Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 2 · column 1 of 4 · from the scan, no model involved
HE MAY get some static for it from citizens of the county who seem to think “planning” is a synonym for “panacea,” but we like the reservations that have been expressed by the Chairman of the Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors about what has become one of the by-words of the New Conventional Wisdom.
Pete Luke was absolutely right when he raised questions at the last meeting of the Rappahannock - Rapidan Planning Commission about all of these “master plans” that seem to be magically taking shape in our area—county masterplans, regional master plans, state master plans. Said Pete, in his usual direct way: “If I was a speculator I’d be pushing for all these plans, and start buying all the land you said was OK for development.”
Chairman Luke is right. Too many master plans are little more than a blueprint for development, and for a compelling— if questionable, philosophically—reason in Virginia. Up to now, Virginia’s courts have been reluctant, to put it mildly, to support any so-called “plan” which purported to do anything but encourage growth. Not “control” growth, or even “limit” it, mind you, which is what a plan might be supposed to aim for; in Virginia courts, if a plan doesn’t pave the way for any speculator or developer to practically do what he pleases, then it’s thrown out.
Such plans have been thrown out repeatedly in Northern Vir
95.5%