** Asterisks highlight critical events where large public turnout is needed. Please take special note of those opportunities.
TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Regional II. Inter County Connector III. MD Transportation / Land Use IV. Howard County V. 301 / Waldorf Bypass VI. Chapman Forest VII. Smoot Cove / National Harbor VIII. Restore The Core (DC Issues) IX. Western Bypass X. Wilson Bridge / Beltway MIS XI. Loudoun County XII. Prince William County XIII. Fredericksburg Outer Connector XIV. Conferences And Other...
I. Regional (MD, VA, DC) Contact Stewart Schwartz or Debby Sugarman of the Coalition for Smarter Growth at 202-588-5570, 703-683-5704, or stopsprawl@aol.com Update: The latest push from those opposing reform and seeking to continue current patterns of sprawl -- is to attack smart growth and to ask for more money from the federal government (for transportation) and from the state government (from Virginia to pay for new infrastructure in the outer counties). In Virginia, two interconnected ballot referenda for Constitutional amendments would create unaccountable regional authorities to raise taxes and issue bonds. This is drawing the united opposition of smart growthers and taxpayer groups. Action: Contact your local, state and federal elected representatives. Tell them you want Better Communities, With Less Traffic. Building billions in new highways won't help and providing more subsidies for sprawl won't help either. Tell them that you support comprehensive regional reforms as agreed to in the citizen's "Getting There" visioning process and not the Council of Government's new "spiderweb" of new highways. Remind them of the Coalition for Smarter Growth's main points: 1) Fix it first: Spend $ on fixing roads, bridges, intersections and for maintenance and service improvements for bus and Metrorail. 2) Provide real choices in transportation: expand bus and rail networks and service, and build walkable and bikeable communities. 3) Protect existing communities and stop subsidizing new development: revitalize communities in the inner suburbs and the District of Columbia and use transit-oriented development to concentrate jobs, residences, and services. 4) Establish Greenbelts to protect our parks, our air and water, our farmland, and our history. For a list of elected representatives in the region, contact the Coalition for Smarter Growth. For more information on the Council of Government's vision plan, call 202-962-3200 or see http://www.mwcog.org/trans/vision1.html. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ II. Inter County Connector Contact Greg Smith of the Campaign to Stop the Inter County Connector (C-SICC) at 301-309-2362, or gsmith@essential.org. See also Anacostia/Rock Creek Earth First web site: http://www.igc.org/icc370 Summary: The ICC would be the Outer Beltway segment running north and east of Washington, from I-270 to I-95 / US 1 (with a future extension to Rt. 301 in Prince George's County). Currently being considered is a hybrid option which would combine the eastern and western thirds of the Master Plan alternative, plus portions of the northern and mid-county alternatives through Spencerville, Burtonsville, and West Laurel. The Hybrid would lay down more miles of asphalt and more destruction than any of the previous alternatives! It would devastate Burtonsville and Spencerville communities. Update: On March 6, Governor Parris Glendening declared he would not pursue the ICC. However, in April, the Governor created a new "Transportation Solutions Group (TSG)" composed of national experts and local activists to take a "fresh look" at the region's "east-west transportation problem" with ALL OPTIONS on the table for the TSG to consider. The TSG is inherently flawed -- lacking representation from the grassroots opposition to the ICC and lacking a well-defined public participation process. Meanwhile, the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) has recently spent roughly $12 million tax dollars to buy the Peach Orchard tract (which is directly in the path of the SHA's Hybrid ICC), surveyed land in the Hybrid's path, and asked Montgomery County to preserve right-of-way in all ICC alignments (a request that the County council rejected). Action: Contact Gov. Parris Glendening, State House, Annapolis MD 21401, (800) 811-8336, and ask him to a) drop ALL highway alternatives, b) remove the ICC from county master plans, and convert all of the state-owned right of way into a park, and c) to work with the community on finding a non-highway alternative. