What is left of rural area?
18,000 acres.
What was accomplished in 22 years? Not much!
The rural area is often quoted as 117,000 acres or 52% of the county, yet we only have 18,000 acres available as undeveloped! In 1998, the rural area was established to slow the growth of development- · Goal to reduce COG projected growth in 2020 from 470,000 to 390,000. · Reduce number of schools needed by 2022. · Down planned 47,000 acres of rural area land from 5 acre, 1 acre, and quarter acre lots to 10 acre by right lots ONLY. Today's Results: We did not slow the growth at all - we now have approximately 470,000 population vs the hoped for 390,000 What did we do? We absorbed developable land at a greater pace without reducing population growth! We actually embraced and encouraged sprawl. · We destroyed our opportunity to create Jobs, Opportunity, Equity and a 35% Commercial Tax Base · We have no land planned for Data Centers or Economic growth · We crammed all the density on the Eastern end ....promoting the exclusionary line · We became the JUNK ROOM for Loudoun & Fairfax · Demonstrated by Transmission lines, commuter parking lots....what's next a new landfill? Our citizens have to commute daily to get good jobs - more than our neighboring jurisdictions · The infrastructure needs did not get reduced by reducing density alone. · Today, through inaction, we only have 18,000 left of undeveloped world area to provide preservation tools. · We are eating up between 500 and 1000 acres per year in the rural area without public open space on 10 acre lots with well and septic.