VA Bill HOUSE BILL NO. 1124 Will Override Local Zoning: Please Call Your Local Representatives

[Anonymous]

The Virginia House recently submitted a bill that will completely override local zoning to allow religious institutions to build a minimum of 40 affordable housing units per acre on land that religious institutions have owned for at least five years. The proponents of this bill have good intentions, but the actual policy implications of this bill will be disastrous. In effect, this law will severely restrict the ability of localities to plan local infrastructure and ensure sufficient levels of public safety services. In many areas of Virginia (especially rural areas), this will create significant problems by allowing population growth to greatly exceed the rate at which localities can build new schools and expand transportation infrastructure. This bill will negatively impact Virginia by severely limiting local authority to plan for growth, raising property taxes, increasing overcrowding in public schools, and damaging the environment by promoting urban sprawl. Please call your state representatives and the governor's office to prevent this bill from being passed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Virginia House recently submitted a bill that will completely override local zoning to allow religious institutions to build a minimum of 40 affordable housing units per acre on land that religious institutions have owned for at least five years. The proponents of this bill have good intentions, but the actual policy implications of this bill will be disastrous. In effect, this law will severely restrict the ability of localities to plan local infrastructure and ensure sufficient levels of public safety services. In many areas of Virginia (especially rural areas), this will create significant problems by allowing population growth to greatly exceed the rate at which localities can build new schools and expand transportation infrastructure. This bill will negatively impact Virginia by severely limiting local authority to plan for growth, raising property taxes, increasing overcrowding in public schools, and damaging the environment by promoting urban sprawl. Please call your state representatives and the governor's office to prevent this bill from being passed.

This is a way to screw suburban localities. Does anyone really think rural churches are building affordable housing on their lots? More likely would be suburban Episcopalian churches with lots of land and a commitment to social justice

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Virginia House recently submitted a bill that will completely override local zoning to allow religious institutions to build a minimum of 40 affordable housing units per acre on land that religious institutions have owned for at least five years. The proponents of this bill have good intentions, but the actual policy implications of this bill will be disastrous. In effect, this law will severely restrict the ability of localities to plan local infrastructure and ensure sufficient levels of public safety services. In many areas of Virginia (especially rural areas), this will create significant problems by allowing population growth to greatly exceed the rate at which localities can build new schools and expand transportation infrastructure. This bill will negatively impact Virginia by severely limiting local authority to plan for growth, raising property taxes, increasing overcrowding in public schools, and damaging the environment by promoting urban sprawl. Please call your state representatives and the governor's office to prevent this bill from being passed.

This is a way to screw suburban localities. Does anyone really think rural churches are building affordable housing on their lots? More likely would be suburban Episcopalian churches with lots of land and a commitment to social justice

Imagine what this would do the preserved agriculture areas like western loudoun. 40 low income houses in the middle of Middleburg or Lovettesville would be detrimental to the current natural, picturesque landscape and ethnic compositions of small towns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Virginia House recently submitted a bill that will completely override local zoning to allow religious institutions to build a minimum of 40 affordable housing units per acre on land that religious institutions have owned for at least five years. The proponents of this bill have good intentions, but the actual policy implications of this bill will be disastrous. In effect, this law will severely restrict the ability of localities to plan local infrastructure and ensure sufficient levels of public safety services. In many areas of Virginia (especially rural areas), this will create significant problems by allowing population growth to greatly exceed the rate at which localities can build new schools and expand transportation infrastructure. This bill will negatively impact Virginia by severely limiting local authority to plan for growth, raising property taxes, increasing overcrowding in public schools, and damaging the environment by promoting urban sprawl. Please call your state representatives and the governor's office to prevent this bill from being passed.

This is a way to screw suburban localities. Does anyone really think rural churches are building affordable housing on their lots? More likely would be suburban Episcopalian churches with lots of land and a commitment to social justice

Imagine what this would do the preserved agriculture areas like western loudoun. 40 low income houses in the middle of Middleburg or Lovettesville would be detrimental to the current natural, picturesque landscape and ethnic compositions of small towns.

Conservative congregations will not ruin their small towns. Old town should be more worried than anyone considering the real estate portfolios that some churches have

[Anonymous]

Nope. Liberals are getting what they voted for.

[Anonymous]

What this does is allows churches with dwindling congregations - in urban, suburban, and rural areas - to link up with a developer to enhance cash flows on a valuable asset.

So many churches are asset-rich but cash flow-poor. The congregations would liquidate and developers would typically buy the property, but be subject to zoning laws. Now? The congregation (really just a few remaining insiders) can keep the land, but the developer gets to lease and build.

The law is couched as "helping churches," but in reality its just a pro-developer piece of legislation.

[Anonymous]

There is an almost identical companion bill in the Virginia Senate, SB 233. My kid's school already has 20% more students than it has the capacity for. I hope the state legislature has some sense and doesn't rubber-stamp this bill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Virginia House recently submitted a bill that will completely override local zoning to allow religious institutions to build a minimum of 40 affordable housing units per acre on land that religious institutions have owned for at least five years. The proponents of this bill have good intentions, but the actual policy implications of this bill will be disastrous. In effect, this law will severely restrict the ability of localities to plan local infrastructure and ensure sufficient levels of public safety services. In many areas of Virginia (especially rural areas), this will create significant problems by allowing population growth to greatly exceed the rate at which localities can build new schools and expand transportation infrastructure. This bill will negatively impact Virginia by severely limiting local authority to plan for growth, raising property taxes, increasing overcrowding in public schools, and damaging the environment by promoting urban sprawl. Please call your state representatives and the governor's office to prevent this bill from being passed.

This is a way to screw suburban localities. Does anyone really think rural churches are building affordable housing on their lots? More likely would be suburban Episcopalian churches with lots of land and a commitment to social justice

This is a way to allow churches to build affordable housing in places that need affordable housing.

[Anonymous]

I bet this will get bipartisan support. Every politico - regardless of party - get greased by a developer.

Big question is whether Youngkin signs it. I could envision rural populations not liking this legislation. Sure, they think it will mostly screw urban areas, but rural areas like their controlled use.