Habitat, neighbors at odds over Sterling Court

By Bill Walsh

By Bill Walsh

Times-Democrat Staff Writer

Some members of the Edgemont community grew edgy when bulldozers arrived to begin clearing the heavily wooded lot for Fauquier Habitat for Humanity's Sterling Court project. The resultant clear-cutting of the neighboring hillside plot has pushed many of the 58 Warrenton homeowners over the edge.

They accuse the Christian housing ministry of duplicity, insisting that Habitat officials presented one plan to surrounding homeowners at a meeting in a local Presbyterian church when the project was first being proposed, then pushing a greatly modified plan through the Town of Warrenton's approval process.

The half-dozen Edgemont subdivision homeowners who met with the Times-Democrat last week insist that their unhappiness with the way the project is proceeding has nothing whatever to do with low- and moderate-income families moving into proximity.

"I've done Habitat work before, I believe in its mission, and I thought that they would do a great job," Edgemont resident Betsy Ussery said. "But when I saw the devastation to the environment...I got upset."

A contractor started excavating the hillside site where Habitat is planning seven duplexes adjacent to Edgemont and Breezewood, just off Walker Drive, late last month.

Removing trees right to the edge of the property is a particular sore spot.

"At no point were we ever told that the mature trees would come down," Amy Boyle insisted. "I walked through here with a Habitat representative, and he kept saying, 'Well, this tree would stay and this tree would stay.' There was never any discussion of that they were going to take down everything, then plant new trees."

What homeowners saw in that Presbyterian church presentation several years ago, town Planning Director Chris Mothershead said, was a concept plan, and, indeed, Habitat submitted site plans to the town planning department closely based on the concept the organization had originally developed.

But aspects of that plan would not work on a steep hillside that, all sides agree, presents significant construction challenges.

And Mothershead said that while homeowners were assured of a tree-lined buffer between Edgemont and Sterling Court — as is required by town ordinance — they were never told that the buffer would be comprised of existing trees.

"We had no way of promising them that the trees would be saved," he said. "We said that, ultimately, there would be a retained and protected 25-foot buffer to screen their property. There will be a direct, positive screening all across the back."

See the Sept. 17 Times-Democrat for the complete story.