Letter: Madera Farm Threatens Rural Way of Life in Western Prince William

The definition of agriculture is and has been for thousands of years, the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi, and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain human life. The word “agriculture” is the English adaptation of Latin agricultura, from ager, “a field” and cultura, “cultivation” in the strict sense of “tillage of the soil”. Thus, a literal reading of the word yields “tillage of fields.”

Prince William County is now preparing (with the Special Use Permit -SUP #PLN2012-00334) to make a decision that will set a precedent to change the definition of “agriculture” in this county, and our Comprehensive Plan and Zoning regulations, to include a recycling and landscaping supply business as an agriculture use. Approval of this SUP will forge the change to the definition and character of the rural area of Prince William County. If Madera Farm was truly a “farm,” there would be no need for an SUP.

This SUP will be the first of many SUP’s submitted for heavy industrial uses that will come from the purchase of “cheap” or less expensive agricultural land in the rural area of the county, and converted to industrial uses. These industrial sites will change the face of the rural area, and will increase the traffic on our narrow, already heavily used, country roads with many more tractor trailers and dump trucks.

Instead of encouraging land-use opportunities that would benefit farmers and landowners and supporting the production of agricultural crops on the existing farm land, the approval of an industrial landscaping supply business and other industrial uses through Special Use Permits, the Planning Commissioners and the Board of County Supervisors, would be allowing our rural area to become exactly what was purported would never happen while they were in office.

Everyone was “on board” to keep the Rural Crescent rural, as was approved by the Comprehensive Plan. And yet now, it seems “political winds” have changed. Is the preservation of the rural area not so important now?

“Political will” has created the Rural Crescent… now, it seems that “political will” is about to destroy what is left of the farm land in the rural area of the county and replace it with industrial sites. Approval of industrial operations, such as the Madera Farm SUP, in the rural area will set the stage for further erosion of the preservation of the rural area. There are approximately 80,000 acres in the rural area of Prince William County, all of which are affected by this pending action.

The BOCS recently handled a controversial issue regarding the widening of Purcell Road in the Coles District at their meeting March 5, 2013, in a manner that was both beneficial and satisfactory to the citizens who live in that area. This issue was resolved through community action, led by residents who objected to a road that would open neighborhoods to significant cut-through traffic without addressing local traffic problems.

Citizens should look for a similar outcome in Nokesville at Madera Farm, which can happen only if residents speak out to protect the character of the County’s Rural Crescent. Share your views at the Public Hearing and Planning Commission vote for the Madera Farm Special Use Permit #PLN2012-00334 on Wednesday, March 20, 7 p.m. at McCoart Government Center, Board Chambers.

-Melinda Masters, Brentsville District