Questions	Woodbridge RON ROBINSON - Republican
Question: Unmanaged development has a significant impact on the ability of localities to protect green open space and natural resource areas. The Virginia General Assembly has said that local governments have the tools they need to manage and contain growth within their jurisdictions. These tools include (1) the proffer system; (2) the issuance of permits for building and sewer hook ups; (3) planning and then legislating dedicated local funding mechanisms to leverage state and federal dollars for acquisition of parks and open space; and 4) comprehensive planning, zoning, and use of tax assessments to encourage/discourage types of development. How will you use these tools to manage the pace of development and direct where growth occurs?	ROBINSON: Most local governments in Virginia may have the tools they need, but Prince William and other high growth counties could use a few more. I support General Assembly members Bob Marshall and Michele McQuigg in seeking the additional tool of Adequate Public Facilities legislation. Unfortunately, my opponent voted AGAINST this additional growth control tool for PWC, but she voted to RAISE both sales and real estate taxes. The Comprehensive Plan is the primary guide for land use decisions and must be followed to the maximum extent possible. I will use all of the tools listed above and I will work to increase the linkage between PWC’s various planning processes in order to manage growth properly.
Question: Inadequate infrastructure - including storm water management, transportation, school and public safety systems - results in preventable increases to pollution levels, reduces quality of life for residents and challenges the integrity of valuable natural resources. There are currently 34,000 residential units approved for development in Prince William County that could accommodate 100,000 more people, increasing the current population by one-third. What will you do to improve the current Levels of Service, and how will you ensure that new rezoning requests to accommodate new development will not make the current problems worse?	ROBINSON: The failure of my opponent to hold developers accountable for their impact has caused higher taxes, increased traffic congestion, and overcrowded classrooms. Levels of Service can be improved by doing a better job of planning for growth and by making development pay for itself. As for rezonings with a negative fiscal impact, I will vote against them. New development in western PWC should not raise taxes in eastern PWC.
Question: Prince William County's current transportation system cannot accommodate traffic from existing development. The resulting traffic congestion increases automobile emissions into the air within the Northern Virginia region, recently reclassified as "Severe" for air pollution. The 2000 Census shows that only 3.2% of Prince William County residents use public transportation to travel to and from their place of employment. What would you do to increase public transportation options for local residents and/or revamp land use patterns so jobs and housing are closer to each other within 20 years, especially in areas where redevelopment opportunities can maximize investments?	ROBINSON: For Woodbridge, I believe the best long-term solution is to help revitalize and redevelop the Route 1 corridor to attract non-retail businesses with higher paying jobs. Unfortunately, as part of the ‘Gang of Five,’ my opponent voted for the Cherry Hill rezoning that brought the folks in South Bridge a brand new Wal-Mart. This is NOT my idea of progress or smarter growth in Woodbridge. Supervisors Caddigan, Griggs and Connaughton were correct in opposing the Cherry Hill rezoning. Ms. Barg was wrong in voting for it.
Question: The rapid pace of development in Prince William County challenges government capacity to adequately enforce existing Chesapeake Bay and other environmental regulations. And when infractions are identified, the current penalties are often insignificant compared to the financial benefits that can be realized through noncompliance. As a result, many infractions are either not corrected in a timely manner or not addressed at all. What would you do to ensure regular, timely and comprehensive enforcement of existing regulations to safeguard Prince William's valuable natural resources?	ROBINSON: The rapid pace of development in PWC challenges the government’s ability to enforce a variety of regulations and ordinances. If the current environmental enforcement system is not effective, then I will consider increased staffing, increased penalties and other options to achieve our goal of conserving our natural resources and protecting the environment.
Question: As a signatory partner to the Chesapeake Bay agreements, Virginia has committed to invest in productive strategies that support better ecological health of the Chesapeake Bay. Prince William has taken positive action to fulfill this commitment through efforts that begin to assess the ecological health of many County streams. Do you support a comprehensive stream protection strategy similar to that in Fairfax County, including the development of management strategies for the protection and/or restoration of County subwatersheds?	ROBINSON: I am not familiar with Fairfax County’s protection strategy, but I support productive strategies that improve the ecological health of PWC streams and the Chesapeake Bay.
Question: Steep slopes and highly erodible soils characterize many of the remaining undeveloped parcels in Prince William's designated development area. These landscape conditions necessitate the use of cut-and-fill development practices and have significant negative impacts on water quality, protected stream buffers and other natural resources. Although prevention is considerably more economical than mitigation, current regulations and requirements provide little, if any, protection for these valuable natural resources. What tools and/or strategies would you use to protect these environmentally sensitive areas?	ROBINSON: All of the available growth management tools should be used to protect environmentally sensitive areas. In part because of the anticipated negative environmental impact, I did NOT support the Cherry Hill rezoning. My opponent voted for it.
Question: Prince William's designated rural area (Rural Crescent) was adopted in 1998 to preserve open space, agricultural resources and our groundwater supply. Since that time, development pressures continue to challenge local capacity to sustain these goals. Other open space areas protected by state and federal agencies are threatened by encroaching development. Prince William surveys repeatedly show that residents want more green, open space and passive recreation opportunities, such as birding, hiking, photography and other nature explorations. What tools, strategies and/or funding mechanisms would you use to protect and increase green, open space areas and agricultural resources? Would you support a comprehensive system of greenways and trails connecting parks in the county?	ROBINSON: I am willing to use all available tools and strategies to protect green, open space areas for activities such as hunting, hiking, camping and other recreational uses. Depending on the cost and design, I could support a comprehensive system of greenways and trails.
Question: Over 80% of Prince William public water users rely on the Occoquan Reservoir for clean drinking water. Although it is now too late to protect lands along the southern side of the reservoir, much of the headwaters lie in western Prince William. Conservation and preventative efforts offer significant economic advantages over technological solutions, as documented by the EPA in their assessment of New York City's successful watershed protection strategy. What tools, strategies and/or funding mechanisms would you use to protect the public drinking water supply? How will you protect the headwaters of the Occoquan Reservoir as development increases in the upstream sections of Bull Run, Cedar Run, and Broad Run watersheds?	ROBINSON: Again, I am willing to use all available tools and strategies to protect our drinking water. At this time I cannot provide specific actions to better protect the watersheds mentioned without more information on the threat and the cost-benefit options available. Bottomline: I will not let our drinking water be endangered.