Loudoun County is reviewing its policies on pedestrian and bicycle access on county roads. In the Potomac District, Supervisor Andrea McGimsey will be holding a meeting this evening to bring her neighbors up to date on the latest plans for the area. She is inviting citizens to come and provide their input.

A community meeting on pedestrian and bicycle access in the Potomac area will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.,Tuesday, May 11, 2010, at the Sterling offices of the Loudoun County Government, 21641, Ridgetop Circle, Suite 100. Potomac District Supervisor Andrea McGimsey and county staff will provide an update on county initiatives to bring safer and improved bicycle and pedestrian access to the Potomac District.

A map to the meeting and a copy of the invitation from Supervisor McGimsey can be seen below the fold.  

This meeting is quite timely as the annual “Bike To Work” day is coming on Friday, May 21st. We should all be careful of our friends on bikes as we make our way along Loudoun’s roads.Did you know that the Washington DC region was second only to the New York Metro area in the amount of commuting done by people driving alone? All those solo drivers going long distances (like Leesburg to Bethesda, for example) create a significant hardship for both the persons driving and the people around them, in other cars, living near the roads and the kids breathing the air.

Biking and walking to work nearby is an important element of an improved transportation strategy for Loudoun. There are many ways to get cars off of our roads, which improves traffic, health and the environment. Making our roads more bike and pedestrian friendly is a good commitment to sustainable communities, and one small step towards fewer cars on the road. A fundamental prerequisite for this, however, is the safety of those not commuting by car.

Dear Neighbor,

Please join us for an important community meeting on Pedestrian / Bicycle Access and Safety on Tuesday evening.  County staff and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will provide an update and answer your questions on county and state initiatives to bring safer and improved bicycle and pedestrian access to the Potomac District.

Many of you have spoken to me about this important public safety issue, and I hope you can make it to this meeting even if you have to come late.

Loudoun County needs your feedback about where and how you think the county can improve pedestrian and bicycle access and safety.  The meeting will include an overview of present and past initiatives, including theAtlantic Corridor initiative for bicycle and pedestrian improvements, the extension of Atlantic Boulevard, and the proposed rezoning of Dulles Town Center.

   * Date: Tuesday, May 11, 2010

   * Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

   * Location: 21641 Ridgetop Circle, Suite 100, Sterling, VA 20166

Directions to the Sterling office are available online. – Supervisor Andrea McGimsey

A map to the meeting:

View Larger Map

In my own life, my wife is interviewing for a job only a couple miles from our house, which would significantly improve her commute, which is to Bethesday for now. If she were to get the job, I expect she would bike to work herself from time to time. I’m grateful that our Democratic Supervisors are looking out for her safety if she does.

One of the things we’re going to be doing here on Loudoun Progress is providing you with a regular list of the things the Editors have been reading online which we find interesting enough to share.

For this idea, a tip-o-the-hat must be given to Waldo.

Follow below the fold for the links.

• Roman Catholic Priest at the Intersection of Faith and Doubt – It is inspiring to read a story of a Boston priest frustrated with the leadership of the church, add allowing his friends and neighbors to use him as a sounding board on that issue.
• Sen. Tom Udall on Senate Gridlock – The Senate is where progress goes to die these days, so this diary is worth reading if you’re wondering about it. Incidentally, Loudoun’s own David Waldman is going to be leading efforts to reform the cloture rules of the Senate.
• Army Birther Wants To See Proof – Army Lieutenant Colonel Terry Larkin wants to see President Obama’s birth certificate before he continues to serve, risking the threat of a courts-martial.
• Parkinson’s Law of Triviality – I had to look this one up when an engineer at work said a a conversation had reverted to “bikeshedding.”
• Plaque Commemorating Virginia-West Virginia Boundary Presented – Did you know that the official border between Loudoun County and Jefferson County was only finalized in 1998?
• Steele At Odds With Thurgood Marshall – GOP Chair/resident nitwit Michael Steele disparages an article written by Elena Kagan backing Justice Marshall’s 1987 statement regarding slavery.
• Overtime work is bad for your heart – Reason number 3,239,583 to be thankful for the workplace rights (like the right to higher overtime pay) won for every American by unions. If workers are going to be increasing their risk of heart disease, they better get paid commensurately, just like hazard pay.
• A “compromise” on Female Genital Mutilation? The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a new statement endorsing the use of a “ritual nick” in the hope of reaching out to immigrant communities and avoiding the much greater harm of FGM. Harm-reduction model, or legitimizing a barbaric violation of human rights?
• Linkspam: Why didn’t you call the police? part one Rape Culture: let me show you it.
  

When Democrats ran for the Board of Supervisors in 2007, they ran against over development, and bad development. It was often perceived that Democrats were standing against all development, but that isn’t the case. We’re looking for managed, planned development of the county that is in line with what can be sustained without harming the prosperity of our community.

This isn’t an easy needle to thread, and the input of the community is critical to making development decisions. Developers and businesses are having their voices heard before the Council and Planning Commission, but in the midst of the a recession that has residents looking to their jobs and wallets more than the field next door, the voice of the community has been quiet when it comes to discussions of development.

(Kincora is proposed for the western side of Rt 7 at Rt 28.)

Into this context appears a reapplication of what might be one of the only development projects that was actually denied by the previous Board of Supervisors, Kincora.

Around 1000 A.D., Kincora was the capital of Ireland and home of Brian Boru, Ireland’s first “High King.” During this period, Kincora served as the seat of Irish commerce and knowledge.

Utilizing this “unification” theme, the Kincora Mixed-Use Development will be an amenity-rich community of unsurpassed architectural quality, smart design, and environmental sustainability – at the crossroads of Loudoun County’s “knowledge” and “commerce” corridors. When complete, this dynamic 424-acre pedestrian friendly commerce center will be a model for sustainable development mixed-use projects, including over 165 acres of natural protected wetlands, parks, and trails. – Kincora-va.com

Tonight, Monday May 10th, there will be a public hearing on Kincora, a development that is not included in the current plans for the county, has been previously denied, and faces serious questions about funding in its current form. Supervisor Andrea McGimsey has asked for the community to come and speak their minds on this proposed change to the county plan.

Dear Neighbor,

Developers are proposing a major mixed use project called Kincora at the intersection of Route 7 and 28.  They have submitted a rezoning application that includes apartment buildings/residential units (not currently allowed under the county’s comprehensive plan), office buildings, and retail.  Many citizens in our district live near the Kincora site and drive on Route 7 and 28, and we need your input as the Board of Supervisors begins to consider the application.

Please attend the Public Hearing next Monday evening to share your thoughts directly with all members of the Board of Supervisors on this proposed development.

Date: Monday, May 10, 2010

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Location: Board Room, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, SE, Leesburg

To speak at the public hearing, call 703-771-5072 to sign up; you can also sign up at the hearing.  Directions to the Government Center are available online.

There are multiple items before Kincora on the public hearing agenda.  I do not anticipate many speakers for those items, but you may want to bring a book to read while you are waiting for your turn to speak. – Supervisor Andrea McGimsey

Here’s a map of where the hearing will be:

View Larger Map

In talking with Supervisor McGimsey about Kincora, she pointed out that mixed-use development is generally a good idea, when it is done according to plan (think Dulles Town Center), but that there are real questions to be raised about putting residential developments right alongside major highways. Kincora would put residential houses alongside Loudoun County’s two main highways, with the potential traffic and health considerations of such development to consider, it is critical that the community come to the hearing and make their voices heard.

Ha!