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Voters nix money for Broadlands project
Loudoun voters gave the go-ahead Election Day to borrowing nearly $70 million for seven of eight community, school and public safety projects.They gave a resounding "no" to the county's request for $31.43 million to build a recreation center on Belmont Ridge Road in the Broadlands development.
With more than half the precincts reporting, 14,872 voters opposed spending to build the recreation center, and 7,732 favored the project.
The referendum on borrowing for the recreation center -- pool, gymnasium, fitness center, community rooms -- passed only in the Dulles District.
Two other projects -- a new eastern Loudoun Sheriff's substation for $5.36 million and the Gum Spring Library in Stone Ridge for $7.13 million -- passed countywide but ran into significant opposition from voters in the Blue Ridge and Catoctin districts.
The only school bond on the ballot, $15.5 million to buy land for a new high school and two elementary school sites, passed in every district by close to a two-to-one margin.
Other projects that got the voters' approval for funding are renovation of the old Sterling, Middleburg and Lucketts fire stations ($10 million); renovation of Bluemont, Lucketts, Sterling, Lovettsville and Philomont community centers ($13.51 million); construction of a new Aldie fire and rescue station ($8.3 million); and construction of a new western Loudoun Sheriff's substation ($8.33 million).
Voters' rejection of a funding referendum does not mean the projects won't happen. The Virginia Supreme Court has ruled that a bond referendum is not a request for permission to proceed with a project but a request for approval of a certain avenue of raising the money. The next Board of Supervisors may decide to look elsewhere for money for the Broadlands recreation center.
The new recreation center should be built by the developers, not by the county. Hold the developers responsible for the needs of their newly developed communities!
Posted by LoudounPatriot
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