To the Editor:

Why should anyone be surprised that the Fairfax County Planning Commission staff recommended approval of the rezoning for Brooks Farm development (“What’s Happening in 2016 in Great Falls?” - Great Falls Connection, Jan. 6-12, 2016). The midterm elections are over and no one will be held accountable for the slow deterioration of the rural community here in Great Falls in the next election. I attended a meeting held at Forestville Elementary school last year and other than the developer and their lawyer I did not hear one voice speak out in favor of this pending cluster development. However, what the local citizens want should not deter Fairfax County approval, as their "tax base" on thirty houses will surely exceed the tax base that the county would receive on ten houses on five acre lots and the tax/spending base is the primary focus of Fairfax County and as an extension our elected officials. Let's turn Great Falls into a Reston. Just think of the cash cow that would provide Fairfax county. For whatever it is worth I again will attend the next scheduled GFCA meeting scheduled at the Great Falls Elementary school Jan. 19. I have lived in Great Falls since 1974, 40+ years and believe me the changes I have seen here in Great Falls over the years are not necessarily in the best interest of the community, cluster development being one major downside over the years unless one really wanted to live in Reston. Re the attorney for McGuire Woods Mr. Regle and his statement "We would not be able to meet the expectation of the landowner with five acre lots. There is an economic value to this that we have to balance." My response is, "there is a quality of life issue that we the residents of Great Falls have to balance and we have worked hard to keep and maintain rural community over the years.” Speaking for myself and most likely the Great Falls community we believe it is better to wait for the right time to develop on five acre lots instead of rushing to cluster development for the good of the developers’ bottom line and Fairfax county tax base.

Dudley Losselyong

Great Falls