Residents come out in droves to oppose Western Bypass

Albemarle County residents opposed to the Western Bypass of U.S. 29 come out in droves Wednesday night to a public hearing at the County Administration Building.

Residents who opposed the project worried that the road would damage the environment, hurt the natural beauty of the county and endanger schools. Many residents chastised the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors for its late-night vote on June 8 to approve the project.

A total of 108 people signed up to speak at the public hearing, which drew a near capacity crowd.

Albemarle County resident Kirk Bowers said he came to the meeting because he was angry.

“The votes of four of the supervisors … showed extremely poor judgment. As a professional engineer, an F level of service is not acceptable,” Bowers said. “I’m here to give you a tongue lashing, because you didn’t listen to the people in your constituencies.”

But those in support of the route said the road was a long-overdue way to alleviate traffic pressure on U.S. 29 and help stimulate the economies of Lynchburg and Danville.

Several small business owners from Lynchburg and Danville made the trip to Charlottesville to voice their support of the bypass.

Rex Hammond, of the Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, stressed to the board the importance of the road to his community, and to stress support outside of Albemarle County for the route.

“Advocates for the U.S. 29 Bypass may be in the minority in this room tonight,” Hammond said in a letter addressed to the board. “However, along the corridor, there is overwhelming support to build the Bypass. You see, in communities south of you. …U.S. 29 is our economic lifeline. U.S. 29 is our interstate highway.”

The proposed bypass was approved by the Board of Supervisors during its regular meeting June 8. The vote on the estimated $250 million road sparked controversy because the board added the vote to the agenda after most of the public had left the June 8 meeting.

As planned, the road would begin near the Forest Lakes area along U.S. 29 North and terminate near the intersection of Leonard Sandridge Road at the U.S. 250 Bypass.

Some residents were angrier at the way the vote was handled than at the route itself.

Bob Humphris of Albemarle County was particularly angry at the board’s late-night position shift on the issue, and called for removal of some board members.

“Awake, citizens of Albemarle County, and reclaim your government,” Humphris said.

Bowers agreed, urging that Rodney L. Thomas of the Rio District and Duane E. Snow of the Samuel Miller District be replaced as the board’s representatives to the Metropolitan Planning Organization.

“I’d like to make a … motion that Mr. Snow and Mr. Thomas be replaced as MPO representatives and be replaced with Mr. [Kenneth C.] Boyd and Mr. [Dennis S.] Rooker,” he said.

Novelist and Albemarle County resident John Grisham told the board that he was concerned that influences outside of the county had a big impact on the board’s decision.

“This thing has been killed numerous times for a lot of good reasons,” Grisham said. “I don’t see why its come back today. I suspect there’s been a deal. … It’s clear that this thing is wanted by the good folks in Lynchburg and Danville. I don’t know how those people have such a big influence here.”

Carole Thorpe, of the Jefferson Area Tea Party, said that residents should be worried about influences from the United Nations, not Lynchburg and Danville.

“Those who express concern tonight for influence of interests from Danville and Lynchburg, and not the influence of ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability) and the U.N., I find it quite amazing,” Thorpe said.

Bowers, who grew up as a resident of Roanoke County, which has spoken out in favor of the road, said a bypass here wouldn’t have much impact on the economies of localities south of Albemarle.

“It’s going to take a whole lot more than a bypass to solve their problems,” Bowers said.