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ III. MD transportation / LAND USE issues CONGESTION RELIEF STUDY: Contact Carl Henn of Stop That Infernal Road (STIR) at 301-251-0310 or stoproads@juno.com The SHA is conducting a "congestion relief study" to target a dozen or more intersections in Montgomery and Prince George's County for expansion. The study is based on the faulty premise that if an intersection is congested it should be widened. Demand side measures to reduce traffic are completely overlooked as are land use issues. Most of the widenings outlined in the public information meetings recently completed would make intersections less pedestrian and bicycle friendly. Many citizens are also concerned that certain targeted intersections may represent pre-staging for the ICC, while other very congested intersections are not being addressed. Action: Contact Neil Pedersen at the State Highway Administration to broaden the scope of the Congestion Relief Study to include demand side. For specific measure to include, contact Carl Henn. TRANSPORTATION POLICY STUDY: Contact Pam Lindstrom of the Citizens Planning Association at 301-869-7139 or ptlindstro@aol.com Citizens in the Washington area have the chance to assist, and even help shape an ongoing project in Montgomery County that has many of the attributes of the LUTRAQ project in Portland. The Citizens Planning Association is involved in a County long range transportation study called the Transportation Policy study. This study evaluates different combinations of transit, highway options, land use changes, and various pricing incentives. The Citizen's Planning Association will provide an alternative land-use scenario based on LUTRAQ-like principles. Action: Please contact Pam Lindstrom at 301-869-7139 or Debby Sugarman at 202-588-5570 if you are interested in participating or learning more about this project. Calendar: 1000 Friends of Maryland Kicks off! Oct. 26, 6:45-9pm The Can Company, 2400 Boston Street, Baltimore, MD. Please join a growing coalition of businesses, environmental and historic organizations as we kick off our programs and announce our agenda at The Can Company Building in the exciting Canton section of Baltimore. This event will be keynoted by Henry Richmond, the founder of 1000 Friends of Oregon. Also invited are Maryland's gubernatorial candidates. Donation: $10 or join and come free! For more information or directions please call 410-385-2910. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ IV. HOWARD COUNTY Contact Pete Oswald at 301-725-6156 or oswaldp.hehs@gao.gov Background: In 1992-93, Howard officials rezoned several large properties, including over 800 acres of farm land along the county's southern border, to permit high density "mixed use development" (MXD). The rezonings were opposed by hundreds of County residents, along with Montgomery and Prince Georges Co. officials, in part because they would add several thousand residences to failing local roadways, and along the congested commuting corridor between Columbia and Washington. At the same time, these officials decided against rezoning a 500+ acre tract in North Laurel as MXD. Update: Within the past year, developers submitted preliminary development plans for the two rezoned parcels (Cherry Tree and Fulton / Maple Lawn Farm) in southern Howard County. They also included a plan for the 500+ acre Laurel site that had not been zoned for MXD. Development plans for two projects (Cherry Tree and Laurel) were approved. The Laurel site developers (the Rouse Company) successfully argued that the Zoning Board had made a mistake when it did not rezone the property for MXD in 1993. This argument was vigorously opposed by a southern Howard County land use group comprised of residents from 16 communities and the group is appealing the decision. The development plan for the Fulton / Maple Lawn Farms was temporarily withdrawn after the local community rejected several minor development concessions and a $100,000 offer from the developer. The community expects to oppose this project when it is resubmitted (the developer has said it will be resubmitted with higher densities) in December or January. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ V. 301 CORRIDOR / WALDORF BYPASS (MD) Contact Amy Freise of Citizens Against the Waldorf Bypass (CAWB) at 301-932-7098; or amy@aard-res.com or Millie and Harry Kriemelmeyer at 301-372-8766 or hkriemel@radix.net Summary: The Waldorf Bypass would direct sprawl growth to the rural and agriculture areas of Southern Maryland. Alternatively, the upgrade of US 301 on its existing alignment through Waldorf has been identified by the US 301 Task Force's Environmental Committee as the only way to solve the safety and congestion problems caused by multiple traffic lights and opportunities for left and U turns without irreparable environmentally damage. Unfortunately, the US 301 Task Force denied these recommendations, and voted instead to recommend building the Waldorf Bypass. Overwhelming citizen opposition prompted Governor Glendening to appoint a blue ribbon commission (composed of elected and appointed officials and agency representatives - no citizens) to study implementation of the US 301 Task Force recommendations. Charles County Commissioners appointed a citizen committee to study the upgrade of US 301 through Waldorf. Update: The Charles County Citizens' Advisory Committee (formed to study the upgrade of US 301 through Waldorf on the current alignment as well as eastern and western bypasses of Waldorf) is slowly getting off the ground. The members were briefed superficially on some