Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, May 31, 1990                   TAG: 9005310245
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

POLL SHOWS CONCERN FOR GROWTH

The poll, conducted by Mason-Dixon Opinion Research for the Piedmont Environmental Council, found that 57 percent of Virginians think the rate of growth in their areas either is much too fast or a little too fast. Forty-one percent said growth was about right or too slow.

About 80 percent of those responding said the state should adopt a comprehensive land use policy and local governments should have more authority to manage growth.

"The results of our poll more than confirm that our fellow citizens are profoundly concerned over preservation issues and believe action is needed now," said Charles Whitehouse, chairman of the board of the council. "This poll has got very serious political content."

The poll was prompted by the group's concern over builder-supported legislation passed by the General Assembly, said Robert Dennis, the group's president.

"We knew it didn't have strong support in our area," he said. "The building industry has too much influence with the General Assembly."

The poll findings will be given to Gov. Douglas Wilder, but council members did not lump him with pro-growth legislators.

"We haven't had a chance to rate Governor Wilder," Dennis said. "We were quite impressed with some of his appointments."

Poll participants gave a mixed response to whether a legislator's support for growth controls would influence their vote. Forty percent said it would have no real effect, 34 percent said it would make them more likely to support a candidate and 10 percent said it would make them less likely to vote for someone.

Concern about growth was highest in Northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. Eighty-three precent of the valley respondents said growth was too fast and 75 percent agreed with that sentiment in Northern Virginia and the central Piedmont. In the Southwest, Roanoke-Lynchburg areas and Tidewater, most respondents said growth was about right or too slow.

Del. W. Tayloe Murphy Jr., D-Westmoreland and chairman of the Commission on Population Growth and Development, said he thought the poll would help convince Virginia to join other fast-growing states in adopting controls on development.

Mason-Dixon interviewed 842 adults statewide in March for the poll. The margin of error is 3.4 percent.