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Haymarket residents speak out about Kennedy deal
More than 75 people packed the Haymarket Town Hall last Thursday night as residents, business owners and members of surrounding communities voiced their opinions about a $2.3-million commercial development offer.
And while the affair was cordial in nature, it did not come without controversy; Council Member Bob Weir recommended afterward in an open letter to Mayor Pamela Stutz that she consider resigning her office.
“Well, I think that Mr. Weir is one opinion,” said Stutz on Tuesday, adding that if the rest of the council members shared his views, they would have said so.
Stutz said she does not plan to resign.
Supporters of the deal routinely applauded for at least five seconds after each person spoke in favor of Gerry Kennedy’s development plan. If enacted, the proposal would create retail space for 15-18 small businesses on the Town Center property. Four historic buildings from around town would also be moved to the Town Center as part of a preservation effort.
The supporters far outnumbered the dissenters and spoke more frequently.
“I would like to ask a question to the council,” said Haymarket resident and business owner Pete Webb. “Without Mr. Kennedy’s plan, what other viable plan do you have on the table right now that would add value to this town, and why would you oppose such a nice plan as Mr. Kennedy’s proposing?”
Councilman Weir likened the applause to a “pep rally” instead of a “discourse of matters of public interest.”
“Permitting an organized cheering section…was inconsistent with standard practice and inappropriate in that it created a hostile atmosphere for those whose intent was to speak in opposition, and, as a result, did not,” wrote Weir, the only council member who voted against Kennedy’s original deal in January.
“If they decide to cheer, that’s certainly their decision,” Stutz said on Tuesday. “Residents made their wishes known. I have no problem with the way the meeting was conducted.”
One of Weir’s other main problems centered on a woman, who also opposed the Kennedy deal. She was cut off by the mayor for talking about the town’s soon-to-be-changed comprehensive plan instead of the Town Center property.
Only a handful of dissenters voiced their opinions throughout the evening.
“You’re not going to have a walking town unless you have something for somebody to do,” said Kennedy supporter Acie Watts, who said he has lived in Haymarket since 1961.
“And all you have to do is take one drive through [Middleburg or Warrenton] and you’ll see what a walking town’s about. Unless you do something to promote that, you’re not going to have it.”
Charles King Jr., who said his ancestors came to Haymarket in the 1700s and that he has been in town since 1951, said he is opposed to Kennedy.
“The walking town concept: There’s nothing here to draw people to it. It’s just not here,” he said, noting the lack of an anchor store. “You can argue about it all you want; it’s just not here. And if you give anybody special privileges...so you can sell this piece of property, it’s not fair to the business owners and the residents who have followed the rules all through the years.”
The town originally asked for $3.2 million for the Town Center property, but when no better deals developed, they stuck with the $2.3 million Kennedy offer.
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