University of Virginia Library

Holton Satisfied With
Penitentiary Plans

—Ed.)

Dear Doctor Hartt:

Thank you for your letter
concerning Green Springs.
Naturally, I appreciate the concern
which you and many others have
expressed about the impact on this
area of the correctional facility
which will be located there.

The decision to locate the
correctional facility at this site was
made over a year ago by the
Department of Welfare and
Institutions. When the decision was
announced, objections were raised
which I considered serious enough
to review the decision myself. This
review included a consideration of
the objections which have been
raised, the plans for the
correctional facility, and a personal
inspection of the area and the site
chosen. This review satisfied me
that I could not properly overrule
their site selection correctional
facility on this site without harmful
impact on the area.

Over a year has now passed since
this site was initially selected,
objected to and reconsidered in the
light of these objections. During
this time, plans and work have
progressed so far that it is no longer
realistic to talk about change of this
decision.

I have noted with concern the
continued efforts to develop
opposition to this site because it
seems to me to be based upon a
misunderstanding of what the plans
for the correctional facility are and
what their impact upon the area
will be. Further, it appears to me to
be based upon a failure to
appreciate the different
circumstances in which the Green
Springs area exists since 1-64 has
been opened.

I assure you that Mr. Otis Brown
and his staff are very sensitive to
the concern for the preservation of
this historical area. They are taking
extraordinary steps to design and
landscape the facility so as to
preserve and harmonize with the
historical setting.

It is for this reason that they
have purchased 200 acres for this
site. Only a portion of this will be
actually used for the facility. The
remainder will be preserved as open
space so that the facility will not
intrude upon its neighbors.

I know that Mr. Brown will be
glad to discuss these plans with
you. In fact, since I understand you
have made a very valuable study of
the area, I would not doubt that
you could give him a valuable
critique of them.

I mentioned above the impact
which the completion of I-64 has
had upon the Green Springs area.
Green Springs is now only twenty
minutes from Charlottesville. I
further understand that this makes
it highly attractive for
development. With these economic
forces playing upon the Green
Springs area, the large open space
which will be preserved around the
correctional facility appears to me
to be a very important anchor to
help to preserve Green Springs. It
would appear that persons
interested in the preservation of
Green Springs could take advantage
of this large area, which will be
consciously preserved, and seek to
control other development of the
Green Springs area which appears
almost inevitable now that it is so
easily accessible.

I am sure that my comments
have made it clear that I cannot in
good judgment properly reverse the
decision to locate the site of the
correctional facility in Green
Springs; therefore, it would be an
imposition upon your time to invite
you to Richmond to discuss it. (I
have inspected the area twice, so I
feel quite familiar with it.) I would
like to close on a positive note,
however, by suggesting the
following historical and
environmental gains which have or
can be realized as a result of this
controversy.

First, we have almost literally
discovered a new historically
valuable area of our
Commonwealth. Second, we have
discovered it in time, perhaps, to
control its development so as to
avoid destroying this historical
value. Third, we have in the
correctional facility, and
the development of these plans to
preserve this area.