Keep our county safe from uncontrolled development
The Rappahannock County Board of Zoning Appeals at its Feb. 28 meeting decided against the zoning administrator’s prior decision that a 50-foot right-of-way provision within the county ordinance is not enforceable. Now it’s up to the Board of Supervisors to make a final determination that will have far-reaching implications for development within the county.
Certain change will need to be accommodated, but the BOS must listen to its constituency about what changes will be allowed moving forward.
Nearby Loudoun County invalidated many zoning restrictions, emboldening developers, and bringing a host of problems, including water quantity and quality, safety, increased traffic and decreased greenspace. Even as that county struggled to keep up with its growth, it faced an increase in county costs, a growing debt burden and higher tax rates.
It was already too late, when the residents of Loudoun County began to speak out against the negative effects of growth. In the end, development destroyed the essence of what made the county a special place in which to live. It is now a bedroom community replete with cul-de-sacs and traffic circles.
Based upon the standing-roomonly turnout at the Feb. 28 meeting and the myriad comments about saving the rural quality of our county, the people here understand what hangs in the balance. They want to understand and to be heard regarding zoning and land use decisions. The citizens, along with the BOS, have the responsibility to keep our own county safe from uncontrolled development. Michelle Galler Washington