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BYDONAUDETTE
Rappahannock News Contributing Writer
Jim Gannon, in an article promoting a public forum on “Saving Rappahannock County from Sprawl” (7:30 p.m., April 14, Amissville Fire Hall), asked whether this county can be saved from sprawl. Well, how close is it?
Anyone who drives back and forth to the Washington, D.C., area knows how close it is.
Years ago, Gainesville was a small village. You came upon it from 1-66 or Route 29 and hardly noticed it. There were a few gas stations, Atlas Steel, the Christmas Gallery, Phil’s Market, a florist shop, a barbershop, and a statue of a man made out of iron pipe and fittings off to the right westbound. That was it. There was little traffic. There was only one traffic light.
Things changed a few years ago. In 1998, placards on small stakes lined the westbound edge of the road after the 1-66 exit. They advertised housing developments. Since then these placards have been formalized into a smart looking, ladder-type sign: Crossroads Village and Greenhill Crossing to the right; Virginia Oaks and Manassas Lake straight ahead, Laurianne Woods, Bridlewood, Kingsbrooke, Sheffield Manor, Foxborough, Braemar, and Saybrooke to the left. There is no room on the sign for Dunbarton, Heritage Hunt, or John Marshall Commons. Nor for a myriad of older housing developments. Gainesville now has a full complement of fast-food establishments, storage shed and trailer sales, and an assortment of other establishments for a fast-paced life and convenience.
A newly created strip mall, Gateway Center, on the south side of Route 29, now dominates Gainesville. The entryway has six through lanes and four turn lanes, 10 lanes in all. It is bigger than Route 29. Giant Food serves as the anchor store in the strip mall, flanked by a Japanese restaurant, Chinese restaurant, plus the usual cluster of pizza, tanning, carpeting, gallery stores, etc. A connector road is planned just beyond the Giant to tie Wellington Road to New Linton Hall Road for easier access to the area.
Opposite the Giant, earth is currently being moved for a bank, a Friendly restaurant, a gas station, etc.
This is all 22 miles from Rappahannock County.
Driving a little further toward Rappahannock County, and opposite Lake
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Opinion
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