and county regulations that will permit some sort of

and county regulations that will permit some sort of outlet for managed growth, like a safety valve on a pressure cooker, or the lid will blow off our pretty little pot.

That is a hard proposition for many Rappahannock people to swallow. And it should not be swallowed without a good deal of debate and deliberation. There are a lot of important questions that need to be thrashed out in public forums like last Friday night’s meeting. Is a no growth policy sustainable in the 21st Century? If not, why not? If we are going to allow some managed growth, how much and where? How do we draw the boundaries and write the regulations that would permit some new housing and commercial development in designated areas while preserving our open spaces, our agricultural economy, and the scenic beauty and sense of history that draw tourists here?

These are the kinds of questions that need continuing discussion in the months ahead. Last Friday’s meeting hardly attempted to provide answers, but at least it suggested some of the right questions, and that is an important start. What’s critical now is that the community dialog continues and expands to more participants. It was a disappointment that the men who wield the political decision making power in this county, the Board of Supervisors, were largely absent from this community discussion. We need them to hear what citizens are saying on these crucial issues.

Fortunately, several members of the County Planning Commission attended the event and listened carefully. The Planning Commission is reviewing the current state and future prospects of our several villages now, and is interested in hearing from citizens on their hopes and fears for the years ahead. Now is the time for the people of Amissville and Sperryville and Flint Hill and our other communities to make their voices heard.

Now is the time, too, for citizens to get involved in the various community organizations that will influence the shape of Rappahannock County’s future. People in Amissville are lucky to have a vital new forum, the Amissville Area Community Association, around which to rally. Sperryville has its Gateway Committee process that will help shape the future. Washington has its own town government as a forum, and the other villages would benefit from some community building efforts also.

Among county wide organizations, the Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection, which organized last Friday’s event, is planning similar meetings in the months ahead. RLEP welcomes the active involvement of all citizens who want to help shape workable answers to the tough questions raised at last week’s meeting. We need fresh blood and fresh thinking. This qpunty needs a good public debate on these important issues.

We seem to have started. Let’s not let complacency and inertia take over now.

James Gannon is president of RLEP. He may be reached by calling 987-9536 or by email at gannonjp@summit.net.