of the environmental features of Charles County. It is of concern that the information being provided to the members comes only from the SHA. CAWB will be looking from assistance from other Metro groups on the bigger picture so that a more balanced information load can be passed on. Public attendance at the meetings is encouraged and any written comments to the chairmen will be forwarded to all members of the committee. ***Northern Corridor US 301*** Public hearings were held in Bowie and Upper Marlboro on the Draft EIS for the "Northern Corridor" of 301 from US 50 to Brandywine. Approximately 30 people spoke at the hearings, overwhelmingly in opposition. Copies of the DEIS are available at public libraries throughout Prince Georges' and Charles Counties. The SHA plans to convert this 25 mile stretch of US 301 into a limited-access freeway with interchanges. US EPA and US Army Corps of Engineers are concerned that US 301 has been illegally segmented into several projects. A new citizens group has been formed to address the US 301 "Northern Corridor". Interested persons should contact Pam Austin at 301-574-3832. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ VI. CHAPMAN FOREST (MD) Contact Bonnie Bick of Friends of Mount Aventine at 301-283-2948, or foma@radix.net or Joy Oakes of Sierra Club at 301-261-2314 (DC line), 410-268-7411, or joy.oakes@sierraclub.org WEB SITE: http://www.radix.net/~foma Summary: Chapman's Landing was to be the largest development project currently proposed in Maryland, transforming the ecologically sensitive riverfront forest into a 2,250-acre city almost as big in area as Annapolis. A GIANT STEP FORWARD... On August 20, Governor Glendening and Legend Properties signed a Letter of Intent, to sign a contract on October 1, and complete a sale by October 31, that would have the following elements: 1) The State is to buy 1850 acres of Chapman Forest for $25.3 million. Fifty acres will be deeded to Charles County, which is to use the land for "economic development." 2) A nationally-recognized conservation organization (understood to be The Conservation Fund) will have one year to buy the remaining 375 acres. The price will be negotiated by the Conservation Fund and Legend. If the option parcel is not sold in one year, then the developers can attempt to build 800 residences and nearly half a million square feet of business space. 3) The 1850 acres are to be managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources - except for 170 acres around the historic house, Mt. Aventine, which the County is to manage. The Campaign to Preserve Chapman Forest believes that a contract was signed but do not yet know the terms of the contract. The good news: ** Legend has stopped destructive activities on the site, **The Conservation Fund has given the strongest assurance that it intends to preserve the entire property (the Campaign to Save Chapman Forest believes it can accomplish this), **The constituency for saving Chapman Forest is stronger and more organized than it has ever been. But Chapman Forest is still far from safe: ** Until the money is raised to purchase the option piece, there looms the threat of a large riverfront development that would fracture Chapman Forest and the Potomac corridor. ** The Charles County Commissioners have opposed preservation of this land from the beginning. Now there are already signs that they want to misuse it. Commissioners President Murray Levy, who until January of this year recused himself on votes regarding Chapman's Landing because of a conflict of interest arising out of a financial interest has now begun to promote developing the forest as a site for athletic fields. ** It is also troubling that the Charles County Commissioners would have any say at all about use of the area around the historic park. They do not have a good record in managing the public heritage. Calendar: "Taming the Sprawl Monster" Wed, Oct 7, 6:30-9:00 pm Commissioners' Meeting Room, Charles County Government Building, La Plata, MD. Please join us for an evening of socializing and refreshments at a "getting to know you" gathering. There will be a short presentation by Glen Besa, Sierra Club Regional Coordinator, introducing the tabloid Better Communities, Less Traffic - A Citizens Guide to Protecting Your Community. This publication will be available for distribution in the community. If you are unable to join us, but would like to distribute the tabloid to your group, please call 301-934-9071. You can also view it on the Web at http://www.wholeliving.com/dcsprawl. