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Removing Common Sense from Fairfax County’s RPA Mapping Process |
Currently, Fairfax County’s Public Facilities Manual (PFM) allows a landowner to submit observational data (i.e., a photograph) showing the lack of flowing water in the stream bed in a non-drought period to demonstrate that a stream is, in fact, intermittent and not perennial, if mapped as perennial by Fairfax County. Despite the documented inaccuracies in WSSI’s previous newsletter article in this edition, a small vocal group of people trying to stop a particular project are pushing County staff and elected officials to abandon the common sense test of “if the stream bed has no water in a non-drought period, it clearly is intermittent” and instead may require costly dye tests to see if there is sub-surface flow. The question for the regulated public to answer in upcoming hearings is whether or not this additional burden of proof is a necessary cost to be imposed upon them.
The details of this proposal were previously reported in
WSSI’s March, 2005 newsletter. The on-going saga of this issue is accurately and precisely described in a memo from Anthony Griffin, County Executive to the Board of Supervisors, dated May 26, 2005.
The numerous calls and discussions we have received on this topic prove that RPA’s are the ultimate
"Not In My Backyard " (NIMBY) issue. If the RPA is on someone else’s lot it’s great; but if it’s on yours:
- A prominent environmental activist appeals his taxes claiming “devaluation” by RPA designation;
- A property owner wants it removed from his I-4 land and added to the undeveloped lot next to his house;
- A former Planning Commissioner who supported an expansive RPA definition has a friend who needs this new RPA removed because it can’t possibly be a perennial stream.
Contact
Mike Rolband,
Mark Headly,
Ian Smith,
Frank Graziano,
Laura Giese or
Craig Tumer if you need further information on this topic.
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