Preservation group urges limits on rear parking, cites erosion and trespass concerns

Keven Walker, chief executive officer of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation and a neighboring resident, told the joint hearing that SVBF owns property on two sides of 9361–9365 North Congress Street and that the building dates to the early 19th century. "It is a historical structure," Walker said, urging the town to consider that history when approving uses or conditions for the building.

Walker said SVBF supports downtown reinvestment and residential uses that invigorate the business district, but he urged restrictions on the rear lot because of pedestrian-safety concerns at a blind alley entrance, erosion and sheet-flow onto SVBF parcels, and past trespassing associated with short-term rental traffic. "We ask that the lot be limited to residents and their guests only," he said. Mrs. Medina (staff member) told the commission she had checked with Shenandoah County’s erosion and sediment control official and a county building official; she said the county reported no regulatory red flags given the lot size and that some disputes about run‑off would be civil matters between property owners.

Commissioners acknowledged the preservation concerns and the practical tension downtown—on-street parking is valuable for customers, while residents and employees need long-term spaces. The conversation led the commission to defer action so staff could return with refined parking calculations and more specific condition language to address access and refuse placement.