The proverbial cooler heads prevailed during this past Monday’s meeting of Southampton supervisors. That’s when the board was called on by Riverkeeper Jeff Turner to make a stand and declare its position about the proposed Route 460. His plea, as one would expect, was to say no to the toll road. Its construction, Turner believes, will be an environmental disaster for the area, especially the Blackwater River, which is under his protection.

For that and other reasons, a few members were almost immediately ready to join him in his opposition to the project.

Other supervisors pointed out that they are also concerned – worried, even – about how the county could be impacted as a whole. But to make a formal declaration of war, so to speak, could likely deprive the county of any say-so in what may or may not happen next with 460.

Instead, the resolution drafted and unanimously approved calls on the board to do what it can to ensure that if the project is to become a reality, then the environment and the people must get more than a cursory nod from agencies.

That action, in our view, is not wishy-washy or just politics, but wise counsel.