A Good Man
On behalf of the community, The Gazette extends its appreciation and admiration to former Planning Commissioner Tom Loach, who retired this month after serving eight years in a post that normally has weekly meetings. He has proven to be a nearly ideal public servant, who faithfully represented the community and sagaciously defended the vision of the town’s future expressed in the Crozet Master Plan.
Crozet’s plan was the first such effort made in the county, and the test of it would come when competing agendas collided in implementation choices. Early in a project, key decisions are often made that can fatally undermine the prospects of success. Loach, who now is the community’s foremost expert on the plan, both its strategic vision and the tactical details that make the lines on the playing field, guided choices with such integrity and commitment to the public good that the plan still embodies the promise it started with and what might have been sabotaged remains achievable. Given the powerful forces confronted in public life, this is a noble accomplishment. When called upon to protect and articulate Crozet’s future, Loach stood up to the task and was persuasive.
He has earned his retirement, and no doubt he will remain active with the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department, but we hope he will also continue to be active in civic affairs and that we will continue to benefit from his experience.
Thank you, Tom.
