New noise ordinance being developed
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- Published on Tuesday, 18 September 2012 20:15
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King George Supervisors earlier this month reviewed elements that are expected to be considered for inclusion in a proposal for a new noise ordinance. The next report on a new noise ordinance is not expected to take place until early November, when Sheriff Steve Dempsey agreed to provide some additional information regarding decibel meter readings and complaint history, including such things as whether the bulk of complaints took place at night, and enforcement success rates from surrounding counties with such ordinances.
EXISTING NOISE ORDINANCE UNENFORCEABLE
A new noise ordinance is needed because Supervisors were informed over the summer by Matt Britton, county attorney, that the existing noise ordinance is completely unenforceable. The current ordinance is based on the “reasonable person standard.”
VDOT reevaluating Dahlgren Rd. project
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- Published on Wednesday, 12 September 2012 14:29
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At last week’s meeting of the King George Board of Supervisors on Sept. 4, Travis Quesenberry, county administrator, said he had heard from VDOT officials relating that they are “evaluating several options” for the Owens intersection on Dahlgren Road.
PROPOSED VDOT PROJECT
VDOT has proposed a $4.1 million project to widen a portion of Dahlgren Road (Route 206) at the intersections with Owens Drive (Route 624) and Windsor Drive (Route 218).
Dahlgren joint land use study requested
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- Published on Wednesday, 05 September 2012 14:41
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The King George Board of Supervisors directed that a date be arranged for a representative from Naval Support Activity South Potomac (NSASP) to attend an upcoming board meeting and provide a briefing on the county sponsoring a Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) with the Navy Base at Dahlgren.
The direction on Aug. 21 was prompted by an Aug. 13 letter of request from Captain P.R. Nette, Commanding Officer of the Navy Base at Dahlgren.
$463,000 if Owens Drive plan nixed
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- Published on Tuesday, 21 August 2012 22:35
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County gets details on new legislation’s possible effects
The Board of Supervisors heard more on Aug. 7 that under recently-enacted state legislation, the county would likely be on the hook for reimbursing the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) nearly a half a million dollars for costs incurred by the state so far, for the planned improvements at Owens.
That’s if the county decides to ask VDOT to cancel the project and the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) were to agree. Supervisors might be satisfied if the project were canceled, because they are not in favor of the project as it stands.
County needs new noise ordinance
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- Published on Wednesday, 01 August 2012 14:14
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King George Supervisors directed Matt Britton, county attorney, to develop a proposal for their consideration for a new county noise ordinance.
That direction came following Britton’s report at the July 17 meeting on the existing noise ordinance, saying, “I bring it up because our ordinance is officially dead.”
Supervisors had unanimously approved a noise ordinance in December 2007, following over two months of discussions at meetings, which included questioning the need to regulate civility between neighbors in a small rural county.
They concluded at the time it had become necessary.
Britton reminded Supervisors that he had reported to them in 2009 that the Virginia Supreme Court had struck down an ordinance similar to King George’s, also based on the “reasonable person standard.”
That meant that it was up to law enforcement to decide if there was a violation with investigation of a complaint. The decision was based on a determination whether the noise was unreasonably loud to a reasonable person. That type of determination was struck down as unconstitutionally vague.
