Editorial: Be It Ever So Humble...

Unemployment and foreclosures remain a real problem throughout the country...and many families are finding it a bit more difficult to make ends meet.

As you might imagine, it’s a time when any proposal that impacts small business is scrutinized extremely carefully. That is the reason that the recent decision by CountrySide to examine (and possibly restrict) existing home-based businesses hits many as a strange decision.

It is necessary and appropriate for a community to regulate businesses operating from a resident’s house. Signage must be appropriate and it should not be the type of business that would markedly impact neighborhood traffic. Maintaining a quality of life and the value of homes in a community is the primary reason most homeowners associations (HOAs) exist.

There is an understandable concern that some home-based businesses might hurt home values in the neighborhood. While this is not true in many cases, it is certainly possible. However, neighbors and homeowners should carefully consider whether a foreclosed or empty home might hurt the real estate market in their neighborhood even more.

In an age of telecommuting, it would make more sense to expand the availability of home-based businesses into the more restrictive home owners associations—instead of trying to limit those already in existence. While there are certainly arguments for and against welcoming certain home-based businesses into a community, the possible boon that successful businesses can add to the community should weight very heavily in the final decision.

Don’t Block The Box

The first time, commuters in Washington saw signs for “Don’t Block the Box,” they were naturally a little amused. However, the signs did their job in promoting awareness that moving your vehicle into the intersection before the road ahead is clear causes the gridlock that most urban settings are attempting to avoid.

However, this is not simply an urban problem. While Northern Virginia traffic ebbs and flows a bit more freely than downtown D.C., we are now seeing a few instances of intersections being blocked in Loudoun as well.  Traffic in the area is bad enough—and given the tenor in Richmond, it seems unlikely that the problem will be fixed anytime soon. It is perfectly natural to anxiously watch the clock and imagine the disapproving glares from your supervisor. Taking this anxiety and using it to justify having your vehicle stuck in the middle of an intersection while you wait for those ahead of you to move doesn’t do anything to help the overall frustration with traffic. As annoyed as you might be—the person who misses and entire signal because your car is standing between them and the open road is more annoyed than you are.

Don’t block the box—instead, take a breath, and wait for the signal to run its course.