Our second Prince William Board of County Supervisors meeting of the year was much lengthier than the first, with a Public Hearing on the Kline Application ending a little after 1:00 am with a unanimous decision to defer the case until March 14. While the bulk of the meeting was dedicated to that issue, we managed to cover a lot of ground on others, moving the ball forward on pedestrian safety, sustainability goals, and general governance. Following is a recap of meeting highlights. You can also view the meeting online.
- Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE): Since my earliest days in office, I have been working with County staff and climate activists to introduce this program that promotes green building practices AND economic development. Now, we have authorized a Public Hearing on its adoption. C-PACE opens up market financing options for new construction and for energy and water efficiency improvements in existing buildings. This ordinance would allow us to opt into Virginia C-PACE program rather than having to build our own from the ground up.
- Pedestrian Crossing on PW Parkway over I-95: This much-needed project, which will safely connect pedestrians and cyclists to employment and transit centers, has been on my priority list for years. In 2021, I’d pledged TRIP monies in an attempt to satisfy the matching funds criteria for state funding. While we ultimately didn’t qualify for that grant, our Department of Transportation team kept at it, securing a federal grant to finally construct sidewalk on PW Parkway between Summerland Drive in the Woodbridge District to the Horner Road commuter lot in the Occoquan District.
- Celebrated Our Community: Proclaimed Feb. 8 “National Crossing Guard Appreciation Day” in recognition of the vital role they play in protecting our children and commended the Freedom High School Eagles for their wins on and off the field, as they closed one of the most dominant football seasons in Virginia History.
- General Governance: – Approved a host of consent agenda items, including authorizations for funding, grant applications, and the establishment of an American Revolution 250th Commemoration Committee, and approved appointments to various Boards, Committees, and Commissions, including our new Occoquan District Library Board appointee, Natalie Louise Shorter.
- Public Hearings:
- Abandoning a small stretch of Antioch-McCrea School Road in the Brentsville District (passed)
- A Special Use Permit for an LED Sign at Manassas Seventh Day Adventist Church in the Coles District (passed)
- Modifications for an industrial building in the Brentsville District (passed)
- Towns at Dale Woods, a small townhouse development in Dale City (passed)
- Kline Project (deferred): This applications seeks to rezone 55 acres of long-dormant farmland at the intersections of Liberia Road, Wellington Road, and Prince William Parkway into a mixed-use community of single family attached homes and commercial area (with accompanying special use permits for a pharmacy, drive-thru restaurant and storage facility), with 45 acres provided for public uses. Tuesday, we heard from some residents with concerns about traffic, potential water impacts and community character, while others praised the idea of having land available for potential baseball fields and other public uses. Several project proponents noted that we must make room for new neighbors and create more housing. While the applicant has improved the project greatly since their initial submission in 2016, I voted in favor of Supervisor Vega’s motion to deny. I support many elements of this project, but for it to become a walkable community integrated into nearby shopping and transit, more must be done to safeguard pedestrians. In line with that, I also hear those worried about increased traffic and wish to see additional mitigations on that front. When the motion to deny failed, I supported a subsequent, unanimous motion to defer until Mar. 14. I believe we can use that time to better address these concerns and further improve upon the project. I look forward to those conversations!