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A little over t hree weeks ago, we came to you, the members of Blacksburg United for Responsible Growth, with a choice. Should we ask the Virginia Supreme Court to reverse the decision of the Montgomery County Circuit Court that gave the South Main development immunity from the provisions of Ordinance 1450?
We have talked to many people in the community, laying out how our participation might help, what the costs might be, and reasons why we might not want to appeal.
At our February 10th community meeting, we found overwhelming support from those present for pursuing the appeal. But we also asked you to "vote with your wallet," to signal your willingness to persist in this legal battle with your pledges to the BURG Legal Fund. We had to have a significant commitment of resources up front before committing to a long and costly legal process.
Since we issued that challenge, we have received pledges amounting to $16,898. This is a tremendous show of determination to take this case to the Virginia Supreme Court. We are confident that we can cover the remaining costs of the appeal through continuing fundraising over the coming year. We all worked hard last spring to assure the passage of Ordinance 1450, and it is now clear that we will not let Fairmount Properties and the South Main landowners circumvent it in the courts without a fight.
Our appeal will be on behalf of the 21 residents of Blacksburg listed in the Circuit Court case, most of whom live close to the project and are "aggrieved parties" who have legal standing to appeal. But they will be standing up for all of us as we work to preserve and enhance the character of our town.
Thank you to everyone who pledged, and thank you to those who have already submitted payments. If you have not yet sent your payment, we will be contacting you soon. To keep up with our legal bill, we will need payment before the end of May.
Of course, if you have not pledged, we can still use whatever help you are able to give. Refer to our donations page on how to submit contributions to the BURG Legal Fund.
Town Council elections are coming!
Blacksburg will vote to fill three Town Council seats on Tuesday, May 6. This is a huge opportunity to get a majority on the council that will vigilantly uphold sustainable land use, and will promote a new agenda of genuine smart growth. We need to be sure that never again will the Council take the bait of a developer whose profits would come at the expense of what is appropriate for Blacksburg.
Citizens First has already begun assembling and posting vision statements of the candidates for Town Council. BURG plans to be a conduit for providing information on the candidates' positions and records on the issues of land use and responsible development. Our events will be announced in later issues of this newsletter.
Be sure to be informed and active as this crucial election approaches.
Did you know that anyone interested in open discussion and information exchange on anything related to Blacksburg United for Responsible Growth can join the BURG Google Group? To sign up, just go to the Google Group page and follow the directions to join the group.
