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HomeMy Public PortalAbout1964_11_23 42 • MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING OF LEESBURG TOWN COUNCIL, NOVEMBER 23, 1964. A regular meeting of the Leesburg Town Council was held in the Council Cham- bers, Leesburg, Virginia on November 23, 1964. The meeting was called to order by the Mayor, with Councilman Pumphrey leading the group in prayer. Those pres- ent were Councilmen C. A. English Cole, C. Grey Dodd, Maurice R. Lowenbach, Jr. , Robert A. Orr and John W. Pumphrey; also Town Manager James W. Ritter, Jr. and Town Attorney George M. Martin. Absent• from the meeting was Councilman Fishback. The minutes of the meeting of November 9, 1964 were approved with general consent. • Town Manager Ritter reported that the Deed of Dedication from the School Board on the Old Waterford Road property for sidewalk purposes has been re- ceived in this office. He also reported that the sewer service line connection had been made from the main line to Raflo 's property line and that Mr. Raflo has been notified that he has 60 days in which to connect to this line in ac- cordance with Council action. Mayor Rollins suggested that the low shoulder along S. King Street below M & G Motors be filled in with gravel. Councilman Pumphrey reported that there is a leak in this area that they have not been able to locate. Councilman Cole asked if we had had a reply from the Highway Department rela- tive to the change in the route of the By-Pass. Mr. • Ritter reported that a letter had been received stating that the only change made was where the By-Pass joins Route 7 at the foot of the mountain, which change was made to make a better tie-in with Route 7. Councilman Cole asked why digging had stopped on S. King Street and Mr. Ritter explained that it was useless to spend the time just aigging up the streets, when the next step is to check the manholes. He reported that Town forces would be engaged in this activity as soon as possible and that the next manhole to be checked was located at the main intersection in Town. Councilman Pumphrey asked if work had been started on the Sycolin Road Sewer Line , to which Mr. Ritter replied that we were waiting on the permit from the Highway Department. Councilman Pumphrey also asked if the present Landfill would hold out over this winter. Mr.. Ritter stated that he doubted that it would and was instructed to go over this situation with Mr. George Hammerly, who owns land just below the present Landfill that might be used for this purpose. Councilman Cole asked Town Attorney Martin if he had any report to make on Potter 's Field. Mr. Martin stated that he would like to prepare a pleading with regard to this situation and that he would discuss this with Council at the time he presents the pleading to them for consideration. • Mayor Rollins reminded members of Council that the next regular meeting will be on December 7th, the first effective date of the change in meeting dates. He also reminded that there would be an executive meeting regarding Storm Drainage on November 25 at 7:00 P.M. and one on Dedember 2 at 8 :00 P.M. regarding the Sanitary Sewer Facilities, at which time he urged all members to be present in order that this work may be planned and construction started in the spring. He asked Mr. Ritter to inform Johnson & Williams of the meeting on December 2 regard- ing the Sewer Facilities and ask Mr. Williams to be present. Mayor Rollins also announced that he had asked Mr. Ritter and Mr. Forbes to give some thought to a symbol which might be used on the Town tags for next year. Mr. Ritter presented several drawings and it was decided that this matter would be taken up again later in the meeting. Mr. Donald W. Devine , Attorney for the South Central Corporation, address Council with regard to the proposed lease with the Town at the new Airport. He presented Mr. Robert Richardson and Mr. Ken Livingston, two members of the club, who presented various aspects of their operation. Mr. Richardson pre- sented several drawings, to which he referred in pointing out exactly what land it is that this corporation wishes to lease for its sailplane operations. He ex- plained that this is a private club with 5 members and that they operate in com- petition on regional , national and international levels and that they would like to lease this portion of the Airport in order to build a hangar to house and maintain their sailplanes, as well as using the grass strip adjacent to the run- . F 43. MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 23, 1964 MEETING. ' way for glider take-off and landing operations and practice. He stated that they operated only in good weather and that ' gliders were normally 200 feet