Rezoning Requests Processed Too Quickly, Some Say

Commission member J. Kevin Ruedisueli agreed.

"We had agreed to slow things down because of the complexity of the issues involved," he said. "I've felt the Planning Commission is trying to do too much too quickly, and this is a symptom of that."

But several commissioners said they think it was simply the natural pace of business in a county such as Loudoun.

"I don't think we are fast-tracking it," said commission member Barbara Munsey. "I think we are continuing to work at a rapid pace because we are lucky enough to have a hell of an economy here."

In a memo submitted Friday to Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott K. York (I), Planning Commission Chairman Robert J. Klancher and Vice Chairman Teresa White Whitmore explained that their pace was affected in part by the Board of Supervisors' schedule.

The supervisors scheduled a public hearing for today on the Comprehensive Plan amendment and will be in budget discussions much of the rest of the month. Under state law, they must decide on the amendment within 90 days of receiving it from the Planning Commission.

Klancher and Whitmore said they were told that their work session last week was necessary so supervisors would have more of the commission's input before today's public hearing.

Supervisor Lori L. Waters (R-Broad Run) said it was common for the Board of Supervisors to receive information about development applications at the last minute, sometimes as the board is seated at the dais for the meeting at which the application will be discussed.

"This has been a problem for years where new information is being put before us at the time of the vote," Waters said. "That makes it very difficult to judge where the changes are, or even ask intelligent questions during the discussion."

She said she expected supervisors to discuss that issue at a meeting this year.