The Washington Architectural Review Board on Monday approved an exhaust fan and other utilities necessary to run a commercial kitchen at Hayfields Rural Kitchen and Market at Rush River Commons. Town resident Brian Noyes hopes to open Hayfields in March of next year — pushed back from its planned opening this fall — and needs the fan to comply with state health and building codes, Noyes’ architect said.

For those who make pickles from cucumbers in the garden and those who love eating them, here is a story by Brian Noyes of the Town of Washington about his sweet pickles and his hopes of serving them at Hayfields cafe when it opens in the fall. I hope you enjoy reading it as I did, minus edits to fit my column: “I met Dwight McNeill in 1986, and pretty quickly my favorite road trip with him was to Sanford, North Carolina, home of his parents Papa Jack and Mama Dot, where the eating was traditional Southern — quite different from my fifth-generation California upbringing. During previous visits, I asked for recipes for everything they had cooked and baked, and this weekend we were on a pickle mission.

Brian Noyes will discuss his next chapter -- the summer opening of Hayfields General Store and Café in the Town of Washington on Sunday, March 15, during the Long Branch Speaker Series in Millwood, Va., an hour's drive from Rappahannock. The title of his talk is "From publishing to a rural bakery to a general store and café." Wine, cheese, and a book signing also is planned for the event at the Long Branch Historic House and Farm in Millwood.

The Washington Town Council unanimously approved development of Rush River Commons' second phase, despite a recommendation of denial from its Planning Commission last month. The development will be on 3.9 acres where Warren Avenue meets Lee Highway, adjacent to Rush River's first development on Leggett Lane containing the Rappahannock Food Pantry, an office building and affordable housing units.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Rappahannock Food Pantry will open Thursday, June 27, at its new location in the Town of Washington where residents will be able to do their shopping inside the new and improved pantry.

After a public hearing at the Rappahannock County courthouse on Monday, state officials with the Commission on Local Government (CLG) determined that a boundary line adjustment in the Town of Washington will “enhance the commonwealth’s interests.” The commission will make a final decision in July.