Saturday, July 23, 2005
How far can it go?
Take a look around Virginia, and what do you see? Chances are, it's not the same Virginia that many of us grew up with. We're simply being overrun by strip malls, Wal-Marts, and massive subdivisions. The amount of new construction is staggering, while aging husks of neighborhoods, factories, and stores sit rotting.
Richmonders remember when Short Pump was a drive through the country. Roanokers remember when Botetourt was beautiful. NOVA residents remember when traffic actually moved on I-66. Even Harrisonburg and Staunton have an unbelievable amount of sprawl. It is truly staggering how quickly all of this has happened. 15 years ago, all of these localities looked very different before this spurt of unplanned growth.
1200 home developments of gaudy and cheaply constructed homes are popping up everywhere, as rising assessments force farmers to sell their property that's been held by their family for decades.
We need to do something. We need a comprehensive state-wide plan to abate this problem. We need leaders to step up and say there's a problem. We need a way for cities to be able to compete with the counties, as more people are drawn out by the lure of lower property taxes and shiny new 2200 sqaure foot houses. We need more incentives for companies to actually take exisiting properties and mold them to their use instead of eating away at the core of Virginia's appeal.
All of this can be done. More conservation easements, more money flowing into the right kind of economic development, and more attention by the residents to their locally-owned establishments.
We need our elected leaders from Boards of Supervisors, Town Councils, the General Assembly and even the Governor's mansion to address this problem now, before it's too late.
We're losing our identity as a state. Once it's gone, it can never be resurrected.
Richmonders remember when Short Pump was a drive through the country. Roanokers remember when Botetourt was beautiful. NOVA residents remember when traffic actually moved on I-66. Even Harrisonburg and Staunton have an unbelievable amount of sprawl. It is truly staggering how quickly all of this has happened. 15 years ago, all of these localities looked very different before this spurt of unplanned growth.
1200 home developments of gaudy and cheaply constructed homes are popping up everywhere, as rising assessments force farmers to sell their property that's been held by their family for decades.
We need to do something. We need a comprehensive state-wide plan to abate this problem. We need leaders to step up and say there's a problem. We need a way for cities to be able to compete with the counties, as more people are drawn out by the lure of lower property taxes and shiny new 2200 sqaure foot houses. We need more incentives for companies to actually take exisiting properties and mold them to their use instead of eating away at the core of Virginia's appeal.
All of this can be done. More conservation easements, more money flowing into the right kind of economic development, and more attention by the residents to their locally-owned establishments.
We need our elected leaders from Boards of Supervisors, Town Councils, the General Assembly and even the Governor's mansion to address this problem now, before it's too late.
We're losing our identity as a state. Once it's gone, it can never be resurrected.
