Two new large building projects are going in along Route 28 in Prince William County testing the limits of an outdated road and an already taxed county infrastructure. Orchard Bridge will be a 15 building grouping of garden style apartments the anticipated completion date will be May of 2014. 

The Towns at Falls Grove will be a mix of single family homes and town home style condos across from Yorkshire Drive on Route 28 in Prince William County. Potential residents can expect to pay upwards of $289,000 to purchase a unit in the complex.

“The Orchard Bridge Apartment Project of Route 28 was approved in 1985, at a time when there was very little understanding on the adverse impact that it would have on the community.  The Board knew then that Centreville Road was only designed to be a four lane road, and in fact approved this zoning with the assumption that it would stay four lanes,” said Coles District Supervisor Marty Nohe in a recent interview. “29 years later, a project that had largely been forgotten about is now being constructed and there are no legal tools that the current Board of County Supervisors can use to require that the developer pay for the impacts that the project will inevitably have on the community.  There is no way, if this project were to be under consideration by the Board today, that we would ever approve such a huge development with this much impact on traffic, schools, and other public services in an area where expanding those services is such a challenge.  It is extremely frustrating to think that families in Prince William County today are going to pay the price for a short-sighted decision from so long ago.”

Since both building projects fall within the confines of Prince William County, the county must provide emergency services and education for the developments. Jason D. Grant, spokesman for Prince William County, said that Prince William representatives do not plan on adding new satellite stations to that area of the county. Police response will come out of the Western District location and fire service from Yorkshire station which is just 4 minutes away. At this point, Grant does not know how much tax revenue will be added by the units nor do county officials now what the impact will be on the Route 28 corridor between Manassas and Route 66.

Photos by Mary Rosenthol

Stafford students keep weekends – Park Ridge Elementary School student Nya Harris made it clear Tuesday night that she didn’t want to go to school on Saturdays or during spring break. [Fredericksburg.com]

Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright Retires – Governor Terry McAuliffe released the following statement in response to today’s announcement that Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright will retire on May 1, 2014. [Virginia Department of Education]

Manassas Park Bond Rating Upgraded – Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has raised its rating on Manassas Park, Va.’s outstanding general obligation (GO) bonds to ‘A+’ from ‘BBB’ with a “stable” outlook. [City of Manassas Park]

NORTH STAFFORD, Va. – Residents of Stafford’s Vista Woods neighborhood can once again use Furnace Road to access busy commuter route Va. 610.

Furnace Road closed in early February when a problems were found with the street surface and the metal pipes that run underneath.

Here’s more in a press release from the Virginia Department of Transportation:

Furnace Road in Stafford County has re-opened to traffic between Route 610 (Garrisonville Road) and Choptank Road.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and its contractor have substantially completed emergency repair work to the road. Guardrail installation will be scheduled, and can occur while the road is open.

The road was closed on February 5, 2014, after a dip formed in the road over two 60-inch corrugated metal drainage pipes.

The pipes had deteriorated and rusted away at the base, causing the pipes to sink into the soil. VDOT and its contractor removed and replaced the pipes, and restored the road’s travel surface.

WOODBRIDGE, Va. – Two violent crimes in Woodbridge sparked reaction from Prince William County’s top leader Corey Stewart on Tuesday, who says the rate of violent crime in the county is going up.

A large fight broke out in the food court at Potomac Mills mall on Feb. 15 and two teenagers were charged. While the fight broke out when the mall was full of people, false information claiming that a shooting also happened during the fight went viral. No shots were ever fired.

A gun was used in the violent murder of 21-year-old Glenda Marisol Coca-Romero who was shot and killed while inside a small convenience grocer in Woodbridge on Feb. 21. The victim’s father last week pleaded for information from the public that would lead to his daughter’s killer.

“The murder, which looks like an execution, possibly gang related in Woodbridge, has citizens very concerned,” said Prince William Board of Supervisors Chairman At-large Corey Stewart.

Rise in violent crime?

Stewart today called a press conference in his office in Woodbridge and called for answers from the county’s police department on what’s causing what he called an “uptick” in local crime. No law enforcement members were present at the meeting when Stewart announced he wants Police Chief Stephan Hudson look for trends, or possible commonalities on what’s behind a recent rash of violent crime. Recent incidents like a rape, sexual assault, and a bank robbery in Nokesville were also cited as part of a rise in crime.

