In recent weeks, I have learned just how tough local elections can be. I have spoken with I-don’t-know-how-many voters. I have knocked on hundreds of doors. I have given my pitch to many groups, from the Student Government Association to the AARP, from Coffee with the Candidates to, yes, the League of Women Voters. I have passed out campaign literature at Steppin’ Out and Gobblerfest, and I have waved at the Homecoming Parade. I’ve even been dunked for charity.

My bumper stickers grace both small cars with good gas mileage and gas-guzzling SUVs. Homeowners who have lived in Blacksburg their entire lives have placed my signs in their yards, and so have young professionals who have just moved to the area. I have answered questions on many issues, from bus routes to bicycle lanes, from the cost of living to Costco. And I have earned an endorsement from the Roanoke Times.

While I respect all of my opponents who have made it this far, I do not agree with them on every point. One issue—one question—has emerged above all the rest, and in many ways this election has always been about this issue: How will Blacksburg grow and prosper? How will we promote economic development and maintain our quality of life?

On the campaign trail, I have outlined a vision for smart, calculated growth that allows for retail and commercial development but addresses neighborhood and environmental concerns. Blacksburg has gone through many changes over the years, and it will continue to change in the years to come. We must elect progressive leaders who will ensure that this change does not come at the expense of our shared community values—leaders who will listen to citizen concerns and find practicable solutions for the good of the whole, not those who would divide our town for the good fortune of a few.

I am running for Blacksburg Town Council because I believe my platform of downtown revitalization, smart growth, public and alternative transportation, and citizen engagement does represent a balanced approach to local government that will meet our economic, environmental, and social needs.

I am running because I want town residents to find a job, own a home, start a business, and enjoy Blacksburg’s high standard of living—because I understand that big business is not the only side of economic development in a small town, that “kitchen table” issues are what matter to many in a struggling economy.

I am running because I want to listen and respond to the needs of all Blacksburg residents, regardless of their age, income level, or station in life—because I want locals to understand the enormous talent and creativity that Virginia Tech students bring to our town, and students to understand the real impact that they have on the community at large.

I am running because I want to be an advocate for young voters, because I have experienced life in Blacksburg both as a Hokie and a permanent resident, and because this puts me in the best position to unite the town and campus.

And finally, I am running because I want to bring new ideas and a fresh perspective to the community I have called home for the past seven years. I have served my neighbors in the New River Valley and elsewhere on many occasions, whether painting part of a house for an elderly couple during the Big Event or volunteering at a home for Haitian street kids in the Dominican Republic for a local nonprofit.

On November 3rd, you decide whether I serve our community on the Blacksburg Town Council. I thank you for this wonderful opportunity, and I would appreciate your vote and your support.

Watch video of the Oct. 26 forum.

‘Smart growth’ in Blacksburg

What does “smart growth” mean, anyway?

In 2002, developer Bob Pack made plans for a 100,000-square-foot, two-building complex known as Kent Square. He envisioned office, retail and residential spaces in close proximity and sought $2 million in public funds for a 380-space parking garage for downtown shoppers and residents.

While some described the compact, mixed-use development as a prime example of “smart growth,” not everyone supported Pack’s vision for downtown Blacksburg. Opponents argued that the three-story structure would erode Blacksburg’s small town charm. With time the controversy subsided, and the two Kent Square buildings opened in 2004 and 2005, respectively.

But the tug of war between developers who stand to profit from new construction and residents who wish to protect the character and property values of their neighborhoods continues, with the renewed debate over a big-box store in Blacksburg as the latest struggle. The term “smart growth,” which has particular importance as Virginia Tech and the town of Blacksburg celebrate Sustainability Week, appears as both rallying cry and pejorative in the public debate, often without sufficient explanation.

Before the 1970s, most community leaders took an approach to urban planning that moved neighborhoods farther and farther from the city center, relied on automobiles as the primary form of transportation and divided commercial and residential areas based on use. Smart growth – which favors long-range planning, regional needs, public health and environmental stewardship – emerged as an alternative to urban sprawl.

Smart growth does not mean “no growth,” but it does mean that we should encourage economic development and maintain our quality of life at the same time. We must elect leaders to the Blacksburg Town Council who will support mixed-use development, preserve our neighborhoods, offer housing opportunities for residents of all income levels, conserve green and open space and improve access to public and alternative transportation.

Yet, smart growth is not the only way to ensure that Blacksburg has a sustainable future. For starters, we must find a way to extend the downtown recycling pilot program to the rest of Blacksburg, reduce greenhouse gas emissions as promised under the Cool Cities initiative and Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, and lead by example with green, energy-efficient building practices.

Most importantly, though, we must educate citizens about how their decisions affect the community at large and empower them to make choices that, using the United Nations’ definition of sustainable development, “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Michael Sutphin
Town council candidate
Alumnus, communication ’06

Read the article on the Collegiate Times website.