Special Election Tues Jan 31

AFGM, people talk. The difference between Ms. L and me is probably that she is a professional loonie, while I am a mere amateur!

Which brings me to Lee: Keep flogging the "you must be paid" if you like, but by your own postings you have raised some interesting issues on your own positions.

*You are to be viewed as an authority, because you are a "developer". Well, no you're not. You are a designer of castles. A designer of castles who slams people who actually develop something on land other than expensive homes on sprawl lots, and who may be doing so (the slamming) because you know your product is a narrow niche requiring a high percentage of the most expensive commodity, marketed to the smallest sliver of the customer base, that produces nothing in the way of impact offset. The actual developers are supposed to pick up your slack, eh? Well, how are they going to do that if the land is used up in castles?

*Your postings on support of density packing (TODs) and large lot by-right. The majority of people (the average ones who make up the bulk of the bell curve of demand) are not seeking a box on top of a subway station, although its better than nothing in starting to accumulate equity.
Your customer base is really in a box: they demand (all 14 of them) a castle on a large lot, with no people around, and easy access to the metro area, with no traffic (average people) to impede them.

The justification for larger lot zoning is that the land "should be" agricultural. As in "historically". As in past. The primary use for most of the land in Loudoun is residential, and has been for some time. If it had market value as farm land, people wouldn't be selling it for housing. And no, it isn't just "greed". It is the fact that the land is worth less as farm land. Farming no longer pays here. It is primarily a tax write off for wealthy second career hobbies, and niche markets (there's that word again). Even the Chile Man is gone.

So, we create urban, and castles. And ignore the fact that the suburbs exist? Right.

Why?

Well, who wants to be President? Mr. Warner.

Who took over his job? Mr. Kaine. Who was picked last week by Nancy Pelosi (the aunt of your original developer in Broadlands, Tom D'Allessandro IV) to counter the State of the Union address. Why is it getting so much attention that Kaine won? We just had a Democratic governor. becuase we need to place Warner even more on the map for 08.

What is the biggest issue in the breadbasket of VA (us)? transportation. Has Kaine's plan so far addressed it? Gee, he's going to give localities the authority to deny PLANNING out of hand.

What will occur if Mr. Herring goes to Richmond? Well, we'll have the opportunity to play on the national stage as "smart" growth, transit oriented new Urbanism, and a newly Democratic powerhouse in Northern VA, the home of Mr. Warner.

Are the roads going to get better? I doubt it.

here's what I see: the issue was raised at Mr. Kaine's Leesburg town meeting that one term wouldn't be enough to accomplish what he wants to do.
Getting term limits changed will take nearly an entire term. Then we'll all be supposed to vote for the Kaine legacy, because there wasn't time to do it. Right.

This administration will primarily be spent in getting Warner into a postiton to challenge Hillary Clinton. And we will be the lab rats for policy, while the paid activists will be trotted out to mouth "the will of the people".

And our roads will not change, and land will be used up in castles to attract new Millionaire activists. You watch. Once again we are lab rats who chased the carrot of roads.

And we'll wait. And pay taxes. And watch things deteriorate on behalf of the few.

Barbara Munsey, from South Riding.

 

Who was picked last week by Nancy Pelosi (the aunt of your original developer in Broadlands, Tom D'Allessandro IV) to counter the State of the Union address.

Barbara-
Lee doesn't live in Broadlands.

 

He lives in The Regency if I am not mistaken.

 

You all are very funny Here I will make it easy for you all.

Correct Lee does live in the regency,

Wilson Pickett who just died lived behind me.

Now lets make it more fun which house does Lee live in?????

Just for kicks can any of you name the developer of the Regency and who owned the land where mci is and much of the surrounding land at one time.
Hint he is a friend of mine.

finally what was his original intended use for the land when he bought it? You political types should know that one.

Oh one other fun question who was the original developer of Ashburn Farms?

OK I just can't resist one last question who is the budding rock star who lives in the broadlands and posts occasionally here on this forum?
I saw her and her band play awhile back and they are incredible.


Lee J Buividas

 

Cliff,

The dramatic rise in the school budget is not being driven by the amount of teacher raises (or lacrosse, or Spanish language education, etc.), it is the growth in the number of new students and the new schools and staff that are needed. A quick look at the budget numbers and data from the school's web site shows this.
-The number of full time equivalent employees for the schools rose by 714 from the 2005 level of 6429.4 to 7143.5 in 2006
-The number of students rose from 47,361 to 50,740
-Students/FTE has been trending down from 8.5 in 2001 to 7.3 in 2005 to 7.1 in 2006 (efficiencies of scale)
-Debt service expenditures for the schools is up from $83.1M in 2005 to $97.6M in 2006.
-We all know about the number of new schools being built, $188M was approved in the last referendum.

The Board of Supervisors would like us to believe it is the teachers and special programs that are causing the rise in taxes and not the growth. Tax revenue from homes with young families and kids (22% of Loudoun population 5-19 years old, Loudoun birth rate 20 per 1000 versus Virginia 13.6 per 1000) does not support the amount of services used causing taxes per house to rise.

To achieve lower increases in the school budget will require lower increases in the number of new students (two possible steps: 1) less new families and 2)sterilization of the current population (snip, snip) ) or require developers (and yes, therefore, the people who buy the new homes) to fully pay for the incremental capital cost their new homes are bringing to the county.

-Jim

 

I give, the suspense is killing me, my popcorn bowl is almost empty, my soda is gone, and I have to go the bathroom, so please please, what are the answers.

