Do You Want Richmond in Your Backyard?

September 1, 2006 |

Watching the local news last night, I came across this story.  It would appear that our legislators in Richmond now find it necessary to dabble in the planning of counties and cities throughout the Commonwealth.  You can read the law, as it will be enforced, here.

Any time big government steps in to do the job that it previously had allocated to local governments, there is always the danger of running afoul of the Law of Unintended Consequences.  In this case, there is no possible way that those in the Capitol could have possibly considered all the things that affect planning and zoning in Virginia’s counties and cities.  From what I can gather of the law, it would appear that the main concern of legislators is population growth and density, and how it affects development.  My guess is that this is one more attempt to avoid what many people refer to as "urban sprawl."  In case you don’t know what that is like, try visiting anywhere in the DC-Metro area for a few days. . .urban sprawl sucks.

The problem with this law is that the only consideration it gives is to cluster subdivisions.  As far as I am concerned, the jury is still out as to the effectiveness of cluster subdivisions when it comes to controlling and directing growth, while at the same time preserving open space and the rights of property owners.  In my home county of Fluvanna, for example, the Board of Supervisors approved a rural cluster subdivision ordinance in 2004.  It drastically changed the way property could be developed in the county.  To date, not one single cluster subdivision has been built.  Now, a few are currently in the works, but no one is going to be able to accurately evaluate their effectiveness for at least 5-10 years.

Technical problems with the law aside, this is just bad legislation, if you ask me.  I can’t think of even ONE good reason why delegates and senators from places hundreds of miles from my county should have ANY say over the planning and zoning of my county.  In my opinion, the planning and zoning of counties and cities should be left up to the people directly affected i.e.– the citizens of those counties and cities.  Perhaps the only thing more disturbing to me than the proposal of the law is that it was approved by a vote of 88-8. 

People in Orange County apparently share my sentiments, and are planning to circulate a petition to all the county and city governments in the Commonwealth, asking them to voice their displeasure in the law. 

Hmmmm . . . where do I sign?   

Posted by Daniel | Filed Under Albemarle, Charlottesville, Development, Greene, Louisa, News, Orange 

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