Press Release
Campaign for Loudoun's Future

For Immediate Release:
February 14, 2005

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Laura Olsen, (202) 244-4408 or
Andrea McGimsey, (703)726-0646

Board Chairman alleges Planning Commission committee held illegal meeting on proposals to add tens of thousands of houses to Route 50 corridor

View a map of proposed CPAMs (PDF)
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Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chairman, Scott York, has alleged that a new subcommittee of the Loudoun County Planning Commission conducted an illegal meeting on the developer proposals that could add up to 22,000 new houses along Rt. 50, known as the "Dulles South CPAMs," on February 7, 2005. The meeting was called by Lawrence Beerman, Chairman of the Planning Commission, after the regular Planning Commission meeting held that evening.

The meeting had originally been placed on the county calendar the morning of February 7 for 5:30pm that evening, violating state open meetings law which requires three-day notice to the public. Upon the advice of county staff, the agenda item was removed. Disregarding the legal issue of adequate public notice, members of the subcommittee met anyway at the urging of Chairman Beerman. In their meeting they made a major decision to move the process forward on the five developer proposals.

"It is completely unacceptable that some planning commissioners would make important decisions for the future of our county without proper public notice. This intentional violation of open meetings law makes citizens extremely concerned that we are being left in the dark, while the developers have open access to some of our public officials," said Andrea McGimsey of the Campaign for Loudoun's Future.

Scott York, the chairman of the Board of Supervisors, sent a letter to Mr. Beerman, stating that this meeting was held against state law. "I recognize the zeal in which you want to assist the development community in rushing through CPAMs which my opinion would have a substantial negative impact on our County as a whole," wrote Chairman York, "While you are free to ignore the advice of our planning staff not to accept the CPAMs you are compelled to follow the law."

The county planning staff recommended that all five of the developer proposals along Route 50 be rejected. Instead, the Planning Commissioners, appointed by the Board of Supervisors, voted to move forward with the proposals.

Residents along Route 50, including South Riding, Kirkpatrick Farm, Westview, and Stone Ridge, are monitoring the proposals closely. "If the transition area is developed with the number of houses in the CPAM applications, the traffic along route 50 would become unbearable," said Dean Zywicki, president of the Westview HOA, "If the CPAM applications are approved as is, I will seriously consider moving my family from Loudoun County and most certainly from the Dulles South area. The deteriorating quality of life and value to living in Loudoun County will force me to look elsewhere."

"I feel like we're living in communist Russia and not the United States. Our elected officials must include us citizens in the review of these developer proposals at every step, said Janine Czarnecki, a resident of South Riding, "These proposals will have a huge impact on anyone who lives along the Route 50 corridor."

View a map of proposed CPAMs (PDF)