Save Edge Hill Service Station? Gloucester, VA, More Information

We have continued to dig up information on this site and oh what we have found.  In a past article we pointed out that we had heard that this property had sold for over four hundred thousand dollars.  That did not make sense since the building on the county tax map shows it's value to include it's present value at under one hundred thousand dollars.  Well it turns out that this property is a combination of 3 lots.  The car wash is part of that ownership and where the real price came into play.

  So Fairfield owns a for profit business.  Now from everything we have been able to see so far, even though Fairfield owns the car wash, it looks like they may have subleased the business out to someone else.  It's interesting that you have never read this in the local news anywhere.  But here are the backup facts straight from the county.

Fairfield Edgehill Texaco Station Info, Gloucester, VA from Chuck Thompson

If the information proves tough to read, you can blow the above into full screen mode.

Why this property was divided up the way it was does not make sense.  At least the sale price of the property now makes more sense.  But wait, it gets even more interesting.  Gloucester County officials, after Fairfield bought this property, submitted this property to VDOT for a special preservation grant.  Why did the county do this for Fairfield?  Not only that, but the grant was approved.  Don't take our word for it, we got the evidence straight from VDOT themselves.  A copy of the email is below.

Our records indicate that an award was made to Gloucester County for this project in June, 2012 in the amount of $384,000.  Realize however that this is a reimbursable program and no funds are awarded up-front.  Funds must be expended and then a request made for reimbursement.  For further details regarding the Transportation Enhancement – now the Transportation Alternatives – Program and past allocations, please see our website atwww.virginiagot.org/business/prenhancegrants.asp .

 

Thank you,

 

Pam Liston

Wow, all Fairfield has to do now is sucker people in to produce the matching funds and they have a windfall business free and clear.  Why they are not using any of the profits from their car wash business is a question we have.

  There has been a lot of interest in keeping this corner tied up.  Now in all fairness it does have a viable but probably a very poorly performing business on this corner lot.  The service station itself, as we have shown has no real historical value.  So why is the corner lot of such great concern?  Oh, it's coming.  But not just yet.  We have a lot more.  Keep an eye on the areas we told you are eyed for future development.  Therein lies the master key in our opinion.  And does this have anything to do with the new Page Middle School?  Remember that question.  It may just have something to do with keeping traffic tied up on the 17/14 corner during rush hours and forcing new road construction through certain properties, located close to TC Walker school, who's ownership may prove revealing.  It's amazing how things start to tie together.

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Ted Continues Rant Over Edge Hill Service Station's Potential Demolition

Ted continues his rant over the potential demolition of the Edge Hill Service Station.  He sent us the following two links.

http://www.gazettejournal.net/index.php/news/news_article/enhancement_grants_approved_for_mathews_gloucester
is the first link.   Here is the second link.

http://www.gazettejournal.net/index.php/news/news_article/help_sought_with_grant  

We see issues with the stories at these two links, however, that has not been our focus.  We reported on the potential demolition of Edge Hill Service Station as we found documents on the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust site that clearly shows optional plans for the Stations potential demolition.

We did not create these plans, they are public on the GMSPT's site.  Ted is upset that these plans have been made public here.  His argument shouldn't be with us but instead the GMSPT who's plans they are.  So we are going to help Ted find his way as he seems rather lost.  What you need to do Ted is go to the GMSPT and get them to issue you a legal statement that they no longer back these plans if that is the case.  You will also then want to get them to update their site that shows they are no longer backing these plans if that is the case.

  You will then also want to find out if the GMSPT has filed these plans with the county.  If so, you will then need to do the same thing with the county and get legal statements to show that these potential plans are no longer being considered by the county.  Once you have done all of this, you may want to go to the paper and have them publish a story that the plans are no longer supported.  We have seen nothing that legally retracts these plans.  These are all current plans on the GMSPT site.  It's just wonderful that the Fairfield Foundation has plans for the site.  But that could be a problem for Fairfield that you really should address there Ted.

  Get back to us when you have completed all of these steps and are able to show that they are legal and not just hearsay talk.  See ya in about 6 months or so if you can ever get that done.  Hope that clears Ted's confusion.  We hate to see him like that.

