www.hmdl.org March 2, 2006

FROM THE CITIZENS’ PERSPECTIVE . . .

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE HUNTER MILL ROAD CORRIDOR

SUPERVISORS VOTE "NO CHANGE" FOR HUNTER MILL LAND USE PLAN

At its meeting on February 27, 2006, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in favor of no change to the land use plan for 314 acres near the intersection of Hunter Mill and Sunset Hills Roads.

Members of the Board accepted the recommendations of the Hunter Mill Area Special Study Task Force. They heard the community's unified message and acted on it in good faith by:

1. Voting to reject all proposed density changes.
2. Sending to the Planning Commission the Plan language changes recognizing Hunter Mill Road as a Virginia Byway and its eligibility for listing in the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.
3. Asking county staff to explore placing orange soils on the zoning maps.
4. Directing the Non-Motorized Transportation Committee to consider ways to improve park-trail access in the area.
5. Directing the county Department of Transportation to consider the Task Forces recommendations to improve the trasportation system in the area.

Referred the Task Force's traffic-calming strategies to the Northern Virginia Regional Commission for use in the Hunter Mill Road Traffic Calming Study.

This vote concluded another chapter in the long-running saga of an established residential community that has withstood relentless attempts by developers to alter the balanced planning scheme that has been in place for a quarter century. Supervisor Cathy Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill) and Supervisor Joan Dubois (R-Dranesville) opened the door for review. They appointed the Special Study Task Force in April, 2005, " . . . to comprehensively consider the possibilities for amending the Plan for the area." They were responding to proposals by out-of-town developers who would have intensified residential building and added commercial/retail in an established low-density residential zone.

During the Task Force's Community Visioning Process, an unprecedented number of Hunter Mill residents and citizens throughout the region attended public meetings and expressed strong opposition to intensifying development in the county's effective low-density residential buffer between Reston and Tyson's Corner. Their primary concerns were traffic gridlock, school boundary shifts, higher taxes, and adherence to good planning principles.

A big " thank you " to all who gave of their time, energy, and resources during this lengthy process.

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The Hunter Mill Defense League (HMDL) is a community, non-profit organization in Fairfax County, Virginia, dedicated to preserving the scenic and historic character of the Hunter Mill Road Corridor. Contact info@hmdl.org with any questions or comments about this e-newsletter.