be- low powered aircraft ; that interference between the two operations was virtually negligible. He said they considered themselves a good risk, that they have an average of 20 years accident-free flying and are under close FAA supervision. Their tow plane and all sailplanes are equipped with two-way radio equipment, so that there is no problem of communication between them and the ground. Mr. Richardson stated that they would like to support Loudoun County and the Lees- burg Airport if at all possible and that they felt that they would be supporting the fixed base operator to the extent of approximately $1 ,000.00 a year. Mr. VanGulick of Chantilly Aviation, Inc . asked what would happen at some future date if the FAA considered these sailplanes a hazardous operation, or if they would get complaints from itinerant pilots. Mr. Livingston stated that the Winchester Airport was just about the same as this one here and that they had never had any trouble there with the powered aircraft, that it had always been a matter of the glider pilots keeping an eye open for the powered aircraft. Councilman Lowenbach stated that it was his' understanding that if gliders are in the air, any pilot of a powered aircraft approaching the field was so notified. Councilman Cole remarked that hehad been told by an FAA employee that no gliders were in operation in the Metropolitan area, to which Mr. Dick Watkins replied that the metropolitan area was too heavily populated and that we have Pr) open land here for these gliders to land in. Councilman Lowenbach asked Mr. VanGulick what objection his organization would have to this. Mr. VanGulick said that he had some reservations, that the normal aircraft pattern is a left-hand pattern, but that aircraft without radio equip- ment could fly into the airport with no knowledge of gliders• being in the air. Mr. Richardson stated that there are rules and regulations published and that they have to operate according to these. Councilman Orr asked Mr. VanGulick if he would be happier if there were or were not gliders here. He replied that at the present time he would like to see them, but that there might be objection to them at a later date if and when more powered air traffic was coming into the airport. Mr. Richardson said they would be happy to insert a clause in the lease with regard to the possibility of their operations becoming a hazard at some future date. Mr. David Pearce addressed the Council , stating that he instructed students and that he was quite concerned about this left-hand and right-hand pattern. He does not believe that other instructors are going to come here if they are going to have to tangle with gliders and he would recommend that they not be allowed here. He said he certainly did not want to see anybody hurt. He. also stated that a glider has the right-of-way over powered aircraft and that they make no bones about taking this right-of-way. Mr. Richardson said that they were asking for permission to put up hangars to house their sailplanes and that they would be flying here only when members of the club were practicing. He also pointed out that they are all commercial operators. After more questions and answers between Mr. VanGulick and Mr. Richardson, Councilman Pumphrey moved that the acreage specified by the South Central Corpora- tion be leased for glider operations, subject to a suitable contract. This motion was seconded by Councilman Lowenbach and was passed by a unanimous roll call vote. Mayor Rollins asked Mr. Devine to please have the redrafted lease ready for the December 7th meeting. Mayor Rollins stated that Mr. VanGulick could proceed to get the needed 111 commission permit from the Zoning Administrator of the County to operate this Airport and that the Town would be happy to do anything necessary to be done in order to secure this permit. Mr. Devine stated that he was handling this for Mr. VanGulick and that it should be heard by the Board of Zoning Appeals by December 22nd. ' Mr. Cole asked if, in the opinion of Mr. Hill and Mr. Martin, Mr. VanGulick would be able to prove effective demand by the terminology, as written. Mr. Van Gulick replied that they had. posted a notice on the board asking people who would like to have T-Hangars to sign up and that they had 11 now signed up. He explained that if you had a request for 7 spaces in a T-Hangar, you would build a hangar because you know you would most certainly have another 3 to fill the hangar, it taking 10 units to fill a hangar. ' .4 MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 23, 1964 MEETING. There followed a great deal of discussion on various other phases of this lease for the next hour or more. Upon motion of Councilman Lowenbach, seconded by Councilman