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Gloucester, VA - Edge Hill Service Station Stays In The News

Ted sent us a very hilarious comment the other day and now we just have to share it with everyone.

"Attacks? You really must have a thin skin. I'll let you know the source of my inside information. The Gazette Journal. You really should get a subscription."

This is the person whom we have been showing his comments to our posts and his most recent response to us.  Ted claims that his inside source is the local paper.  Nice try there Ted.  We read the paper every week and though late reading it this week, we found what you knew in advance which confirms our statement, inside information.  Let's look this over shall we?  Page 13B, Thursday, May 2nd, 2013, $53,000.00 + Awarded In Main Street Grants, is the headline.  Bottom left hand column of the of the article.  Fairfield Foundation received a grant for the continuing restoration project of the Texaco station building at the Main/Route 14 intersection, with the recent grant for installation of the lighting and fixtures suited to the 1930's when the building was erected, $4,704.54. (It does not state they actually received a check or any other form of payment, just a grant).

  Now the above statement is not clear as to whether Fairfield received a check for this amount now or if they are subject to the rules of having to complete the work first to get this grant.  Next, why is the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust giving the grant to the Fairfield Foundation?  The Fairfield Foundation does not own the property.  We showed in an article posted yesterday that the business that owns the property is the Fairfield Edge Hill LLC.  A separate entity.  Now for arguments sake, they may be tied together, but for legal purposes, they are clearly separate entities.

  Now let's go back and look at our friend Ted's first statement.  "Please keep posting stories like this. They prove that you have absolutely no idea of what you are talking about.

The restoration of the station has hardly begun with much work left. Check your facts before you post alarmist articles. I'm guessing you have not spoken with the owners ... they would have told you what is actually going on. "

The restoration of the station has hardly begun.  The newspaper says the continuing restoration there Ted.  "Check our facts before posting alarmist articles?"  What is alarmist about showing what the GMSPT has on their site?  The date of this note from Ted was April 27th, 2013.  

April 29th, 2013, at 7:25 PM Eastern Time Ted sends this update.  "Yes, keep it going. You display your ignorance and wild leaps of "logic" which time will show are at best confused.

The station was painted white prior to being sold to the current owner who plans to upgrade the existing building and corner. This reality has nothing to do with a planning document ... say what you will about the planning document's merit ... it is not prescriptive. Not even the long arm of zoning can force a property owner to comply with a planning document.

So, like I said, keep up the ignorance and people will gradually see that you have no idea what you are talking about. I particularly like your brazen posting of my previous message and you will probably do the same with this one ... I hope. Ignorance is not bliss. "

It's interesting that this news article comes out on May, 2nd that would somehow seem to justify Ted's point.  But let's look at the wording that follows the story shall we?  MSPT presents a check for the improvements once the work has been completed which preferably will be before the end of the current calendar year.

  How did you put it Ted?  It's not prescriptive that the Fairfield Foundation will even receive a check.  Not even the long arm of the MSPT can force the present owner to comply with doing the work planned.  And again why would the GMSPT give Fairfield Foundation a check when the Fairfield Foundation does not own the building?  

  Ted's most recent post claiming he read this in the paper?  May 3rd, at 7:22AM.  Gloucester residents know that the paper is available as early as Wednesday afternoon which would have been Wednesday, May 1st, 2013.  Ted could not have read any of this in the paper ahead of time.  He started the argument on April 27th after we first exposed the present plans to potentially demolish the Edge Hill Service Station by the same people now claiming to be offering a grant to the wrong entity for the Edge Hill Service Station ownership.  Is this making sense to anyone?  These people seem awfully shifty to us.  

  However, this is the same group that is developing plans that affect homeowners, businesses, investors, and potential investors that would increase taxes and compliance issues on their own and asking the local government officials to help them with those plans.  ???  And again we point out that Louise Theberge is playing both sides of this coin.  Could someone please explain to us what a non profit organization has to do with making such plans?  

