Friday June 16, 2023
ANALYSIS: Fredericksburg's 'best kept secret is learning to live with its dynamic neighbors | GUEST COMMENTARY: Washington Heritage Museums - The Old and the New | Correction | Observed | Share F2S
ANALYSIS: Fredericksburg’s ‘best kept secret’ is learning to live with its dynamic neighbors
by Martin Davis
Even with GPS navigation, the left turn off Williams Street onto Stafford Avenue is easy to miss. The attractive landscaping surrounding St. Mary’s Church of the Immaculate Conception is what catches the eye moving up Williams Street, not the sign marking the road that takes drivers into the College Heights neighborhood.
“The best kept secret in Fredericksburg,” one resident told me as we strolled the wide sidewalks that cut through well-manicured lawns and carry you past leafy trees and mostly-well-maintained homes.
The buildings are almost perfectly portioned to their lot sizes - not too big, not too small. Looking left and right as you walk, there are plenty of gardens that are lovingly maintained. Many that feature native plants.
But there’s another feature along Stafford Avenue that bucks this pastoral scene - cars carrying parishioners attending events at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
On the scale of problems facing residents in Fredericksburg, a street daily lined with cars carrying families to church events seems like a relatively minor annoyance. And if it were just the cars, odds are good it would be a minor problem.
It’s what the cars represent, however, that has many who live in College Heights concerned about not just traffic, but the long-term impact continued growth at St. Mary’s could do to the character of this charming neighborhood.
What’s the Plan?
The growth factors that have strained relationships between College Heights and St. Mary’s have been decades in the making.
Even before the city’s population began to surge in 2000, St. Mary’s had started purchasing properties in College Heights. Today, it owns all the buildings in the block bordered by Stafford Avenue, Royston Street, Augustine Avenue, and Williams Street.
These buildings are used for everything from residences for the priests, the principal of Holy Cross Academy, and the church organist; to meeting spaces, storage, and a counseling center. (For a complete list of properties owned and how they are used, see this description on the St. Mary’s website.)
As the church acquired these properties, it also received Special Use Permits from the city for most of these buildings that define how the properties can be used. A July 22, 2021, memorandum from the city’s then-zoning administrator James Newman spells out each of these SUPs. (Download that memo below)
Some are limited to residences, others that operate services - like the counseling center - have limits placed on hours of operation and signage.
The limits themselves don’t appear overly onerous, and are contained in two typed pages. At the time these SUPs were issued, the limits were probably sufficient to the church’s needs.
However, over time, the rise in Fredericksburg’s population has changed much at the church.
“As the population of Fredericksburg has increased,” says the Rev. John Mosimann, pastor of St Mary, “the population of each of our parishes in the Fredericksburg area has increased as well.”
And this has put more pressure on the facilities and programs that the church offers. As such, the SUPs that were originally granted are in some cases less reflective of today’s realities.
This has created problems for St. Mary’s, and this has started a move to consolidate all the existing SUPs under one. (The Fredericksburg Planning Commission voted 5-0 Wednesday night to advance to City Council for approval its recommendation to approve the single SUP, which will supersede existing SUPs.
When this move became publicly known, questions began to emerge about what the church’s ultimate plans were.
The problem, according to a number of residents that have spoken with F2S, is that that plan - if it even exists - has not been made clear to them.
A page currently on St. Mary’s website offers a good hint of what the church needs and where it plans to go.
As our parish continues to grow and thrive, certain needs have arisen that require special attention and a special dedication from St Mary as a community of faith. Catholic education has been integral to our parish life, first with Montfort Academy, established in 1948, and then the creation of Holy Cross Academy in 1998. Since that time the school has grown and and [sic] the needs of modern education have changed. Part of that growth was the establishment of Holy Cross Preschool at St Mary in the Parish Life Center. While welcoming the Preschool to the Parish Campus, we also lost the use of the PLC for a number of activities during the school year. As St Mary continues to grow, the need to increase our ability provide bible studies, funeral receptions, and other meetings has increased while our meeting space has remained the same.
Two houses in particular are named as potential spaces to host more meetings. The St. Joseph’s House at 1312 Royston Street, acquired by the church in April 2021, and the St. Nicholas House at 1109 Stafford Avenue., which the church acquired in 2008.
Under the current SUPs, St. Nicholas House is approved for use as a residence. However, it’s in need of substantial repair so isn’t likely to immediately help with the church’s meeting space needs.
