Kill Bill
The Northern Virginia Daily's Political Depot (Wednesday, February 15, 2006) has a good update on what is happening in regards to the various transportation plans being considered.
A major portion of Gov. Kaine’s plan would have allowed local governments to kill a development project if the project would over-stress the local roads.
Unfortunately, that portion of the plan died in a House subcommittee.
The article gors on to say, “A package of VDOT reforms moving through the House would privatize interstate maintenance and start the process of putting road decisions and financing back into the hands of local governments.”
Wait, didn't they just kill that?
I would like to see the “process” started sooner rather than later. Local governments need more authority when it comes to development.
posted by RBV @ 4:03 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Jim,
Thanks for the post.
I read HB 1513 and it does not explicitly say that VDOT can kill a project. They simply have input.
It seems to me that VDOT can recommend that a project not move forward because there are not adequate roads and that’s about it. That’s not much different than what they do now. I think as it stands now localities can “request” VDOT input. This bill makes it S.O.P to get VDOT involved from the get-go.
A locality is not required to kill a project simply because it does not have VDOT’s blessing. One would think that the VDOT report would give a locality some direction but that’s not always the case. We all have seen plenty of developments pushed through regardless of the roads and regardless of what VDOT says.
"But the real kicker is you're claiming VDOT won't fully use power it's given."
Where exactly is this claim made?
Don't take my word for it. Read this article.
Given the current ubiquitous NIMBY attitude towards development, giving local government more power to prohibit development will simply mean that some communities will stop development completely.
For a while.
Eventually the pressure will build and local government will find itself in a very uncomfortable position. Their own neighbors and constituents will be in their face over junior's new house. They might actually have to take responsibility of their actions, but more likely it will be more of the beggar thy neighbor style of management.
Or as Jim Patrick points out some other favors may be involved. I'm disturbed about what input might mean, why would anyone vote for a bill that is so vague?
I had a lot development one time, and VDOT rejected the surveyors drawings four times, each for one deficiency. They could have marked up the original submission with all their comments. And each time you go back with a fix they put you on the bottom of the basket, so it is a ten-day to two-week delay. We are talking technical drawing nits that had nothing to do with the actual plat or measurements of the lot.
My surveyor said he had submitted thousands of plats and never had such a run-around. He was convinced it was a request for graft. All you have to have is one guy at VDOT whose personal feeling are anti-development, and he can make your life miserable.
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