Article Date: January 29, 2000

By Diane Hartson

The final plan for the conservation and recreation area at the Avtex Fibers Superfund site in Front Royal will be completed by March.

And while consultants are putting the final touches on that revision, a main focus will be the issue of vehicular access to the area , said Jody Leidolf, vice president of EDAW Inc., the firm designing the plan.

"One of the main focus points will be the access issue at the northern end of the park," Leidolf said.

During a series of workshops aimed at giving local residents a voice in what features the conservation area will include, some residents pushed for no vehicular access inside the area while others wanted more, including access for elderly and handicapped people. One resident suggested that golf carts might provide a way to give interior access to those not able to bike or hike to the less-accessible sections.

The draft plan, which was presented at a meeting earlier this month, includes roadways to allow vehicle access at the northern end of the area, to a point near the river, and at the southern end near the Luray boat landing. Access through the interior of the mile-and-a-half long acreage is provided by walking and biking trails.

Residents also pushed for a chestnut grove, an idea that Leidolf said would likely be included in the final plan.

"The main thing that came out (of the meeting) was the chestnut grove. Everybody felt strongly about that," he said.

Beyond those two points, there will be no drastic changes to the plan, he said.

"There might be stylistic changes as we start to understand the grades. We well be working closely with the construction documents," he said.

The recreation area will be located on the western half of the site, between the railroad tracks that bisect the Avtex property and the South Fork of the Shenandoah River.

While the plan will soon be in place, work on the conservation and recreation elements have to wait until remediation efforts on that half are completed. That includes the closure of several chemical filled basins on that portion of the site.

Funding also will have to be found to create the planned facilities. FMC Corp., which is responsible for the remaining cleanup, has agreed to include needed grading for the conservation area, including any road and trail sites, in any earth moving done during cleanup projects. Facilities in the plan are:

• An additional boat landing at the northern end and a canoe put in/take out area near the center, fishing and river access points and a casting pond.
• Picnic shelters at the northern and southern ends, interpretation facilities on the history of the site, Warren County and the environment, and a viewing tower where Ash Mountain is now located. The 75 foot tall Ash Mountain, where tons of fly ash was discarded, will be lowered to about 15 feet.
• Forested areas, nature ponds and wetlands and three wildlife meadows.
• Paved multi-use and greenway trails and mulch walking trails, a children play area and a wildlife observation boardwalk.
• Comfort stations, parking and vehicular access roads at the northern and southern ends of the site.

Not include in the plan, but proposed earlier workshop, is an amphitheater. The idea was taken away by U.S. Justice Department attorneys who helped draft environmental covenants regulating the site’s use.

Also proposed on the eastern half of the site, which is planned for a business park and soccer fields, is a community recreation center and a bicycle-motocross track.

The Front Royal Warren County Economic Development Authority expects to take ownership of the former rayon plant site by March and will oversee its redevelopment.

• Additional boat landing at the northen end and a canoe put in take out area near the center, fishing and river access points and a casting pond.
• Picnic shelters at the northern and southern ends, interpretation facilities on the history of the site Warren County and the environment.
• Forested areas, nature ponds and wetlands and three wildlife meadows.
• Paved multi-use and greenway trails and mulch walking trails, a children play area and a wildlife observation boardwalk.
• Comfort stations, parking and vehicular access roads at the northern and southern ends of the site.

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