  We have been wondering if these people are violating their 501(c) 3 status and also may be violating IRS rules for such an entity.  We will have to ask the IRS to see what they think.  Something isn't right here.  Thanks for your input Ted.    We found it quite enjoyable.  Keep up the outstanding work.  By the way Ted, we know that you are sick of all the issues you are surrounded by each day, when you are ready to spill the real beans, we will be here waiting to help you expose the dirt and wash your hands of it all.  ; )

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Gloucester, VA - Edge Hill Service Station Potential Demolition Update

Looking further into the Edge Hill service station being scoped for potential demolition by the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust and presented to the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors, we decided to see if the Fairfield Foundation was still the owner of the present Edge Hill Service Station and it is.

  What we also looked up is any ties between Fairfield Foundation and the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust.  We found one. The present Edge Hill Service Station is listed in the county as Fairfield Edge Hill LLC or a Limited Liability Company.  Not a non profit organization, yet still tied to the non profit foundation.
https://apps.gloucesterva.info/cor/landbookdb/landbook3DNN.asp?Param=29861  is the link to this information.

The Fairfield Foundation is a member of the Gloucester Main Street Association.

You can blow this image up to see it more clearly by clicking on it.  Now the Gloucester Main Street Association is tied to the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust which has Louise Theberge, chairperson of the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors, on it's board.  Both organizations are tied to the Cook Foundation.

The Edge Hill Service Station is a for profit arm of the Fairfield Foundation which is a non profit organization.  The question that comes up that we ask is the Fairfield Edge Hill LLC looking to sell the building to the county for these new plans possibly making a profit on the building and at an expense to local taxpayers?

  The present market value of the property is $97,300.00 according to Land Book which is available for everyone to view at the link above.  Fairfield has owned this property since May 19th, 2010 and to date has not done much with it except restore the exterior to a more pleasant facade fixing numerous exterior damage.

  Any plans for opening it up as an educational facility would seem to be running far behind any estimations if it were meant to be opened to the public.  If it was meant to be restored as a period property, again, it is running way behind any reasonable estimations.  The period restoration that was originally talked about is a 1930's service station.  Here it is a few days short of 3 years later and still nothing period about a period restoration taking place.

  So again one must question why the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust was making plans that included potential demolition of this structure when the GMSPT should know that the new owners have plans for the property, or is it that these are the real plans?  And why did the Board of Supervisors except review of the plans with this included in them?  Straight forward facts with straight forward questions.  Plain and simple.

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Gloucester, VA - Readers Continuing Responses On Edge Hill Service Station Slated For Potential Demolition

Readers Respond Again.

"Yes, keep it going. You display your ignorance and wild leaps of "logic" which time will show are at best confused. The station was painted white prior to being sold to the current owner who plans to upgrade the existing building and corner. This reality has nothing to do with a planning document ... say what you will about the planning document's merit ... it is not prescriptive. Not even the long arm of zoning can force a property owner to comply with a planning document. So, like I said, keep up the ignorance and people will gradually see that you have no idea what you are talking about. I particularly like your brazen posting of my previous message and you will probably do the same with this one ... I hope. Ignorance is not bliss. on Gloucester, VA - Readers Respond To Edge Hill Service Station Slated For Possible Demolition"

You claim the reality has nothing to do with a planning document.  The story was about the planning document and what those plans include.  You have not followed this site for any length of time and it shows in your comments.  We have been covering what, in our opinion, are blatant disregards for the laws here in the county.  We have been covering numerous issues for the past year now.

  It is our opinion that the county can figure out a way to force the present property owner to comply with plans the county wants to force through based on what we have already seen done throughout the county.  It is through exposure of what the plans are that helps to possibly prevent such actions.  Please read the headlines of that first story again.  Slated for POTENTIAL demolition.

  You use an interesting choice of words in your argument.  "Not even the long arm of zoning can force a property owner to comply with a planning document".  Gee, really?  The county can force a property owner into complying with a court order though can't it?  Zoning along with codes and compliance can condemn the structure if the county thinks it's in the best interest can't they?  The county can sure make the life of the present owner miserable if the county so chooses to can't they?

