Thursday, October 3, 2013

Cuccinelli planning major Bi-County Parkway rally

<tolerantp>But the Cuccinelli campaign is planning a major rally on the Bi-County Parkway Saturday morning - complete with Civil War re-enactors and a sound stage - and Cuccinelli is expected to make an announcement that area residents hope will be a strident statement against the proposed roadway.

As of Wednesday, the Cuccinelli campaign was keeping mum on what exactly what Cuccinelli would say at the 10 a.m. event. But Page Snyder, who will host the rally at her home on Pageland Lane, said she was told Cuccinelli would "come out strongly against" the Bi-County Parkway.

Snyder, who said she just learned about the rally Tuesday, said the rally was prompted by conversations between Bi-County Parkway opponents and Cuccinelli's wife, Teiro.

"First of all, we've been talking to the Cuccinelli campaign for some time about this and I've been talking to his wife, Teiro, who has seemed very sympathetic" to our concerns, Snyder said. "She has worked on him, evidently."

Snyder said Cuccinelli now realizes how detrimental the Bi-County Parkway would be to this region "and that's why he's coming out."

Cuccinelli is a resident of western Prince William County and his family attends a Catholic church in Gainesville.

Asked for comment Wednesday, Josh Schwerin, press secretary for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, said his boss supports the idea of improving transportation options to Dulles International Airport.

"Terry thinks that we need to unlock Dulles airport," Schwerin said in an email. "But there are also some legitimate concerns about this proposal related to road closures and impacts on the battlefield. After he's elected he will meet with all the stakeholders to ensure that our solution is both economically beneficial and supported by the local community."

The Bi-County Parkway, a 10-mile road linking Va. 234 to U.S. 50 in Loudoun County, has come under fire by Prince William County residents for several reasons. Those closest to the proposed route, including Pageland Lane residents, are upset about the damage they say the four-lane road will do the Manassas National Battlefield Park and the Manassas Historical District, which it would traverse for several miles.

Residents are also worried the road will worsen commutes into Washington if Sudley Road is closed inside the Battlefield and U.S. 29 is subjected to "calming methods" designed to discourage commuters from using the road.

Opponents also remain convinced that the Bi-County Parkway would be the "missing link" in a larger section of roadways that would connect Interstate 95 in Dumfries to Interstate 66 and onto Dulles - creating what some call "an outer beltway."

Snyder said she has been withholding her support for either Cuccinelli or McAuliffe until she hears more about their positions on the Bi-County Parkway. And she said she knows several other area residents who feel the same way.

"A lot of people here have Cuccinelli yard signs that they have not put out because they are waiting to hear" where he stands on the road, she said.

"For them, this is a one issue campaign and they would support whichever candidate would come out against the Bi-County Parkway," Snyder said, adding: "I, for one, hope it's going to be a very strong, black-and-white statement with no wiggle room."


Source: Insidenova

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