Thursday, March 2, 2006; LZ02

A Root Cause of Gangs

It is good to know that Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.) is giving a high priority to addressing the widespread gangs in Northern Virginia ["Loudoun Fighting to Keep Gangs Out," The Loudoun Extra, Feb. 12]. In his recent town hall visits, he has proposed a number of solutions aimed toward prevention.

While these efforts are commendable, they are mostly Band-Aid solutions aimed at addressing the symptoms. One of the major root causes of gang activity is illegal immigration, and until that is openly and honestly dealt with, areas throughout the country will have an increase in gang activity.

Peter Hoagland

Warrenton

As a resident in the Dulles South area, I take exception to your Jan. 20 editorial ["How to Ruin a County," A Section] regarding growth in the county.

What The Washington Post editorial board seems to overlook is that Loudoun County has an opportunity to embrace a 20-year development plan that encompasses only 6.8 percent of the county. The alternative is to continue with by-right development that will not have cohesive planning and will promote sprawl that will bog down our roads and increase our residential taxes. In addition, it will continue to force civil servants such as law enforcement officers (like myself) to live outside the community they serve because of shortages in affordable housing.

Using the by-right model, the demand for housing will remain the same but the infrastructure is left untouched. We need to plan for growth, not bury our heads in the sand and just hope it goes away.

From what I've seen, developers such as Greenvest are stepping up to the plate with some real transportation and housing solutions. Their proposed communities include senior and workforce housing, trails and green spaces that include a 200-acre park and recreational facilities. They've proposed building major portions of the road network in the Dulles South area, not disjointed segments that can lead to years of more gridlock.

They also propose to donate land for and build six schools. Every year our property assessments and tax bills increase. However, very few of our tax dollars are used to build roads. The only logical solution to develop the much-needed infrastructure in Dulles South is to have the developers pay for it.

Approximately 110,000 new households will come to Loudoun County by 2030, according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. The proximity of the Dulles South area to the economic engines of Loudoun and Fairfax counties makes for the perfect opportunity to direct growth. Good planning suggests that we provide housing closer to where the jobs are and will be.

Loudoun County is beautiful. But no one will save it by limiting growth in the Dulles South area. Quite conversely, the only way to slow growth in the western scenic portion is to supply more housing and infrastructure in the east.

Growth is not an enemy if it is planned well with the community.

Mark DiLuigi

Aldie

Blink, and you may not recognize the familiar green, rolling Loudoun County surroundings of last year, or last week for that matter.

The sellout of our uniquely beautiful landscape seems to indicate that some factor besides the best interest of citizens must be at work behind the scenes.

Our natural resources and landscapes have been parted like a great sea, making room for compromised housing, asphalt and many thousands more automobiles stalled in gridlock, placing at risk not only our environment but human health.

Clearly, goals are not shared. There appears to be no sense of moral responsibility to the land, heritage or the health of our families.

While some developers are quick to assert that environmental advocates do not wish people to have housing, the notion is ridiculous and a distraction from the issue at hand. Reasonable and sensitive planning is and should be the issue.

Where are the advocates, the elected officials to ensure that "smart growth" principles are employed?

Our local candidates vowed that their most important agenda was "smart growth." Clearly, that is what the voters demanded and thought they were getting. How did our goals become unshared? What was it that allowed our elected officials to depart from their commitments?

How did Virginia's heritage become a "last" priority?

Finally, the state of Virginia draws up a plan to connect land use with transportation. Everyone should support this bold and necessary change to the way we conduct business in Loudoun and across Virginia.

Loudoun has had a certain vernacular based on its early agricultural heritage. That look should be maintained. The homogenization of the country is the elimination of our soul.

We now go from one town to the next with little knowledge of being in a different place except by the name on the map.

We are not in Anywhere, U.S.A. But we could be in a blink.

Missy Janes

Middleburg