During the summer of 2017, the Loudoun Board of Supervisors directed county staff to study and recommend potential Potomac bridge crossing sites between Goose Creek and the Fairfax County line. The new bridge has long been a dream of area real-estate interests, but has been rejected by residents and planners throughout the years, due to numerous flaws (see our 8 Reasons blog post for more detail).
Growth, Development & Traffic
Citizen input in planning for Loudoun’s future is critical — particularly when some are pushing for more residential development at a faster pace than the county and general public have planned for.
Eight Reasons to Put an End to the Potomac River Bridge Project (before it bites)
As their name implies, zombie projects have a way of coming back every few years. Proponents of these projects keep spending money, they gin up PR campaigns and they eventually convince policymakers that the project deserves another look. In the transportation world, these zombie projects usually share an unfortunate set of characteristics: they benefit few, siphon off limited transportation funding from real solutions, and worse yet, they often lead to increased congestion by contributing to sprawl.
A Closer Look at TransAction Plan Projects in Loudoun
The draft NVTA TransAction Plan is a wish list of over 350 projects being considered for funding.
Though we strongly oppose the new Potomac River Bridge project (24) and the Bi-County Parkway (226), there are many good projects on the list that deserve consideration and support. Not surprisingly, these are the kinds of projects that the public has demonstrated support for through the Envision Loudoun process. I’ve listed out some of these projects in the tables below.
Two Paths for Loudoun. Weigh In!
Dear Supporter,
Loudoun County is continuing the process of updating its Comprehensive Plan, which guides all future growth and development in the County.
After sitting through the Envision Loudoun public workshops and participating in the Comprehensive Plan Stakeholder Committee, I see two possible paths taking shape.
Choices facing Loudoun
Remember taking civics or government in high school? Sometimes, it may feel fairly irrelevant to your day to day life… But then you think about traffic, taxes, school boundary changes, parks and recreation, social services, where you work or shop, the water you drink or the natural resources you care about. All of these are heavily impacted by decisions made by local government.
A lot to report on! (re: the Loudoun Comp Plan update)
The Comprehensive Plan Stakeholder Committee has been on a semi-monthly schedule of meetings since March, in an effort to be prepared for the next round of Envision Loudoun workshops for resident input scheduled for the first half of June.
Our Letter to Loudoun County re: Smart Growth Approach
Loudoun has the opportunity to provide clear and coherent direction on future investment. In a spring 2017 letter to Chairman Randall and the Board of Supervisors, we joined with partners in recommending: 1) The County’s first priority should be to foster mixed-use, higher density transit-oriented development (TOD) and the focus for TOD should be the Ashburn Station. And 2) The proposed PD-TC zoning change should be put on hold until the Comprehensive Plan process has determined community priorities for the level and location of growth.
What is needed to make Loudoun an even better community in the future?
The answers to this question and two follow-up questions posed during the Envision Loudoun “Listening and Learning” round of public input have been tallied and categorized by theme. More than 1,400 people provided over 5,000 comments through 6 live meetings, online participation and phone input. 8 primary themes and many other sub-themes have emerged.
Envision Loudoun Comment Deadline Approaching
The deadline is Wednesday, January 11, 2017. The comments gathered as part of Envision Loudoun will guide the 2018 update of the County Comprehensive Plan. The plan represents the community’s vision for the future and is the most important document regarding land use, transportation and resource utilization.
What will the future of Loudoun look like?
Loudoun County is beginning the critical (but arduous) task of revising its Comprehensive Plan. The plan represents the community’s vision for the future and is the most important document regarding land use, transportation and resource utilization. It guides all decisions and regulations regarding growth and development.