Fauquier High’s Caroline Diehl and Franco Camarca named Athletes of the Year. Page 11 u
July 25, 2018
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Officials mum on proposed cancer center By Karen Chaffraix Times Staff Writer
Cecchi comes from a family famous for its real-estate developments in the Washington, D.C. area. His father, Giuseppe Cecchi, is an Italian immigrant who helped design and develop one of the most famous condominium complexes in the city — Watergate — in the 1970s. The elder Cecchi went on to form the IDI Group, originally known as the International Development Inc., which has developed thousands of condominiums and apartments in the Washington area, including Leisure World in both Maryland and Virginia and the Rivergate apartment complex, which opened in Woodbridge last year. Cecchi’s three brothers are involved in the real-estate development part of the business, while he focuses on the events business. The 172-acre property at 5025 Casanova Road includes a restaurant, pub and reception hall, a 21-room inn, spa, swimming pool and vineyard. The property hosted weddings and receptions, anniversary celebrations, corporate gatherings and retreats.
The greater Fauquier County area can look forward to a new development in the realm of cancer care in the not too distant future, but because details about a new cancer center planned for Fauquier hospital leaked prematurely, Fauquier Health officials say, the larger picture may not be divulged for some time. The Town of Warrenton’s Office of Planning and Community and Development is evaluating Fauquier Health’s 21-page site plan for the new cancer-treatment center, identified as “Fauquier Medical Office Building, 210 W Shirley Avenue.” Town officials have until Aug. 28 to review the plan, according to Warrenton Planning Director Brandie Schaeffer. Last week, Fauquier Now reported that a vacant office building was to be removed from a 3.6-acre site adjacent to the Fauquier hospital, and that construction of a new building at the corner of West Shirley Avenue and Carriage House Lane would replace it. According to the article, which quoted Fauquier Health Chief Operations Officer Donna Stanton extensively, the $12.4 million, 23,136-square-foot “Fauquier Health Center for Cancer Care” will offer a broader array of cancer care services than is currently offered at the hospital in the interest of keeping both patients and business in the community. But Fauquier Health CEO Chad Melton and spokeswoman Robin Earl declined to elaborate on the plans this week, citing the desire to wait for “a bigger announcement.” “We are moving services already provided from the hospital to a free-standing building,” Melton said in an email. “Our goal long-term is to add additional services.” “Fauquier Health doesn’t have anything to add at present,” said Earl, when asked to provide a narrative of the overall plan.
See RESORT, page 3
See CENTER, page 2
COURTESY PHOTO Antonio Cecchi’s Gala Cuisine Group has purchased the 172-acre Poplar Springs resort in Casanova.
New plans, new name for Poplar Springs Manor Cecchi family purchases Casanova resort for $4 million By James Ivancic Times Staff Writer
Antonio Cecchi was answering questions about his company’s acquisition of Poplar Springs Inn & Spa while the carpets were being cleaned around him in a room of the Casanova resort last week. The tidying up is part of the deep cleaning that happens whenever Gala Cuisine Group, which Cecchi heads, acquires a property, he explained. “The first step is we deep clean like you’ve never seen before. Then we declutter. Then we clean again. Then we put on a fresh coat of paint as it were — moving furniture, pictures. We reframe it in new fresh light,” he said. That done, they consider new possibilities. Gala Cuisine closed the purchase of the property —“in the $4 million range” — July 11. It was “a very fair price” in Cecchi’s estimation. “We are very particular. A building has to have the right bones. You can’t take a car and convert it to a balloon. There are certain things that a property has to have. This had it,” Cecchi said. INSIDE Business.............................................15 Classified............................................35 Communities......................................30 Faith...................................................34
Libraries.............................................33 Lifestyle..............................................23 Looking Back......................................19 Opinion.................................................7
Obituaries.............................................9 Puzzles...............................................10 Real Estate..........................................29 Sports.................................................11
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NEWS/FROM PAGE 1
FAUQUIER FOCUS
Liz Johnson
Oshie
Marketing maven sold on kitten kindness
Liz Johnson could well have the title of “marketing maven” or “marketing matron.” Her company, Mountain View Marketing, is well known in the Piedmont area for its success at marketing, advertising, public relations, social media and website development. When you sit down with Liz, for a casual lunch, or you are going to the same Chamber event, or you’re talking business, you will come away energized and inspired. It’s her perky, persistently positive, and can-do attitude
