Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
Loudoun's zoning administrator taking job in Arlington
There was the matter of the neighbor who mowed his lawn in the nude. Another resident said Martians were creating a racket. And let us not forgot the phone call about the politically incorrect snowman.For Melinda Artman, odd complaints from residents come with the territory when you're Loudoun's zoning administrator. She'll soon hear more of the same -- just a little bit east of here.
After 11 years, Artman will be stepping down as zoning administrator at the end of August to assume the same position with Arlington County.
The zoning administrator is the sheriff of what residents can and cannot do to their property. The position is tasked with interpreting, maintaining and enforcing the county's 800-page zoning ordinance, which, among other things, dictates which structures can be built where in Loudoun.
"I get to tell people where they can go, and they don't get mad at me," she said, jokingly describing her job.
Artman has held the position through the biggest building spurt in county history, when Loudoun become one of the nation's fastest-growing counties.
When she started, six people worked in zoning administration. Today, the staff is five times that and has recently been addressing a host of complaints of tall grass and overcrowded homes as foreclosures rise.
She said her proudest accomplishment was the overhaul in 2003 of the county's zoning ordinance, a grueling undertaking, she said, during which she worked 60-hour weeks and "gained 40 pounds."
On her new job in already built-out Arlington, she was told working nights and weekends -- as is sometimes the case with her job here -- were not part of the job description.
"It will be a complete lifestyle change," she said. "It will be a day job."
A replacement for Artman has not yet been named.
Contact the reporter at jjacks@timespapers.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.