Letters To the Editor

The Cost of Dulles South

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For all the talk about Loudoun County's current comprehensive plan allowing by-right developments that fail to bring needed amenities or to pay their way, it might be useful to examine one rezoning that purports to be a better plan for Dulles South. This relatively small application -- by today's standards -- proposes a housing mix of 1,500 residential units, while the by-right zoning allows 300 units.

The applicant's fiscal-impact report used a 20-year time frame, which shows that for the first decade the project would require fiscal subsidies totaling $16.6 million. It also shows that the by-right zoning would require a $4.2 million subsidy over a decade. That's a short-term difference of $12.4 million that residents of Loudoun would be paying to subsidize this rezoning.

According to the applicant's report, at the end of 20 years -- assuming that all commercial and office/retail is built as proposed -- the rezoning shows a $9 million net profit, while the by-right zoning produces a $700,000 deficit.

At first glance, one might see the $9 million as a tempting gain. But the proposal has an impact of 23,000 average daily vehicle trips on Loudoun's transportation system; the by-right zoning has an impact of only 3,000 daily trips.

It seems to me that the $700,000 deficit, or $35,000 a year, is a bargain if we end up removing an average of 20,000 car trips each day from our already congested roads. Put into perspective, 20,000 average daily trips is about 2,000 more trips than the total traffic for Route 15 north of Leesburg to the Maryland line, and more than all the traffic on Route 9.

One commuter bus removes 100 average daily trips from the road, so it would take 200 commuter buses to remove the applicant's 20,000 additional trips. So for $35,000 a year, the county in essence would be getting the service of 200 commuter buses -- which, by the way, wouldn't even be out there further clogging up the roads.

With that the case, I'd say it's money well spent! I know of no transit or telecommuting options with such instantaneous, dramatic results.

By-right zoning is not "no growth." Virginia doesn't allow no-growth. Virginia also doesn't allow an impact fee to offset the fiscal impact of additional residential growth. Taxpayers already pick up that tab, and they know it. Now what they want to know is how big of a bill they'll be left footing and how much longer they will find themselves sitting in traffic.

The facts speak for themselves. For this small application alone, taxpayers will be footing $12.4 million more in subsidies during the first decade and coping with 20,000 more car trips on the road. How sweet it is to those of us who advocate "managed growth" when the applicant's own reports make a clear case for denying the project.

Sally Kurtz

Supervisor, Catoctin District