For the second time in a week, citizens swarmed the Board of Supervisors meeting room to weigh in on the recent Virginia Supreme Court ruling on the 2003 Revised General Plan.
The public response to county growth has escalated in variety and color in past months. Supervisors are used to sign waving and T-shirt wearing, but lately, things have taken a turn for the kitsch.
Since the Supreme Court ruling, the government center has sported sheep out front and rallying citizens within turning to theater — throwing money on the podium, toting children and more — to get their points across. Many love the Supreme Court ruling. Many hate it.
The unanimous opinion threw out the downzoning enacted by the previous board in 2003 that reduced the number of homes that could be built in the western portion of the county by approximately 58,000.
NO LESS than 70 citizens signed up to speak at Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting about the decision. Their opinions ranged across the spectrum from enthusiasm to dread.
"I'm from Waterford, and I am frankly terrified by this proposed change," said Julia Kasdorf. Some weeks ago, she had shown up at a public hearing to lead a packed house in a stirring rendition of the Tammy Wynette classic tweaked to go "Stand By Your Plan," in opposition to developer-initiated comprehensive plan amendments.
"Do we want [Loudoun] to be a premier tourist destination, a gem, a respite from sprawl or a continuation of sprawl?" Kasdorf added.
Potomac Station resident Lisa Roden agreed.
"I am concerned about the sprawl," she said. "We have all seen Fairfax County and chosen not to live there."
But Aldie resident Jennifer Rettew wanted to know where her tax dollars were going.
"Being someone that has to attempt to be on Route 50 every morning, I know we need help on Route 50 improvement," she said. "I for one would rather see my tax dollars spent on working together for better solutions for the taxpayer ... than continue to spend tax dollars on lawsuits that we seem to keep losing."
For Tina Flynn, a South Riding resident, alleviating Route 50 was paramount as well.
"It was an unanimous decision by all seven judges," she said. "Why then are we spending all this time, money and energy fighting this dead issue? We need help in getting Route 50 fixed and additional services in this area."
MANY SPEAKERS read letters from residents unable to attend the 9:30 a.m. meeting — noticeably, western Loudoun residents reading letters from eastern Loudoun residents. It was part of the Campaign for Loudoun's Future's plan to demonstrate that rapid growth was not simply an issue that affected western Loudoun and to counteract criticism that they were outsiders dictating to eastern Loudouners what they should do.
Chairman Scott York (I-At Large) allowed the practice to continue, noting that it was a tactic "used by both sides."