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Our View
Junk cars stalled?
Five months ago, a controversial issue arose in
Rappahannock County when this newspaper published
news stories, letters to the editor and an editorial on the problem of junk cars accumulating on private property in apparent violation of county law. Since 1986, Rappahannock County has had an ordinance making it unlawful to keep more than two inoperable or junk vehicles on any property unless they are fully enclosed in a building.
Even a casual observer driving down the highways and byways of the county can spot what appear to be numerous violations of this ordinance. Collections of rusty old pickups and sedans can be seen along Fodderstack Road and Scrabble Road and other back roads of the county, while the most prominent and infamous display of junked vehicles rests virtually at the front door of the new Rappahannock National Bank on the county’s main drag, Highway 211.
After the late Dr. Werner Krebser, literally on his deathbed, decided to speak out on this issue in May, we editorially called on the Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors "to enforce the ordinance throughout the county and cause those jalopies to find a better home." The county's response was to pass the buck to County Attorney Peter Luke to study the issue. Mr. Luke said then that the problem was "being looked into" by his office.
Fair enough. It's always wise to study the legalities before plunging into action. But Mr. Luke now informs us that he has provided his findings and legal advice to the Board of Supervisors in executive session, that is, behind closed doors, and he can’t tell us what he told them.
So the ball is back in the supervisors' court and it is up to them to decide if they are going to enforce the ordinance or not. Last May, when Dr. Krebser raised this issue, he said, "We have an ordinance on junk cars, but nobody wants to enforce it." Is that still the case?
If the junk-car ordinance is to be enforced, it should be enforced fairly and fully, not targeting just one offender but all who violate it. Citizens can help in this effort by reporting apparent violations of the ordinance to the County Administrator’s office. Under current practice, the county won't take enforcement action unless someone complains about a junk-car site.
So, consider this a complaint that it’s about time to stop studying this issue and start doing something about it.
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