While the county is busy crafting a new plan for Dulles south, so is the Piedmont Environmental Council.
The PEC is preparing a plan for the area that doesn't involve the six developer proposals for the area that could amount to 22,000 new homes. The idea is to try to show that the area doesn't need additional homes in order to get additional services — the theory that developers have been pitching to county officials for years.
A June 8 "visioning session" was meant to allow residents in the affected area to weigh in on their neighborhoods' future — but developers also had a seat at the table.
Of the more than 60 people who showed up June 8, a couple dozen were developer employees or representatives. Greenvest LC, which is proposing the largest development in Loudoun history at 14,800 homes for Dulles south, also had the largest presence at the PEC's session.
CEO Jim Duszynski and vice president Packie Crown were in attendance, as well as paid consultants such as attorney Mike Banzhaf of Reed Smith, head engineer Lou Canonico of Christopher Consultants and representatives from Greenvest's public relations firm.
Duszynski said it was appropriate for his company to be represented at the PEC's session.
"I think they expected us to come," he said. "We go to theirs, they come to ours. That's the game we're playing."
THE PEC attempted to neuter developers' presence by placing most of them together in the small groups that discussed Dulles south's issues and potential solutions.
Duszynski responded by quitting his group and instead observed another group of residents as they debated.
The group he chose to watch included Laura Tekrony, an Aldie resident and leader of Citizens to Save the Transition Area, a group formed in opposition to Greenvest's and the other developers' plans.
She called Duszynski's choice to observe residents "sort of stinky."
But the overall experience was good.
"This is how the Planning Commission should do it, have small work groups of residents — no developers, just residents," she said.
In the PEC's preliminary report on the visioning session, groups of residents cited local officials' and developers' viewing of Dulles south as a "land bank" as a primary concern, as well as traffic and safety issues.
"Their overall concern today is the impact of growth and how it affects their taxes, traffic and service delivery," said PEC spokesman Robert Lazaro.
Residents who wish to add input to the PEC's alternative plan for Dulles south can do so by contacting Ed Gorski at 703-669-2207 or egorski@pecva.org.
The PEC will present its final report to the Board of Supervisors later this fall.