Fauquier Times | www.fauquier.com | July 25, 2018
that is unmistakable and, no doubt, a major player in the success of her business. As president and principal consultant, Liz has more than 35 years of experience building and leveraging brands and growing businesses. Over her career, she’s managed more than 900 successful marketing and advertising campaigns. She’s a stickler for being on time and within budget. Fifteen years ago, in 2003, she founded Mountain View Marketing, and has garnered a reputation for superior services. Client satisfaction is a hallmark of her company and she prides herself on that legacy…one that continues to grow with each year. Branding is big with Liz. It all matters from the colors and typestyles you choose to build your business card to your promotional materials to impressions you leave when someone clicks on your website or sees your ad in a magazine or newspaper. Liz was one of the instructors for the debut series of workshops put on by the Be the Change Foundation last spring. Focused on women who are
interested in starting and/or improving a business, Liz gave a lively presentation delving deep into the psychology of how important your brand can be. Liz works from her home office assembling team players as required depending on the client’s needs. When you visit her there, be prepared to meet several of her feline friends. Liz is a cat lady and has a big heart when it comes to these four-legged companions. She’s taken her love for cats beyond the confines of her country home to an active role in RappCats, a local nonprofit volunteer organization that rescues, cares for, and finds loving homes for abandoned, abused, neglected, injured, and homeless cats and kittens throughout Rappahannock County. “We really need help,” said Liz this week. “We are experiencing our busiest kitten season in more than 10 years and need foster homes for these adorable needy kittens. They are adopted quickly so it is a short-term foster situation. In addition, we need volunteers to help care for our cats at the RappCats Adoption Center. We
would deeply appreciate whatever help you can provide!” Liz Johnson is a familiar face in Fauquier County. She’s big on networking and, right now, she’s marketing her mission of helping the plethora of cats and kittens they are faced with — helping animals knows no county boundaries. Please call 540-987-6050 or email rappcats@rappcats.org to obtain additional information on how you can help. If you’d like to talk with Liz Johnson about your marketing and advertising needs, phone Mountain View Marketing at 540-675-1201 or visit their website at www.mountainviewmarketingllc.com If you’re a woman and interested in learning more about starting a business or improving your existing one, consider registering for the fall Be the Change Foundation workshops that start in September. Visit www.bethechangefoundation.us under “How it works.” Contact: 540347-3797 — Compiled by Anita Sherman
New cancer center planned, Fauquier Health officials mum on details CENTER from page 1 “A formal announcement will be forthcoming as additional details about the [cancer center] project are formalized,” LifePoint Health Director of Communications Logan Simmons said by email. “The cancer center is part of a bigger announcement,” Earl said, “and hopefully we can expect that in a few weeks.” Meanwhile, Fauquier Health owner LifePoint Health announced July 23 it has agreed to be purchased by Tennessee-based RCCH HealthCare Partners. The merger, barring a better offer during a 30-day open bidding period, will become final August 22. The combined companies will continue business as “LifePoint Health,” operating 84 non-urban hospitals in 30 states, according to a press release. Yet, this development is not part of the “bigger announcement,” Fauquier Health officials said.
Center slated for 2019 completion
Earl indicated the Fauquier Now article is accurate, so the following is known: The complex should be com-
pleted within 12 to 15 months, initially borrowing 15 employees from the hospital to staff a pharmacy, a clinic and an infusion center. It expects to treat 50 or more adult (only) patients per day. Future plans include the possibility of offering specialized cancer surgery such as colon, breast and gynecological; expanded infusion services, financial counseling, genetics counseling, and a resource room for community events. Radiation services should be available by 2023, the online news report said. Speaking to the Fauquier Times in early April, Melton said a cancer treatment center was in the pipeline, and that he hoped an announcement could be made within 30 to 60 days. “That’s a significant investment here in the community,” he added at the time. Acknowledging the panoply of cancer-treatment suppliers in neighboring Gainesville, Fairfax, and Manassas, Melton said 20 percent of the hospital’s patients (and 25 percent of its employees) come from Culpeper County. Melton said the hospital is working toward reversing patient loss to surrounding competition.
