Madeline McMillan said she was the only Newport News City Council member who has heeded the tribe's plea. I am absolutely certain what they are doing is wrong. The tribe's relationship with the river is a bond that should be understood and honored. Several marchers had said as much during their walk. They've let their competitive business sense override their human feelings.
Local government can now impose zoning restrictions, but they are easily challenged in court.
Conti said his legislation would put those restrictions in statute, which should result in fewer lawsuits. Other Republican-sponsored measures pending in the legislature would give local governments the authority to plan regionally and permit urban growth boundaries that would limit development to certain areas, a concept used in several states and in voluntary use in Lancaster County. While critics such as the Susquehanna Valley Center for Public Policy, a conservative think-tank based in Hershey, claim the loss of open space to development is exaggerated, lawmakers in suburban districts believe better control of planning at the local level is badly needed. It's the impact it's having on existing communities. Gov. Tom Ridge is currently crafting his own response to controlling growth, and his administration plans a series public hearings this summer on the various proposals for land use.