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ VII. SMOOT COVE / National Harbor Contact Robert Boone at 301-699-6204, aws3@his.com, or Karen Egloff at 301-855-7476 Summary: Smoot Cove is the site of a proposed Disneyesque development by Peterson Companies to be called National Harbor. Most of the waterfront (100 acres already clearcut) will be closed off to the community for a $20 to $40 per day theme park. The project would impose a 6-story, 8000-car parking garage on nearby homes, and would bring 35,000 average daily visitors and 10,500 employees with 59,000 daily car trips to the area on average days. This represents 20 to 25% of future Beltway traffic. In a real sense, the project is forcing a 244 foot monster Wilson bridge onto the historic community of Alexandria. At the same time, the citizens of Prince George's County have no assurance that they will receive the upscale retail that they hope for. Update: On June 2, the Prince George's County Council voted to approve the conceptual site plan with only minor conditions. The focus is now on the National Capital Planning Commission which has initiated a Federal Environmental Impact Statement process. The NCPC has their study on a fast timeline and may have its Draft EIS available for public review in October. Citizens of Prince George's County have filed suit against the county over zoning changes and abuses of process. A new coalition has formed to save Smoot Cove, restore the Potomac Heritage Trail and riparian buffer along the Potomac Riverfront, and bring quality retail economic development to the beltway parcel. Contact Karen Egloff 301-855-7476 for details. Action: Write letters to local officials, the NCPC and local papers to express outrage and concern over the destruction of the Potomac shoreline and the proposal for a theme park. Letters should ask for restoration of public access, the hiker/biker trail and shoreline tree buffer, better protection of historic resources, water quality, and neighboring communities. Please call 703-683-5704 if you have information or expertise in water quality, historic resources, fisheries, traffic impacts, or light and noise pollution. This information is needed in preparation for comments on the DEIS. Riverwalk Sunday, Oct. 18, 1:00 pm Meet at Fort Foote Park located in the Oxon Hill / Ft. Washington area off of Ft. Foote road. Enjoy a nature hike on a wooded trail that leads to the scenic Potomac River. We will also be having informal committee meetings regarding National Harbor strategies. Bring a bag lunch. For info, call Karen at 301-855-7476. Back to Contents ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- VIII. RESTORE THE CORE (DC Issues) SHAW CONVENTION CENTER Contact Beth Solomon of the Shaw Coalition at 202-789-7864 or Debby Henrehen at 202-462-2054. Summary: A new convention center that will destroy the historic African- American neighborhood of Shaw, displace residents and businesses, cripple downtown traffic, increase noise and pollution, and raise taxes on all D.C. businesses has been approved by the DC City Council, the Financial Control Board, and Congress. A groundbreaking ceremony has recently taken place. The Shaw Coalition and many other concerned citizens have been advocating for an alternate site at Union Station North, which currently consists of storage lots and abandoned buildings, would cost approx. $270 million less to build, would allow for above ground parking (rather than 5 stories underground), would be walking distance from Amtrak and Greyhound stations, as well as Metro and commuter rail, and would allow for further expansion. (The Mt Vernon site is too small to be expanded -- as is the current convention center). Update: In 1994, a law was passed requiring the Convention Center Authority to give a fixed price for Convention Center construction before any tax could be collected. But $50 million of tax money has already been collected from restaurants, bars, etc., without the fixed price. Concerned citizens and organizations including the Shaw Coalition and the Green Party have hired a lawyer and are preparing to file suit.on the illegal collection of the tax. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CAMPAIGN TO RESTORE THE CORE / FEDERAL JOBS RETENTION: Contact Danilo Pelletiere of the Sierra Club, New Columbia Chapter at 202-543-7791, or dpelleti@gmu.edu. WEB SITE: http://www.sierraclub.org/chapters/dc Through community outreach, regional coalition building, and an on-going dialogue with regional policy-makers and businesses, the Restore the Core campaign has become proactive in the policy-making process, working on issues of neighborhood redevelopment, the location of federal facilities, suburban sprawl, the Anacostia clean-up, and other issues that affect the environmental and economic health of the region. The Legislative committee is working with regional allies to get the House and Senate appropriations committees to designate funding and require the Food and Drug Administration and the General Services Administration to evaluate Metrorail accessible sites for the new FDA Headquarters, currently being proposed for White Oak, MD. Hopefully this will lead to consideration of the SE Federal Center or similar public transit accessible locations in the core, conserving green space in the region and bringing jobs and economic development to brownfields. Action: Ask your organization to sign on to the Restore the Core Campaign's "Federal Facilities Recruitment and Retention Pledge." Encouraging elected officials to keep federal jobs in the District and inner suburbs near Metro is one antidote to federally