Fact Checking the ‘Keep Rockland Rural’ perspective of Thomas Hinnant

For clarification related to the Thomas Hinnant submitted Opinion piece “Keep Rockland Rural: Embrace preservationism and REJECT suburbanization,” Richard Runyon is not a “National Developer” nor, according to Runyon, is he seeking ties to a national developer.

As noted in a March 5th Royal Examiner story based on an interview with Runyon on his background and rezoning/development proposal, he is locally born and raised and began working at SVGC in 1992 while still at WCHS, where he was on the golf team.

Runyon has stated that as a lifelong local resident, he does have an interest in maintaining Rockland’s natural feel and doing a development proposal for age-restricted housing (55-and-up) “the right way” for the area. That includes maintaining a 9-hole course and/or park area on the SVGC property surrounding much of the development and installing buffering where the project directly faces existing housing.

Runyon at his office desk for a chat with the media. Below is one of his rezoning proposal graphics submitted to the county’s planning department illustrating the development plan.

Runyon has also said he would prefer to use local builders as available to realize his project if approved by the County. See Royal Examiner’s full story on Runyon’s perspective on his rezoning/55-and-up residential development plan in the story of March 5, 2023.

Coming to terms with a future of unexpected turns and predictable needs – Richard Runyon discusses his SVGC 55-and-up residential/commercial rezoning proposal