January 14, 1998 Senator/Representative _______ (insert address) Dear Senator __________, I am joining other citizens in writing to you of our overwhelming concern about the spread of sprawl development in Virginia and the destructive highway projects that help fuel that sprawl. Whether we live in Richmond, Charlottesville, Fredericksburg, Tidewater, Northern Virginia, or the Shenandoah Valley, sprawl is consuming our farmland and open space; it is overwhelming our natural areas and historic sites; it is shifting jobs and residents away from our downtowns; and it is creating traffic congestion and raising our taxes. Our quality of life is at stake. Of particular concern to me are $67 billion in highway projects proposed by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), with the support of Virginia First, to the Commission on the Future of Transportation in Virginia. Included are bypasses around Charlottesville, Richmond, Staunton, Roanoke, Lynchburg, Winchester, Washington DC, and Norfolk/Virginia Beach. These bypasses will spark still more sprawl development, increase our taxes, kill the economic life of our downtowns, and destroy the settings of our historic battlefields of Manassas, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. In the process, Virginia risks losing its scenic beauty, its historic heritage, its soul. We have a different vision for Virginia. Our vision is that of a land where we have protected the economic vitality of our urban downtowns and our rural communities, where we have safeguarded our historic sites, our scenic beauty, and our natural environment, and where we have built livable, walkable towns and neighborhoods with a strong sense of community. We need your help to realize this vision. As a state, we need to study the causes and costs of sprawl development. We must ensure that local governments have the tools, know-how, and political will to plan and manage growth. We must have stronger policies to protect open space, historic areas, natural habitats and farmland. We need policies to encourage growth where infrastructure already exists. We need to pay attention to studies that demonstrate that new highways do not relieve congestion. We need to stop the never-ending cycle of highway construction. In summary, we need Smart Growth in Virginia. Sincerely,