IV

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 255

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the proposed Disney theme

park in the historic Northern Piedmont area of Virginia.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 16, 1994

Mr. ANDREWS of Texas (for himself, Mr. BRYANT, Mr. SLATTERY, Mr.

TORRICELLI, Mr. GORDON, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. ROEMER, Mr.

BEILENSON, Mr. MONTGOMERY, Mr. STARK, Mr. LAUGHLIN, Mr. SMITH

of Iowa, Mrs. UNSOELD, Mr. ANDREWS of Maine, Mr. DURBIN, Mr.

DEFAZIO, Mr. EVANS, Mr. LEACH, Mr. HORN, and Mr. WILSON) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred jointly to the

Committees on Natural Resources, Energy and Commerce, and Public

Works and Transportation

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the proposed

Disney theme park in the historic Northern Piedmont

area of Virginia.

Whereas the Northern Piedmont area of Virginia is a place

which is dear to the hearts of all Americans and inextricably bound to the Nation’s formation from the Colonial Period through the American Revolution, the Federal

Period, and the years leading to the Civil War;

Whereas the Northern Piedmont area is the land of the

Founding Fathers—Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe—
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and boasts some of the most spectacularly beautiful landscapes in America;

Whereas the American Civil War is recognized as the defining

point in the history of the United States;

Whereas the Northern Piedmont area is home to 32 Civil

War battle sites and 38 historic districts;

Whereas the Northern Piedmont area stands as the gateway

to the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah National

Park;

Whereas great effort has been expended to ensure that much

of the Northern Piedmont area remains today much as

it was during the period of the American Revolution and

the Civil War;

Whereas Congress recognized the importance of the Northern

Piedmont area in 1988 by exercising a seldom used legislative taking to prevent inappropriate development on historically significant land near Manassas National Battlefield Park, site of 2 of the most important battles of the

Civil War;

Whereas the Walt Disney Company’s proposed theme park,

‘‘Disney’s America’’, would be located in the heart of the

Northern Piedmont area;

Whereas the proposed theme park would bring to the Northern Piedmont area extensive real estate development

equivalent, in effect, to a new city comprised of 2,281

new residential buildings, 2 golf courses, and 1,900,000

square feet of new retail shopping space, in addition to

an unknown amount of additional development on the

fringes of the Disney property;

Whereas a traffic study authorized by and conducted for the

Walt Disney Company indicates that traffic in the vicin-
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ity of the proposed theme park will, at a minimum, double by the year 2010;

Whereas such an increase would greatly affect the 2 main

thoroughfares, Virginia Route 234 and United States

Highway 29, that lead through the Manassas National

Battlefield Park, which is the historic site nearest to the

proposed theme park;

Whereas the cumulative effect of this massive development

and increased traffic congestion would represent a serious

threat to the area’s historic, scenic, and environmental

resources;

Whereas it is the responsibility of the executive branch to ensure compliance with Federal environmental, transportation, and historic preservation statutes; and

Whereas it is the duty of the Congress to oversee the stewardship of the Nation’s invaluable and irreplaceable historic resources, while upholding the right of States to

promote economic development and the right of individuals and corporations to engage in commerce: Now,

therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—

3 (1) the Department of the Interior, the Depart4 ment of Transportation, the Environmental Protec5 tion Agency, and other executive agencies with rel6 evant jurisdiction should evaluate the Walt Disney

7 Company’s proposed theme park and ensure that it

8 is in strict compliance with existing Federal environ-
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1 mental, transportation, and historic preservation

2 statutes;

3 (2) the congressional committees of jurisdiction

4 should hold comprehensive hearings to examine the

5 environmental, transportation, and historic preserva6 tion aspects of both the proposed theme park and

7 the associated development of the area surrounding

8 the proposed theme park;

9 (3) the historic Northern Piedmont area of Vir10 ginia should not be the site of a massive theme park

11 and real estate project; and

12 (4) the Walt Disney Company should seek an13 other location for its proposed theme park—whether

14 elsewhere in the County of Prince William or in the

15 Commonwealth of Virginia—where the impact of the

16 proposed theme park would not disturb areas of

17 such great historical significance as the Northern

18 Piedmont area of Virginia.

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