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Gov. Bob McDonnell signs bill as, from left, LOW President Bruce Kay, Del. Ed Scott and Sen. Edd Houck watch. |
Gov. Bob McDonnell came to Lake of the Woods yesterday and ceremoniously signed a bill that allows the Orange County subdivision to keep its dam just the way it is.
After an eight-year fight with the state over compliance with dam-safety regulations, the mood at the LOW clubhouse was jovial and appreciative.
The homeowners association had finally agreed in January 2009 to build a new spillway to be completed by January 2011. A construction contract was signed last October, followed by a $1,200-per-lot assessment on LOW property owners.
At the morning ceremony on the clubhouse deck overlooking the dam, LOW Association President Bruce Kay thanked Sen. Edd Houck, D-Spotsylvania, who introduced Senate bill, and Del. Ed Scott, R-Madison, who, with the help of McDonnell administration officials, shepherded it through extensive revision and passage.
An emergency clause in the bill allowed McDonnell to sign it shortly after passage, an accommodation that cleared the way for LOW to cancel the construction contract.
McDonnell praised the bill, saying it "put some reason back in state government." He applauded the two legislators who represent LOW (the "Two Eds," he called them) for their efforts to take the concerns of their constituents to Richmond "and make things happen."
"The essence of good government is citizens bringing issues to their leaders," he added.
"This bill will benefit citizens all over the state," he said. "Today we celebrate that part of democracy that's working well."
The old regulations required LOW to upgrade the spillway of its main dam so it could discharge 37 inches of precipitation in 24 hours.
The change lessens the amount of water the spillway must discharge. LOW's emergency plan, insurance coverage and daily monitoring of the dam sufficiently meet the new requirements.
"Government actions have to be reasonable and sensible," said Houck. "We would not be standing here today and wouldn't have this bill without the extreme support from Gov. Bob McDonnell."
Scott had praise for Houck, saying the dam bill "is a prime example of working together as we should for your benefit."
He also applauded the work done by LOW members, whose efforts "restored reason and sanity to the dam regulations in Virginia."
And he had kudos for McDonnell. "He listened on the campaign trail and this is one thing he said he'd look at. His administration helped us craft this legislation."
Answering questions from reporters about the safety of people downstream of the LOW dam, McDonnell replied, "This is commonsense regulation. We don't need to plan for things unlikely to occur and which have never occurred in Virginia.
"Those dams not up to the standard of this dam need improvement. We need to be looking at infrastructure improvements across the board."
LOW General Manager Ted Wessel confirmed later in the day that the bills for the aborted spillway construction and other costs associated with the spillway project had been paid and the final assessment refunds will be mailed to members tomorrow.
Robin Knepper: 540/972-5701
Email: rknepper@earthlink.net
