Why do people do this?

[resqgeek]

Last night, the Alexandria City Council narrowly approved a permit allowing the Virginia Paving Company to operate at night from April to October. The measure had been strongly opposed from residents of a neighboring community, but the company argued that it needed to operate at night to fulfill government paving contracts that only permit paving operations at night to minimize the impact on traffic.

So, here's the thing that annoys me about the whole situation: The asphalt plant has been operating on that site since 1960. The adjacent community, formerly a military base that was closed in 1995, was built in the late 1990's and includes more than 2,000 homes and an elementary school. Since the asphalt plant significantly predates the community, what basis do the residents have to complain about it? When they bought their homes, they should have realized that it would impact their lives, and with the increasing traffic problems in the area and the move to nighttime paving (which was already well underway when these homes were built), they should have anticipated that nighttime production of asphalt would be required.

The environmental experts who reviewed the community's complaints (including the one the community hired) all agree that the plant is fully compliant with all environmental and safety regulations. This is simply a case of people moving into a community and then trying to impose their will on pre-existing neighbors. This is simply not playing fair.

Here is an article from yesterday's Washington Post, and another from today's paper.

Comments

[elhamisabel.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know exactly what you mean. Here in Frankfurt, properties near the airport (and to some extent those who are immediately underneath the flight pattern of the airplanes) were sold cheaper than they would have been sold had they not been near the noise of the airport. Those who bought them KNEW this beforehand. But then, after they moved into their new houses, people started to go to court and demand either different flight patterns or no flights at certain times.
They were all rejected, naturally. Because they knew that they had bought cheap property because they were living next to the airport.

Can't understand the cheek of these people!

[antof9.livejournal.com]

The same thing happens in the Chicago suburbs in O'Hare's flight path. I don't understand people!

I'm glad the vote in Alexandria City passed -- I can't even imagine how the CEO of that company must have felt, being voted on something that should never have been in question! "Not fair" is right!

[resqgeek]

Dulles International Airport is partially in Loudoun County, one of the fastest growing counties in the nation. They are currently building a fourth runway, even though they won't really need it for a few more years. Why? Because they're afraid they won't be able to build it when they need it, because of opposition from people who have moved into all those new homes going up right outside the airport.

[antof9.livejournal.com]

Isn't that amazing? (and sad) All I can think is "I know I bought this house that is so close to the airport I can walk to it, but gee, it sure is noisy. I think I'll complain!"

Of course, I'm not too happy with my own realtor right now, as we were promised some land near us was "open space", never to be built on. Three years into this house, and they're putting up a new subdivision between us and the highway. I don't really care about my view of the highway getting obscured, of course, but if I lose one inch of foothills viewing, I'll be crabby :) And then I'll get over it, I suppose. But it does make me think evil thoughts in the direction of our realtor.

last, re: airports -- you know Denver's new airport (DIA, short for "done in a while", "done in August" -- it was WAY behind schedule, thank you Federico Pena)? The one thing they did right on it was putting it out in the middle of nowhere. And I do mean nowhere. You turn on to the road that takes you there, and then you're still 10 miles away from it! But hopefully no one will complain about airport noise. We hope :)

[resqgeek]

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but when Dulles was built, people laughed because it was so far from the city, in the middle of nowhere. Now its smack in the middle of the fastest growing suburb in the region.

[antof9.livejournal.com]

LOL!

Well, we can take comfort in the fact that it's totally flat out there, and everyone (here) would rather be close to the mountains :)

...or something!

Ant, who still misses the 20-minute drive to Stapleton

[antof9.livejournal.com]

but I should add that I'm surprised there is a subdivision somewhat close to the airport already. Only 2 hotels, but already a subdivision? weird. Of course, I'm the girl who wants them to put a 24-hour Starbucks in the 45-minute waiting area...

[elhamisabel.livejournal.com]

exactly!

my favorite quote from the 2 articles

[antof9.livejournal.com]

"Cameron Station is a private, gated community. There are 'No trespassing' signs everywhere," company spokesman John Irvine said pointedly. "Virginia Paving works on public projects. So it's interesting."