I wasn't at the first of the five District meetings, held in Shenandoah, but preliminary reports say . . . all is well. What I heard briefly late last night was that Goal 3, Objective 2, line C has been removed and replaced with a substitute language that is . . . just fine.
This would be tremendous news, and frankly it would speak very well of all the Supervisors. It would make peace return to the Valley. When I hear more, I'll post it.
If you were there, or you heard from someone who was there . . . tell us more.
Push the Comments button and Blog.
Showing posts with label Flood Plain Documenting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Flood Plain Documenting. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
The Line of No Return
Here's what happened:
At the July 3 Work Session, the Board of Supervisors reviewed their changes to the Comprehensive Plan, made at the Retreat.
Their changes were: change the word "prohibit" to "regulate".
Supervisor Gerald Cubbage, District 4, proposed that the newly added goal, 3 C, be removed entirely. The goal says:
"Develop ordinances that REGULATE (instead of Prohibit) buildings and businesses in the 100 year flood plain"
Supervisor John Rust objected to removing it. County Administrator Mark Belton suggested that removing that line might jeopardize our compliance with FEMA. Charlie Hoke recommended that we ask if it would do so. Tommy LaFrance said he didn't see why we couldn't just leave it there.
Chairman LaFrance complimented Natalie Zuckerman on her work to prepare this Comprehensive Plan for the County.
Mark Belton then explained that there would be public meetings held by District, beginning Monday and continuing for five nights. There was a small notice in the July 3 Page News and Courier, in the Classified section, that said these meetings would be held.
At the break, I went up to Tommy LaFrance and said, "what happened to your statement that the flood plain ordinance was dead. If you leave that in there, it's the same as directing the planning commission to revive it" and he said, "okay, he didn't care if it was taken out" and I asked him if he would tell Kevin Henry to take it out, and he said yes, he would do that.
After the break, he moved on to the next agenda item and didn't do it. If one were to assume that he was sincere in what he said to me, one would expect that meant he was planning to do it after the meeting at some point. I will continue to call him and Kevin Henry and let you know if it's taken out.
Here's what's next:
It is entirely unlikely that anyone will show up at these five district meetings. Their importance and the significance of the Comprehensive Plan has not been publicized by the county in any manner, and the notice in the Classified section would not mean anything to many people. There has been no explanation in the Page News about the significance of these meetings. In fact, Virginia Code says a Comprehensive Plan is supposed to contain a Land Use Map to guide zoning. Ours doesn't. Ours guides zoning by saying, "corral all the people into the towns, keep them from building anything outside of the towns, don't let anybody build on any more than a 16% slope, and keep them away from all bodies of water" It's a no-growth plan, which leaves the county areas with fewer and fewer houses over which to spread the exploding tax burden. The landfill continues to be a cash guzzler, and the purchase of a new County Office Building and Regional Jail will require additional tax hikes for years to come.
After the five meetings occur with no citizen pushback, the Comprehensive Plan will be approved on July 17, and the Planning Commission will be free to begin the process of rewriting the Zoning Ordinances. Any complaints about how the zoning ordinances are rewritten will be met with the refrain, "but it was in the Comprehensive Plan, and we tried to take it to the citizens, but the citizens didn't show up at the meetings."
If you would like to attend one of the public meetings, the places and dates are listed in the Blog previous to this one. If you go, please post your experiences here on the Blog, or email me and let me know what happened at the meeting you attended.
Email Research@PageCountyWatch.org
Thank you,
Alice
At the July 3 Work Session, the Board of Supervisors reviewed their changes to the Comprehensive Plan, made at the Retreat.
Their changes were: change the word "prohibit" to "regulate".
Supervisor Gerald Cubbage, District 4, proposed that the newly added goal, 3 C, be removed entirely. The goal says:
"Develop ordinances that REGULATE (instead of Prohibit) buildings and businesses in the 100 year flood plain"
Supervisor John Rust objected to removing it. County Administrator Mark Belton suggested that removing that line might jeopardize our compliance with FEMA. Charlie Hoke recommended that we ask if it would do so. Tommy LaFrance said he didn't see why we couldn't just leave it there.
