Behind the Road Proffers

Supervisor Stephen J. Snow (R-Dulles) and the Dulles South Transportation Alliance (DSTA) have often stated that developers have $750 million in road improvements lined up for Dulles South. After many requests to Snow, I finally received a preliminary breakdown of the $750 million. I think it is easy to see that Snow is misleading citizens with that figure and that his plan may already be falling apart.

The DSTA is made up of Greenvest, Toll Brothers Inc., Van Metre Homes, Winchester Homes, Buchanan Partners and others who stand to gain financially from the out-of-control development along the Route 50 corridor.

In its estimate of $750 million in improvements, the DSTA includes roads long ago proffered and built, including main roads into subdivisions (Stone Springs Boulevard into Stone Ridge and South Riding Boulevard), roads through subdivisions (Edgewater Street and Riding Center Drive) and even Defender Drive (the McDonald's road in South Riding).

The DSTA's figure also overstates road-building costs. The group foresees construction of more than 200 lane miles, at a cost of $3.44 million per lane mile. But according to the Virginia Department of Transportation, the average cost per lane mile for road projects -- for construction, utility relocation and right-of-way acquisition -- was $2.1 million to $3 million in June.

Some VDOT construction is included in the $750 million.

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors intends to credit transportation improvements toward fulfilling proffer requirements. In other words, the transportation proffers would lower contributions toward schools, libraries, parks, etc., and Loudoun citizens would have to make up the difference. Snow and the DSTA are robbing Peter to pay Paul.

How many homes come with these "improvements?" The DSTA has not released that information. For the projects for which such details are available (about half of the developments in the DSTA breakdown), the total is almost 37,000 homes.

Will George Mason University contribute proffers? GMU does not have to provide transportation improvements because it is a state-run entity.

GMU is estimating 8,000 to 10,000 students at its proposed Loudoun campus.

On Sept. 1, Pulte Homes Inc. withdrew its application to rezone its Braddock South development, saying it was "financially unable to pay $7.5 million in off-site 'up front' transportation proffers." It was partially responsible for two segments of roads. Pulte Homes is the first to withdraw. With the downturn in the housing market, others are likely to follow.

Finally, why hasn't Snow or the DSTA conducted any benefit analysis on the roads and all the developments that go with them? Possibly because the results would show that the only benefit is to the developers, who stand to make billions of dollars on the backs of taxpayers.

Cheryl Hutchison