Category: environment

Eminent Domain

3 dogs
I asked Council to seize 21 acres in the floodplain of the Rivanna River, to provide the current owner of the property with just compensation, and create another river park. In the alternative there will be a 15 foot flood wall that blocks access from neighborhoods to the river, a 2 acre parking lot and 245 apartment units.

“that sort of burst on us about a week ago”

(audio from 3 of 5 councilors below.)

Esau Sells His Birthright

LanCoVA BOS
Issue: This issue is a special exception request to the Board of Supervisors for Special Exception by Waller Solar 1, LLC., 1105 Navasota St., Austin, Texas, for Special Exception as required by Article 3-1-36, 4-1-58 and Article 28 of the Lancaster County Zoning Ordinance to permit the establishment of a Utility Scale Solar Facility, 131-megawatts and 1,400 acres and 2,706.8 acres total lease area described as tax map parcel numbers 7-3 8-35A 8-17, 7-36, 7-36A, 14-52, 14-52B, 8-14, 13-164, 8-12, 8-13, 8-2, 8-2A, 3-2B, 8-34, 13-160, 13-162, 13-163, 6-47 and 7-3, located off Field Trial, Nuttsville, Morattico, Courthouse, Beanes, Miskimon, Lara, Giese, Mary Ball, White Chapel and Alfonso Road in Districts 1 and 2.

Genesis 25:29

29 Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 
30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) 
31 Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” 
32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 
33 Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.–ESV

{25:29} And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he [was] faint:
{25:30} And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red [pottage;] for I [am] faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
{25:31} And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
{25:32} And Esau said, Behold, I [am] at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
{25:33} And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
{25:34} Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised [his] birthright.–KJV

negative externalities of green new deal. Paving paradise with solar panels…

utility scale solar factories

LanCoVa Courthouse

I attended a Lancaster County Planning Commission meeting September 16. One of the items of business was edits to the draft Chapter 6 of the LanCoVa Comprehensive Plan.

The Commissioners voted to strike what I considered to be good and necessary language from their Comp Plan.

Why did I consider the language important? Take the time to watch this video from WTVR.

Comprehensive plans should support the residents and the environment of an area, not the rich and powerful.

quercus macrocarpa

new leaves in April
Bur oaks primarily grow in a temperate climate on the western oak–hickory forested regions in the United States and into Canada. It commonly grows in the open, away from dense forest canopy. For this reason, it is an important tree on the eastern prairies, often found near waterways in otherwise more forested areas, where there is a break in the canopy. It is drought resistant, possibly because of its long taproot. At the end of the growing season, a one-year sapling may have a taproot 1.37 m (4 ft 6 in) deep and a lateral root spread of 76 cm (2 ft 6 in). The West Virginia state champion bur oak has a trunk diameter of almost 3 m–Wikipedia (10 ft).

If you are only going to plant one tree in this life, make it a quercus macrocarpa.

there goes the neighborhood

LHS Red Devil cafeteria
slide presenting a fraction of the 1000’s of acres of habitat to be destroyed for solar “farms” on the Northern Neck of Virginia.

“We must recognize the serious nature of the industrial solar farm threat and strongly urge that our local planning commissions and boards of supervisors reject proposals for solar farms in zoning districts that are intended to preserve farmland and forestland​.” Essex County Conservation Alliance