  You argue like a lawyer and most people would never catch that little deceptive description so well placed.  Well done.  Let's look at some other facts you missed.  "The building was painted white before being sold to the present owner."  Since then it has undergone exterior structural repairs, painted again to an off white or light tan color, has had numerous murals painted on it's side and other numerous work to create a rather pleasing facade.  Though on the one hand of the term it may not meet certain criteria for period restoration, on another hand, it meets restoration for the overall outer appearance from what it once was not that long ago.

  If you want to argue the article for what it is not, go ahead and knock your socks off.

  Let's see if we are on the same page here anyway.  We would rather not see the structure demolished.  Reason for exposing plans.  It's not our choice what happens to it though.  It's up to the new owner(s) to do as they see fit with the property.  It's not the place of the county nor the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust to interfere with any property owner anywhere in the county unless the property represents a serious public health issue.  At no time should  county officials or even the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust be involved in creating plans for private property.

  Answer that question while on the subject.  Why is the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust even looking at private property and making potential plans for it's use when it does not even have the right to?  Please edumakate this 1st grade graduit since you are so well informed with obviously deep inside knowledge and bursting with such illuminating brilliance so that we no longer linger in ignorance.

  In regards to the brazen posting of your comments.  You posted it on this site, not us.  All we do is make it easier for everyone to see and we try to respond to all comments.   We look forward to being illuminated.

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Gloucester, VA - Readers Respond To Edge Hill Service Station Slated For Possible Demolition

From one of our readers.

"Please keep posting stories like this. They prove that you have absolutely no idea of what you are talking about.

The restoration of the station has hardly begun with much work left. Check your facts before you post alarmist articles. I'm guessing you have not spoken with the owners ... they would have told you what is actually going on. "

Now this comment we find rather interesting.  It shows that the reader paid no attention as to where the concept of potential demolition comes from.  It came from the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust's web site.  The information is on a PDF and we have linked that PDF to this site on a previous post.  It is very very slow loading because the PDF is a huge file.  Whoever made the PDF didn't shrink the images on the pages prior to creating the pages.

  Look at the previous post.  The top image was shot in 2010 by us.  The second image is from 2012 and is used above.  Now look at the image of the service station that comes from the GMSPT site below.

The picture image from the PDF page that comes from the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust site shows a different look to the present look of the building.  The outside of the building has been restored from it's original condition.  Is it the inside that may not have been restored?  We are not interested in that.  If the building is up for rent, then it's up to the new tenant to put in whatever they want or need for their business.  The outside has been refurbished which is restored.  (Information from the GMSPT suggests the building can be used as a potential cafe, suggesting the building is up for rent).

  The demolition information is right in front of everyone.  You are looking at it above.  What exactly is alarmist about it?  What is the reader really trying to convey to us?  Look at 6.1.3 above.  It states remove the existing structure, referring to the Edge Hill Service Station.  This is not our information, it comes from the GMSPT site that anyone can read at any time.  

  These are part of the sub plans that have already been submitted to the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors and the Board has already passed a 7 to zero vote on accepting.  We have the video showing this as well.  Is the reader nervous about this information being made public?  The local paper sure didn't cover this.  We can post that video at any time as it comes directly from the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors.  

  It looks like we are making some people rather nervous by exposing what is really going on in the county.  So we are going to continue to expose these bad ideas so everyone knows what is going on.  Like we keep saying, what no one else is willing to cover.

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Gloucester, VA - Edge Hill Service Station Slated For Possible Demolition

The top picture is of the Edge Hill gas station that had the call to save it before it's restoration.  The second picture is of the Edge Hill gas station with the restoration complete.  Now it's potentially slated for demolition by the ones who were involved in restoring it?  One plan is to try and make it into a cafe if they can get someone to rent it with such highly limited parking.

  Two other options are demolition and replacement with a new office or retail complex, again with no parking and the last option is to turn it into a water fountain.

Why was all the money put into restoring Edge Hill Gas Station only to turn around and now look at tearing it down?  Someone made money on the restoration work.  Someone is going to make money tearing it down and putting up something else.  Do we really need more bad planning?

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