Chairman LaFrance complimented Natalie Zuckerman on her work to prepare this Comprehensive Plan for the County.
Mark Belton then explained that there would be public meetings held by District, beginning Monday and continuing for five nights. There was a small notice in the July 3 Page News and Courier, in the Classified section, that said these meetings would be held.
At the break, I went up to Tommy LaFrance and said, "what happened to your statement that the flood plain ordinance was dead. If you leave that in there, it's the same as directing the planning commission to revive it" and he said, "okay, he didn't care if it was taken out" and I asked him if he would tell Kevin Henry to take it out, and he said yes, he would do that.
After the break, he moved on to the next agenda item and didn't do it. If one were to assume that he was sincere in what he said to me, one would expect that meant he was planning to do it after the meeting at some point. I will continue to call him and Kevin Henry and let you know if it's taken out.
Here's what's next:
It is entirely unlikely that anyone will show up at these five district meetings. Their importance and the significance of the Comprehensive Plan has not been publicized by the county in any manner, and the notice in the Classified section would not mean anything to many people. There has been no explanation in the Page News about the significance of these meetings. In fact, Virginia Code says a Comprehensive Plan is supposed to contain a Land Use Map to guide zoning. Ours doesn't. Ours guides zoning by saying, "corral all the people into the towns, keep them from building anything outside of the towns, don't let anybody build on any more than a 16% slope, and keep them away from all bodies of water" It's a no-growth plan, which leaves the county areas with fewer and fewer houses over which to spread the exploding tax burden. The landfill continues to be a cash guzzler, and the purchase of a new County Office Building and Regional Jail will require additional tax hikes for years to come.
After the five meetings occur with no citizen pushback, the Comprehensive Plan will be approved on July 17, and the Planning Commission will be free to begin the process of rewriting the Zoning Ordinances. Any complaints about how the zoning ordinances are rewritten will be met with the refrain, "but it was in the Comprehensive Plan, and we tried to take it to the citizens, but the citizens didn't show up at the meetings."
If you would like to attend one of the public meetings, the places and dates are listed in the Blog previous to this one. If you go, please post your experiences here on the Blog, or email me and let me know what happened at the meeting you attended.
Email Research@PageCountyWatch.org
Thank you,
Alice
Monday, June 18, 2007
Ding Dong
Ding, Dong
At the Planning Commission Work Session of June 18, 2007, the following happened:
1. They reviewed the change to the rules for Internet businesses.
2. They discussed setting a date for the Comprehensive Plan subcommittee to work on the Land Use maps in preparation for the Zoning Ordinance rewrite.
3. They discussed changing the date for the work sessions from the third week of the month to the second week of the month.
4. Chairman Woodward abolished the Zoning Ordinance subcommittee for malfeasance.And YOU weren’t there! You have GOT to go to these meetings. They are way, way better than Reality TV.
Here’s the Blow by Blow:
As the meeting was ending, Chairman Woodward held up the Page News article written by Jamie Turner (wonderful article, Jamie) about the Donato vote rescinsion and the Newton motion to put the flood plain ordinance back into the zoning subcommittee. (You remember that one, when I was about ready to throw in the towel because I couldn’t stand this continued version of Rope-A-Dope) He said that was uncalled for and it constituted an act of malfeasance. He said as Chairman, he was able to abolish that subcommittee and he hereby did it, and he banged his gavel. So as of 7:45 or so on Monday, June 18, 2007, the Zoning Ordinance Subcommittee of the Planning Commission, no longer exists. On Monday, June 25, 2007, he will appoint new members.
This is so good.
Mr. Eldridge protested, and Mr. Shanks seemed to back him up, so don’t think the drama is fully over yet. In fact, chances are good this might happen all over again next Monday night, June 25, at the regular meeting of the Planning Commission. So it’s not too late for you to catch the second act!
