In a 20 November 1997 article in the Prince William Journal, Katharine Carlon reported that the Prince William County Board of Supervisors voted to add a fourth option to the Rt. 29 Corridor Study. CARD appreciates the Journal´s efforts to keep the community informed.
In the article, she notes that the topic was not listed in the board´s agenda for the November 18 meeting, nor had there been any indication to the public that the subject would be addressed. She further reports that only one Supervisor, Supervisor John Jenkins, D-Neabsco, voted against the measure--based on the fact that neither he nor the public had seen any apriori discussion on the subject. Excellent decision Supervisor Jenkins!--Too bad more of the board does not share your concern.
What is this Route 29 study? It is one of at least 4 studies currently underway by VDOT to shove transportation alignments up the homes of Gainsville District Residents. VDOT maintains a very inadequate description of the study on the web in their projects and planning area.
There was one public meeting on this study back in January 1997. The stated purpose of the study is to respond to congressional direction to remove the US Route 29 and VA Route 234 Rights of Way from the Manassas National Battlefield. There were prior to November 18th apparently three options under consideration:
1. Do Nothing
2. Close Route 29 through the Battlefield and route through traffic onto Route 66
3. Move Route 29 in some unspecified manner so that it runs through Haymarket.
Now it appears that the Prince William County Star Chamber has decreed without any disclosure or input from the public that a fourth option should be considered to somehow route US Route 29 through the gap between the battlefield and the state forrest; the same gap that is being eyed as the Power Line Corridor for the Western Transportation Corridor, and the default extension corridor for the Route 234 Bypass.
It would be nice if there were some description of the specific options under consideration by VDOT relative to the US Route 29 study. CARD urges all citizens to write the Commonwealth Project Manager, a Mr Gary Kuykendall, and demand that he provide some public disclosure of what his study is considering! Realign US Route 29 so that it runs through Haymarket...sure seems like that might have some impact on the citizens of the Gainsville District! Add a third road to the "Powerline Corridor"...what are you going to do, stack them three high?
It is interesting to note that when you boil all the words out of what VDOT has said, the Route 29 study consists of a series of meetings of the "Technical Advisory Committee, " which in essence is the same group of people that are the advisory committees to all these studies proposing to pave over the Gainseville District. You know these people, they are the City of Arlington, the Fairfax County Office of Transportation, The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, Loudoun County, and all the others that have the best interests of the Gainsville District as their foremost consideration.
CARD also urges all citizens to demand that the Prince William County Board of Supervisors at least publish their agenda in advance. They should seek input from their customers, the electorate of their respected districts, prior to making decisions. This is at least the second instance of transportation issues being decided in secret...see CARD´s discussion of The Western Corridor Mitigation Committee!
Finally, it would appear to us that any supervisor or other elected official that has a personal financial interest in any development projects in the area of the study should remove himself or herself from any vote relative to any transportation alignments. Are there any such individuals currently on the board? The issue here is not the career intent of any individual--the issue is personal financial interest vs the public interest. At the same time, this sword has two sides. The media has made statements relative to the career intent of some supervisors but shed little light on the specifics of personal financial interests. It could be that the story is just not getting out? The bottom line is this--the public needs to be aware of what the board is considering in advance so that there is time to understand the relationship of private and public interest in the process of government.
CARD does not tell people what to think in this website, nor does CARD participate in the locally popular process of "label assignment" used both by some citizens and some elected officials. CARD seeks to assemble information and distribute that information to make it readily available for local citizens so that they may be informed and better participate in this process.
From the information available, it is pretty clear that:
1. VDOT has not kept the public informed relative to its plans in the Route 29 study. Detailed maps should at least be added to the VDOT website so that those citizens who may be displaced can at least be aware that the government is considering paving over their private property.
2. The Prince William County Board of Supervisors has for the second time in a handfull of months conducted transportation realignment business in secret. This constitutes a breach of the public trust and all supervisors participating in this practice should resign immediately, regardless of the district they "represent." Decisions made should stand on their own respective merit in full view of the public. There is no need or justification for conducting this business in the Star Chamber. The fact that they are performing these studies below the board suggests that the decisions made would not stand on their own merit if they were exposed to the light of day.
3. As always, any elected officials having personal financial interest in the outcome of a decision rendered by an elected body should exclude themselves from participation in that decision. CARD draws no specific conclusion on this page or in this writing. CARD merely suggests that the public pay attention to who is voting on what and what else is involved so that the right questions may be asked--or at least so they can be asked--if and when all the details of the matter come to light. This can be difficult to do when the board acts properly--it is flat impossible when the only option is after the fact!
CARD sincerely regrets the need to publish this page.
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