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Zoning office says education may not mean fewer violations
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WASHINGTON (Map, News) - A recent project to educate Sterling Park residents about zoning laws does not mean the number of complaints about zoning violations — or violations themselves — will drop, the Loudoun zoning office said Wednesday.
The high turnover in the county means the six-month program, which ended last month, did not reach new residents, said county zoning enforcement manager Keith Fairfax.
“Yes, people are more educated now, but there are many houses that have been vacated,” he said. “At least the owners that remained in the area know our ordinances. Now that the program stopped, I wonder if people will continue to violate zoning ordinances.”
Zoning officials checked houses along North Argone Avenue and Williamsburg Road in Sterling Park for violations starting in January. The board also held two meetings Jan. 10 — one in English and one in Spanish — to teach residents what is and is not permitted on their property under county zoning laws.
The county also sent letters to all residents on the two streets and held meetings at Parkview High School in Sterling, said Fairfax.
There were 674 zoning complaints reported from July 1, 2006, to June 30, 2007, and 571 reported from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008.
Sixty-five percent of the county's zoning and overcrowding complaints this year came from Sterling, Fairfax said.
The numbers for 2008 are expected to be higher once the data from the proactive initiative project have been calculated, Fairfax said. The Family Services Office also transferred 133 violations to the zoning department, which were shifted to the data for 2009.
Owners of affordable dwelling units must return affidavits to the Family Services Office stating that they have not sold, leased, deeded or refinanced their property above the affordable value after buying a home, said affordable dwelling unit program manager Shelita Adams.
“Failure to complete the form is a civil violation,” she said.
Though the majority of these affidavits are properly returned, the violation is turned over to the zoning department if they are not, Adams said.
dsherfinski@dcexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
10:42 AM MST on Wed., Jul. 23, 2008 re: "County proposes to criminalize overcrowding, zoning violations"
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6:29 PM MST on Sun., Mar. 30, 2008
re: "Some raise concerns over land use appeals bill"
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4:09 AM MST on Sat., Mar. 29, 2008
re: "County executive eyes zoning changes"
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8:15 AM MST on Fri., Jun. 15, 2007
re: "Entire county to be rezoned"
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8:05 AM MST on Fri., Jun. 15, 2007
re: "Entire county to be rezoned"
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7:40 AM MST on Tue., May. 22, 2007
re: "Cosi battles zoning law, community in Cleveland Park"
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10:57 AM MST on Tue., May. 15, 2007
re: "Graham anticipates resistance to relocating nude bars in Ward 5"
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10:55 AM MST on Tue., May. 15, 2007
re: "Thomas to fight nude dance club relocation bill"
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3:13 PM MST on Thu., May. 3, 2007
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Examiner Reader said:
Something more than lip service must be done to fight illegal immigration. Let's get the Fairfax County Sheriff involved, too.
5 agree | 3 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Why did Ms. Michael fail to mention that one of the four residents fighting plans to build a high rise tower, and who have thus far have been denied standing, is noneother than Bobo's husband, Lloyd Knowles?
4 agree | 5 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Ulman will make whatever zoning changes will keep him in office. Just like Ulman changes his resume to get elected. whatever works - Ulman has no principles.
7 agree | 6 disagree
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Kelkyen said:
"Included are representatives from the Home Builders Association of Maryland..." Oh yea, those are the people I want rezoning my county. Why don't we just pave over the whole county now to save time?
184 agree | 162 disagree
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Harford County, MD reader said:
The whole county is NOT being REZONED! All this group is doing is revamping/rewriting some of the ancient zoning codes! Who's idea was it to give the title to this article?
174 agree | 173 disagree
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Former Cleveland Park Resident said:
The Cosi restaurant, and any others, should be allowed in Cleveland Park and the overlay zoning scrapped. The long-time residents who support the regulation are living in a fantasyland, with the perception that their vibrant, urban community along Connecticut Ave NW is some kind of sleepy suburban glade. They dream of small, independent hardware and bookstores, butg that will never happen. Instead of more restaurant and food options, they're stuck with a vacuum cleaner store, I kid you not, and a creepy hair salon that never seems open. The former McDonalds space is languishing, and would also be better used for restaurant space. Like it or not, with the Metro right there and noteworth restaurants line Dino, Palema, Lavandou, etc, Cleveland Park is a natural dining destination. Not a "red light district" or "another Adams-Morgan" as the NIMBY residents constantly invoke. I'm not even goibng to talk about increasing the density by the metro station, that would really get them riled up
573 agree | 203 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Over our dead bodies!
245 agree | 211 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
No red light district for Ward 5
429 agree | 266 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I am really beginning to wonder what Jim Smith's administration is doing to the county. First, Brian Rowe leaves his post as Auditor and now John Murphy resigns? It seems to me that there may be more going on in Towson than we are hearing or know about. This is another instance where tax payers need to ask our elected officials, "What is going on with our current administraion?"
238 agree | 200 disagree
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