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Learn from
bad example
Several weeks ago a friend
of mine and her husband went for a drive in Rappahannock County. On a whim, they decided to pick up the local newspaper. They were horrified to see a scenario, which they had already experienced on Route 628 in Fauquier County, being repeated on Route 621.
Like you, we had no idea of the reconstruction plans for this little country road. In our case, there was no public hearing; the road reconstruction was not in the county’s comprehensive plan nor was it in the six-year plan.
The road had been designated a county scenic road and, it was protected from being widened by our community trail easements which run alongside the road for most of its length. (According to our community covenants, a vote is required by all landowners in the community with a 90 percent approval before a trail can be moved.)
To make a long, two-year, continuing story short, VDOT spent nearly $500,000 of unbudgeted money — your tax dollars! — to reconstruct this road. They tore down hundreds of old trees. They widened and raised the road. They put in new drain pipes and directed more water onto property owner’s fields. They filled in wetlands. They knowingly — and illegally — moved our community riding trails and went into deficit spending to boot.
It is our understanding that the new Pave in Place legislation was passed, in part, because of what VDOT did to Route 628 in Fauquier County.
Residents of ♦Rappahannock County,
93.6%