FAUQUIER COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE 10 Hotel Street, Suite 305 Warrenton, VA 20186 (540) 422-8200 (540) 422-8201 Fax Members: Matt Sheedy, Marshall District Chris Butler, Board of Supervisors Bill Hodge, Cedar Run District Rick Gerhardt, Board of Supervisors Pete Eltringham, Scott District Adrienne Garreau, Planning Commission James Lawrence, Center District Mark Nesbit, Virginia Department of Transportation Dave Newman, Lee District Patrick Mauney, Rappahannock-Rapidan Planning District Commission Regular Meeting November 18, 2020, 5:00 p.m. Warren Green Building, Second Floor Meeting Room, 10 Hotel Street Warrenton, Virginia PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO RESTRICTIONS RELATED TO COVID-19 THERE WILL NOT BE AN OPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS MEETING. PUBLIC COMMENTS MAY BE SUBMITTED PRIOR TO THE MEETING. ALL ACTION BY THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE ARE ADVISORY AND WILL REQUIRE A FUTURE PUBIC HEARING AND ACTION BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, AT WHICH ANY INTERESTED PARTY WILL BE AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE BOARD. 1. Introductions 2. Election of Officers 3. Approval of Minutes – October 24, 2018 4. Staff Updates A. Route 29 Updates B. SMART SCALE Applications 5. VDOT Updates 6. New Business A. Review Restrict Truck Traffic Requests 1. Beverleys Mill Road (Route 600) 2. Old Dumfries Road (Route 667) 3. Greenwich Road (Route 603) B. Budgets Page 1 of 2 C. FY 22-27 Secondary Roads Six-Year Plan (SSYP) – Unpaved Roads 1. Cabin Branch Road (Route 780) 2. Elk Run Church Road (Route 634) 3. Washwright/Keyser Road (Route 734)/(Route 735) 4. Ebenezer Church Road (Route 648) 5. Belcoir Road (Route 751) 6. Crawleys Dam Road (Route 809) 7. Crenshaw Road (Route 624)-(Northern 0.9 mile section only) 8. Paradise Road (Route 685) D. Survey Methodology for Rural Rustic Roads E. Identify Potential Project for Telefee Funds 7. Other Items 8. Member Comments 9. Adjournment Page 2 of 2 MINUTES OF FAUQUIER COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE October 24, 2018 5:00 P.M. 2nd Floor Conference Room – Warren Green Building 10 Hotel Street Warrenton, VA 20186 Members Present: Chair, Jim Stone; Vice Chair, Matthew Sheedy, Chris Butler, Rick Gerhardt, Adrienne Garreau, Peter S. Eltringham, Patrick Mauney, James Lawrence Guests Present: Mark Nesbit, Virginia Department of Transportation Roy Tate, Virginia Department of Transportation Ben Davison, Virginia Department of Transportation Darlene Marshall, School Board Transportation Office Staff Present: Marie Pham, Maureen Williamson 1. Election of Officers Action: On a motion made by Mr. Stone and seconded by Supervisor Butler, it was moved to elect Supervisor Gerhardt as Chair of the Transportation Committee. The motion carried unanimously. Action: On a motion made by Ms. Garreau and seconded by Mr. Gerhardt, it was moved to re-elect Mr. Sheedy as Vice-Chair of the Transportation Committee. The motion carried unanimously. 2. Citizens’ Time The following citizen comments were made during Citizens’ Time. The residents ‘names and comments are listed in the order in which each spoke. Mrs. Linda and Mr. John Suter spoke in opposition to the paving of Rokeby Road. Mrs. Suter noted having submitted a letter for the Committee’s consideration in which is cited the reasons for their opposition. She said that they have lived on the road for twenty-eight years and therefore speak from experience and noted having selected the property on a gravel road due to its disinviting nature to traffic including motorcycles and bicycles. She shared that several years ago, the County and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) hard surfaced the northern portion of the road from Route 710 south for about 500 yards to mitigate washouts from heavy rain storms and the routine freezing and thawing of winter. She reported that while VDOT tried to maintain the hard-surfaced portion, the road continued to washout, developed potholes, and deep ruts and ultimately VDOT removed the hard surfacing and re-graveled the road. Therefore, she added that staying with gravel gives VDOT the option to regrade and fix the road in short periods of time. She also expressed concern for hard surfacing only the southern portion of the road as she felt it will encourage and/or attract motorcyclists and bicyclists to enter the road not realizing that the 2 northern portion of the road is gravel and not fit for their vehicles. Additionally, she expressed concern for delivery/service vehicles that she believes would travel even faster than they do now on the road. She closed by saying that Rokeby Road should remain a gravel