Thursday, September 04, 2008
We don't want the intermodal yard
From the RoundTable blog
Read the latest entries
Darlene Oliver
Oliver has been a resident of Elliston for 40 years.
As if we haven't heard enough about this albatross, here is round 4, 5, 6 ... I've lost track.
I have been a resident of Eastern Montgomery County for most of my life. I absolutely do not want a business in our area that will depreciate land values and be an eyesore to our beautiful countryside, the "new" Virginia 603 that will take more homes and private property, and tax incentives to Norfolk Southern in a time of great budget deficit. I'd like to address each of these concerns in a little more detail.
Land values and an eyesore: An industrial facility of this nature will not blend into the local area. I have no problem with local business expansion. Rowe Furniture was a welcome addition to our area. It plays a non-intrusive role, and the architecture blends with surrounding properties.
I do not know how many people have had the opportunity to view rail yards in Roanoke, Richmond or Alexandria, but if one takes note, there are no multimillion-dollar homes located anywhere near them. Or, for that matter, any homes over $100,000. Not exactly a great tax base to help build schools.
I know I would not want to live near a location that will not fit into the surrounding neighborhood. The facility would interfere with the beautiful backdrop of the mountains -- mountains that residents from different parts of the state come to see in the fall.
Residents of our part of the county feel the same way a lot of people do when a jail or prison is built in their area. This facility could also possibly draw vagrants and thieves. Is the state going to pay for increased law enforcement for local residents? I doubt seriously that they will.
New Virginia 603: I'm not sure exactly where this planned new road would go. It is not practical to simply widen the existing road. There are numerous homes that would be displaced, and for those far enough off the road, the noise volume of big rigs at all hours of the day and night would be awful.
That would leave the option of a direct line through part of Lafayette to Interstate 81. Where does practicality come into play? We already have U.S. 11, which could be shored up to account for said traffic. I'm sure that this would be at an additional expense of several million of our tax dollars -- just when we are in need of the new school for Elliston-Lafayette.
How much would tax rates increase to pay for bonds necessary to make those improvements? Why throw the baby out with the bath water?
Tax incentives to Norfolk Southern: Now is not the time to dangle a carrot before a multimillion-dollar company to do business in our area. Unfortunately, I've heard residents of other parts of the county refer to Eastern Montgomery as if we were a red-headed stepchild.
Financially, our area cannot take any more taxes. The property tax rate was increased a couple years ago, then the bottom fell out of the real estate market. Did the assessor run out to revalue our properties? Absolutely not. Therefore, we get to pay the increased taxes until the next assessment. Even then, there is no guarantee it will go down.
Then there are other items that have affected our cost of living. Should Norfolk Southern wish to continue its quest to put its little facility in Eastern Montgomery, let it pay its fair share.
I strongly urge the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors to meet with officials in Richmond, including Gov. Tim Kaine. If necessary, I would support legal action that would tie up this project for years to come. We do not want the intermodal facility in any way, shape or form.
