Letters To the Editor

Sunday, September 3, 2006

The Cost of Dulles South

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

Loudoun County

Board of Supervisors

Praise for Plan's Approval

Kudos to the Loudoun County Planning Commission for getting it right at its Aug. 28 meeting.

It was very apparent that the task of setting the stage for the future of the Dulles South area was not an easy one. Many hours of work by the commission and involved citizens came to fruition when the commission voted and approved the two Dulles South Comprehensive Plan amendments (CPAMs) that were under consideration.

Now it is time for the Board of Supervisors to continue in this endeavor. Residents in the Dulles South area have been left out of the county's mainstream for too long, and it is time for us to share the same quality of life that our fellow Loudoun County residents enjoy.

The development community is willing to assist with this vision. Developers are willing to build the modern roads, schools, libraries, public safety facilities and other much-needed amenities in the area, but Loudoun County has to work with them as well. The developers need the increased density that the Upper Broad Run, Upper Foley and Arcola CPAMs will bring to make this a viable option.

We ask the supervisors to please help make Dulles South a progressive and vibrant area by approving the Dulles South CPAMs.

Ron and JoAnne Brown

Aldie

Supporters With Interests

The Post reported that at a recent Loudoun County Planning Commission hearing on the comprehensive plan amendments that threaten to bring more than 30,000 housing units to the congested Route 50 corridor, two-thirds of those who spoke were in favor (Metro, Aug. 30).

But how many of those speakers in favor were employees of developers or real estate companies? Comments from development industry insiders at public hearings should not be allowed to outweigh the comments from taxpayers who appear and speak because they will be asked to pay the bill for the hundreds of millions of dollars of capital and operating costs not covered by developer contributions!

In emphasizing how many millions the developers would contribute, you ignore the most important fact: They never pay for all the costs, and in this case, the unfunded costs would be hundreds of millions of dollars. My tax bill has already quadrupled to pay for development in the county, and my services haven't improved one bit. If developer contributions ever paid for all the roads that were needed, we wouldn't have the congestion we have now. Besides, in focusing on traffic, your article didn't mention the schools at all, which are another expensive "unfunded mandate" the developers inflict on us.

You quote the commission vice chairman as saying he knows growth is coming. That is twisted logic, as growth on this scale is coming only if the commission and the board allow it to come. Loudoun's government can no longer continue to provide "developer welfare" at the expense of taxpayers. The county's existing comprehensive plan describes what we can live with and afford in Dulles South. We should stick with it.

Valerie Kelly

Middleburg