New Manassas zoning law sparks outcry from abortion backers

Abortion clinics and other medical care facilities must now have special permission from the Manassas City Council before they open.

Such new medical care facilities, other than hospitals and doctors offices — those that have office space, a lab, pharmacy, a physical therapy center, or other medical centers that do not hospitalize patients for care –must now obtain a special use permit from the Council before opening their doors in any commercial district in the city.

The Council voted last night to approve the measure. It’s a change from what city officials previously recommended, to only require a special use permit for “medical care facility” in the city’s historic downtown area or areas zoned as “B2 – neighborhood commercial zones.”

That change was prompted after a City Council work session held last week where Mayor Hal Parrish gave the tie-breaking vote to put forth the ordinance to require medical care facilities across the board a special use permit.

While this proved to be the most controversial of the measures, the new “medical care facility” zoning rule was one of many city zoning laws updated for the first time in nearly 70 years. The City Council ordered the laws to be updated, said city zoning administrator Matt Arcieri.

Following last night’s vote, several spoke out against the decision.

Katherine Greenier, of the Reproductive Health Project at the ACLU of Virginia, said the move aimed to block access to women’s health. “City zoning laws should not make it disproportionally difficult to access this kind of care,” she said.

“You’re making it difficult for a new abortion provider to open in the city, and making it difficult for the current abortion provider to renovate or move to another location in the city,” added Janis Kraft-Henry.

Others warned there will be political consequences for the move and vowed to get out the vote against the councilmembers who voted to approve the special use requirement.

Some women praised the decision and spoke out against abortion. Many said the decision to give birth to their child vs. choosing abortion was the best decision that could have made.