Entries by blackkettle-admin

Rush River Commons to begin new phase

As construction of housing in the new privately-funded Rush River Commons development in the Town of Washington nears completion, the project’s engineers and designers are already looking ahead to the second phase of the development and what it will look like.

Hopefully, in the spring, tenants will begin moving into the one, two and three-bedroom rental housing that is part of phase one. Efforts are underway to find an entrepreneur to open a coffee shop or eatery — a gathering place for the community in the Leggett Lane office building that houses the Department of Social Services and nonprofit Rapp at Home. The Rappahannock Food Pantry opened in June in the adjacent building.

Rush River Commons restoring stream as ‘green heart’ of project

Steve Plescow, engineer of the Rush River Commons project, presented plans Monday to the Washington Town Council to restore a collapsing stream, fulfilling creator and backer Chuck Akre’s vision of a “green heart” in the center of the development’s campus.

Plescow said the sides of the stream have started to collapse into the waterway, and continued erosion is not good for the surrounding wetlands and downstream environment.

Rappahannock Food Pantry shares Thanksgiving spirit

The Rush River Commons development in the Town of Washington has nearly finished its transformation from a pile of dirt to a community gathering space.

More than 50 Rappahannock Food Pantry volunteers helped pack Thanksgiving meals for 243 families over the weekend and early this week, according to pantry manager Laura Lucas.

Washington Town Council votes for boundary line adjustment

No residential housing a concern
The Washington Town Council voted unanimously to approve a boundary line adjustment in the town after a final public hearing on Monday, despite some town officials’ concerns over restrictions on residential housing.

The vote also directed Mayor Joe Whited and town staff to complete the necessary paperwork for the Rappahannock County Circuit Court to finish the process that started more than two years ago.

Town council approves more parking spaces at Rush River Commons

Quick decision after planners’ recommendation
The Washington Town Council voted in a brief special meeting Monday to approve the addition of seven parking spaces in the Rush River Commons’ residential area.

The approval comes after a sparsely-attended public hearing hosted by the Planning Commission last week, after which the commission voted to recommend approval to the Town Council.

Food pantry opens with ribbon cutting ceremony

The Rappahannock Food Pantry officially marked the opening of its new building in the Town of Washington last Friday with a festive ribbon cutting ceremony attended by some 200 volunteers and community supporters.

The new pantry is located at 37 Leggett Lane at the Rush River Commons development, across from the post office. The building is 2,500 square feet larger than the former Sperryville location, for a total of 4,500 square feet.

Will seven parking spaces replace old walnut tree in Town of Washington?

Black Kettle LLC, which owns the Rush River Commons development, is requesting to change its site plan to include seven more residential parking spaces in the apartment units area where an old walnut tree once stood.

The tree was examined by an arborist, said project engineer Steve Plescow, who determined that the tree could not be saved and only had a few years left of life. Now, Plescow said they’re seeking much-needed parking to accommodate the residential spaces.

New Rappahannock Food Pantry welcomes first clients

The Rappahannock Food Pantry opened its doors for the first time June 27 at its new location in the Town of Washington and is already seeing a small increase in clientele.

“After all of our hard work, we were so happy to finally open our doors for our clients,” said Penny Kardis, food pantry president. “[Our clients] found the wide and spacious aisles very pleasing. The two-story open ceiling and windows filled the space with Rappahannock sunshine.”