Posted: 11:48 PM - May 10, 2007
From The Winchester Star dated Saturday 6 Jan 2007.
MILLWOOD --- As chairman of the
Clarke County Planning Commission,
Beverly McKay is an integral part of the
front line of the county’s defense against
overdevelopment --- and he says solid
planning and more state aid will help keep
it at bay.
McKay is beginning his 20th year on the commission and can look back on a tenure that has seen Clarke County struggle with the question of how to balance revenue enhancement and job creation with preventing overdevelopment.
McKay, appointed to the commission on Jan. 20, 1987, to succeed Vergil Bates, said some of the best tools available to the panel include the county’s comprehensive plan and Berryville’s master plan.
“The Berryville master plan is something that needed to be done and that we did,” he said. “It led to better changes than we would have seen without it. It has helped keep our county rural by focusing growth in Berryville and Boyce where there are water and sewage resources.
“We need to follow our county’s comprehensive plan. In that plan, we see our county’s future, which makes it even more important that we follow it and update it as we need to.”
As the operator of the Hazelwood Farms dairy operation, McKay has a close perspective on the need for open-space preservation.
“This county has a viable and versatile agriculture industry that is definitely worth protecting,” he said. “People often don’t know how much we have to offer.”
One roadblock counties have in their sprawl prevention efforts is what McKay sees as a lack of state support.
“Preventing sprawl has been very difficult for all counties,” he said. “The state only allows county governments a few opportunities for revenue. We need to see more alternatives for tax revenue.”
McKay particularly wants to see relief from property taxes, which he considers oppressive, especially for long-time residents.
“You have a lot of people who have been living here all of their lives who see their $50,000 homes valued at $450,000 or more and their paying taxes on a house that’s valued higher than they ever dreamed it would be worth,” he said. “There have to be some other avenues we can be allowed to pursue.”
McKay, a graduate of Virginia Tech, said he has no timetable for his continued participation in the Planning Commission.
“I’ve always had strong feelings for Clarke County and appreciated how it was cared for by my predecessors. This is a county worth protecting and keeping as beautiful as it has always been. I hope in my time I was successful in that.”
--- Contact Robert Igoe at rigoe@winchesterstar.com
Clarke County dairyman starting 20th year on Planning Commission.
By Robert Igge
The Winchester Star
By Robert Igge
The Winchester Star
 Beverly McKay |
McKay is beginning his 20th year on the commission and can look back on a tenure that has seen Clarke County struggle with the question of how to balance revenue enhancement and job creation with preventing overdevelopment.
McKay, appointed to the commission on Jan. 20, 1987, to succeed Vergil Bates, said some of the best tools available to the panel include the county’s comprehensive plan and Berryville’s master plan.
“The Berryville master plan is something that needed to be done and that we did,” he said. “It led to better changes than we would have seen without it. It has helped keep our county rural by focusing growth in Berryville and Boyce where there are water and sewage resources.
“We need to follow our county’s comprehensive plan. In that plan, we see our county’s future, which makes it even more important that we follow it and update it as we need to.”
As the operator of the Hazelwood Farms dairy operation, McKay has a close perspective on the need for open-space preservation.
“This county has a viable and versatile agriculture industry that is definitely worth protecting,” he said. “People often don’t know how much we have to offer.”
One roadblock counties have in their sprawl prevention efforts is what McKay sees as a lack of state support.
“Preventing sprawl has been very difficult for all counties,” he said. “The state only allows county governments a few opportunities for revenue. We need to see more alternatives for tax revenue.”
McKay particularly wants to see relief from property taxes, which he considers oppressive, especially for long-time residents.
“You have a lot of people who have been living here all of their lives who see their $50,000 homes valued at $450,000 or more and their paying taxes on a house that’s valued higher than they ever dreamed it would be worth,” he said. “There have to be some other avenues we can be allowed to pursue.”
McKay, a graduate of Virginia Tech, said he has no timetable for his continued participation in the Planning Commission.
“I’ve always had strong feelings for Clarke County and appreciated how it was cared for by my predecessors. This is a county worth protecting and keeping as beautiful as it has always been. I hope in my time I was successful in that.”
--- Contact Robert Igoe at rigoe@winchesterstar.com