The Atrocity at Silver Lake–

MoonHowler

 

I refer everyone to The Derecho blog spot for the full story.  The Derecho has provided excellent coverage of this horrible event, to take place next weekend.  He has included pictures and has walked the Silver Lake Park for miles, just documenting this bi-partisan outrage.

Most of us hold each of the supervisors responsible for allowing our parkland to be decimated.  (Mr. Victor was not in office when the contract was signed so he gets a pass)

This same county wants to float a bond this year for an indoor sporting area.  I think I will just vote NO.  The county made promises about Silver Lake that they have never kept.  Now, they not only haven’t provided the stewardship for Silver Lake but they also signed a contract for 4 years to allow it to be man-handled and misused.  The Lake area is already being partially destroyed, never to be returned to its pre-tough mudder state.  Trees have been cut down, trenches dug, pits excavated, and land transformed.

To those who loved Silver Lake, the death knell has rung.  Giving the OK to this event has to be just shit-for-brains stupid on every level.  Where is/was the oversight?  Prince William makes no money off of this misadventure.  Just another stupid political move by people who have no understanding of how to treat land designated for public use.  Poor governance.

Bat.Shit.Stupid.

 

Virginia attempts to rein in proffers?

MoonHowler

money-3

Washingtonpost.com:

The Virginia state Senate is expected to vote Monday on a measure that would weaken a land-use tool used for decades by local governments to get builders to add roads, parks and other improvements to new home developments.

The bill, which calls for placing restrictions on what local officials can ask for in development negotiations, is one of two measures working its way through the General Assembly. A House version of the bill passed 68-27 last week.

Both measures are generating strong opposition from local officials in Northern Virginia, where development deals have helped shape the character of some of the region’s fastest-growing communities.

Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William county officials say that changing the legislation would hamper their ability to negotiate for extra amenities from developers that, in the past, have been crucial to community support for new housing in places like Merrifield or Woodbridge. Officials also argue that amending the land-use tool would open them up to lawsuits if builders whose projects were rejected argued that they were denied because of their refusal to agree to “unreasonable” proffer requests.

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Silver Lake–revisited

MoonHowler

I went out to Silver Lake with a friend today.  I love Silver Lake.  I have some wonderful memories involving Silver Lake. There is always something to see.  Today the treat from nature was about 80 water turtles lined up along logs, sunning themselves.  Way cool.

However, the County just hasn’t done right by Silver Lake, even with cute little turtles.

Let’s start by driving in to the lake area.  The road going in is just dreadful.  Pot Hole City.  I thought I was going to break an axle.  I thought that Rainbow Riding was supposed to keep the road upgraded until you pass their property.  If that is the case, they have failed.  That is the worst part of the road.  The rest isn’t any great shakes.  It needs to be graded  and re-graveled.

Part of the road is closed off.  There might be a good reason but the public hasn’t been told.  The cones don’t really limit access.  Cones can be moved.  Why is that part of the road closed?

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George Mason rebrands its science and tech center in PWC

MoonHowler

gmu pwc

It looks like the George Mason University will drop the Prince William part of its name in the very near future.  This rebranding will take place in order to expand the  science and technology center of GMU.  According to the Potomac Local:

In a matter of weeks, the campus will soon be known as the George Mason University Center for Science and Technology. The school will drop the Prince William moniker used since the campus opened in 1997.

“We want to send a strong message that every time people talk about this campus that is it known fro [sic] the cutting edge work that is being done here,” George Mason University President Angel Cabrera told Potomac Local. “It will always be our location in Prince William, outside of Manassas for sure, but is sending a message on what we do here, and it’s part of our strategic plan where we are going to make our science and technology programs grow.”

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THIS IS NOT A TAX BILL

MoonHowler

The tax assessments are in for tax year 2015.  What on earth has all the hype been over.  I was expecting to have to take out a second mortgage just to be able to afford the increase.  I had been eyeing the cat food for months now, figuring I was going to have to substitute at least a couple meals a week with the stuff because of PWC’s oppressive tax burden, imposed by all those “tax and spend” supervisors.

