I'm worried about growth, so I'm voting for Hap

Date published: 10/22/2003

I find myself thinking about all the traffic I have had to endure recently. Driving east on State Route 3 toward Spotsylvania Mall and Central Park on Saturday mornings is a nightmare.

Traffic usually backs up toward the Five-Mile Fork area and, at times, sometimes farther west. When this happens, it can take up to 20 minutes or longer to go some three miles. No wonder I feel stressed out, even after a short trip. Most of my friends feel the same way about this situation.

Weekday traffic on Route 3 is no better. Traffic jams seem to be the norm since the backup to get onto northbound Interstate 95 from Route 3 in the morning can start all the way back near Ukrop's. Returning home in the evening, the Route 3 corridor is again a nightmare of stop-and-go traffic. I just wonder if heavy traffic could be the root cause of many of the "road rage" incidents we hear about in the news.

All the news media coverage about the California recall election and knowing that our Election Day is fast approaching makes me wonder which political candidate has the vision and courage to solve our traffic problem.

I believe that the main issue is population growth within our county. We need county supervisors who have the courage to stand up to developers wanting to come into our county and build high-density developments.

Route 3 in its current state would never handle the additional traffic generated if the Town of Chancellorsville project had been approved. Major road improvements are required in our county before any additional development should be considered.

Looking at the two candidates running for the Chancellor District supervisor position, there is no way I can support Claude Dunn and his position toward projects like the Town of Chancellorsville and toward outsourcing many county functions ["Dunn runs for supervisor," June 17].

I value the quality of life in this county, so my vote for Chancellor District supervisor will go to Hap Connors this November.

Mark Stepongzi

Spotsylvania

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Date published: 10/22/2003