This paper was prepared by Ian Lockwood, PE, of the Toole Design Group, for the Catoctin Coalition, Journey Through Hallowed Ground, Piedmont Environmental Council, Coalition for Smarter Growth, and Southern Environmental Law Center. In it, he advocates for traffic calming along the critical stretch of roadway on Rt. 15 north of Leesburg in order to make the road safer, reduce congestion and increase accessibility. Read the paper >>
Our Region
PEC focuses on nine counties and one city in the northern Piedmont of Virginia: Albemarle, Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock.
We also team with local organizations to promote thriving communities and healthy natural resources in a much larger region, including the Shenandoah Valley, the central Piedmont, and the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Corridor. In addition, we are proud to serve as fiscal sponsor of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, an organization that focuses on land use and policy in the greater Washington D.C. area.
Loudoun Plans for More Scattered Development
The Loudoun County Comprehensive plan is being revised through a process called Envision Loudoun. It is a particularly important policy framework for a county like Loudoun, which is consistently one of the fastest growing jurisdictions in the U.S…Unfortunately, upon reading the released draft, I don’t believe it represents the majority of Loudoun resident’s values and interests expressed in the Envision Loudoun public input phase.
Fixing Rt. 15 North of Leesburg
I want to let you know about a critical transportation decision before the Board of Supervisors pertaining to Rt. 15 north of Leesburg. The County originally proposed 4-laning Rt. 15 from Battlefield Parkway to White’s Ferry Road, but then expanded the proposal to widen an additional 1.5 miles north to Montresor Road. Alternatively, we support putting a roundabout in place of a traffic light at the White’s Ferry intersection, and maintaining the road north of that at two lanes (with improved shoulders).
Your General Assembly Update
The beginning of spring marks the end of the 2018 Virginia General Assembly session. Well, sort of. In the case of the budget, there was no resolution, which means the fate of conservation funding and the general path forward is still up in the air. To address this, the Governor has announced that a special session will convene on April 11.
One of the bigger issues taking up bandwidth this year was Medicaid expansion. The House’s budget bill included the expansion, while the Senate’s bill did not — this set up a showdown in the budget conference committee. Due to this and other differences, the conferees were unable to come to an agreement, meaning it will be some time before we know what programs will be affected.
Neighborly Effort to Protect the Piedmont
“This beautiful and agricultural open land was here before we purchased Waverley and it’s my hopeful intention that it will look the same as it does today long after I’m gone,” remarked Charlotte Tieken, Somerset resident and owner of Waverley Farm.
The Piedmont Environmental Council worked with Ms. Tieken to put 669 acres of her property under conservation easement at the close of 2017.
Pollinator Garden Planted by Thornton River
PEC partnered with the Endangered Species Coalition (ESC), Cliff Miller Jr. and RappFLOW to install a pollinator garden next to a walking trail by the Thornton River in Sperryville, Va. Using native plants such as perennials, grasses and shrubs from Hill House Farm and Nursery, the garden was installed during a volunteer planting event this past fall.
Fifth Street Hub: A Project with Momentum
Charlottesville and Albemarle have many beautiful outdoor spaces but not enough connective greenway corridors. One project that will provide both is coming into view on the two localities’ southern border: the Fifth Street Hub and Trails.
On the Ground — Spring 2018 Update
Updates from the around the PEC region, organized by county. Albemarle: Biscuit Run and courthouse relocation updates. Clarke: County updates and ordinances. Culpeper: Waterloo Bridge update. Fauquier: Data centers, development proposals & stormwater pollution solutions. Greene: White Run Reservoir. Loudoun: True North data center & Leesburg transportation. Madison: Septic system program. Orange: Subdivision ordinance. Rappahannock: Putting farms first.
Pipeline deals threaten conservation funding
Legislators are pointing to money that state and private entities will receive as mitigation for two gas pipeline projects, and the transmission line near Jamestown, as a justification for reducing overall state funding for conservation. Contact your legislators today and tell them to reject efforts to cut important conservation programs! This text was taken from an email alert sent out on February 21, 2018.
Act Now: Strengthen Farms, Conserve Land & Protect Water Quality
Preserving farmland and protecting the water we drink is critical to quality of life. To that end, we want to alert you to some important budget amendments being considered right now by the Virginia General Assembly. These amendments address insufficient funding for natural resource protection.