CRASHPADS INVESTIGATED

The liberal Washington Post temporarily reversed its pro-density packing position and reported house overcrowding in Sterling Park this week.

After I got over the shock, I quickly called county officials to investigate. In this case it was a long article revealing how airline employees network online to find "crashspace" in between flights at Dulle Airport.

Within 24 hours of my request county staff found the house.

I don't like "flophouses" and I don't like "crashpads".

We all know somebody in the airline industry. We understand times are tight. But living with 2 or 4 roommates is the not the same as living with 30 roommates. It is unsafe, unhealthy and a violation of our building codes and residential zoning.

There is reasonable effeciency with 3 or 4 roommates. Piling 30 people in a house is never "right" or safe or legal.

This is something that we can not tolerate as a community or as a county. I consider this a targeting of Sterling by some in the airline industry. I have always fought targeting of Sterling-- by illegal aliens, or anybody who wants to use our residential homes for commercial purposes---and now comes the airline industry with their "crashpads".

>>>>Washington Post Headline: Loudoun Investigates Local Pilot 'Crash Pads'
Owner Likely to Be Cited, Officials Say

(Quote) Loudoun County zoning officials have launched an investigation into a Sterling Park boardinghouse that was the subject of a Washington Post article Tuesday that examined the living conditions of some of the nation's regional airline pilots.

Keith Fairfax, enforcement program manager for Loudoun's department of building and development, said zoning inspectors visited Thursday evening to determine how many people occupied the house. A pilot who answered the door said he declined to grant access.

On Friday, zoning officials returned with sheriff's deputies and an inspection warrant, Fairfax said.

Officials say they will cite the owner for code violations and are further analyzing the information they gathered, he said. The owner will have 10 days to make corrections before a second inspection or face fines, he said. (Unquote)

for rest of article (may require registration)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/07/AR2009080703434.html

>>> DELGAUDIO RESPONDS TO DENSITYPACKERS ON WASHINGTON POST WEBSITE

A dozen Washington area Air Lines employees or friends are demanding that Sterling and Loudoun immediately suspend their zoning laws in order to accomodate "traffic safety" claiming Sterling should allow 30 people per house.

I posted a strong public message on the Washington Post website to these misguided people and as encouragement to Loudoun citizens:

(Quote)Thank you to county officials and the Sheriff's deputies for quickly responding to this report. I will ask the board to review this ASAP. If any reader knows about any other overcrowding call my office 703-771-5819 or file a report online at a zoning enforcement website
http://www.loudoun.gov/potomac-sterling or by using this form at http://loudoun.vhost.vipnet.org/b&d/zoning/zvemail.htm

100s of complaints have been filed this year and this action by the county should show that officials will follow up. The county can only respond to reports, so keep the reports accurate. Thank you.
Supervisor Delgaudio, Sterling District (unquote)

>>>SAFETY, HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN STERLING

Those misguided landlords who pile 30 tenants in a house now face criminal penalties and fines if they continue down a pattern of overcrowding. Richmond has given us that power.

I ask the county to figure out if they can charge any airline with these new increased fines. They are contributing to this overcrowding. Any airline that "links" to this "crashpads.com" should be investigated for being part of a scheme to density pack Sterling and Loudoun and violate our zoning laws.

Write the board [email protected] to encourage the board to take zoning inspectors OFF of taking down yard sale signs, realtor signs, soccer and baseball youth league signs and put them back on enforcing the overcrowding laws.

THIS LATEST CASE PROVES THAT I WAS RIGHT TO CONDEMN THE BOARD FOR REDUCING THE NUMBER OF ZONING INSPECTORS TO "CLEAN SIGNS".