Politics & Government

Proffers to Pay for Claiborne's 'Missing Link' Design

Potomac supervisor seeks additional time, criticizes colleague before withdrawing substitute motion.

With the goal of making use of idle funds that developers previously gave to the county for projects, the Loudoun Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to use proffered constricutions to pay for the design of Claiborne Parkway’s ‘missing link.”

While the decision ultimatley was unanimous, Supervisor Andrea McGimsey (D-Potomac) raised concerns about the use of proffers from Ryan's Corner before learning more about planned improvements in the area of Waxpool, Shellhorn and Ashburn roads. The questions might have come and gone without incident, but McGimsey criticized the current supervisor of the area while questioning the intentions of others.

The proffer money under consideration related to three projects: Amberleigh and the Bodner Property, both of which are just east of the Claiborne, and Ryan’s Corner, considerably farther away. While McGimsey does not represent either area now, she would represent the Waxpool/Shellhorn area, which borders the future Ashburn District, if elected as Broad Run supervisor.

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In her comments, she suggested that those representing that area were failing their constituents.

“It is just a really dangerous piece of road, I don’t know why supervisors who represent that area haven’t worked on it,” she said. “It is a problem. And I have a problem with using a proffer without thinking through issues for the community.”

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Supervisor Stevens Miller (D-Dulles), who currently represents the Waxpool and Claiborne areas in question took issue McGimsey’s comments.

“I would invite supervisors who have such deep-seated about the welfare of my constituents to tell me if they are going to pull an item off consent, and not let me find out this way,” he said before voting. The item had been listed as part of the board's consent agenda, a series of non-contentious items supervisors vote on in bundles during each meeting, but McGimsey asked for it to be pulled.

Miller in a later call to a reporter offered to assist Potomac residents who feel McGimsey is not representing them as she eyes a run for Broad Run.

“If any current Potomac constituents feel neglected while she look out for Dulles,” Miller said they “can bring their concerns to me.”

In terms of constructing the missing link along Claiborne, Miller said, “it is critical."

McGimsey said the reason the issues piqued her interest was the use of Ryan’s Corner funds for anything other than Waxpool until verifying other needs in that area were met.

“I had a concern about the Ryan’s Corner proffer,” she said from the dais. “It’s supposed to be used toward Waxpool Road.”

She made a substitute motion to send the item to the Transportation/Land Use Committee.

While acknowledging the funds could be used for Claiborne, “we also need to first look right next to those communities and see if there are other problems that need to be fixed,” she said, “so we can fix that piece of road that has been a mess for years. Years and years and years that road has been a mess.”

However, Terri Laycock, the acting director of the Office of Transportation Services, said developers were in the process of improving several of the items McGimsey mentions – including performing studies and paying for, if warranted, signals at Waxpool and Shellhorn, and at Waxpool and Ashburn Road, as well as improving Waxpool. The area is just west of the four-way stop sign at Ashburn Village Parkway and Waxpool.

Supervisor Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge), who if reelected to his district would represent resident in Brambleton that would benefit from the Claiborne improvement, supported using the money for that project.

“It is an opportunity to complete a significant portion of the network in that area. Brambleton is the fastest growing community in the county,” he said, adding that about 350 homes have been built in Brambleton this year and they are looking for ways in and out of the community. “I want to complement staff for finding a way to get this link finished.”

About improvements needed for Waxpool, he said, “it sounds like they have plans in the works for many of them.”

McGimsey asked members of the transportation staff a few more questions and then withdrew her substitute motion before voting with the rest of the board in support of the Claiborne improvements.

Laycock said by moving forward now, the county could be ready to go to construction when state revenue sharing dollars become available in July 2012. Loudoun intends to seek $2 millon from the state, which the county would match. If the county waits for that revenue sharing money to pay for the Claiborne design, it would likely delay the project by 10 months.

[Correction: Supervisor McGimsey's party affiliation was listed incorrectly in a previous version of this story. Patch apologizes for the error.]


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