Email from November 21, 2013: ….yesterday, we joined with more than a dozen prominent conservation organizations — including the National Wildlife Federation, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, and the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club — in submitting a joint letter to Governor-Elect Terry McAuliffe. The letter points to the Bi-County Parkway as the project in Northern Virginia that would have the largest negative impact on the environment….
Strong Communities
PEC believes that the work of protecting natural resources and the work of building better communities are integral to each other.
Busy October — Including an Important Comp Plan Rewrite
Happy Friday! It's officially fall, and there's a lot going on throughout the region and in Fauquier County in particular. There are rezonings and zoning amendments under consideration, we've also got tabling at Fauquier Heritage Day in Warrenton this weekend, Outer Beltway public hearings next week, and PEC's Meeting at Galemont on October 12th (the online registration is up!), as well as the 15th Anniversary of the Warrenton Branch Greenway. This text was taken from an email alert sent out on September 27th, 2013.
When Mickey Came to Town
Virginia’s northern Piedmont is a beautiful and vibrant place—boasting of forests, rivers, mountains, farmland, thriving towns, and numerous historic and cultural resources. But all of this came under threat in November 1993, when the The Walt Disney Company made a surprise announcement that they planned to build an American history theme park near what was then the small town of Haymarket, VA—only four miles from Manassas Battlefield.
Expanding the Warrenton Branch Greenway
The Warrenton Branch Greenway is a treasured community resource in Old Town Warrenton. The 1.5 mile-long trail not only provides a great outdoor recreational space, but it is also an important historic resource—as it follows the old Orange and Alexandria Rail-road line that was built in the 1850s. Today, thousands of people use this trail annually to enjoy running, walking and biking.
On the Ground- Fall 2013
There's a lot going on throughout the region, including short stories from Albemarle, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison and Orange.
What is a Comprehensive Plan, and Why Should We Care?
Six of PEC’s nine counties are in the process of updating their Comprehensive Plans, or will be doing so soon. It can be easy to tune out these updates, but revisions to the ‘Comp Plan’ can mean drastic changes to the look, feel, and functionality of your county, town, and day-to-day life. This is because the Comp Plan is the community’s most important document regarding land use, growth, development, transportation, and resource utilization.
School Location Matters
Building a new school, like any major construction project, requires a lot of thought and planning. And with that planning comes the need to address the concerns citizens in the nearby area might have about its impacts — traffic, noise and lights, just to name a few. Which is why it's concerning to hear that Loudoun County is considering changes to the Zoning Ordinance that would allow public schools to be built 'By-Right', pretty much anywhere — removing the public's ability to give input. This text was taken from an email alert sent out on May 21st, 2013:
Nature’s Extravaganza!
It might be hard to believe with daffodils and pansies struggling to stand tall in the snow just last week, but we have it on good authority that spring really will be with us soon. Plan now to enjoy two great natural spectacles — brilliant bluebells and amazing azaleas. Shake off the winter doldrums and celebrate the return of spring in the Piedmont. This text is from an email alert that was sent out on March 2nd, 2013.
Orange County Unveils Sprawling Vision
Just last week, the County Planning Commission put out a pretty shocking map. The maps and accompanying lays out what Orange would look like in 2025 — including major development along Route 20 and increased residential and commercial development in agriculturally zoned land, among other things. This text is from an email alert sent out on March 29th, 2013.
Fauquier Farm Winery Ordinance
On February 14th the Board of Supervisors voted to adopt the amended special exception application for Barrel Oak. The vote was 4 to 1 with Supervisor Holder Trumbo voting in opposition.