road to help keep the overall speed down. Mr. Suter added that the road is barely wide enough for two vehicles to pass each other safely. Keyser Road resident, Ms. Lori Udall, spoke in opposition to the paving of the road. She noted having lived on the road for twenty-eight years and has a family history with the road for over seventy years. Ms. Udall expressed concern that hard surfacing the road would invite traffic that does not normally travel the road. She suggested these being motorcyclists, bicyclists and sightseers. She added that there is a large equestrian community and a local hunt that would be adversely affected if the road were hard surfaced. She feels that there are more fatalities on paved roads than gravel roads. She also noted that she feels not all of the residents of Keyser Road were notified of the potential for hard surfacing. She asked that residents of offshoot roads also get notified of upcoming meetings as well. She said she disagrees with VDOT’s “no plan approach” to hard surfacing and thinks it is a terrible policy. Keyser Road resident, Ms. Ann Emery, spoke in opposition to the paving of the road. Ms. Emery noted that due to the abundance of livestock facilities within the area including eleven horse facilities, two cattle operations, and one alpaca farm, she is against hard surfacing. She said that a paved road is not conducive to the cattle that graze close to the road. She said that the road is frequented by hikers, walkers and joggers, children walking to/from the school bus, people on horseback, and a domestic pig that roams freely. She commented that the country road is mostly comprised of residential traffic and in some places, is not able to accommodate cars passing side by side. She said that paving the road would ruin its rural agricultural nature as it is today. Ms. Virginia Wright spoke in favor of paving and/or for major improvements to Washwright Road. She noted a one hundred year family history with the road. She said the first part of Washwright Road is level and suggested that if VDOT would regularly maintain the road and clear the culverts that would take care of the first part of the road. She noted that Washwright Road is a connector to Keyser Road due to the dead end. She described the north end of the road as being a bedroom community with the south end comprised of larger estates. She told the Committee that there are not many places along the road where two cars can comfortably pass each other. Mr. Tom Clark spoke in favor of paving Ebenezer Church Road. Mr. Phil Neason spoke in opposition to the paving of Keyser Road. He feels that two cars cannot comfortably pass each other. He stated that if there is intent to removing trees along the road at Hume Winery, he will be opposed. Ms. Carole Miller spoke in opposition to having any portion of Rokeby Road paved. She has lived on the road since 1962. She is absolutely opposed to paving the road. She feels that once a portion of the road is paved, the remaining sections of the road will be paved. She does not feel there is any stigma associated with living on a dirt road and in fact, some may welcome living on a dirt road as the traffic is not as bad. 3 Ms. Jody Warfield spoke in opposition to the paving of Rokeby Road. She agreed with all residents of the road that have spoken in opposition to paving. She feels that the hard surfacing of the road does not make fiscal sense because it costs as much to maintain a paved road than a gravel road. She also noted that both have the potential to wash out. Mr. Glen Coleman spoke in opposition to the paving of Keyser Road. Mr. Coleman is against paving and he noted the historical nature of the road. He noted possessing a Civil War map with Keyser Road represented on it and said the road used to go across Marriott Ranch to Chester Gap where the Rappahannock River starts. He feels the road was used by a fair number of General Robert E. Lee’s retreating troops who came down this road after the Battle of Gettysburg. He said that paving the road would be a major adjustment to the area and its surrounding properties. Mr. Randy Mays spoke in opposition to the paving of Washwright Road. Mr. Mays told the Committee that to his knowledge there are only five houses along the road. He said that he knows of two homeowners who are adamantly opposed to having the road paved. A third homeowner has his house under contract and said presumably the buyer knows the property is on a gravel road. He stated that if you cannot get more than half the residents of the road to agree to paving, it does not make sense. He added that if the County chooses to pave the road, the hedge row on either side of the road will be destroyed and the trees will never grow back.