The greek fable is a metaphor for those who prevent others from having something that they themselves have no use for –
A high degree of interest in the fate of the 3 Dog Farm Special Use Permit (SUP) led to an overflow crowd last night with dozens of citizens ready to speak their minds. The crowd of over 100 people arranged itself like an angry wedding, with supporters of the 3 Dog Farm kennel on one side of the aisle and opponents on the other. The lines had clearly been drawn.
The evening began with a lengthy and extremely thorough walkthrough of the current state of the application and the details that had been hammered out over the past six months. As the explanation unfolded, the reality of the staff’s conclusion became clear. The applicants had made a concerted and methodical attempt to fulfill all the constraints and address all the concerns for the SUP application. The county staff concluded with a recommendation to allow the SUP. This was in direct opposition to the Planning Commission which voted 5-4-2 to recommend the denial of the SUP.
As a county, we have been here before.
Remember the Georgetown Retreat Center? The institution “came from someplace outside of Clarke” and attempted to build a facility that met all the requirements of their SUP but was still denied after having spent a significant amount of money in the process. That wound up in court which motivated the Board of Supervisors to change their position because their own counsel told them that the county was likely to lose the case.
Today that retreat center sits atop the mountain on Route 601, having caused no disruption to the county whatsoever. They have been good neighbors, but I’m sure they have no love for Clarke County because of the way they were treated.
A lesson learned? Uh no. In fact, it’s deja vu all over again.
The connection struck me when the first person who rose to speak against the SUP at last night’s hearing began by conceding that all the technical issues had been met by the applicant and concluded his three minutes by saying, “Let’s stop Loudoun at 601!” which elicited a raucous round of applause from his side of the aisle.
I really do understand the adjoining property owners’ fears. The top ten list of things people would like to see in their backyard would rarely include a kennel. However, if it’s allowed by existing ordinance (and it is) then the adjoining property owners don’t get to choose. The system for zoning and Special Use Permits has to be navigable by property owners and must, at the end of the day, provide them with a path of definable steps to achieve their objectives for the property when it is within allowable use.
The county started the night by demonstrating that its defined process had been met.
I don’t have a dog in this fight (sorry I just couldn’t help myself), but I am concerned about a couple of issues it raises. The owner of a parcel of land has the right to do what they want with it as long as it meets the zoning restrictions. In this instance, it clearly has met all the requirements. The opposition, which was vehement and comprehensive from surrounding property owners, is simply based on the fact that their desire is not to have a kennel there.
The other issue that bothers me is the ongoing Clarke County caste system of the “from here folks,” and the “come here folks.” At best it’s laughable; at worst it’s narrow-minded and paints the county to the outside world as a bunch of morons.
It will be a difficult call for the BoS. If they go by the data as far as the applicant’s fulfillment of conditions to meet the requirements for the Special Use Permit, they will have to allow the SUP. However, the unified opposition from adjoining property owners is a problem. They simply do not want the kennel as a neighbor. If the SUP passes, it will not be a harmonious neighborhood any longer.
Mercifully for all of us in attendance last night the can got kicked down the road. After three and a half long hours, the BoS moved to continue the discussion at their regular meeting next month on March 18th.
My read on the individual board members’ positions on the matter puts it at two in favor, two against and one undecided. Hopefully, on March 18th, they will be able to bring this to a close. I’m not sure I could take another evening of that.
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