NIMBY NIMBY NIMBY

Posted by LoudounModerate (anonymous) on February 4, 2009 at 9:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The county Planning Department and Planning Commission had recommended approval of the project in November.

"We did everything we were asked to do in terms of the process and the application," she said. "Throughout the whole process, we've given them facts and information."

"What I would suggest is that when the [planning] commission speaks, applicants need to listen," board Chairman Scott K. York (I) said before the vote.

Am I missing something or did the applicant bend over backwards to meet the conditions required by the planning commissioners, gaining an approval recommendation, only to be turned down by the board of supervisors?

Twelve people don't want the project. They gathered facts in opposition to the project, yet the planning commissioners still recommended approval of the project.

What facts about the project were the board of supervisors privy too that were not available to the planning commissioners or the applicant back in November?

Scott: what didn't the applicant do? Never mind the timing, so long as the requirements are met, why does it matter when the applicant met those requirements?

I smell a rat. A big, stinky, politics-laced one. Something is happening that isn't being made public. We need Florida-style "government in the sunshine" laws to shine a light on this matter.

Posted by obviously (anonymous) on February 4, 2009 at 10:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm having a hard time not laughing out loud at ""it's rare that you get two cars passing" at the one-lane bridges.
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Absolutely a delusional (or perhaps intentionally misleading) statement- I couldn't count all the times I have yielded to oncoming traffic in the last month alone. Close calls and squealing tires are a common occurrence to regular users of this main artery.
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Furthermore, perhaps readers would be more informed if the article mentioned that when the property was used as a "boarding school" the student population was 8.

Posted by AFF3 (anonymous) on February 5, 2009 at 11:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It wasn't the louder, more numerous voices that caused this special exception application to be denied:

1. As everyone admitted, this was a precedent-setting zoning case. Yet, up until the application came before the actual Board of Supervisors, the months and months of process seemed to be more about how to accomodate the applicants and their very experienced attorney, than to explore the real impact on a community like Lincoln, and others similarly situated.

2. We were basically being told that a 117 student/daycare operation in a rual, predominantly residential area would have no negative impact. We felt we were being dictated to or at the very least treated like, when push came to shove, our opinion didn't matter. We had to fight to get a meaningful seat at the table.

3. On the key issue, traffic impacts, the traffic planners didn't have a model for what would happen when cars traveling south had to cross two one lane bridges, wait to turn, pull in, drop off their child and exit -- only to repeat the process when they picked up their child later that day. A home-made video by opponents of the project showed traffic stacking would happen almost immediately with just a small number of additional cars. You can't fake that kind of thing.

Posted by AndreaGaines (anonymous) on February 5, 2009 at 1:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)

AFF3: As you have chosen to post anonymously, I do not know who you are or where you live. But, I do live at Springdale with a clear view of Lincoln Road and the one-lane bridge closest to us. For the past 1 1/2 years, both my husband and I have been working from home. We have 13 windows facing Lincoln road. My second floor office, and several of our bedroom windows gives us a clear and fixed view of this particular one-lane bridge: morning, noon, and night, everyday, all year long. We do see cars pass by the bridge (between 1500-1700 a day as stated by Wells & Associates' traffic analysis). Of those 1500-1700 cars, yes, on occasion two will met, especially during peak hours of the day (8am-9am & 4pm-5pm) but, seldom do I see cars meeting each other at any other time of day. This is not delusional, this is a fact.

Also, if "close calls and squealing tires are a common occurrence to regular users", then why can you not see or hear any of these 'common occurrences' on ANY of the 14 hours (on nine different days) of morning & afternoon peak hour (when it is more likely to occur) videos my husband filmed on Lincoln Road? These DVD's show actual Lincoln traffic on both one-lane bridges and in the village of Lincoln and were submitted for the record accompanied with an affidavit by Benny attesting to its authenticity.

Furthermore, according to VDOT records, in five years there has been only one reported crash on route 722 (Lincoln Road) involving a one-lane bridge. Whereas route 734 (Snickersville Road) and 727 (Forest Mills Road) each had more reported crashes. Other data we submitted attesting to the relative safety of Lincoln Road was from the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. This was comparing the number of accidents on Lincoln Road to two other rural roads nearby. In the eight years, Lincoln Road averaged far less in accidents then the two other roads.

AFF3, I do agree that perhaps readers would be more informed if they knew what you had stated about the 'boarding school' was false "or perhaps intentionally misleading" regarding the student population. Can you please cite your reference as to how you came up with the 8 students?

FACT: Just before Springdale Boarding School closed in 1862, it was probably coed and had at least 38 STUDENTS, probably more. Not exactly the 'little girls boarding school' fallacy some would like to perpetuate. Please visit www.springdalemontessori.org for more correct historical information on the boarding school and cited references. - Jane Nordahl

Posted by janenordahl (anonymous) on February 5, 2009 at 9:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Congratulations, Lincoln and the BOS. It seems that the Nordahls should have checked things out BEFORE they bought their home. To rely on manipulations to get their way was a risky venture.

Posted by segeny (anonymous) on February 6, 2009 at 8:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Jane,
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I have lived near Lincoln my entire life, as has my mother and her mother. I received your nice, perhaps belated letter to the community explaining your intentions and I truly struggled with where I stood regarding your special zoning request. So many of the plans for your school incorporated very important ideas- support of local community agriculture, LEED certification....... you hit on so many principals I hold near and dear.
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Yet, like most residents I can't get past the reality of the road. Perhaps if you had lived in the area longer without wanting to start a project of this nature you too would feel differently.
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As I said above, it would be impossible to count the number of times I have yielded to oncoming traffic at these bridges. I can however guesstimate the number of near accidents I have had to be 4. I can attest that despite the extremely narrow appearance 2 cars can in fact fit on the bridges at one time without rubbing body panels (mirrors are a different story).
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I will agree with you on one point- the more dangerous bridge in not the one directly in front of your house. The bridge with the worst visibility and steeper more difficult hills to brake on is the bridge 30 yards or so PAST your driveway.
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Regardless or our differences, I now hope that Lincoln residents can put their disagreements behind them, and go back to being good neighbors.

Posted by AFF3 (anonymous) on February 6, 2009 at 8:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)