My family and I live on the northern edge of parcel 76-A-42 (north of Tasker Rd.). My wife and I have reviewed the proposal and related public GIS data. Page numbers refer to the proposal. We are opposed to the re-zoning of the ~6.5 acre portion of the parcel north of Tasker Rd. This portion is orange on the map on page 20 and is described as the “small parcel” by the Frederick County Department of Parks & Recreation (page 11).
This land is zoned as “Park” in the Long Range Land Use Map. We believe that this is a good use of the land given the lack of public parks in the immediate vicinity of the small parcel. According to page 11, the Department of Parks & Recreation agrees with us on this point and stated: “Parks and Recreation would like to see the small parcel located north of Tasker remain in the plan as a park.” Once park land is lost, it doesn’t come back.
Page 4 requests that the zoning change from “Mixed Use commercial/industrial and industrial” to “High Density Residential 6u/a and Industrial.” Page 20 includes a map that designates the HDR areas in yellow and orange with the industrial area in blue.
This proposal is a request to build dense housing on the parcels, such as townhouses or condos. On the small parcel, this could translate into nearly 40 residential units. While this may be a suitable density next to the school (page 17), this does not fit with the existing character and scale of the properties adjacent to the small parcel north of Tasker Rd. Most properties located adjacent to the small parcel are zoned RA, not RP (page 17).
Properties across White Oak from the large yellow section seem to fit the proposal's description. However, it would not be an “elegant transition” (page 17) from RA into HDR. A park would better create the desirable “elegant transition.”
Therefore, we respectfully request that the recommendation of the Department of Parks & Recreation be accepted and the proposal be altered to maintain the small parcel as “Park”.
To the members of the board: My name is Tiffany Snell. We moved to Virginia about 2.5 years ago from Utah. Utah is a state known for beauty of nature with many national parks and state parks. It attracts many for its diverse natural beauty. Moving to Virginia I did not expect to be in as beautiful a place — I thought I was leaving that behind. When we first arrived here, I was absolutely blown away by the level of simplistic beauty that surrounded me. Around every corner there was beauty. The trees that surround you here make you feel like the world is just a little bit smaller. Stephens city was especially attractive to us because it was close enough to the action of Winchester, but far enough away that you could feel like you lived in the countryside. People slow down here. They wave to you as you walk along beautiful paths through gorgeous parks. It is one of the best things about this town! I have 3 small children and my oldest is 4. Every morning he wakes up and asks me which park we are going to go to that day! He doesn’t care if the park has a playground, all he wants is the open grass to run around in and be a child! Here my kids can breathe fresh air, take in the beauty of this land, and experience true appreciation for nature and the God who created it. I live in a townhome. They provide some needs, but those are needs that can be and are being met in other areas of town. Once you dig up the land and replace the beauty of nature with the density of concrete, brick and stone, you cannot go back. Townhomes can go up anywhere, and they are not scarce. However, a beautiful park to serve the community of families both young and old around it is something that is not just wanted, it’s needed. This is for the mom who wants to let her children roam, the teenager who needs a quiet place to study, the man who wants a break from his work computer, and the elderly couple who want to sit and watch their grandchildren play. I beg you to keep this land zoned as a park.
My family and I live on the northern edge of parcel 76-A-42 (north of Tasker Rd.). My wife and I have reviewed the proposal and related public GIS data. Page numbers refer to the proposal. We are opposed to the re-zoning of the ~6.5 acre portion of the parcel north of Tasker Rd. This portion is orange on the map on page 20 and is described as the “small parcel” by the Frederick County Department of Parks & Recreation (page 11).
This land is zoned as “Park” in the Long Range Land Use Map. We believe that this is a good use of the land given the lack of public parks in the immediate vicinity of the small parcel. According to page 11, the Department of Parks & Recreation agrees with us on this point and stated: “Parks and Recreation would like to see the small parcel located north of Tasker remain in the plan as a park.” Once park land is lost, it doesn’t come back.
Page 4 requests that the zoning change from “Mixed Use commercial/industrial and industrial” to “High Density Residential 6u/a and Industrial.” Page 20 includes a map that designates the HDR areas in yellow and orange with the industrial area in blue.
This proposal is a request to build dense housing on the parcels, such as townhouses or condos. On the small parcel, this could translate into nearly 40 residential units. While this may be a suitable density next to the school (page 17), this does not fit with the existing character and scale of the properties adjacent to the small parcel north of Tasker Rd. Most properties located adjacent to the small parcel are zoned RA, not RP (page 17).
Properties across White Oak from the large yellow section seem to fit the proposal's description. However, it would not be an “elegant transition” (page 17) from RA into HDR. A park would better create the desirable “elegant transition.”
Therefore, we respectfully request that the recommendation of the Department of Parks & Recreation be accepted and the proposal be altered to maintain the small parcel as “Park”.
To the members of the board: My name is Tiffany Snell. We moved to Virginia about 2.5 years ago from Utah. Utah is a state known for beauty of nature with many national parks and state parks. It attracts many for its diverse natural beauty. Moving to Virginia I did not expect to be in as beautiful a place — I thought I was leaving that behind. When we first arrived here, I was absolutely blown away by the level of simplistic beauty that surrounded me. Around every corner there was beauty. The trees that surround you here make you feel like the world is just a little bit smaller. Stephens city was especially attractive to us because it was close enough to the action of Winchester, but far enough away that you could feel like you lived in the countryside. People slow down here. They wave to you as you walk along beautiful paths through gorgeous parks. It is one of the best things about this town! I have 3 small children and my oldest is 4. Every morning he wakes up and asks me which park we are going to go to that day! He doesn’t care if the park has a playground, all he wants is the open grass to run around in and be a child! Here my kids can breathe fresh air, take in the beauty of this land, and experience true appreciation for nature and the God who created it. I live in a townhome. They provide some needs, but those are needs that can be and are being met in other areas of town. Once you dig up the land and replace the beauty of nature with the density of concrete, brick and stone, you cannot go back. Townhomes can go up anywhere, and they are not scarce. However, a beautiful park to serve the community of families both young and old around it is something that is not just wanted, it’s needed. This is for the mom who wants to let her children roam, the teenager who needs a quiet place to study, the man who wants a break from his work computer, and the elderly couple who want to sit and watch their grandchildren play. I beg you to keep this land zoned as a park.