August 14, 1999

James L. McManaway

chairman of Warren County Board of Supervisors

The Warren County Board of Supervisors on Friday met with representatives from Front Royal and the town-county Economic Development Authority to negotiant a deal that will let the localities use land at the Avtex Fibers Superfund site for governmental purposes.

The authority is negotiating with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Justice Department to assume ownership of the Avtex site from a bankruptcy trustee in Philadelphia, which has held the land since Avtex filed for bankruptcy in 1989.

The authority began working on a plan to develop the site as a business park and outdoor recreation facility in 1997.

Board Chairman James L. McManaway said the proposed deal won’t necessarily change plans to develop the site. The authority will still assume ownership of the site, but will do so with the understanding that the town and county can claim some of the land for their own use, he said.

"We’re not talking about major changes," McManaway said. "There’s still going to be a business park and there’s still going to be the green space, but we might want to use some of the land for government purposes, and this will give us that option."

Neither the county nor the town has any specific plans for the Avtex land, but both want the option in case a use presents itself, he said. Several months ago, there was talk of using the Avtex parking lot for a county school transportation center, but the idea was abandoned, he said.

"Hypothetically, we might want to use the land to build a new school or a recreational space for the community," McManaway said. "That would force EDA to change its plans a little bit in order to accommodate us. This agreement is just going to spell out what the procedure will be, if that comes up."

The supervisors directed County Attorney Douglas W. Napier to negotiate the details of the arrangement with Town Manager Richard Anzolut, Town Attorney W. Todd Benson and authority representatives, he said.

The supervisors want an agreement worked out in time to consider at their Sept. 7 meeting, McManaway said.

Napier declined to comment on details of the proposed agreement, such as the location or amount of the land the town and county can claim, but said the deal will include plans for the overall use of the site and a procedure for deviating from the authority’s master plan for the site.

McManaway said the supervisors called the Friday meeting because the county is trying to tie up loose ends at Avtex before it goes to court to arrange for the final transfer of the property from the bankruptcy trustee to the authority.

The deadline to complete the transfer is in September, he said.

"This agreement doesn’t directly affect the final transfer, but it’s something we need to work out before that time comes," Napier said. "It will help clear the way."

Authority Executive Director Stephen A. Heavener wasn’t available for comment.