Such is not the case.  Back to hamburger and chicken.  The sky is not falling.  My tax bill increase, if it stays at the advertised rate hovers in right around $300 per year.  That’s about $25 a month.  I think I can afford that.  Oddly enough,  the tax amounts have gone down.   The assessment statement was much more detailed this year.

2013    $1.2562

2014    $1.2212

2015    $1.1936 (advertised)

Its pretty obvious that our tax amounts have decreased.  The actual housing assessments have increased which shows growth in the county.  You always want your house to be appreciating.  PWC housing assessments have always been low, compared to what you can get on the real estate market so things are even better.

The bottom line is, my taxes will go up a little bit more than they did last year.  My house is worth more.  My taxes were fairly flat for several years after the great recession so I am really not going to complain.

However, the tea party mentality people of the county will have you believe that our current supervisors have been fleecing us for the past 8 years.  That is simply a lie.

I live in an older neighborhood, Sudley, to be specific.  My house is about 45 years old.  Sudley has held its value fairly well and most streets still look presentable.  It’s not grand living though.  If you want granite countertops you have to remodel your kitchen.  If you want 10 foot ceilings you are pretty much out of luck.   If you want mature trees, you are in tree heaven.   Some of the people squawking the most about taxes live in much fancier digs than I do.  Perhaps some of them need to return to normal living if their taxes are too high.

I have lived here a long time.  I expected my taxes to go up over the years.  They have not disappointed me.  They have.  This yearly occurrence is normal.  It is what happens.  If your taxes are too high, you either bought too much house for your income or you really shouldn’t be living in Northern Virginia.

 

Crowd opposing power line path packed in like sardines

MoonHowler

powerline2

If you want to draw a crowd, contact Elena.  Seriously, great job of getting the word out and sounding the alarm, Elena. This sea of people all came to protest what they feel is the destruction of their community.

People came from as far as Richmond to protest the very idea of giant power lines slashing up the Rural Crescent, people’s neighborhoods and businesses, and generally uglifying that end of Prince William County.

The power line issue is coming to a head several years early in hopes of thwarting secret business plans to supply a sub-station for an Amazon data center.  Most of those opposing the power line path don’t oppose Amazon being there.  They oppose having their community ruined in order to supply Amazon its power.

As is evidenced by the picture, this threat is not going to be ignored by the people of Prince William County .  The Battlefield auditorium had standing room only and overflowed onto the stage and into the halls and parking lot.

 

 

What are the real sordid details behind a proposed substation in Haymarket!

Elena

Town Hall Meeting

January 6th

7 pm

Battlefield High School, 15000 Graduation Drive, Haymarket

It is imperative as many people as possible attend the January 6th Town Hall Meeting, 7pm at Battlefield High School.  Anyone who cares about due process, anyone who cares about the rights of personal property, anyone who cares about the historical and cultural resources in the Haymarket area, anyone who cares about the integrity of the Rural Crescent should make their voices heard to our elected leader so we can help them push back against this power line route. The only acceptable route is the I66 hybrid alternative.

When Dominion Power, with no notification to residents, during the Thanksgiving holiday,  included a new power line route traversing the Rural Crescent , they had every intention of submitting that route to the SCC in mid January. It was only two weeks into a citizens outcry, beginning Dec. 7th, they finally changed their submittal date to “likely after the first quarter”. To date, the citizens along the newly proposed New Road Route, have had no direct notification from Dominion Power.

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PWC development: Cause and effect

MoonHowler
Today woods and fields, tomorrow sprawl?
Today woods and fields, tomorrow sprawl?

potomaclocal.com:

At Potomac High, this year marks the completion of a major 3-year renovation to the 32-year-old school that brought the addition of 30 new classrooms, the conversion of old outdoor courtyards to a new culinary arts center, a newly expanded gymnasium — now the largest of any high school in Prince William County, a new turf football field, and a newly renovated dining hall and cafeteria.

While enrollment numbers at the high school remain below capacity, that is expected to change. Construction has just begun nearby on a new neighborhood, Potomac Shores, where some 4,000 homes and a new town center will be built along the Potomac River.

