Loudoun Supervisor Miller To Reconsider Essential Dulles South Lenah School Site
In the face of overwhelming opposition against an extremely unpopular inclination by Stevens Miller (Loudoun Board of Supervisor - Dulles South Region) to not support the special exception vote needed for a desperately-needed set of new Dulles South schools, Mr. Miller agreed in principle to more carefully and completely weigh and consider both the facts on the table and the vast majority of constituent support evidenced at last night's town hall meeting on the issue.
Mr. Miller hosted a conversation last night with Dulles South constituents at Mercer Middle school, and engaged in frank, open dialogue with over 200 parents and citizens - at least 90% of whom were unequivocally unanimous in their message to the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors - "the Lenah school site is the right place, with the right approvals, at the right time, for the future of the county and its children".
The meeting itself was very spirited, with a mix of audience-initiated banter and response and a steady stream of eloquent speakers addressing Mr. Miller, the crowd, and a couple of "Loudoun's finest" on hand to enjoy the community support. Dulles South representation came from the entire district, with a majority from the South Riding and Stone Ridge areas.
Mr. Miller himself was extremely engaged and provided much helpful information - in the face of what amounted to an onslaught of well-read and popular opinion regarding an exceptionally critical decision to support Loudoun's current school overcrowding situation and dire projections. Mostly on the defensive, with little support for his current undecidedness or the apparent litany of existing economic, policy, education and political support for the Lenah school site selection, Mr. Miller received a very thorough taste of the massive wave of constituent pressure building quickly in Southern Loudoun.
By far the best metaphor of the day involved the spectre of the current and quickly-rising school-age children population growth - a speaker compared Mr. Miller's arguments to "arguing over the cheapest bucket to catch the leaks from the building flood - we need to stop the flood, not focus on the bucket". Mr. Miller's arguments seemed to revolve around making sure the "least worst option" was selected - which by these measures has already proven to be the Lenah school site.
Update - per the Dulles South Neighbors for Education site, the next and possibly last opportunity for Dulles South and Loudoun parents, moms and dads to convince their elected representatives to actually respect their concerns and overwhelming direction is this coming Monday:
Board of Supervisors Public Input
Loudoun County Government Building
1 Harrison Street, S.E. • Leesburg VA 20175
Monday, October 20
6:30 pm
Call 703-771-5072 to sign up to speak.
Labels: dulles south miller, dulles south schools, lenah run, lenah school, miller lenah school, stevens miller lenah
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posted by T at
6:09 AM
12 Comments:
Are schools needed? Yes. Is the price tag for this property ridiculous? Yes. The BOS has the responsibility to the taxpayers to determine whether, especially in this market, if they can find suitable property for a cheaper price.
Doesn't the fact that the school board contracted to lobby for Greenvest in this instance rub you just a little the wrong way? Take your selfish personal interests out of the equation and think about what an approval of this site would mean. It means that Greenvest is screwing the county on two ends, jacking up a price tag and then getting the board of equlization to lower the land's tax value.
Of course that argument doesn't sit wll with many parents who are thinking of nothing else but where Johnny will spend 7 hours per day.
Yes - there's fiscal responsibility to consider, though at some point action must be taken, before student safety is compromised, student educational opportunities are wasted, and ultimately far more excessive cost is incurred. That point has been coming for some time, and it's here, now.
Greenvest, you are posting a number of places under a variety of names, and your "facts" have yet to improve. The school board never lobbied for Greenvest, no school board member ever worked for Greenvest, and the only person saying so here, there and everywhere is the Dulles District Chair of the Loudoun County Democratic Committee--who just happened to move into Lenah Run about a year ago.
No agenda there!
This is suitable property, and it is reasonably priced for an improved site with roads and utilities. It should have been assessed January 1st as unimproved raw land--no parcels, access off a farm lane, and no utilities because they weren't there yet.
Land in Lenah Run, even with its inadequate community well and package treatment plant, runs $300-400K per acre.
Every other site proposed within the last few years while this middle school was DELAYED was protested by many of the same people protesting the Lenah site.
Enough is enough. The MS is voter-approved for construction, the site purchase money is voter-approved and is not being exceeded.
The only thing to be considered with the SPEX is does it meet the plan, and mitigate its impacts. Answer is: YES and YES.
Barbara Munsey
Sorry Barbara, you are wrong again. The facts are the facts. Mr. Dupree did lobby for the CPAM and did so along side of Greenvest. He did work out of the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association Office (at least until the CPAM was voted down). All of this is on the Public Record. It won't take the FBI very long to make the link if they looked into it. It seems this is how things were done in the previous board. If I were you I would be very careful of the ground you walk on because you just might be next on the list.
Do you think threatening me makes you more credible?
I've got nothing to hide and nothing to worry about. That's why I use my name.
The FBI has been waved around for about two years now; where are the indictments? Gosh, I thought they were DEFINITELY coming before the 2007 election.
DuPree consulted for an affordable housing lobby called Housing Choices for All two or three years ago for six months.