The St. Joseph’s House, by contrast, is a newer facility and could be used almost immediately. However, under its current SUP, St. Joseph’s House is approved as a residence, not a meeting space.
In the request for a single SUP, St. Joseph’s House would move from “Single family detached residence” to “Caretaker/Single family.”
What’s not clear is whether this would allow St. Joseph’s house to be used for meeting space. According to Law Insider, a placed designated as caretaker is “a dwelling used for the accommodation of a person employed as a caretaker, janitor, manager, watchman, security guard or superintendent by an industrial or commercial use operating on the site.”
Calls to the Planning Commission requesting a clarification about this term’s meaning have not been returned as of publication.
Should this rezoning allow for St. Joseph’s to be used for meetings, however, this would mark a significant shift from the property’s current use. And it has led to fears that the church will use these additional properties in ways that will bring large numbers of people to locations that were designed as single-family homes, permanently altering the character of College Heights.
In comments at public meetings, numerous individuals have made clear that they fear St. Mary’s has already gotten too big for the neighborhood and is tarnishing the community’s character.
The most-common complaint, not surprisingly, is about parking and traffic. But this is not the only one.
At the May 24 Planning Commission meeting, for example, residents expressed concern that the Diocese of Arlington, which owns the properties, is dictating “to [the city’s] residents what the neighborhood should look like” by pushing for expanded use of the homes on Royston and Stafford especially.
Taxes are another concern. Because church properties are not subject to taxation, these single-family homes that would otherwise feed into the city’s tax base are no longer doing so. And in the words of one commentator, this shifts the tax burden “on to the [remaining] individual homeowners.”
And then there are the smaller issues that taken individually don’t seem overly troublesome. But taken as a whole, some residents feel they are detracting from the neighborhood’s character.
Reports of activity beyond the hours the existing SUPs allow for, as an example. Exterior lights that end up shining into people’s homes. And concerns about noise levels.
What brought tensions to a head, however, was the suggestion that the church would put up gates on the driveways and add sidewalks among the buildings. Such a move strikes some in College Heights as completely out of character with a community that is otherwise open and inviting.
All of this adds up to the feeling that St. Mary’s is more akin to a megachurch - a term that has been used of St. Mary’s in public comments as recently as Wednesday night - and not in character with the smaller congregations that exist in the community.
Victim of the city’s success?
The term megachurch is most frequently associated with evangelical Protestant congregations, which aggressively recruit new members - often from great distances - and bring them into ever-growing facilities.
In the Catholic tradition, however, this is not how churches grow.
As Fr. Mosimann told F2S: “Parishes have specific boundaries that define the geographic region in which that parish will carry out ministry and charitable efforts. Most registered Catholics are members of the parish that their home resides within.”
Fredericksburg has certainly experienced a boom in population, and with it a surge of new parishioners to St. Mary’s, as well as the other churches that it has planted across the region.
Thus, the growth issue at St. Mary’s that is exercising College Heights residents isn’t so much due to anything the parish itself is doing, but rather to the exorbitant growth the city as a whole has experienced over the past 20 years.
In other words, St. Mary’s didn’t go and find congregants so much as the congregants moved into and became a part of the St. Mary’s community.
Communities are in a constant state of change. The question is how to balance what makes a community special with the forces that are constantly working to alter it - for better or for worse.
Fortunately, the frustration that the College Heights community is experiencing isn’t lost on the church.
“We are aware of the neighbors’ concerns and are working to address them,” said Fr. Mosimann. “We are also working with city officials to ensure everything is done properly. The parish will continue to work to be a good neighbor in the community.”
Not everyone in College Heights agrees that this is the case.
“There’s a statement that the church is a long-time good neighbor,” one speaker said at the May 24 Planning Commission meeting. “That is highly debatable.”
A number of College Heights residents point to other churches in the community that they believe are good neighbors. They are relatively small, and compared with St. Mary’s have much smaller memberships.
They are, in reality, reflective of what is happening to many congregations across the country. As Americans as a whole become less religious, participation in houses of worship is declining rapidly. (There are many studies that have measured and analyzed this trend. Pew Research Center has been at the forefront of this work. Here is just one piece that examines the issue.)
In some ways, however, these smaller churches potentially pose a greater threat to the College Heights community. Should these churches close - and there are more churches closing than opening now - whatever or whoever moves in could significantly alter the character of the neighborhood.
And this gets to the heart of the matter.
Communities are in a constant state of change. The question is how to balance what makes a community special with the forces that are constantly working to alter it - for better or for worse.
