Perhaps they are reluctant to devote the resources required to deal effectively with such violators. Perhaps they prefer low-overhead "law enforcement" as a way to collect revenue while avoiding politically unpopular taxation. This really isn't law enforcement, however, and it does nothing to advance public safety.
Stephen Siciliano
Reston
Siciliano recently retired from the legal staff of the Federal Reserve Board.
Voters Were Ignored On MetroWest Project
I read with interest the two letters in the Jan. 13 Voices of Fairfax regarding the Board of Supervisors' vote to change the Comprehensive Plan to open the door for multiple high-rises, mixed-use and higher densities near the Vienna Metro.
I agree with reader Mark Tipton that this area cannot handle a project of this size. Tipton mentioned problems with traffic, overwhelmed Metro trains and parking. I live near the proposed site, and there are also potentially disastrous storm-water management problems and environmental issues, as well as neighborhood concerns regarding stress to our already overwhelmed schools and other public services.
Most citizens who have protested this plan change do not disagree with the idea of higher-density, transit-oriented development. The original plan, before the out-of-turn amendment vote in December, had already allowed for 1,150 residential units at this site. Most of us would have been fine with rezoning in accordance with the original plan.
What we wanted was for the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors to recognize the many problems surrounding a project the size of Vienna MetroWest. But even after much public protest and literally thousands of e-mails, Supervisor Linda Q. Smyth, backed by Chairman Gerald E. Connolly, made virtually no compromise on either the scale of the project or the density before they voted to change the plan. Is it any wonder that so many Fairfax citizens do not feel heard or represented by their supervisors?
Oh, and by the way, the letter in favor of the plan change to allow for Vienna MetroWest was written by "resident and taxpayer" Michael C. Aho? "Citizen" Aho neglected to mention that he is a paid member of Supervisor Smyth's staff. Congratulations, Linda. You have managed to convince your staff that Vienna MetroWest is a great idea. However, my guess is that you may have to work a little harder to convince the rest of the voters in the Providence District before the 2007 election.
Roberta Johnson
Fairfax