I'm sure Greenvest DID contribute to the group; lots of builders did.
You've got nothing to work with but the whole "Greenvest conspiracy" and "the CPAMs are coming back if we build the schools!", so to say DuPree worked for Greenvest and lobbied for the CPAMs fits right in.
Here's what the Loudoun County Director of Planning had to say about whether or not the CPAMs are coming back:
"Barbara, In response to your questions below, on November 8, 2006, the Board reaffirmed the Transition Area Policies and did not approve the Upper Broad Run and Upper Foley Plan Amendment. On November 21, 2006, the Board permanently limited the consideration of comprehensive plan amendments to those initiated by the Board of Supervisors. This ended the practice of acceptance of applicant-initiated plan amendments.
At this time, by majority vote, the Board may initiate an amendment to the Plan. Further, the Planning Commission by majority vote can recommend consideration of a Plan amendment. However, resources to work on such an amendment would be at the direction of the Board.
As an aside, most recently with respect to the Transition Area (July 2008), the Board considered whether to proceed with amending the Plan to eliminate the cluster requirements in the Middle Goose Sub-area/TR-10 Zoning District. They decided not to proceed with such an amendment citing the desire to maintain the existing policies.
Julie Pastor, AICP
County of Loudoun
Director of Planning
(703) 777-0246
>>> Barbara Munsey 10/16/2008 3:41 PM >>>
Dear Julie:
Information continues to be circulated (and
presented by the At Large Representative to the Parks,
Recreation, and Open Space Advisory Committee during
her remarks at the public hearing this week) that if
the Lenah SPEX is approved, it means "the CPAMs are
coming back".
I called the Planning Department, and was
referred to Marchant, who suggested I write to you for
complete information regarding my questions, which are
as follows:
1. Is there not a standing Board moratorium on
applicant-initiated CPAMs?
2. If so, wouldn't it require Board action to bring a
CPAM forward, i.e. Mr. Miller, or possibly Mr. York,
as At Large member, would have to put forth a motion
and receive a majority of Board members' supporting
votes for any CPAM to be initiated in the Transition
Area, or any other policy area in the county?
3. What would be the necessary process to be
fulfilled before any CPAM would be under consideration
in the Transition (or any other) Policy Area?
Thank you for your time on this; neighborhoods
in South Riding and Stone Ridge are being leafleted
with that CPAM "information", so it would be quite
helpful to have correct information for the residents
who are understandably concerned.
Hope you are well!
Barbara Munsey"
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sorry Admin. I tend to be blunt.
The CPAM threat is being used in the hospital issue too; full page ad in this week's Leesburg Today, apparently by HCA/BRMC or at least appearing so, that if a hospital is built on route 50, the CPAMs are coming back.
Barbara Munsey
Cross-posted with the removal of the one I was replying to. ?
A reminder to be civil never hurts!
B
I think you fail to see the facts once again. Conflict of interest can be directly attributable to anyone who receives or received compensation from a group that stands to benefit from a public decision. Mr. Dupree did receive compensation from Greenvest indirectly, worked for a lobby that represented their interests and now is voting in favor of a contract where his employer standed to benefit. Housing Choices For All was assembled by other home builders as an attempt to help Greenvest and Pulte homes directly in regard to the CPAM. These are the facts and if you don't believe me ask the executives at Carr Homes, Stanley Martin, Pulte Homes and the other two home builders who sat on the board of HCFA.
Sorry, Barbara, I've never posted on this topic anywhere else. I actually don't care all that much about this silly school site.
What I do care about is Robert DuPree and Greenvest being in cahoots. And yes, it is a fact that the School Board contracted with Greenvest to lobby for the use of the Lenah site as the only suitable location for this cluster of schools. According to school board members it's in the contract.
Lastly, Barbara, I have to ask. Do you actually think your speaking out for something helps your cause? Becauase in the circles I run in--and those who have power--your opinions are toxic. My advice to you is this: If you have a position on something, best keep your mouth shut because it doesn't help your goals, it only hurts them.
Just some friendly advice!
Facts? No. Not this version either.
Friendly advice? I'll take it under consideration.
It's hard to take anonymous people making threats and talking about shadowy power seriously. No matter what circles they claim to run in, toxic or otherwise.
Well, your powerful friends don't have to take my word for it: A couple hundred people other than me spoke up last Thursday, and several dozen more did so tonight at public input.
Interesting article today, in the Loudoun Times:
http://www.loudountimes.com/news/2008/oct/20/assessor-forecasting-large-drop-home-values-2009/
Seems there will be double-digit drops in assessed value...everywhere BUT in Dulles district.
So, when the BoS raises taxes countywide to make up the difference, how much MORE than everyone else will Dulles be paying?
As usual: for some time Dulles district has provided more revenue than not only every other district, but in some cases, more than some other districts COMBINED.
If they cash our checks, they ought to admit we live here, even if some people will never be able to accept it.
Build the schools.
Barbara Munsey
No Lenah Schools!! 5-4 BoS vote today to support the PC denial of LCPS application!!
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