boundaries

[Charles Barone]

Monday, July 7, 1997; Page B03
                         The Washington Post 

                         At Long Last, a Line Is Drawn

                         Between Virginia, W. Virginia

                         A geological survey has determined, finally, the 
precise
                         boundary between Virginia and West Virginia at 
the western
                         edge of Loudoun County, bringing a 134-year-old 
dispute one
                         step closer to a resolution.

                         The new 15-mile-long line still must pass muster 
in the
                         legislatures of both states. But Virginia 
officials hope it will end
                         disputes over who provides fire, police and 
other public
                         services to the two dozen or so residents living 
along the
                         border.

                         Confusion and ambiguity have been the most 
distinguishing
                         features of the boundary separating Loudoun and 
Jefferson
                         counties since 1863. Then, western Virginia 
seceded from the
                         rest of the state, which itself had seceded from 
the Union two
                         years earlier to join the Confederacy. The exact 
boundary
                         wasn't much of a problem until the population in 
the area
                         increased in recent years, leading to a kind of 
dual identity for
                         some.

                         Vivian Phillips, for instance, has a Virginia 
address and a
                         Virginia driver's license but has West Virginia 
tags and pays
                         real estate taxes to West Virginia. "It can be 
confusing at
                         times," she said.

                         The permanent boundary is based on a 1991 pact 
between the
                         two states that put it at the watershed line, 
which is at a point
                         where a bucket of water will spill half in one 
direction and half
                         in the other. That finally was determined by 
using satellites and
                         other high-tech equipment.

                         While most of the two dozen homeowners now know 
which
                         state they live in -- unofficially, at least, 
until the boundary is
                         ratified -- one resident is still perplexed. The 
new line runs right
                         through the middle of the house.

                         "At this time, we're not sure what we're going 
to do or what it
                         means," said Kim Sandretzky. "We're in kind of a 
limbo."

                         -- Peter Pae