 

Lee, it is Ashburn Farm, not Ashburn Farm(S)

 

Jim-
Don't even get me started. Look at the percentage of the budget that goes to salaries, and tell me how many millions would be saved by giving realistic raises.
The amount of money being spent on schools is ridiculous. Schools can be built for much less, adding more classrooms to the schools (without increasing the number of students per classroom) could reduce the number of schools needed to be built and reduce the number of times kids get shifted from one school to another school.
Not to mention the Taj Mahal the School Board built for itself with money the taxpayers did NOT want spent, per the voter referendums that were defeated.

 

Thanks for the correct spelling for "Ashburn Farm" afgm and I assume the af in your intials stands for what else Asburn Farm. Now I wonder if we designed and built your home there

gator I will answer one of my questions to lessen your suspense.

The budding rock star in the broadlands is non other then Sunny. [8D]

And we all should get a group together and see her and her band play very soon.

I bet we could get a personal invitation in person from her like I did for this last New Years Eve. She actually came to my home to invite me and my wife. Unfortunately I was unable to see her and her band play New Years Eve.

Let me add Barbara has so many facts about me wrong I am not even going to bother to correct them all, I will allow the rumors to persist much more fun that way.

 

Jim--Greenvest is proposing CDA financing for six schools in their application, passing the cost to those who choose to buy there. The plan they are proposing builds over 20 years, with infrastructure upfront.

Lee, why assume that "your" means you personally when I am addressing a Broadlands forum? And I did look you up on the Internet, and found the testimonials from custom customers. Your positions are here to see: "smart" growth talking points, by-right castles, and developer bashing I'm supposed to take as gospel because you're a "developer".

Have all the fun you want, hon. Fact remains your stated postions support a combination of sprawl and density packing. What part of the deficit in infrastructure do your homes make up by building large on large lots?

Barbara Munsey, from South Riding.

 

Oh Barbara you do add to the entertainment here on occasion.

We all love girl

Lee J Buividas

 

Well you might have, Cross built my home.

 

Cliff, I think you have good points about the capital expeditures made for new schools.

I do think the operating budget is a different thing. My impression is they operate at a high level of efficiency. As for the new building, did you ever see the North Street? The old admin offices. I wouldn't consider the new admin building a Taj Mahal. It is big, but I don't think they went overboard.

 

afgm that was Chip Cross an excellent builder. Our company in the farms was Westchester Homes at the time not to be confused with winchester homes.

If you go to the street where the home show was at 16 or so years ago (can't remember the street) we built the model and from the back has the deck with what some people have called the spaceship gazebo. You can see it from that other street I can't remember. We also built the homes that have the towers on them and they are all over the place. I think Barbara would called them castles but certainly not anywhere near as large as the ones she keeps harping about and they are certainly not on tons of acres.

Lee J Buividas

 

Barbara-
The only thing that worries me about the CDA's are that if the Developer defaults, then the county is stuck with the bill. I know it seems unlikely that would happen given the current economy, but you never know.

AFGM-
Then explain this...I have asked several at the county and get glassy stares and "Gee, I don't know, I'll get back to you".......

The last time there was a bond referendum to fix up North Street to make all the necessary upgrades, repairs, etc, it was for $6,900,000.
This got trounced by the voters of the county, so what do they do? Spend $25,000,000 to built their own palace, and associated palatial furnishings.
How is this being fiscally sound and putting our tax dollars to the best use?? I realize that question is an oxymoron: tax dollars and fiscally sound rarely, if ever, go together. It's always easy spending someone else's money.

How do you explain the huge pay increases when the county has had no trouble filling the teaching positions. For the past two years I know of people who have applied and been told all positions, other than Special Ed, were filled.
Hatrick argues that salaries have to keep up with surrounding jurisdictions. This is odd since Loudoun County announces salaries first and the surrounding jurisdictions respond accordingly. Hatrick also uses the laughable argument about teachers not being able to afford to live here. He could DOUBLE their salaries and it wouldn't be enough to buy a house here.

 

Cliff, you might want to read more on the CDAs. It is my understanding that the way they are structured, the county cannot be held liable. There are several heavy hitters of the Mr. Burton mold who trumpet loudly that county liability is very definitely the case, but I don't think the facts bear them out. It also seems that those most loudly espousing that position also oppose any homes being built anywhere west of Dulles Airport (the great big backyard syndrome).

Lee, you're the one who called them castles. As I am not in the business like you, I just used your term since you are the authority.

Barbara Munsey, from South Riding.

 

Wouldn't the correct term be tudor? It seems odd that the builder of these tudor homes calls them castles.

 

Nope not tudor, absolutely not. Long story how these homes came about and were quite different for northern va 20 years ago and slightly more common today as the area is slowly moving past the box colonial.

The designs in other parts of the country are far more creative then around here in places like california texas and florida. Someday these large sprawl builders will bring out product so we can tell the difference by between one home from another. a slight Exaggeration of course before Barbara stomps on this too. ha ha ha

Actually there is a book called architecture for dummies and all kidding aside it is not to bad for the lay person.

Lee J Buividas

 

I think this thread was originally about who was going to run for the state, and then who might backfill Stanton. Here was an article in the post about Herring & Stanton, and who might replace stanton
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/20/AR2006012002171.html

 

Did anyone else get the blatantly pro-Herring push poll today?

The first question gave it away: "If the election were held today, would you vote for Dick Black's son-in-law Mick Staton, or for Supervisor Mark Herring?"

I literally laughed and said, "That's a funny question." For those not in the know, Mark Herring isn't a Supervisor. He used to be, and then ran unsuccessfully against Russ Potts for the 27th Senate District seat [Herring got creamed overall, but he did beat Potts in Loudoun]. Seeing things didn't work against Potts, he decided to move down the street and try again, this time in the 33rd District.

FWIW- the poll was paid for by Equality Virginia- I could have guessed when the second question asked if "marital equality" (or something like that) was important in my decision of whom I would vote for.

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