subsidized sprawl. Contact Larry Bohlen at 202-783-7400 x251 for more information. Calendar: Restore the Core monthly meeting Tues, Oct 8, 7-9pm Charles Sumner School at 1201 Seventeenth St. NW (17th and M streets) How Suburban Sprawl Affects the District and What Citizens Can Do About It. Sierra Club Regional staffer, Glen Besa will lead a slide show and discussion of regional sprawl issues and how they affect us here in the District. We will be releasing our Challenge to Sprawl tabloid, and bringing you up to date on current Restore the Core activities, what's next, and how you can help. Contact Danilo Pelletiere at 202-543-7791. RTC Walk in Brookland. Oct. 24, 10am-12pm Presentations will be given by community members, and at the end join us for an optional lunch at Colonel Brook's tavern. Meet at the Brookland Metro Stop on the Red line (underground just beyond turnstiles). Call Caroline Petti at 202-260-3832. RtC Monthly Meeting and Talk Nov. 10, 7:00 - 9:00 pm Friends of the Earth, 1025 Vermont Ave, NW (McPherson Square Metro). We will have a regular meeting (7:00 pm) and the first of a new season of Restore the Core talks (8:00 pm), in our continuing effort to introduce our members to different perspectives on urban development. George Cook, the principal of George Cook & Co. and Chairman Emeritus and retired CEO of Colonial Parking will discuss the issues for developers in urban development within the context of the redevelopment of Alexandria. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PROPOSED WARD 8 PRISON Contact: Anna El-Eini, Sierra Club Vice Chair at (202)-332-4644, eleini@scenic.org The DC Side of the Story: In an unpublicized land swap, in 1997, Congress voted to turn Oxon Cove, a National Park Service property in DC's Ward 8, over to a private developer to build a prison. DC citizens had no warning and no voice in this land giveaway. Two years ago, the National Park Service turned Kingman and Heritage Islands in the Anacostia over to the District government to facilitate development of a private amusement park on the site. DC once again faces the giveaway of publicly owned parkland in Ward 8, this time, to a private prison corporation. These giveaways constitute a dangerous precedent for the misuse of our parklands in DC, particularly in low-income neighborhoods. As a park in DC, Oxon Cove offers the potential for waterfront access and recreation to the surrounding communities of Ward 8 -- benefits currently enjoyed by the residents of Prince George's County on the other side of the cove. The placement of a federal prison at Oxon Cove is an attempt to dump more unwanted facilities on an already environmentally stressed community, and an absurdly inappropriate use of precious waterfront parkland in the District of Columbia. Action: The next zoning commission hearing will be held on November 9th. Help is urgently needed to ensure a large turnout!!! Contact Anna El-Eini at 202-332-4644 to get involved. The MD Side of the Story: The private prison developer gave waterfront land on the Prince George's County side of Oxon Cove to the National Park Service in return for the D.C. land. Maryland's Congressional delegation is now pushing to have that NPS land transferred over to the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission so that the land can be developed as a "threshold to the National Harbor development." Maryland activists opposing waterfront development on the Potomac need to get active now to make sure that NPS gets to keep the land! Calendar: ***DC Zoning Commission Hearing Monday, November 9th 1 Judiciary Square. Contact Anna for details. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ IX. WESTERN BYPASS (VA) Contact Jolly de Give of the Piedmont Environmental Council at 540-347-2334 WEB SITES: http://www.pec-va.org , http://www.erols.com/card1997, http://www.members.aol/vawtc Summary: The Western Bypass is a 59-mile, 1.5 Billion dollar highway proposed for construction west of the Washington suburbs, and as currently planned would connect Rte 7 in Leesburg and I-95 at the Quantico Marine Corps Base. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) ultimately intends the highway to cross the Potomac River and continue for another 30 miles through Maryland agricultural land to end at I-70 in Mt. Airy, MD. Update: VDOT and the highway lobby were handed a defeat on the Western Transportation Corridor when the federal agencies confirmed what they've been saying and what citizens have been saying for two years: VDOT has not established the purpose and need for the highway and would be violating federal law if it limited its Environmental Impact Study to the one mile corridor. This sends VDOT back to square one, as the EIS will have to examine all alternatives selected by the Commonwealth Transportation Board all over again. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ X. Beltway MIS / WILSON BRIDGE Wilson Bridge: Contact Judy McVay 703-683-6943, jamcvay@erols.com or Ron Ullrich (703-739-9472) of Coalition for a Sensible Bridge WEB SITE: http://dctoday.jones.com/nonprofit/bridge MD Beltway MIS: Contact Jim Clarke at 301-340-8994 or jim.clarke@sierraclub.org VA Beltway MIS: contact Jim Wamsley at 703-751-6086 or jwams@erols.com Summary: Maryland and Virginia are conducting separate Major Investment Studies which could result in the Virginia section of the Beltway being widened to twelve lanes, with Maryland making transit improvements instead. The Springfield Interchange, required for a wider Beltway, is already under construction, with at least 46 overpasses and a price tag of half a billion dollars. Hundreds of acres, 60 houses and dozens of businesses will be lost. The proposed Woodrow Wilson Bridge would be widened to 244 feet, nearly three times the current width. Advertised as a 12-lane bridge, it would be wide enough for 20 lanes, and would sacrifice a high rise apartment building and garden apartments, displacing 600 residents from affordable housing. It would overwhelm the historic city with traffic, air pollution, and noise. In response, Alexandria City and its citizens have sued the Federal Highway Administration. Other interchanges, like those planned for Route 1 and for Telegraph Road in the Woodrow Wilson Bridge project would consume four times as much area, with overpasses soaring over adjoining neighborhoods and off- ramps extending deeper into communities. Update: The Fairfax Coalition for Smarter Growth sponsored a meeting with VDOT in which it became apparent that VDOT is fast-tracking its Beltway study. They have not allowed public input into their scoping process, have decided to do the less thorough Environmental Assessment, rather than the Environmental Impact Statement, and have refused to consider a rail alternative. Authorities have segmented their study into four parts: Springfield Interchange, Woodrow Wilson Bridge, Virginia Beltway and Maryland Beltway, and are not studying the cumulative impact of the entire project which could cost several billion dollars. VDOT also admitted that the green buffer of trees that protects neighboring communities will be largely destroyed. However, Maryland will study rail alternatives AND will model rail for Virginia (although the Virginia rail study will be outside the EIS process). Engineering studies for 3 interchanges ( MD I-295/MD 210, US 1, and Telegraph Road in VA) are set to begin in fall. Action: Fairfax, Alexandria, Montgomery, and Prince George's residents should help to mobilize neighborhood concern about a 12+ lane Beltway and massive interchanges. Call, write, and visit your local, state, and federal elected officials to register your opposition to a widened Beltway and 12 lane bridge. (See our links to elected officials.) Calendar: Forum on Woodrow Wilson Bridge Tues, Oct 6, 7:30-9pm The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington Street, Alexandria, VA. Speakers include Congressman Moran, Woodrow Wilson Bridge Design Team and others. Opportunity to ask hard questions and highlight the impact of the 12-lane Beltway on your community. Contact Jim Mackay (703) 838-4994. Fairfax Smart Growth Outreach Workshop Thurs, Oct. 8, 7-9pm Mason District Government Center, 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA. Sponsored by Sierra Club/Fairfax Coalition for Smarter Growth. Meeting with County civic associations to discuss sprawl and the proposed expansion of the Capital Beltway. Materials for visits to your local community association or other interested groups will be provided. Contact Roger Diedrich at (703) 352-2410, or roger.diedrich@sfsierra.sierraclub.org Environmental Qualify of Life Summit. Sat, Oct 31, 8:30am-4pm Holiday Inn and Suites, 625 First Street, Alexandria. The Summit was a key recommendation of the Environmental Policy Commission's "Report on Environmental/Qualify of Life Issues." It is open to the public (200 persons) and is free, but requires pre-registration by calling the Office of the City Clerk at (703)838-4500. A copy of the report can be obtained from the Office of the City Clerk or it can be downloaded from the City's Web Site (http://www.ci.alexandria.va.us/). This is an opportunity to push for better air and water quality, stream restoration, creating a safe bicycle and pedestrian environment and reducing automobile use. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ XI. LOUDOUN COUNTY (VA) Contact Gem Bingol of the Sustainable Loudoun Network / Piedmont Environmental Council at 703-771-1645 or cbingol@juno.com WEB SITE: http://www.pec-va.org DULLES TOLL ROAD PLAN: The Planning Commission is still reviewing the Toll Road Plan. The Board of Supervisors is expected to have its public hearing on November 4th. The Sustainable Loudoun Network has developed a "Citizens' Alternative to the Toll Road Plan," which they are sharing with Supervisors this month. Suggestions focus on a few major changes: 1) Reserve the Dulles to Ashburn corridor for office space only. With existing residential, this creates the desired balance of jobs and houses in the greater Ashburn community. 2) Include a Transition Area with lower density housing to separate Ashburn and Leesburg. 