One College Heights resident feels that the church, city, and neighborhood are actually getting things about right.
Finding Balance
The SUP proposal that was voted on Wednesday night is version two, and College Heights Civic Association President Sue Sargeant feels good progress is being made.
Speaking with F2S, Sargeant said this week that “revision 2 of the St. Mary’s SUP ,,, looks pretty good and shows that we’re being listened to.”
In an email to CHCA members on Wednesday prior to the Planning Commission meeting, Sargeant listed a number of revisions to the SUP proposal and celebrated a number of the changes:
The … Revision ,,,, now states that all structures outside of the Primary Church Use Area shall be maintained in appearance as Single-Family Detached Dwelling Units.
Lot dimensions of the houses are now consistent with the adjoining neighborhood lot pattern.
This specificity … e.g., USE, lot line consolidation, help protect our neighborhood 'fabric'.
The 'gates' on driveways have been erased! No 'compound-gated community' look to that block of houses.
Sidewalks: They're not meandering. City staff developed a more uniform design. The sidewalks will be shielded from view from the public sidewalks with landscaping.
Lighting on the houses: It's not going to be glaring out into living rooms of neighbors across the streets on Stafford, Royston, and Augustine. They'll have timers or motion sensors on them. The ones on the sidewalks will be 5 ft height or less and project the light ON the sidewalk and not flare out.
Signs on the houses: No additional signage is proposed.
Of course, there are issues that remain. Sargeant goes on in her email to report:
Parking: Support this recommendation from the Planning Commission: Planning Commission should recommend to City Council that the Parking Advisory Committee evaluate the on street parking along the blocks near Saint Mary’s, especially on Holy Days of Obligation, such as Christmas or on Holy Thursday of Easter Triduum.
Hours of Operation: CHCA supports 8 AM - 9 PM on the Ancillary Parcel of Houses. If you want it lessened, or defined, then express your concern. Your comments make a difference with decision-makers.
Child day care: will it be 'Licensed' or have a 'Religious Exemption'? or 'Voluntary Registry' which means no more than 4 children in care. Where will the children play for outside exercise? in the backyard (fenced or unfenced) of a house or on the Church playground?
Pesticide use on the lawns and impact on child health and safety, e.g., fumes
The GDP has the start time of 6 AM. but no end time. Does this mean 'night-care' will be allowed? or add in in that day care operation will end at 6:00 PM?
Sidewalks: Will they be ADA-compliant or not? ADA is the Americans with Disabilities Act. Use Permeable pavers that are ADA-compliant? Will they be asphalt sidewalks or not?
Landscaping on the sidewalks: Make sure it is in writing within the GDP: to plant additional landscaping around the sidewalks (staff recommends a condition requiring this screening since landscaping is not shown on the GDP).
The extent to which Sargeant’s optimism is shared by all residents of CHCA isn’t known. In fairness, College Heights is a fairly large neighborhood, bounded by the parish on Williams Street, the University of Mary Washington, and a shopping area - Cowan Crossing - all of which in their own ways are affecting the College Heights neighborhood.
The university has until recently been in a growth mode, with traffic and pedestrian traffic spilling across College Avenue into nearby College Heights. In addition, the university is considering adding lights to the athletic fields, a move that is also going to face some pushback from College Heights residents.
Further, there’s the issue of Alternative Dwelling Units. Currently being debated by the city council, ADUs would allow homeowners to build additions onto their homes that can then be rented out to college students or others.
The ADU issue has also proven contentious not only with College Heights, but other communities in the city.
And then there’s the shopping center.
“What we understand now is that it’s an office park,” Sargeant tells F2S, and they’re in the middle of a build.” Even here, however, she is encouraged that the property owners are working with the community. “They worked with us on access to a pedestrian walk into the neighborhood,” she said. “Originally, it could have been a vehicle throughway.”
Communication, Communication, Communication
If there’s one take-away from this debate between College Heights and St. Mary’s Church, it’s this. Communication matters.
In the case of St. Mary’s, the most frequent complaint we heard in reporting this story - beyond the above-mentioned issues - was the lack of communication between the church and community about what its plans are for the properties that they own.
While we have confirmed there has been at least one meeting between Fr. Mosimann and residents of College Heights, the consensus among those we spoke to was that those meetings didn’t go particularly well. (We were not able to speak with the attendees from College Heights - the expressed opinion about how the meeting went comes from people familiar with the participants and the discussion.)
