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Leesburg Town Council teeters on access road decision Tuesday, Jun. 28 by Laura Peters | 6 comments | Email this story 0ShareLeesburg Town Council huffed and puffed but could not blow the issue of the Linden Hill access road and the house on Country Club
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Date: July 01, 2011 06:36AM
Leesburg Town Council teeters on access road decision
Tuesday, Jun. 28 by Laura Peters
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/leesburg_town_council_teeters_on_access_road_decision123/
Leesburg Town Council huffed and puffed but could not blow the issue of the Linden Hill access road and the house on Country Club Drive down to a decision. During a Town Council meeting June 28, council was pressed to vote on a resolution which would allow an interested party to purchase the home at 1 Country Club Drive, then receive easement payments from the town in order to build the access road.
The project, which would be an addition to the South King Street widening project set to start in the spring of 2012, would add an access road between the residential developments of Linden Hill and Leesburg Country Club. The one set-back is the access road would require the demolition of the house at 1 Country Club Drive. The council has placed a price cap for the town to purchase the house at $375,000, which has proved to be not enough.
The 36 house development of Linden Hill has had its residents petition council numerous times in the past to get the access road approved and set up for design and construction. The problem Linden Hill residents are facing is that if the widening project is completed without the access road, they will have to turn right on South King Street, then make a u-turn if they want to go into the town of Leesburg.
“On this issue, I have received many e-mails from our residents expressing overwhelming support for the access road,” Terry Elvers, president of the Linden Hill Homeowners Association said. “It will be the talk of Linden Hill for weeks to come. It’s about you, the council, listening to us a small community. Without that access lane, our property values will go down dramatically. I believe this access lane is the best solution for Linden Hill and for Country Club. Not only will we get an additional left-hand turn lane, but Country Club will too.”
The proposed plan is to add two left-hand turn lanes on Country Club Drive at the South King Street intersection, along with the access road connecting the two developments.
The problem council had with the proposed resolution is that someone else besides the Town of Leesburg, would have to purchase 1 Country Club Drive, then the town would pay easements toward the property so the access road could be built.
“This will have a third party to take control of the house, then to build the road, the town will acquire it through easements,” Town Attorney Jeanette Irby said. “If town wants to move forward on building the access road ... the town must offer condemnation, but we do not have authority for that at this time.”
Council member Tom Dunn was pressing council to approve the resolution, citing that in other residential neighborhoods, council has done everything they could to help residents out.
“The resolution itself does not commit the council to any action. It doesn’t finalize anything, but it creates a level playing field and if someone wants to come in and make a deal with the town, the council would know what those offers are,” Dunn said. “We have spent more money in other communities because there is a need, and there is a need here. We’re playing games and it’s a shame.”
According to town staff, the design for the access road was to be finished by June 1. At almost a month behind schedule, it now moves the project back to the fall of 2012.
Council voted to postpone the resolution and motioned to draw up a design on the access road - which passed 6-1.
Town staff will move forward in drawing up a design for the access road. Town staff also mentioned design plans could start, taxpayer’s money could be spent and council could turn the whole project down in the end.
Tuesday, Jun. 28 by Laura Peters
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/leesburg_town_council_teeters_on_access_road_decision123/
Leesburg Town Council huffed and puffed but could not blow the issue of the Linden Hill access road and the house on Country Club Drive down to a decision. During a Town Council meeting June 28, council was pressed to vote on a resolution which would allow an interested party to purchase the home at 1 Country Club Drive, then receive easement payments from the town in order to build the access road.
The project, which would be an addition to the South King Street widening project set to start in the spring of 2012, would add an access road between the residential developments of Linden Hill and Leesburg Country Club. The one set-back is the access road would require the demolition of the house at 1 Country Club Drive. The council has placed a price cap for the town to purchase the house at $375,000, which has proved to be not enough.
The 36 house development of Linden Hill has had its residents petition council numerous times in the past to get the access road approved and set up for design and construction. The problem Linden Hill residents are facing is that if the widening project is completed without the access road, they will have to turn right on South King Street, then make a u-turn if they want to go into the town of Leesburg.
“On this issue, I have received many e-mails from our residents expressing overwhelming support for the access road,” Terry Elvers, president of the Linden Hill Homeowners Association said. “It will be the talk of Linden Hill for weeks to come. It’s about you, the council, listening to us a small community. Without that access lane, our property values will go down dramatically. I believe this access lane is the best solution for Linden Hill and for Country Club. Not only will we get an additional left-hand turn lane, but Country Club will too.”
The proposed plan is to add two left-hand turn lanes on Country Club Drive at the South King Street intersection, along with the access road connecting the two developments.
The problem council had with the proposed resolution is that someone else besides the Town of Leesburg, would have to purchase 1 Country Club Drive, then the town would pay easements toward the property so the access road could be built.
“This will have a third party to take control of the house, then to build the road, the town will acquire it through easements,” Town Attorney Jeanette Irby said. “If town wants to move forward on building the access road ... the town must offer condemnation, but we do not have authority for that at this time.”
Council member Tom Dunn was pressing council to approve the resolution, citing that in other residential neighborhoods, council has done everything they could to help residents out.
“The resolution itself does not commit the council to any action. It doesn’t finalize anything, but it creates a level playing field and if someone wants to come in and make a deal with the town, the council would know what those offers are,” Dunn said. “We have spent more money in other communities because there is a need, and there is a need here. We’re playing games and it’s a shame.”
According to town staff, the design for the access road was to be finished by June 1. At almost a month behind schedule, it now moves the project back to the fall of 2012.
Council voted to postpone the resolution and motioned to draw up a design on the access road - which passed 6-1.
Town staff will move forward in drawing up a design for the access road. Town staff also mentioned design plans could start, taxpayer’s money could be spent and council could turn the whole project down in the end.