I am writing to ask that you support efforts to re-evaluate the current stormwater regulations and that alternative approaches be given an opportunity for consideration by the Soil and Water Conservation Board.

Over the past several years, the real estate market in Virginia has collapsed, causing significant budget and fiscal constraints on both the Commonwealth’s budget as well as local government budgets.

While fiscal stress has been bad for state and local governments, the cost to average Virginians has been worse. Virginians in every part of the Commonwealth have watched in dismay as their home values have continued to decrease. This has left many in the precarious position of owing more on their homes than they are worth. Because of that, we now have record-breaking

inventories of foreclosed houses. Even if potential sellers are not in foreclosure, many are worried about selling their homes.

How does all of this relate to stormwater regulations?

The added costs associated with these regulations will increase the costs to build new homes, which will only further hamper the homebuilding industry. There is a proven relationship between new and existing home markets: when one falters, so does the other.

These proposed regulations will promote sprawl by requiring more land to be used to

meet the same demand for commercial and industrial floorspace and residential units. That means land will become more expensive and push the dream of homeownership further away from the people who want it.

In tough economic times, I hope you will agree that the price tag for regulations such as these need further examination.

Please vote “no” to adopting Part II of the storm-water regulations.

Preserving our environment is vital for future generations of Virginians, as is keeping costs low enough for those same Virginians to own a home. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.