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(Continued from Page 1) moratorium and allowing “all those people to move out...away from employment and transportation.”
Fighting The
American Dream
She responded that COG was “up against the American dream” of low density living in trying to keep growth compact. “It’s hard for a voluntary organization of local governments to cope with...We have virtually no authority. We do not intervene in local government on planning and zoning matters.”
"We know the problem” of unplanned growth, commented Fauquier representative Stevenson Mcllvaine. “We live with it every day...But what can we do about it? The state and the courts won’t give us,any authority. Do you have any new strategies that would be helpful to us?” he asked Ms. Rogers.
“We have no magical solutions,” she replied, noting the lack of planning authority in Virginia as compared to Maryland.
“Unless there is virtually complete consensus” among county citizens and on governing bodies, controlled growth cannot be achieved, according to Mcllvaine. “You can plan all you want...draw pretty maps ...You still end up reacting with no real control,” he maintained. “It’s a sad situation.”
Planning Commission Chairman and Rappahannock representative E. P. Luke agreed. “We’re always on the defensive because we didn’t recognize potential problems...We can’t influence, can’t energize people in time.”
“In Rappahannock, we’ve been talking about losing farm land, viable agriculture, for 17 years that I know of,” Luke continued. “Everyone’s talking but nothing is being done.”
Mcllvaine suggested that COG representatives talk to other Planning District Commissions, affected by metropolitan growth of major cities. "If you find that they have the same problems that we have, maybe COG can put together a coalition effort aimed at Richmond...If we can muster a little power by all getting together, we might get something done” to secure legislative authority from the General Assembly
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