| It was great to see
so many citizens on Monday evening! Over 150 speakers signed up during the public
hearing, which ran past 11 pm. On behalf of the many Loudoun residents who
care about these issues and were unable to speak, thank you.
Press Coverage of Monday
Night
An Attempt to Drown Out the Citizens?
Photo courtesy of the Loudoun Times Mirror |
For hours, citizens from across Loudoun County expressed
deep concerns about the proposal
to add 28,000 new houses along Route 50. But Monday night also left citizens
asking, just how far will special interests go to ensure their proposal is approved?
Read how the Loudoun Times Mirror caught on to their unfair tactics: "Letter
Campaign" (Scroll halfway down the page for the story)
Here's
what the Washington
Post had to say:
"Nearly an hour before the start of the hearing, the line of
speakers already snaked back and forth through the lobby several times. When the
proceedings finally began, people were standing shoulder to shoulder inside the
board room... After about 30 minutes, amendment opponents who were stuck in the
hall began chanting, "Let the citizens in!" and 'Where's the public
process?'"
Questions Are Raised
From the Loudoun
Times Mirror:
"The barring of entrance to the hearing,
along with the lack of closed-circuit TV in the lobby to let the overflow crowd
hear the public testimony, led to accusations that Greenvest had somehow arranged
to stop the anti-development group from speaking. ... “This is very wrong,
this is corrupt. They are paying people to take up seats,” said Debbie Rubenstein,
of Potomac Falls, who was left outside."
Did
you leave early or speak into the tape recorder?
The long list of speakers Monday night meant that many
of you were forced to speak into a tape recorder or to simply leave
before speaking. In either case, you need to ensure
your comments are heard - and make sure to include your name
and address.
Convey your frustration
at having only one opportunity to comment with all information available
on this development proposal. Holding only one hearing that starts at 5:30 PM
and runs for six hours is unconscionable in a diverse county of residents with
jobs, families, and commutes.
The
Next
Step
The Planning Commission will now hold one or more work
sessions on the Dulles South CPAM (or, the
proposal for 28,000 new houses) to consider the proposed changes
in greater detail. The work session has not yet been scheduled -
stay tuned. The final step of the process will be a public hearing
with the Board of Supervisors, followed by a vote of approval or
disapproval.
Press
Coverage
Residents
Pack Hearing on Rezoning Proposal (Wash. Post)
Fast
Shuffle in Loudoun (Editorial by the Wash. Post)
Growth
Fight Boils Over (Loudoun Times Mirror)
Letter
Campaign (Editorial by the Loudoun Times Mirror)
Is
Bigger Better? (Leesburg Today)
Make your
time stuck in traffic count
Get a Don't
Supersize Loudoun bumper sticker. They're free and can
be easily removed from your bumper.
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Were you heard on Monday night? |
| Many
Voices Not Heard
The long list of speakers Monday night meant that many of you were either forced
to speak into a tape recorder or into simply leaving before you could speak to
the Planning Commission.
Speak Out Now
In either case, it is important that you send
an email with your comments to the Planning
Commission. Make
sure you tell them your name, address, and what you would have said to them if
you had been able to.
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Let Others Know |
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Invite Others to Our Email List
Email friends a link to www.LoudounsFuture.org
or click
here to email this message to friends and neighbors. (We won't keep
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