“We expect our enrollment to increase to as many as 2,300 once Potomac Shores is built,” said Principal Michael Wright, 53, who is returning to the school for a second year as it’s top administrator. “We’re not at capacity yet, but we’re pretty sure we’ll get there.” –

How nice to have one of our schools under-capacity.  That means kids can go through the halls easier, scheduling is easier, students can get the classes they want, classrooms aren’t bulging at the seams.   The under-capacity status will all come to a screeching halt as soon as new homes are completed in Potomac Shores and families start moving in.

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Kiss the Rural Crescent Goodbye?

Elena

Having attended a private “stakeholder” meeting and “citizen” meeting last night on the efficacy of the Rural Crescent, I am here to tell you, get ready to lose the best land use tool Prince William County possesses.

Here is the THE biggest glaring flaw of the “Rural Preservation Study“, you just read it actually, the name of the study gives away the mistake.  The Rural Crescent is more than just preserving open space, it is a critical fiscal tool.

Earlier on Thursday, representatives from those groups met for a focus group discussion at the county’s McCoart administration building, Price said. The goal of the evening session was to explain the study’s goals to area residents and begin gathering their input.

Many complied, voicing a range of opinions about the county’s A-1 zoning rule.

Some expressed support for the existing policy, which they credit for limiting sprawl and preserving open space by directing new growth toward existing population centers.
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FACTS about Prince William County Government

MoonHowler

PWCLogo

It’s time.  I was going to wait until July 16 to put up a thread about budget woes of the county because I believe in working with facts rather than with rumor and gossip.  I will continue to wait.  However, a lot of people have something to say about this latest event which as I understand it, is a matter of under-budgeting.  You know, one of those nasty little mathematical human error types of mistakes.  No one has stolen anything or tried to gip the taxpayers out of their hard earned dollars.

There is a certain contingency in the county who want to fry various county employees and supervisors.  There is another contingency who hate a witch hunt and who want facts.  This is a spot for facts about the county and how you want it governed.

Please, send us you FACTS.
From Channel 4 News 11:00 PM 7/2/13

View more videos at: http://nbcwashington.com.

 

The Road Battle: The roads down our throats

MoonHowler

Activist

Washingtonpost.com:

A proposed six-mile highway outside Charlottesville is so wasteful and ill-conceived that it’s achieved literary status. It prompted best-selling novelist and area resident John Grisham to write a book implicitly denouncing it.

“The Activist,” published last month and aimed at youths ages 10 to 12, is fictional. But Grisham said it was inspired by the decades-long battle over a $245 million bypass west of the city that’s home to the University of Virginia.

Grisham, famed for such legal thrillers as “The Firm,” said the new book is about “a boneheaded bypass around a lovely little college town and all the issues that go into such a boondoggle.”

The rest of the state, and especially Northern Virginia, should be equally appalled. The road is one of the most egregious examples of a pattern in which Gov. Bob McDonnell’s administration relentlessly pushes a major highway project despite abundant evidence that the money could be spent more wisely elsewhere.

 

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Why ARE PWC Schools over-crowded?

Elena

captain_obvious2

One of my husband’s favorite sayings is “Captain Obvious” when someone says something so incredibly, well, obvious.   There are parents in the PWC community that have suddenly come to the realization that our class sizes are woefully too full, so full, that quality instruction is being jepoardized.   PWC school has reached the state’s legal limit for class size.

PWCS raised class sizes to the state limits this school year in response to current budget constraints. In the executive summary of the 2014 budget, Walts notes that reductions of teacher staffing ratios (or increases in class sizes) have led to savings of $4.3 million at the middle-school level and $5.3 million at the high school level. Walts also notes that next year’s budget does not restore those cuts.

In response to concerns about class sizes, Walts’s office has said it would cost $15 million annually to reduce average class sizes by one student at all levels. The Code of Virginia sets the following maximum class-size limits: 29 for kindergarten classes; 30 for grades one through three; and 35 for grades four through six. English classes are limited to 24 in grades one through 12, otherwise there are no state maximum class-size limits for grades seven and above, according to Dena Rosenkrantz, an attorney with the Virginia Education Association.