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Plans for Culpeper County
During the April interview, Melton said Fauquier Health was working toward an expansion into Culpeper County. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to announce pretty soon that we’re working on a site down in Culpeper,” he said, adding that the hospital is considering “an office there for physician services, an imaging center for MRIs, X-rays and ultrasound.” “But we have to go through the state to be able to do so,” he said at the time. According to state records obtained by the Fauquier Times, Fauquier Health submitted a “letter of intent” to build “Fauquier Diagnostic Imaging Center LLC,” a radiology center in Culpeper. The intent is to “establish a specialized center for diagnostic services with MRI and CT services,” according to correspondence between the Virginia Department of Health and Fauquier Health. Erik Bodin, who oversees the state’s process of issuing “Certificates of Public Need” for new health care facilities, explained that reviews are required when health-care providers expand
their capacity for services, but not if existing services are merely relocated. “Moving services from one building to another at the same site would not require any kind of approval from the [Virginia Department of Health],” Bodin said. However, “if they intend to add services such as CT and MRI imaging, radiation therapy and operating rooms, among other things, they’ll need to submit a separate Certificate of Public Need request for that.” Required by the Commonwealth of Virginia, a COPN allows healthcare providers to expand their services once the state determines that certain criteria are met. The process seeks to “contain health care costs while ensuring financial viability and access to health care for all Virginians at a reasonable cost,” according to the Virginia Department of Health website. The only application Fauquier Health has before the state is for “an imaging center just outside of the town of Culpeper,” Bodin said. “That request is still under review with a decision expected in mid-November 2018.” Contact Karen Chaffraix at kchaffraix@fauquier.com
Community Editor Anita Sherman, 540.351.1635 asherman@fauquier.com ISSN 1050-7655, USPS 188280 Associate Editor John Toler, 540-351-0487 Published every Wednesday by jtoler@fauquier.com Piedmont Media LLC Staff Writers How to reach us Karen Chaffraix ADDRESS: kchaffraix@fauquier.com 41 Culpeper Street Warrenton, Virginia 20186 James Ivancic, 540-878-2414 PHONE: 540-347-4222 jivancic@fauquier.com FAX: 540-349-8676 HOURS: 8 a.m. 5 p.m. weekdays, Jonathan Hunley, jhunley@fauquier.com 24-hour answering service Leland Schwartz, 540-351-0488 Publisher lschwartz@fauquier.com Catherine M. Nelson, 540-347-4222 Sports Editor cnelson@fauquier.com Peter Brewington, 540-351-1169 pbrewington@fauquier.com NEWSROOM Editor in Chief Sports Staff Writer Christopher Six, 540-212-6331 Jeff Malmgren, 540-874-2250 csix@fauquier.com jmalmgren@fauquier.com Managing Editor ADVERTISING Jill Palermo, 540-351-0431 Ad Manager jpalermo@fauquier.com Kathy Mills Godfrey 540-351-1162 Web/Copy Editor kgodfrey@fauquier.com Amanda Heincer, 540-878-2418 aheincer@fauquier.com
Classified Sales Consultants Jeanne Cobert, 540-878-2491 jcobert@fauquier.com Evelyn Cobert, 540-878-2492 ecobert@fauquier.com Chairman Emeritus George R. Thompson To place Classified and Employment ads: Call 540-351-1664 or fax 540-349-8676, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday — Friday or email fauquierclassifieds@fauquier.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Call 540-347-4222 Help with your subscription? Call 540-878-2413 or email CirculationFT@fauquier.com Missed your paper? Call 540-347-4222, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays Subscription: $69.68 per year within the United States. POSTMASTER: Send address 41 Culpeper St., Warrenton, VA 20186. Periodicals postage paid at Warrenton, Va. and at additional mailing offices
NEWS/FROM PAGE 1
Fauquier Times | www.fauquier.com | July 25, 2018
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Owner of proposed new data center under wraps cently approved a new data center to be built by Canadian developers in Remington. Also, OVH, a French company, built a data center that willserve as its U.S. headquarters in Vint Hill.
By Leland Schwartz Times Staff Writer
The Department of Defense is paving the way for a new data storage and processing facility at the Warrenton Training Center, which is operated by the U.S. Army northwest of Warrenton, but its owner remains unclear because the facility is classified. The new data center is needed to carry out the training center’s communications training and support operations, the training center said in a draft environmental assessment report filed ahead of the new construction. The new data center will be located near a similar data center built over the last few years at the Warrenton Training Center’s “Station B,” on Bear Wallow Road on View Tree Mountain. Neither Fauquier County Economic Development Director Miles Friedman nor Warrenton Training Center public affairs officer Susannah York could identify the operator and contractor of the proposed data center because the facility is classified. A similar data center built at Station B in the last few years is widely known to be operated by Vadata Inc., a government contractor and Amazon subsidiary. In 2015, Fauquier County gave Vadata Inc. $2.7 million in Fauquier County tax incentives to build a $200 million data center at Station B. Since 2015, Vadata has paid the county more than $2 million in tax revenue, according to figures provided by Fauquier County Commissioner of the Revenue Ross D’Urso. “Certainly the firm has predicted all along that their presence here would grow,” Friedman said