3) The Rt. 28 Tax District, a county priority growth area, should be built out before allowing commercial development to begin in the Toll Road area. Adequate infrastructure should also be already in place. Action: A strong showing of speakers and audience supporting the smart growth initiatives outlined in the citizens' alternative is needed for the public hearing. Citizens can also call the public comment line at 703-777-0115 or e-mail the Board of Supervisors at LOUDOUNBOS@aol.com. IMPACT FEE TASK FORCE: The citizen task force has completed its work in crafting draft impact fee legislation to be introduced in the '99 General Assembly. The Board of Supervisors will now review their suggestions and decide how to proceed. While these suggestions would increase revenue, impact fee legislation by itself is not enough to solve the county's growth-related fiscal problems. ONE LOUDOUN CENTER: This is the newest major project to come in with a rezoning request. Located between Route 7 and Ashburn Village across from University Center, the land is currently zoned for industrial and research park which the applicant is requesting be changed to residential, office park and commercial center uses. The applicant is requesting 543 homes to be built in the first phase of the project. Board action on this application will be a litmus test for their resolve on both controlling residential growth and following their own directive not to allow residential development in keynote employment areas. There is no reason for the Board to have to accept this application with the current residential component. Action: Contact the Loudoun Board of Supervisors and tell them that we don't need any more houses or retail. They do not need to grant this rezoning in order to get the commercial office growth that they want. ADEQUATE PUBLIC FACILITIES ORDINANCE: An APFO would allow the county to supplement impact fees with another tool to manage growth. Such an ordinance would require infrastructure in the form of schools, roads and other services to be in place prior to allowing zoned development to proceed. This would help the county to manage the 15 year+ backlog of housing currently on the books. While the Board of Supervisors is taking a revote at their October 7th meeting to determine whether they will approach the General Assembly for the right to have a referendum and enact such an ordinance, citizens are organizing a petition drive to show their support and will be at the polls on November 3rd for signatures. Action: Contact the Loudoun Board of Supervisors and tell them it's important to continue the growth reforms they started in Dulles South as they revise the Toll Road Plan. Encourage them to broaden their scope of revisions to include a review of commercial growth. Also remind them that their resolve to manage growth must not weaken as they consider the One Loudoun Center residential and retail components. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ XII. PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY: Waterfront Development Plan Contact Jim Waggoner at 703-497-0506, or Alli Alligood at 703-684-5923 Summary: The Prince William County shoreline includes several large and undeveloped parcels, beautiful estuaries where four creeks open to the Potomac, bald eagles, marshes, wetlands and steeply wooded slopes. Much of this is at risk of development. County Executive Bern Ewert wants to turn the entire waterfront into a "destination" and link the developments by a "parkway" along the Potomac shoreline. Enough questions have been raised about the impacts of the road that the bond issue has been separated from the other transportation bond issues, and will be limited to a bridge across Quantico Creek and a road from Quantico through the Cherry Hill Peninsula (site of the proposed Southbridge development -- owned by, Legend Corp.) However, included in the bond referendum is $5 million to design the ENTIRE parkway (and accompanying bike path) from Occoquan to Quantico. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ XIII. Fredericksburg Outer Connector Contact Larry Gross at the Coalition for Outer Connector Alternatives (COCA) at 540-786-6843 or coca@pobox.com Summary: The Outer Connector is a proposed beltway around the Fredericksburg area. The Northwest Quadrant is currently the most controversial proposal of the entire connector project, which has ripened for public debate and controversy. The Draft EIS was released and declared deficient on a number of NEPA review grounds by the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of the Interior and the EPA. Update: On June 9, Federal Highways issued a determination that a Supplemental DEIS will be required for the Outer Connector planned to cross the Rappahannock River near the confluence. This will probably not be completed for another 8 months since they must first survey the land for an endangered plant species. Meanwhile the Fredericksburg Metropolitan Planning Organization will vote on Sept. 9 on whether to build the northwest quadrant first. A delay would allow more time for much needed study on that most impacted quadrant. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ XIV. CONFERENCES and other... Lands at Risk Advocacy Workshop Sat, Oct. 10, 8:30 am - 1:00 pm Fredericksburg / Stafford Park Authority Building, Falmouth, VA. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Natural Resources Council have sponsored the development of a map for Prince William and Stafford Counties that provides valuable information regarding areas that are particularly vulnerable and at risk. Come see the map, attend workshops and hear keynote speaker. $5.00 registration fee includes lunch and materials. Call 703-684-5923 for information. Northern Virginia Land Use Conference Fri. Oct. 23, 8:15 am - 3:00 pm Quality Places: Creating Communities Where We Can Live, Work, and Play. Fairview Park Marriott , 3111 Fairview Park Dr. (495 and Rt. 50) $40. Sponsored by the Northern Virginia Planning District Commission. For more info. contact 703-642-0700. Tour of Kentlands, MD Sat, Oct. 24 Learn about the good and bad design aspects of this recently built "quintessential American town." In addition to the tour, which will be lead by Pam Lindstrom and a Kentlands resident, you will be challenged to get to Kentlands in a manner other than the single-occupancy vehicle! Bus, metro/ bicycle, and car pools will be offered as alts. For details, Contact Deborah Katz (202) 667-5445. Piedmont Futures: Strategies of Change Mon, Oct. 26 9am-5pm Leadership and Design for a Sustaining Future, Newcomb Hall, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA A symposium around sustainable planning for Virginia's Piedmont. For info. call 804-924-6454. Sponsored by the Institute for Sustainable Design. *** TEA-21 Training Sessions Oct 30, TBA *** Call your local Supervisor / Councilmember, Planning Commissioner and planners to call their attention to this event and ask them to attend. A workship to explain TEA-21 in full detail and to ensure that local communities tap into new opportunities afforded by the federal transportation law. The goal is to educate elected officials, local activists, and transportation professionals about the new law, facilitate cooperation in the four regions, and focus on local, state, regional, and national implementation strategies. Sponsored by the Surface Transportation Policy Project and Rails- to-Trails Conservancy. Registration is limited to 200 per workshop on a first come, first served basis. For more information and location, call or e-mail Karen Nozik at 202-974-5121, rtcknozik@transact.org. "The New Urban Region": a planning course Oct. 31st, Nov. 7th, and Nov. 21st 9:00 am -1:00 pm. Offered by professor and consultant, Ed Risse. Risse reviews human settlement patterns, their current state of dysfunctionality and causes. The class provides a useful blueprint and rationale for change. Held in Reston, VA. Cost is $70.00. You can register through UVA, Northern Virginia Center by phone at 703-536-1105, fax 703-536-1172 or internet at http://uvace.virginia.edu/northern WRN Quarterly Forum Featuring the Split Rate Tax. Mon, Nov. 9, 6:30-8:30 pm The District of Columbia has over 10,000 vacant lots, and additional thousands of boarded-up buildings. What if there were a financial incentive for owners of these vacant lots and boarded-up buildings to either fix up their properties or sell to those who will? Such a financial incentive exists, and it's called the split rate tax. If implemented, the split rate tax will promote affordable housing and sustainable economic development in the District without expensive programs or cumbersome regulations. Learn more about the benefits of split rate taxation at this workshop. Light refreshment provided; small donation requested. 1777 Church Street, NW. Contact: Deborah Katz (202) 667-5445. Pedestrian Planning and Design Workshop Thurs, Nov. 12, 8:30am-4:30pm 777 North Capitol Street, NE, First Floor Training Room. Planners and engineers across the country are turning their attention to pedestrian access as a means to reduce auto trips, improve access to transit, and revitalize neighborhoods. The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board is pleased to host a workshop on pedestrian issues, conducted by Charles Denney. The conference is open to all, but seating is limited, and preference will be given to local staff and officials responsible for pedestrian issues. For more details on the workshop, call (202) 962-3760. $20. Includes training materials and lunch Partners for Smart Growth Dec. 15-17 Break the mold, jump the fence, dispel the myth, and join the Smart Growth discussion. Sponsored by the Urban Land Institute, EPA, and the City of Austin. To be held at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, TX. Call 1-800-321-5011 for information. Edopt News, an environmental quarterly for the DC metro area Send us your press releases, news items, and events for our calendar. Print run: 8,000; website: http://www.edopt.com. For more info, including ad rates, call Dan Kulpinski at 301-260-0734. Fall deadline: Oct. 26.
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