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Haymarket targets Dec. 17 vote on Kennedy project
It’s another new month and with it comes another new anticipated settlement date for the redevelopment plan of the Haymarket Town Center.
The proposed plan by commercial developer Gerry Kennedy to turn the center that features Town Hall into a series of small retail shops and offices may actually be reaching its final stages before approval.
After more than a year in the making, the $2.3 million deal could be approved by the Haymarket Town Council on Dec. 17.
Before then, the planning commission has to review it one more time with the council’s consent, and then, at a joint-public hearing, Haymarket citizens can weigh in with their own thoughts regarding the long-debated project. The council is expected to vote in favor of it afterward as only one of its members, Bob Weir, has previously spoken out against it.
“We’re moving toward settling right here,” said Kennedy last week during a special work session featuring members of the town council, planning commission, town staff, Kennedy and representatives from two of his contractors. “All we’re really doing here is making sure we’re working within the process and finalizing all the site plan requirements so everyone on the planning commission has time to review what we’re doing for final review as we want to make sure what we put forth meets the town’s expectations and our expectations.”
During the Nov. 24 meeting, all the parties involved with the Kennedy plan sat around a series of tables shaped like a square large enough to seat 17 people with 24x36-inch site plans and maps placed in front of them.
This meeting focused greatly on minutia, including whether a tree proposed any construction problems (it didn’t), how unusual it is for a document to be attached to a site plan (it isn’t) or how to make 30-foot wheelchair-accessible ramps at retail shops look historic enough (disguise them as porches).
The biggest issue came regarding presenting easements on the site plan properly enough so they pass all legal requirements, but even that was basically to make sure the town and Kennedy had everything perfect prior to settlement.
“There’s no real concern with them,” Kennedy said of the easements. “We have all the proposed easements already on the site plans and on the recorded plat. We’re just posting all the existing easements here to make sure there’s not existing conflicts.”
Council members like John Cole wondered around the room from time to time during the 2.5 hour discussion that could sometimes be caught up on what type of roof buildings had. But as the vice mayor said while seated away from the discussion square, these issues are “minor” enough that the chances of the settlement being reached before the end of the year are actually good.
“You’re down to just a few blades of grass [while] cutting the law here,” town attorney John Bennett said figuratively.
According to civil engineer Thomas Dougher, who signed the most recent versions of the site plans created by Ross, France & Ratliff Ltd. on Nov. 19, the “biggest obstacle right now is getting approval from VDOT.”
The Virginia Department of Transportation must sign off on all curb and gutter changes prior to settlement if they affect any road right-of-way areas. After that is done, demolition and construction can begin and Kennedy can also start moving the four historic buildings on to the property from around town.
“If everything goes right on the 17th, we’re ready to rock and roll,” said mayor Pamela Stutz. “And then the next big event will be, weather permitting, is to when he can start getting the site ready to bring in the buildings.”
Preserving buildings as “historic” properties is not just being done to accommodate the town’s requests but are also part of Kennedy’s business model.
“That’s where the economic value is to these buildings, we believe,” said Kennedy.
Hmmm - how are they going to meet that target date when VDOT hasn't submitted it's approval letters yet? Looks like they may run out of time for public hearings and such between now and then.
Posted by joehaymarket
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