Put it on your calendar! Dinner and a show in town, Monday, June 25, at 7 p.m. at the Courthouse. Be there! Why is this so important? Well, Flood Plain dwellers, these are the people who tried to get you. And were still trying at last month’s meeting. Don’t stop going to the meetings until this stops. This could be the act that finally stops it. But the Good Guys need you to show up so they know how much it matters.
I can’t be there next Monday night, because I have a business trip. I hope a whole bunch of other people will go, and email me what happened so I can post it here next week.
Alice
At the Planning Commission Work Session of June 18, 2007, the following happened:
1. They reviewed the change to the rules for Internet businesses.
2. They discussed setting a date for the Comprehensive Plan subcommittee to work on the Land Use maps in preparation for the Zoning Ordinance rewrite.
3. They discussed changing the date for the work sessions from the third week of the month to the second week of the month.
4. Chairman Woodward abolished the Zoning Ordinance subcommittee for malfeasance.And YOU weren’t there! You have GOT to go to these meetings. They are way, way better than Reality TV.
Here’s the Blow by Blow:
As the meeting was ending, Chairman Woodward held up the Page News article written by Jamie Turner (wonderful article, Jamie) about the Donato vote rescinsion and the Newton motion to put the flood plain ordinance back into the zoning subcommittee. (You remember that one, when I was about ready to throw in the towel because I couldn’t stand this continued version of Rope-A-Dope) He said that was uncalled for and it constituted an act of malfeasance. He said as Chairman, he was able to abolish that subcommittee and he hereby did it, and he banged his gavel. So as of 7:45 or so on Monday, June 18, 2007, the Zoning Ordinance Subcommittee of the Planning Commission, no longer exists. On Monday, June 25, 2007, he will appoint new members.
This is so good.
Mr. Eldridge protested, and Mr. Shanks seemed to back him up, so don’t think the drama is fully over yet. In fact, chances are good this might happen all over again next Monday night, June 25, at the regular meeting of the Planning Commission. So it’s not too late for you to catch the second act!
Put it on your calendar! Dinner and a show in town, Monday, June 25, at 7 p.m. at the Courthouse. Be there! Why is this so important? Well, Flood Plain dwellers, these are the people who tried to get you. And were still trying at last month’s meeting. Don’t stop going to the meetings until this stops. This could be the act that finally stops it. But the Good Guys need you to show up so they know how much it matters.
I can’t be there next Monday night, because I have a business trip. I hope a whole bunch of other people will go, and email me what happened so I can post it here next week.
Alice
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
FLOOD PLAIN documenting
This Blog Thread is for all the people who make phone calls to the Supervisors and Commissioners, etc. Just push the Comments button and document what your conversation was about. Here's the first one. Add yours.
June 6, 2007
At 10:15 a.m., Donna Eames called Supervisor Tommy LaFrance. She quotes him as saying that the Flood Plain Ordinance, with all its restrictions, was never going to pass the Board. He said they would never do something like that. She asked him what this business was of the Planning Commission making motions and going back to take another run at it, in the Zoning Subcommittee again. She brought up the conversations she had with Mr. Eldridge, in which he reiterated his desire to have all the people who live on the flood plain, essentially "turn themselves in" to get new occupancy certificates. Mr. LaFrance said the Board cannot stop the Planning Commission from working on something, but he thinks they should work on something more productive, as restrictions like this are not going to be passed by the Board.
Push the comments button and record phone conversations you have had about this issue.
June 6, 2007
At 10:15 a.m., Donna Eames called Supervisor Tommy LaFrance. She quotes him as saying that the Flood Plain Ordinance, with all its restrictions, was never going to pass the Board. He said they would never do something like that. She asked him what this business was of the Planning Commission making motions and going back to take another run at it, in the Zoning Subcommittee again. She brought up the conversations she had with Mr. Eldridge, in which he reiterated his desire to have all the people who live on the flood plain, essentially "turn themselves in" to get new occupancy certificates. Mr. LaFrance said the Board cannot stop the Planning Commission from working on something, but he thinks they should work on something more productive, as restrictions like this are not going to be passed by the Board.
Push the comments button and record phone conversations you have had about this issue.
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