It seems to me that there's got to be a fix somewhere in all of this back-and-forth with the SPCA project location. Stafford County needs it, the Board of Supervisors wants it (obviously, they signed on as the applicant), and the public wants it, but the location still remains a serious obstacle.
Why not consider an even swap of 10 acres of isolated county-owned land (preferably on public water) for the old nursing home property and get this project back on track once and for all? There's no loss of inventory for the county, as they'll be gaining valuable property in a very desirable area. The old nursing home property could be used for another park, walking trails, a pool, a library, an athletic field, or perhaps a future home for the Brooke Fire Station or county pumping station should county water ever be extended to the Brooke area.
There are lots of possibilities to satisfy everyone here and I think some frank discussions that include all of the stakeholders could go a long way. Obviously, the current plan is not palatable to everyone and the last thing this county needs is another lawsuit. Allow cooler heads to prevail and begin thinking about some real solutions.
Irene Egan
Stafford
The writer is an independent