HRAB 12-17-13 Meeting MinutesFrederick County Historic Resources Advisory Board (HRAB)
December 17, 2013
Board of Supervisors Executive Session Room of the County
Administrative building
107 North Kent Street Winchester, VA
Members Present: Lauren Murphy, Elizabeth Fravel, Mary Turner, Denny Perry, Stacey Yost, Chris
Oldham , Gary Oates, Maral Kalbian
Members Absent: Claus Bader, Clint Jones, David O’Neil
Staff Present: Candice Perkins
Applicants Present: Gary Oates on behalf of the McCann Slaughter Family
Agenda Items: May 2013 Minutes, Historic Plaque application for the Carr-Brumback-Owens House and
review of a Comprehensive Plan Amendment request for the McCann Slaughter Properties
Call to order at 6:30 PM.
Item One: The May 2013 minutes were adopted as presented.
Item Two: Planner Perkins introduced the plaque application for the Carr-Brumback-Owens House
owned by David Holliday. The HRAB stated that this was a well preserved property and recommended
approval of the plaque application. The plaque application will be scheduled for the Board of
Supervisors.
Item Three: The Historic Resources Advisory Board (HRAB) has been asked to provide a comment
pertaining to a requested Comprehensive Plan Amendment for the McCann-Slaughter property. These
parcels are identified by Property Identification Numbers 44-A-40 and 44-A-25B, in the Stonewall
Magisterial District. The McCann-Slaughter parcels contain approximately 160 acres, near the
intersection of Martinsburg Pike and Old Charlestown Road, on both sides of McCann Road, and
adjacent to the CSX Railroad. The properties are collectively designated in the 2030 Comprehensive Plan
for various types of land uses, including Developmentally Sensitive Areas and Industrial.
The Study of Civil War Sites in the Shenandoah Valley published by the National Park Service identifies
these properties as core battlefield area for the Battle of Third Winchester (Opequon) with retained
integrity.
The applicant’s representative presented a sketch of the proposed layout for a potential industrial park.
The HRAB questioned if the requested industrial park could be laid out in a sensitive way, preserving the
viewsheds and the significant portions of the property. The location of the existing historic markers was
also considered and the impact the land use change would have on the viewsheds associated with the
markers. The HRAB also inquired if the use of tax credits and the preservation of the property would be
worth as much as the potential industrial land. The applicant responded that it would not.
After further discussion, the HRAB questioned why the DSA needed to be removed. The DSA was
originally created and shown on this property because of its historic nature and the HRAB wanted to
know what had changed and why the Board should consider a change in land use. The HRAB was
concerned with the removal of the DSA because this is the last bit of core battlefield within this area.
The battlefield areas keep being eroded, first with the rezoning of Stephenson’s Village and then
Graystone. The group also discussed the recently adopted 2030 Comprehensive Plan and the fact that
one goal was to preserve battlefield areas. There are policies in place that support the preservation of
core battlefield areas. The HRAB also wanted comments from the Shenandoah Valley Battlefield
Foundation regarding the scale of the project and the impact it would have; it was rested that the
foundation be invited to the next HRAB meeting.
After the discussion, the HRAB requested that the applicant consider retaining DSA on the most
significant portions of the property and consider office land use on the balance. The HRAB ultimately
was comfortable with the requested land (low impact/sensitive industrial) use change so long as the
discussed trail network was included and the most significant part of the battlefield remains in DSA. The
HRAB then requested to see the text that is formulated by the CPPC that will be forwarded to the Board
of Supervisors for their review.
Meeting was adjourned at 7:15p.m.