Report: Data center poses ‘no significant impacts’ to environment
TIMES STAFF PHOTO/LELAND SCHWARTZ A new data center has been proposed for the Warrenton Training Center, but officials say they can’t divulge the facility’s owner because the information is classified. when asked if Vadata is the operator of the new data center. “Having said that, we do not know whether this is their expansion or not.” If the data center is privately owned by Vadata or another firm, Fauquier County will derive additional tax revenue as the facility would be subject to local business- and personal-property taxes on its computers and servers, Friedman said. Friedman said the new data center will mean new jobs, some of which will be filled by local residents. The report said the center would transfer 10 to 20 employees to the center from other locations, and an additional 10 to 20 positions would be filled “from the local population.” In addition, the new data center should help in “strengthening our argument for other data centers to come here,” Friedman said. The Fauquier County Board of Supervisors re-
The report said construction will begin this year. Concrete pads for equipment should be in place by 2020, but it could take additional months or years to complete the project, depending on the training center’s future data-processing and storage needs. The computer-data-processing center would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the report said. The new center will encompass 40 acres, but half the land will remain undisturbed, according to York, who said the center is “very cognizant of the neighbors” and wants to cause as little visual impact as possible. About 20 acres of forest will be removed, but a “buffer of trees” would be left along the edges of the site “to serve as a visual and noise buffer” between existing buildings and along Bear Wallow Road, the report said. The report contends the data center would have “no significant impacts” to the environment, and therefore a full environmental impact study “is not necessary,” the report said, adding: A “finding of no significant impact is appropriate.” Regarding the facility’s impact on endangered species, only the northern long-eared bat and the yellow lance, a freshwater mussel, which is a candidate for the endangered-species list, have the potential to occur at the project site, the report said. Leland Schwartz can be reached at lschwartz@ fauquier.com
Cecchi family purchases Casanova’s Poplar Springs resort for $4 million RESORT from page 1 Mike Eisele and Richard Thompson were part of the group that bought Poplar Springs in 2014 for $2.1 million and operated it until the sale to Gala Cuisine. Before that, Howard Foer and his wife Lauren Levine owned the property. The stone manor house, which is the resort’s centerpiece, was built in 1928. The deal to purchase Poplar Springs was three months in the works. It was a “pocket” listing — one that was listed by the realtor friend of the seller, Cecchi explained. Cecchi said Gala Cuisine’s plans for Poplar Springs remain in development, but more will be known and revealed Tuesday, Aug. 7, at an open house held at one of the company’s other properties, Foxchase Manor in Manassas.
New name: Poplar Springs Manor
One thing is sure. The name of the
property has already been changed to Poplar Springs Manor and a new website — poplarspringsmanor.com — is in development. The manor is closed for the time being. “We’ll bring in a seasoned team to get it up and going. Anybody who wants to work can apply,” Cecchi said. The new hires will be trained at one of the other venues so they learn the Gala Cuisine way of doing things. “We’re very excited,” Cecchi said. “We’ll be putting our own twist on it, enhancing it. I don’t feel it needs additions. It has a great engine. It just needs to be firing on all cylinders.” Gala Cuisine is in the hospitality business, and Poplar Manor is its fifth property. Gala owns Foxchase Manor North and South in Manassas and Raspberry Plain Manor and Rose Hill Manor in Leesburg. The 90-year-old Poplar Springs appealed to Cecchi because of its
age as well as its location, which is still within an hour’s drive from Washington, D.C., but set in a rural area. Raspberry Manor goes much further back. Cecchi noted the “hyper-historic” Georgian-style building dates to 1752. It was the home of the parents of George Mason, the delegate to the U.S. Constitutional convention in 1787 who was the principal author of the Virginia Bill of Rights that inspired the U.S. Bill of Rights. Rose Hill Manor is another former Mason property in the Georgian style. Foxchase is a neo-classical replica of a Leesburg mansion. “It can hold 2,000 people in one room. It’s the largest privately-owned, non-hotel ballroom in the Mid-Atlantic,” Cecchi said of Foxchase. “VW launched the new Jetta in our building. We supersized [the building] but made it authentic. It feels like a historic manor.”
Foxchase North and South are identical. “We felt we needed a larger version of Raspberry Plain. We had the property to put in two buildings. They are so big that we can hold five, six or seven proms a year. Some of those who attended a prom are now getting married there (at Foxchase) or formed companies and are now holding holiday parties there,” Cecchi said. “If somebody wants something over the top, then it’s Foxchase for a gathering for 1,000.” Rose Hill, Raspberry Plain and now Poplar Springs have a different appeal. “We love Fauquier’s rural aspect,” he said. “The traffic dies down after crossing the county line. We’re 6 miles from the county line but it feels very convenient. [Poplar Springs] is very private, very beautiful. I made a point of staying for the sunset.” Reach James Ivancic at jivancic@ fauquier.com
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