University of Virginia Library

(Green) Springtime In Paris

After three and a half years of conflict and
confusion, that now infamous tale of Green
Springs has been provided an ending. For the
past six months, while Green Springs residents
and state and county officials have debated
over the fate of this historic area, Governor
Linwood A. Holton, the instigator of the
controversy, has balked at supplying anyone
with a verdict.

Finally, last week Governor Holton ended
the suspense, announcing his decision that he
is directing officials to go ahead with the
construction of a prison facility at the Green
Springs tract in Louisa County.

Last October Governor Holton declared
that the state would drop its plans for the
proposed penal institution in the Green
Springs area if the residents would give the
state "positive assurance within a reasonable
time that the historically critical area of
Green Springs [would] be preserved."

The Governor's October 10 remarks
implied that protective easements under the
state Open Space Land Act were one way for
the residents of the Green Springs community
to assure historic preservation. Despite the
complicated legal terminology, easements
simply deprive a person of the right to ruin
his own land.

What at the time seemed like a rather
formidable task for Historic Green Springs,
Inc., has been subsequently accomplished
with flying colors. 7,354 acres out of a total
of 10,000 acres have been placed by residents
into easements, and they have expectations of
further increasing that total to over 9,000
acres. However, in his remarks last week,
Governor Holton stated that the easements
granted by the property owners were
inadequate to assure the preservation of the
area. Moreover, he added that he was not
satisfied that the form of the easements
assured preservation of the properties.

When Governor Holton first spoke of
easements it was unclear what figure he had
specifically in mind. But, it appeared then and
it is evident now that Governor Holton was
playing semantic games with those of us who
took his remarks seriously, for it is now
obvious that he never intended to accept
anything less than 100 per cent of the land in
easements.

At this point it would be ludicrous to
rehash all the arguments for and against the
construction of a penal facility at Green
Springs. The probable economic benefits
which the facility would provide for the
county are obvious, but the historical and
environmental implications involved in the
Green Springs site are also well-documented.

The point is, as Green Springs residents
contend–there is more land protected by
easements in the Green Springs area than in
any other community in the country. While
Historic Green Springs, Inc. may not have
secured every last acre in easements, 70 per
cent is eminently "reasonable." As the
Richmond Times Dispatch has noted in an
editorial, "it would be hard to find a
community anywhere whose members were
agreed 100 per cent about anything." No
community could realistically be more in
agreement than Green Springs on the subject
of historic preservation.

Governor Holton has not only wasted
thousands of dollars in taxpayers' money with
his stalling tactics but has now, with this
latest move, lied to us as well.

No wonder that the day after this
announcement he skipped town for Paris.
Deep down, the frivolous tune, "Springtime
in Paris," must have sounded better than the
mournful theme of "A Green Springs
Tragedy."