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Aquia Landing area experiences new growth Date published: 9/10/2003 By JODI BIZAR New luxury-home developments going up along the road to Aquia Landing have the area's supervisor worried about damage to some of the county's most picturesque land. Aquia District Supervisor Kandy Hilliard said she and others on the Board of Supervisors are concerned that unchecked construction will increase runoff into Accokeek Creek, which would harm wildlife and cause erosion in that area. One new subdivision, Poplar Hills, is already in place along Brooke Road, and two more subdivisions are planned for Brooke and Andrew Chapel roads. "That area is one of the most beautiful spots in Stafford County," Hilliard said. "If we fall asleep at the wheel it'll be gone forever. It's heartbreaking." Earlier this month, a landslide of red clay toppled down from Poplar Hills onto Brooke Road and into Accokeek Creek. "I suspect it will damage the wetland area," Hilliard said. "I don't ever want to see that happen again." Al Loy is the sales manager of SYG Associates, which has sold all its homes in Poplar Hills and is planning to open a new luxury-home development this fall. He said the landslide was a "freak thing" that occurred during a rainstorm. A fence holding back the clay mud apparently gave way. Crews were sent in and the mud was cleared from the road before the next morning's rush hour, Loy said. "We responded immediately," he said. "We jumped right in there, and I think we did a pretty good job." But Hilliard said efforts are under way to find out whether the mudslide caused damage to the creek that needs to be cleaned up. She said the county needs to make sure environmental regulations are in place to protect the area before and after construction. The board is likely to codify a requirement for builders to reinforce silt fences to ensure that dirt and mud don't tumble onto streets or into waterways--and set fines for failing to do so. Loy said Poplar Hills has 175 homes situated on one-acre lots. Home prices range from $350,000 to about $500,000. SYG plans to start another development this fall called Brooks Mills. That subdivision, just down Brooke Road from Poplar Hills, will have 42 homes. "It will all be upper-end Colonial-style or ramblers," Loy said.
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