Whether that is the fault of Fr. Mosimann or the residents is, at this moment, beside the point. The residents believe they don’t have clear lines of communication and that they aren’t getting straight answers. That speaks to the level of frustration and mistrust that exists.
Key to improving this relationship is going to be opening those communication lines.
A recently formed group, the Fredericksburg Neighborhood Coalition, is positioning itself to give voice to local communities as they navigate the changing demographic, governmental, and growth issues in the city.
Such an organization can help communities like College Heights find their voices, and perhaps create discussions they otherwise could not pull off without FNC’s assistance.
That’s all to the good. But that alone won’t resolve the issues in College Heights.
For there’s another reality at play. Neighborhoods are ever-changing. The rapid escalation in home values in College Heights is testament to that.
Neighborhoods are constantly in flux as people come and go, as businesses nearby grow or fail, and as the economy rises and falls.
Though the past year or so has been a tough one for College Heights and for St. Mary’s, there is reason to be optimistic that both parties are going to come out of this debate in a better place.
St. Mary’s is here to stay, and there is great value to the city in having a vibrant house of faith that attracts a wide range of families and cultures.
College Heights is here to stay, too, and it’s in the church’s interest to ensure that they get along well with their neighbors.
Leafy green streets, after all, are nice.
So, too, is the ability to cooperate in a city changing as rapidly as Fredericksburg. Our ability to do this will set our community apart from the thousands of other leafy green streets in communities across Virginia and the nation.
It’s never easy. It is worth the work.
GUEST COMMENTARY: Washington Heritage Museums - The Old and the New
by Anne Darron
I read with interest Shaun Kenney’s column in your email on Monday, June 5, 2023. The Renwick is certainly a building worthy of preservation. While I can’t speak to the building’s potential as the James Monroe Library, I did want to clarify some information provided in the article.
Washington Heritage Museums is mentioned as the owner of the Mary Washington House, Rising Sun Tavern, Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop, and the “new” St. James’ House. The St. James’ House, built in the 1760s is not a new home, nor is it new to the organization. It was willed to Preservation Virginia in 1974 by William Tolerton and Daniel Breslin who had lovingly restored the home in the 1960s. St. James’ House, like the aforementioned properties, came under the ownership of Washington Heritage Museums in 2013 when it was given by deed of gift from Preservation Virginia.
What is new to Washington Heritage Museums’ stewardship is the Mary Washington Monument and Caretaker’s Lodge. The monument was erected in 1894, and the house in 1896. The monument has a long and interesting history, most notably that it is the first monument erected for a woman with the funds having been raised by women. It is also remarkable in that it is not the first monument begun at the site. A cornerstone was laid for the first monument in 1833. However, decades later, it was still not complete, and the shaft lay on its side. In the years since its initial construction, relic hunters and the Civil War in Fredericksburg left the original monument in ruins. It wasn’t until 100 years after Mary Washington’s death that efforts to create a monument honoring her were revived.
Washington Heritage Museums received the property by deed of gift from the City of Fredericksburg in January 2023. Since then, the organization volunteers have been working tirelessly to clean up the overgrowth that shrouded the beautiful granite Caretaker’s Lodge.
Now the organization is turning its attention to fundraising for improvements to accessibility, safety, and interpretation of the site. The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation has offered a $100,000 matching grant. Washington Heritage Museums has a year to raise the funds to unlock this match. Those interested in this unique opportunity to increase the interpretation and accessibility of the site should contact Washington Heritage Museums to learn more.
Anne Darron is Executive Director of Washington Heritage Museums
Learn more about WHM by visiting www.washingtonheritagemuseums.org
Correction
Our story on June 14 about the City Council meeting incorrectly stated: “A resolution to create a rental complex working group …”
Rental complex should have read “Renwick complex.”
F2S regrets the error, and appreciate’s the City of Fredericksburg calling our attention to it.
Observed
Wednesday night, the Edit Sober Secret Society - a group of conventionally published authors in the area - had an unexpected visitor to its event downtown. A time machine.
Seems a DeLorean, complete with a flux capacitor and glove compartment signed by Christopher Lloyd - better known as Doc Brown in the Back to the Future franchise - was parked outside the restaurant where the writers had gathered.
Writers being writers, we made our way to the machine and had a ball sitting in the driver’s seat, admiring the engine, and making jokes that Marty McFly (yes, your intrepid editor) even came along for the ride.
Enjoy the photos. And if you are a conventionally published author who wants to learn more about the Edit Sober Secret Society, simply email Rick Pullen.
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William Street not Williams. There, my work here is done. Good column.