The Friends of Swift Creek Reservoir represent those who live near, use, and drink from the Swift Creek Reservoir (SCR). The land formerly known as Celebrations (now referred to as Thacker's View) is a precious resource being considered for rezoning into a housing development. It has sparked community questions, concerns, and solutions that ensure it will be developed well. 

With the knowledge that stakeholders from the Community, County, and Commercial Developer all want to protect natural resources along the SCR through Smart, Sustainable, and Solutions-driven development, it is incumbent on all stakeholders to do their part to ensure enhanced requirements are proffered during the rezoning application.

We need our County Planners and Supervisors to take the responsibility of ensuring the outcomes of this development. Taking additional measures to ensure development around the Swift Creek Reservoir adopts Smart, Sustainable, Solution-driven approaches is necessary at this rezoning phase. Only our County officials can do this important task. We ask them as follows:

On behalf of the almost 900 members of the Friends of Swift Creek Reservoir, we ask that the County Planners address these concerns before approving the rezoning of the Thackers View development.

1. Utility Easements Should Be Placed on the Conceptual Plan and Clearing Activities Proffered.

The developer/applicant has initial plans for the property’s needed utility placement (sewer and water). Zoning ordinances allow Resource Protection Area lands to be disturbed for utilities. 

Proffering placement of utilities ensures that RPA’s will be preserved as currently imaged on the Conceptual Plan. We must not say we care for our natural resources if we choose to ignore the impact development will have on them.

Furthermore, the width and location of all buffer and RPA clearings or disturbances, including exempt clearing activities like utilities, should be identified on the Conceptual Plan and Proffered.

If the County is unwilling to proffer these as a matter of practicality, simply proffering that no clearing and/or disturbance in Buffers and/or RPAs may be undertaken except that noted in the rezoning application achieves a similar goal. 

Making buffer and RPA disturbance a material change to the application is achievable, but only by you. If it is your intention to protect RPA’s and undisturbed buffers, you must take these steps. 

2. Enhanced Enforcement of Clearing Activities. 

The Community has provided recent examples of unauthorized disturbance and clearing of protected lands. Penalties for such careless behavior is not an automatic requirement in ordinances. It should be. Proffering that unpermitted RPA and/or Buffer disturbances shall have monetary fines levied in accordance with section 19.1-6 of the zoning ordinance demonstrates the County’s commitment to protect resources.  

Further, clearing activities should be more transparent and policed by County. We have suggested methods in documents past that the County, or specialized representative(s) from the Community if the County has resource constraints should undertake.  

Self-enforcement is no enforcement at all and we should have higher standards – especially around this special area of land. 

3. Critical Root Zone Requirements Stated in Proffered Conditions.

 Stakeholders have the opportunity to protect against future tree die-off that County, Community, and Commercial stakeholders have all acknowledged is happening around our communities.

That’s because current tree root protections do not extend far enough. The American Society of Consulting Arborists and the International Society of Arboriculture have identified modern standards to preserve healthy trees. 

Resting on outdated practices is not responsible leadership and the Community asks our County Planners to continue doing the same thing while expecting a different result. That is the definition of apathy at best or insanity at its worst. 
 
We urge you to sign our petition calling for enhanced and needed proffers in order for the application to be approved. Your support protects our homes, our drinking water, and our precious natural resources. Thank you for doing your part and encouraging others to do theirs.  

Thank you.