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BOCS: I don’t want my money back

MoonHowler

 **UPDATE**  The Sheriff indicates there will probably not be a vote on conflict of interest.  I guess its ok to ignore the people.  More indelible horse manure will stick to more boots. 

**UPDATE 2**  Sheriff thinks there will be a second but it will get voted down. 

Click to here to get to the agenda

Today is the much awaited BOCS meeting where carry over funds are decided and where Pete Candland’s Conflict of Interest Resolution is supposed to be codified.  County attorney Horan, many think at the direction of Chairman Corey Stewart, has advised that his Resolution would violate the law.  Many citizens are crying FOUL over this suggestion.

Conflict of interest discussions have dominated the county landscape ever since Supervisor Wally Covington  attempted to slide $100k to Rainbow riding where his wife served in a leadership capacity until very recently.  Even though Covington pulled back his request after the blogosphere went wild over his audacity, it was like he had stepped in indelible horse manure and he simply has not been able to get it off his boots.  The horsey stuff has also wafted over to the other supervisors and it has been behind most of the discussion about conflict of interest.

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A Broken Government Process, What Must Change………

Elena

What  happens on Tuesday will not change the broken process in PWC, no matter what the Board does in the end.  Whether Rainbow Riding gets its funding along with other numerous recipients, what citizens can count on for sure, is that we will continue, BAD  business as usual in PWC.

It has come to my attention that the “process” for non profits to attain tax payer funds are quite backwards.  Here is how it works.  Non profit asks for money, county gives money, THEN, behind closed doors, said non profit agrees upon a “memorandum of understanding”.

Well, here is my first most obvious question, how the heck can the county GIVE money BEFORE you understand WHAT how the money is being spent.  My next question is,  within the context of this supposed process, where does the non profit list the deliverables expected from this money?

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Captain Flip Flop, this is your life Corey Stewart!

MoonHowler

Jeremy Borden  of the Washington Post traced the wind blown political career of Supervisor Corey Stewart over the past 9 years, on the eve of his announcement to run for Virginia Lt. Governor.  In his article entitled, Stewart’s changing stance on development in Prince William, Borden shows a candidate who goes where he thinks he will get to votes.  Stewart certainly showed his stripes today as he planned to  announce his candidacy from Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center in Woodbridge.  According to Borden, at the Washington Post:

Stonebridge, Stewart says, is emblematic of a new way forward for economic development in Prince William, an issue that was the focus of his reelection campaign last year.

Stewart started out as a politician with a strong desire to stop sprawl and to protect the environment.  He had many folks, both Democrat and Republican on his side for that reason.  This flip flop has caused many of his former supporters to become disenchanted with his political career.

But some former supporters say Stewart has lost his way on development issues.

No longer, critics say, is he seen as someone who would force developers to pay their fair share and help temper the feverish pace of home construction that has overwhelmed roads and schools.

“His campaign account shows he is now beholden to the development community,” said Jeanine Lawson, a former Stewart campaign volunteer. “It’s a disappointment because I thought he was principled on the issue.”

The project’s developers, District-based Roadside Development, contributed $10,000 to Stewart’s campaign account in the past couple of years, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, or VPAP, which tracks money in politics.

In recent years, Stewart has greatly increased his totals from real estate and construction interests, according to VPAP. From that sector, Stewart raised $308,782 in 2010 and 2011, compared with $134,901 from 2003 through 2009.

Back in the old days, Stewart  prided himself on not taking developer money.  That was then and this is now.  The most cursory glance at VPAP tells the story.  Cory Stewart is running on developer money.  He even says:

“Some of that comes with the maturity of being in office and having to govern,” he said of his shift on development issues. “When you become chairman, you get a broader perspective. You understand . . . ‘We cannot provide for increased prosperity and increased job growth without promoting and helping businesses to grow.’ ”

Stewart says that in a free market, developers have a lot of latitude: “The only way is to work with [developers] and cut deals with them.” [emphasis mine]

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