ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, August 14, 1995                   TAG: 9508140100
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: TODD JACKSON
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium


NO NEW IDEAS ON PROTECTING FARMLAND

``What are the candidates' ideas for promoting sustainable development and protecting farmland from non-agricultural development pressures?''

Tammy Belinsky, Copper Hila

The background:

Sustainable development - which can ensure that acres of farmland aren't eaten up by developers - is a theory that has emerged recently to counter the belief that economic prosperity requires growth. It recommends that a locality make the things it has more efficient, that it support existing businesses and that it encourage local entrepreneurship before it seeks outside investment.

The General Assembly's role:

While localities have the final say-so on many land issues, the General Assembly can adopt laws to provide a framework. In 1989, the legislature created a state panel, the Virginia Commission on Population Growth and Development, that sought ways to limit sprawl development and foster statewide and regional planning for growth. The commission disbanded in June without accomplishing the majority of its goals.

The answers

The question was directed to the candidates for the House of Delegates seat that covers Floyd County, most of Franklin County, a piece of Pittsylvania County and the Moneta precinct in Bedford County.

Del. Allen Dudley (R): On sustainable development: "If an area is not growing, and not planning for future growth, it is slowly dying. Our local communities have a legitimate need for continued economic development. Managed growth spreads the cost of governmental services over a wider area, helping hold down the tax burden on individual landowners. Sustainable growth also depends on the availability of natural resources such as water and usable land. Our area is rich in this respect. Through the publicity generated over the Lake Gaston pipeline, we have all become more aware of the problems an area faces when it attempts to grow beyond the ability of its natural resources."

On protecting farmland: "The greatest problem facing farmers is not encroaching development, but increasing government regulations and mandates."

Claude Whitehead (D): On sustainable development: "It is an extremely complex and emotional issue; but in my experience, it is best dealt with at the local level. The General Assembly can and should provide the framework of law within which the local problems can be addressed, but only the people within the community can make the vital decisions that will affect their future so intimately."

On protecting farmland: "Virginia law provides for this in a number of ways, including authority for counties, towns and cities to adopt zoning, subdivision and land-use taxation ordinances."

Also on the record:

Dudley, who grew up on a Franklin County tobacco farm, and Whitehead, who operates one now in Pittsylvania County, offered no new ideas to answer Belinsky's question. However, Dudley said he believes farming and agriculture-related businesses in the region will continue to be a major portion of planned economic development.

Whitehead said he would look at state tax laws to make sure Virginia is competitive with business incentives provided by nearby states such as North Carolina.

Both mentioned the state's Agricultural and Forestal District program as a viable protection for farmland. The program provides a tax break to landowners who commit farmland to such a district.

What other candidates say:

Sustainable development, while rising in prominence as an issue, isn't on the tips of legislators' tongues, according to Mike Chandler, a planning consultant with the Virginia Extension Service at Virginia Tech. Because it's an issue so broad in scope, it's hard to define and even harder for a coalition of politicians to mold into usable legislation.

Got a question for the candidates? Send it to Citizens' Agenda, The Roanoke Times, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke 24010, or fax it to 981-3346 or e-mail dyanceyinfi.net. Please include your name, address, daytime phone number and specify which candidates your question is for.

Keywords:
POLITICS



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