Growth is a valid county concern

Wren Dawson Olivier Albemarle County
Published: April 23, 2008

In response to the letter “Population objectives are suspect,” The Daily Progress, April 16:
The author’s proposal to study how many angels can dance on the head of a pin is of no consequence. I, for one, have never worried about it and I dare say most people have not.
However, Advocates for a Sustainable Albemarle Population’s plan to study the optimal sustainable size for Albemarle County is of great significance.
Those people who are aware of what has been happening in our community in the past years —water shortages; traffic and pollution growth; the desecration of our natural resources, rural areas and open spaces; farms divided into 20-acre lots growing McMansions instead of crops and livestock as in the past, etc. — recognize the need to consider what is a sustainable size for our community in order to maximize the well being of all residents.
We should be grateful that we have committed activists willing to undertake this study and a forward-thinking Board of Supervisors willing to support it.