No Sausage Factory Here

Watching government in action has often been compared to the production of sausage – not a pretty sight. The 9/11 meeting of the Loudoun County Planning Commission meeting to consider the Crosstrail rezoning application should be a case study for the Harvard School of Government. Despite being held on the 5th anniversary of our nation’s most disastrous day, at the same time as the Redskin’s opening game, a major Presidential address to the nation, and the second installment of ABC's controversial, highly promoted, and widely watched mini-series, “The Path to 9/11”, the members of the Planning Commission, County staffers, two member of the Town Planning Commission, Town staffers, senior officers (including the CEO) of the Peterson Companies, and several dozen consultants worked until midnight to approve Crosstrail: 5 for, 2 opposed, 1 abstention, and 1 absent.

Chair Teresa White Whitmore should have the Harvard chair in Meeting Management. She brought warring parties not only to the peace table, but conducted an orderly debate where all parties had an opportunity to express their views and resolve differences. After the final vote was tallied, I had the feeling that even the two opposed were not violently opposed. One said almost nothing during the whole five hours and gave no reason for his opposition. The one abstention did so because she had only been on the commission a few weeks and had not heard the entire debate. Judging from her questions and observations, it was my feeling that she leaned toward a Yes.

The Crosstrail application now goes to the Board of Supervisors. If this body works as hard and as responsibly as the Planning Commission, the process and the results will make Loudoun County and Leesburg a better place to live, and will hopefully set the tone for better government. Sausage production is not a permitted use in the County Government building. Take note Leesburg: Your zoning laws on this use should conform to the County’s.