It would seem that the majority (or a vocal minority?) would say NO!!!  Of course, I’m more of a city boy, so I like the development, as long as it is done well and doesn’t turn the landscape into NoVA.

The RTD ran an article yesterday about how Hanover has reached 100,000 residents.  The irony, as most people have pointed out, is that the area is so popular because of the slower pace, the good school system, the larger building lots, and sparser population.  Of course, more people in the area detract from these benefits that are so popular.

I have always had a negative impression of Hanover’s ability to work with businesses.  Maybe my impression is founded on their working with small businesspeople, not the big box retailers that seem to be taking  over Mechanicsville so easily.

Even more interesting than the article itself was the reaction in the online comments section.  The commenters remind us that Hanover is not just the 360/Mechanicsville corridor, but also Doswell, Ashland, and many other sections that each have a distinctive identity from one another.

So mark me down on the side of development, but with the caveat of recognizing that the planners seem to be doing a fairly decent job of controlled growth, which is important.