From farmland to subdivisions: The controversial plan for Rockland’s future

I’m writing about the proposed rezoning of the Shenandoah Valley Golf Course’s 104 acres in Rockland from agriculture to suburban residential and commercial. It would degrade Warren County, Rockland, and my family’s farm, which is adjacent to the proposed development.

Warren County is beautiful with its rivers, mountains, and open space, including farms, forests, parks, and recreation facilities such as golf courses. Open space brings visitors to Warren County to enjoy its beauty and commune with nature. Open space also provides habitat for wildlife as well as much of our food. If the County approves this rezoning in Rockland, we will see a domino effect of similar rezoning in other rural areas countywide.

Rockland is a slow-paced agriculture community with farms, houses, a church, a cemetery, and three golf courses. It does not have the infrastructure to support high-density housing and commercial development. Our roads are narrow, have no shoulders, and cannot support the additional traffic which will come with the new development. The proposed water system will stress the aquifer. With the new sewage treatment plant, the treated sewage will still require disposal elsewhere. The proposed development would change the character of Rockland, turning the community into a small town.

Our Comprehensive Plan is the goal and vision of Warren County residents, and its guidelines call for preserving and increasing agriculture in Rockland, not reducing it. I hope our leaders follow the Comprehensive Plan and vote to maintain our open space.

Mary Ryan
Warren County