Shahady makes case for Ward I

Ward I City Council candidate Tom Shahady formally announced his campaign from the shore of the troubled College Lake on Monday.
Shahady, a professor of environmental science at Lynchburg College, pointed to the muddy, shallow water below him as a symbol of the city’s ecological strife.
“You used to be able to launch a boat from this point,” he said from a dock where the water’s now less than a foot deep. “In another four years, it could be dry ground. You’ll come out here and it will be all cattails.”
Shahady, 46, has made environmental preservation his No. 1 issue. On Monday, he also included support of education and a commitment to refurbishing Lynchburg’s aging infrastructure among his top priorities.
He’s running for the Ward I seat against incumbent Mike Gillette and retired car dealer Jim Martin. Each candidate has filed as an independent.
If elected, Shahady said he would use his expertise to ensure the city protects its environment. He also outlined a number of projects he wants to see move forward, including better recycling programs, approval of a local climate initiative and the creation of an environmental checklist for new development.
The last two ventures are being spearheaded by the city’s Natural Resources Advisory Committee, of which Shahady is a member.
Shahady acknowledged he ran the risk of being perceived as a one-issue candidate, but maintained preservation was the “most important issue” facing the community.
“Nobody’s ever really pushed the environment around here,” he said. “We’ve been developing and running along, all the while taking a cursory view of the environment when it should be up front.”
He added he felt a balance could be struck between environmental concerns and the needs of development without compromising the area’s natural resources.
“We’ve got to tell business this is what we value in this community, this is what’s important to us,” he said. “Let’s work together, within the natural features of our city, to incorporate what you want to do. The more we do that, the more people can enjoy the city.”
Shahady also highlighted his background as an educator, saying he would be a strong supporter of schools and of youth athletics. He also touched on Lynchburg’s infrastructure needs, calling on officials to maintain the city’s existing systems before pursuing expansion to support new development.
Fellow challenger Martin, 64, is running on a platform that prioritizes public safety, education and business development. Gillette, 44, who’s finishing his first term in office, has touted his efforts in the areas of smart growth, fiscal responsibility and transparency in government.
In his own announcement last week, Gillette noted he proposed stricter regulations for big-box stores, an ordinance that’s now under development.
Shahady criticized him, though, for rejecting an early version of the law brought to City Council last year. By delaying the issue for further research, the new Wal-Mart slated for Old Forest Road was allowed to come in by-right, he noted, avoiding the heightened scrutiny that would have come with a big-box ordinance.
Gillette said the first proposal was too simplistic and would be better with the revisions being made to it now.
A stakeholders’ meeting surrounding the issue is planned for Wednesday and will involve the planning commission, developers and environmentalists. Shahady is among the invited guests.
Click here for more 2008 Lynchburg City Council elections coverage