Pumphrey, Council voted unanimously that the lease be approved on behalf of the Town, provided that the proper description be included; that the last paragraph in Sec. 21 be changed concerning refinancing of the buildings and, third, that they shall have an accounting method satisfactory to the Town. Upon motion of Councilman Orr , seconded by Councilman Dodd, the following resolution was unanimously adopted : BE IT RESOLVED by the Town Council of the Town of Leesburg, that in connection with the proposed building of West South Street , a new street leading off of King Street , the Town Council agrees that, if Community Oil Co. and Cardinal Foods or any other individual or company pays to the Town the total sum of $466.00, which sum of money represents two-thirds of the estimated cost of placing 300 tons of stone on the street, the Town will keep the street in pass- able condition thenceforth. AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a sum of $700.00 be appropriated from Town funds for the placing of stone on this street. Upon motion of Councilman Pumphrey, seconded by Councilman Orr , the follow- ing Ordinance was unanimously adopted : BE IT ORDAINED by the Town Council of the Town of Leesburg, that Sec. 11-5 of the Town Code be amended to read as follows: Sec. 11-5. Duty of occupants of premises to provide; requirements. All occupants of premises in the town whose garbage , ashes, and refuse is to be removed by the town, shall provide a sufficient number of watertight, metal or plastic receptacles, of not over thirty gallons ' capacity, with tight-fitting covers, for the re- moval of garbage. Receptacles for ashes and refuse shall be of metal or plastic and shall not weigh, When filled , more than seventy-five pounds, and shall be suitable for and strong enough to withstand handling and emptying, and provided with covers or other means to prevent scattering of contents. Upon motion of Councilman Orr, seconded by Councilman Dodd , the following • resolution was unanimously adopted : BE IT RESOLVED by the Town Council of the Town of Leesburg, that the State Highway Department be requested to take into the Second- ary System Section 5 of the Prospect Hills Subdivision, described as being an extension of Rt. T-1012 (Prospect Drive) to Valley View Ave. , and also Valley View Ave. from the intersection of the aforementioned extension to I3ctc.xx'-y26.0-.1c}cSamaxtte.);:c the right- of-way of the ':1. & 0. D. R. R. (corrected by minutes of Dec. 7, 1964) ,d/3,e Upon motion of Councilman Orr , seconded by Councilman Dodd, the following resolution was unanimously adopted : BE IT RESOLVED by the Town Council of the Town of Leesburg, that a • sum of $200.00 be appropriated to Street Lighting to cover the cost of 13 additional street lights for the remainder of the fiscal year. Mr. Paul Brice, representing American Aluminum Company, the contractor who built all the buildings at the airport, addressed Council with regard to the problems they have been faced with in getting final electrical approval for these buildings. It seems that the Electrical Inspector says the maintenance hangar will not pass inspection according to the Electrical Code because he discovered spray painting being done within the premises and. this spray paint- ing is absolutely prohibited in this type of building. Mr. Brice stated that they contracted to build a maintenance hangar , not a paint sh&p, and that they have built this building exactly according to the standards. In fact , he read the contract to Council . He said that it seems to boil down as to what can be done. or cannot be done in a maintenance hangar. He stated that he had built over 20 maintenance hangars in the eastern United States, including the one at Manassas, and that some spray painting was being done in these buildings, but it is a very dangerous situation. He stated that the Leesburg Airport Commission • 45 MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 23, 1964 MEETING. is the only group he has ever worked with that has paid so promptly and highly • complimented them. However , a 10 per cent retainer is being withheld until final inspection has been approved of this building, so Mr. Brice is asking for the help of the Council to resolve this situation. Mayor Rollins stated that Council would try to see that this matter is straightened out for all con- cerned. Councilman Cole stated that he would like to commend Mr. Pearce for his -courage and' forthright statements and expressed hope that they would never be- come expensive to him. Mr. Pearce expressed his thanks to the Council for al- 111 lowing him to speak. Upon motion of Councilman Dodd, the meeting adjourned at 10:35 P.M. ay• / Mayor Clerk ofhe -Council 010 • 11� • • O • • V V 1