement Thursday from a regional development team.

Plans for the museum — plus a hotel and conference center — are in the very early preliminary stages, according to Bradley Gray, spokesperson for the development group Stonewall Heights LLC, which has entered a contract to purchase the quarry and adjacent properties.

Gray said the project would set a new standard in being “green” or environmentally friendly.

“We think this can be spectacular,” he said during a Thursday phone interview, adding that although project details such as cost and square footage are not yet available, the museum project could be a national attraction that would bring in more than 1 million visitors annually.

The Museum of the National Park Service could feature significant historical and cultural artifacts and displays about the NPS’s mission. Plus it might include an area where artists could work on and sell their creations.

Also, Gray said the hope is that train service could eventually extend to the quarry property, so that visitors could ride the train from Washington, D.C., straight to the museum.

The Jefferson County Commission discussed the project during its regular Thursday meeting after three commissioners met with representatives from U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd’s office, state delegates and other leaders to look into the possibility of support for a public/private partnership.

County Commission President Frances Morgan said the project is a bold, intriguing idea that is still in the exploratory phase.

“It’s an exciting proposal,” she said.

Commissioners Rusty Morgan and Dale Manuel, along with Frances Morgan and county planner Tony Redman, went to Byrd’s office Wednesday to hear about the project’s preliminary stages.

Rusty Morgan said it was awkward for him to discuss it because at this point it is still a sensitive private project, which would benefit the county with land and viewshed preservation in addition to economic development.

However, Commissioner Greg Corliss was upset that the entire commission hadn’t approved the county employee’s involvement or even been made aware of the project until Thursday.

“It’s not the way I think the process ought to work,” Corliss said.

Corliss said he would like more information, and he and the rest of the commissioners agreed to ask Stonewall Heights leaders to give a presentation on the project as soon as possible.

During the meeting, Redman said the museum project would complement the Harpers Ferry area while benefiting the county with tax dollars and tourism revenue. He also said the green aspect of the project is appealing to the point of being “off the charts.”

“It could be a model in the nation for green architecture,” he said.

Gray, along with Dr. Christopher Lapp, emphasized the project’s goals for being an ultimate green project, with recycled building materials, solar power, a natural heating and cooling system, recycled water resources and more.

Lapp said that because the building will be underground, that adds to the building’s efficiency.

“That in itself saves energy,” he said, and because trees and grass will grow on top of the structure, the area’s viewsheds will be protected.

In fact, Gray said the development group intends to place all of the properties under a scenic view conservation easement with a national land trust.

He said the environmentally friendly aspect of the project will hopefully allow the community to embrace the development after an attempt to allow commercial development at the quarry site was rejected by the County Commission this summer. The previous proposal from local developers would have included plans for a $250 to 300 million hotel and upscale commercial development with about 2 million square feet of office space.

The new proposal would be a win-win situation, Gray said, because it would appease people who were concerned about preserving the viewsheds and historically sensitive open space on the property while also allowing for the responsible development of a unique museum and center.

He added that if the proposal moves forward as hoped, the museum could be in place before the National Park Service’s centennial celebration in 2016.

“The Park Service has been wanting a museum for years,” he said.

http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/500158.html?nav=5006

Eric

[Dignann]

Re: Harpers Ferry - Development Proposed

Museum would cost $250 million near historical park

By DAVE McMILLION

The Herald-Mail [Hagerstown, Md.]
October 29, 2007

CHARLES TOWN, W.VA. - An underground museum being proposed for the National Park Service adjacent to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park would include a tramway to take visitors up to its mountainside location and would cost about $250 million to build, a local official familiar with the project said Sunday.

Tourists visiting the museum would park their vehicles in the park's current parking lot along U.S. 340 and then ride the tramway to the museum, said Del. Bob Tabb, D-Jefferson.

The parking lot would be expanded to handle the new attraction, said Tabb, who attended a meeting last Wednesday at U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd's office, where Byrd was briefed on the proposal.

At least three parcels stretching across at least 500 acres would be set aside for the museum, including the former Old Standard Quarry, which was considered earlier in the year for a controversial $250 million office and hotel project.

Tabb supported that proposal, but said he sees advantages in the new plan.

Although the jobs associated with the museum would probably not be as good as the jobs associated with the proposed office project, the advantage to the museum is that it would not take property off the county's tax rolls, Tabb said.

"That's the plus I see for this whole thing," Tabb said Sunday.

The property would be taken off the tax rolls if it was built by the federal government, officials have said.

Tabb said he supports the project as long as it does not turn into a way to expand Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.

"Then you'll see me coming out totally against it," Tabb said.

The office space and hotel project initially proposed for the former Old Standard Quarry was seen as a way to bring high-paying jobs to the county, but it was criticized for being too close to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and being a threat to the county's heritage tourism.

A group of developers known as Stonewall Heights LLC is now working to purchase the quarry from local developers Herb Jonkers, Gene Capriotti, Lee Snyder and others who had been involved in the first proposal, said Bradley Gray, a member of the Stonewall Heights group.

Other property also is being purchased for the museum, and the proposal would replace the controversial Benview housing subdivision and a residential development that were planned at the site of the current Harpers Ferry Flea Market along U.S. 340, Tabb said.

The flea market probably still would be replaced by the museum project, but a popular fruit stand at the market might remain in the vicinity, Tabb said.

Charles Town attorney J. Michael Cassell, who represented the developers on the first proposal, declined Sunday to comment on how the museum affects the flea market or the proposed Benview subdivision.

When news broke of the proposed museum last week, parties involved in the project were surprised because it was still in its early stages, Cassell said.

"It's premature to (talk) about it," Cassell said Sunday.

Parties involved in the development of the museum have an option to purchase the properties to be used for it, Tabb said.

The next step in the process will be waiting to see if Byrd will find federal money for the museum, Tabb said.

Stonewall Heights LLC proposes to build the museum and lease it to the park service, Gray said.

The hotel at the site would be built with private money, Tabb said.

The museum's construction would employ "green" architecture, which refers to designs that greatly reduce energy consumption.

Tony Redman, a county planning official who briefed the commissioners on the museum last Thursday, said the museum would be a "Dutch-based" design that includes an atrium at the top of the structure. Air would be pulled into the building to cool it, said Redman.

"This thing goes off the charts is the way the architects explain it," Redman said.

http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=177906&format=html

Eric