We all remember the moment the Death Star exploded. Everyone celebrated. The good guys had won.
But the evil empire was not finished.
Prince William County came so close to finally getting on the right track. People in Loudoun actually called me and asked, “Is Prince William County, the poster child for corruption and disastrous development decisions, really going to stop both data center sprawl and housing sprawl in the same month?”
We were so close.
Then two supervisors stepped in and ushered in what I call the Age of Assemblages.
Two developers donated more than $320,000 to two candidates, one Republican and one Democrat—an unholy alliance.
One of our supposed stalwarts for protecting the Rural Crescent suddenly shifted and declared that she had “never worked harder” on a project than she did to place 2,700 homes on Featherbed Lane. Then came the audacity to call bulldozing 12 homes and replacing them with 2,700 homes “redevelopment” and “reinvestment.”
This episode of Audacious NIMBY uncovers how the empire struck back, how Prince William County snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, and why we apparently cannot have nice things.
On a side note, I love my life. I am of sound mind. My brake lines are in excellent condition.
Enjoy this shocking new episode: The Empire Strikes Back.
Audacious Nimby
What Audacious NIMBY Means
The term NIMBY, which stands for Not In My Back Yard, has often been used to insult or dismiss citizens who speak up for their communities. We are reclaiming that word. We are not against growth. We are against reckless growth that ignores infrastructure, damages our environment, and erodes public trust.
Audacious NIMBY stands for courage. It stands for people bold enough to demand honesty, accountability, and responsible planning. It represents citizens who expect elected officials to act in the public interest rather than in the interest of developers, donors, and political insiders.
We believe in a better path forward.
✔ We stand for accountability from our leaders.
✔ We stand for the protection of our watersheds, aquifers, and natural resources.
✔ We stand for zoning decisions that match infrastructure capacity and long-term planning.
✔ We stand for full transparency in government.
✔ We stand for exposing and challenging corruption wherever it appears.
Our message is simple. Protecting your home is not selfish. It is responsible.
Being a NIMBY in this context means being a steward of the land and of the community. Being an Audacious NIMBYmeans taking that stewardship further by speaking boldly, standing firmly for the public good, and refusing to be intimidated by political pressure or special interests. It means saying yes to good development that respects people and the environment. It also means saying no to political corruption, no to environmental exploitation, and no to decisions that place private gain above the public good.
Audacious NIMBY is a movement built on truth, integrity, and the belief that citizens have the right to defend their community. In fact, it is their responsibility.