“It’s too early to know if there is an underlying cause, or if this is a beginning of a trend, but crime did go up substantially in 2012 and I think it’s going to go up again when the final numbers are ready for calendar 2013, as well,” said Stewart.

He’s basing his concerns on anecdotal information given to him, he told reporters. 

Official police statistics for 2013 are due out later this spring. The Prince William County Police Department during their investigation in the in the Coca-Romero case, as well as many others, has developed a reputation of working with the community to solve crimes.

“Even though we have received tips in the case, we continue to ask for the public’s help with any information thy can provide. We have always valued our relationship with the public and their assistance in deterring crime in the community,” said department spokesman Jonathan Perok.

More police officers

Curbing crime in the community will take more police officers – something Prince William County is short on, said Stewart. At the county’s current population Prince William should have 870 police officers on the beat, but the department is 200 short of that number.

County Executive Melissa Peacor’s proposed budget for FY2015 calls for hiring five new police officers next year. That number is half of the number that was hired in previous years, and 80 percent lower than an original staffing plan that called for hiring 25 officers each year.

The staffing plan was scaled back during the recession.

The Board of Supervisors is expected to pass a new budget in April to take effect July 1.

Overall crime in Prince William County remains low, said Perok, who provided the following statistics:

– Crime decreased to 17.04 per 1,000 in 2012. This drop has been steady over the past several years. in 2012, the number of

– Reported property crimes fell by 2% in 2012

– Total number of reported violent crimes increased by 9% in 2012; however, violent crime accounts for only 6% of all crime in Prince William County

– 4% of 2012’s increase in violent crime is attributed to prior year incidents

Jail expansion

Soon, county officials will have to decide if they will spend more than $40 million on a jail expansion at the Prince William / Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center in Manassas. The overcrowded jail needs a renovation of the second and third floors of the jailhouse originally built in 1982, as well as the construction of Phase II of the jail’s central building. Phase I opened in 2008.

Jail officials said they’re 143% overcrowded and have made due by outsourcing, or farming out, inmates from the Prince William jails to other facilities in the state and region.

Stewart said he’s “taking the county staff’s word” on the need for the new jail.

“After you build the jail there are massive ongoing operational costs for the jail, but it’s one of those things – building a jail is not an exciting project, it’s not one of those things you go and brag about, but at the end of the day it’s one of those necessary functions of government,” he said.

MANASSAS, Va. – The chronically sick, under insured, or uninsured in need of medical attention now have a new option in Manassas.

The Evergreen Health Clinic opened its doors on Monday offering an all-inclusive approach to treating the sick and tracking their progress keep them on the road to getting well.

The center in the Evergreen Terrace Building on Liberia Avenue offers primary health care, dental, OBGYN doctors, as well as outpatient behavioral health services provided by state-certified clinical physiologists. This center joins its sister location, the Ridgewood Health Clinic on Prince William Parkway in Woodbridge, which are both operated by the Greater Prince William Community Health Center.

“We want to open ourselves up to give people as much access as possible. Insured, uninsured, we don’t care,” said clinic director Frank Principi.

Open to everyone

Both centers treat anyone regardless of where they live, if they their sick or well, young or old. In fact, the center’s oldest patient is 92. Patients come here from at least 32 zip codes in Virginia and Maryland.

The health clinic in Manassas is also located on a local bus line, and the idea is to get people in to see the doctor, get them treated, and then give them the medication they need from the in-house pharmacy during the same visit. The full-service pharmacy at Evergreen is slated to open April 1 and will be open to the public. The clinic also provides discounted or free medications for diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and other low cost, “maintenance” drugs people need every day for illnesses commonly treated at the clinic.

There are four doctors at Evergreen and more will be added as patient demand grows. The clinic scheduled appointments for 90 patients on its first day Monday, and its expected Evergreen will eventually serve 5,000 patients in its first year. The Ridgewood Clinic in Woodbridge already serves 10,000 patients per year.

“When our patients come in they don’t have sniffles – they have multiple chronic diseases and it can be very difficult to manage…it’s like a jigsaw puzzle,” said Principi.

Network of care

While the all of the exam rooms are state of the art with primary care located on one side of the clinic and OBGYN care dedicated to the other, some patients must be referred out to specialists like ophthalmologists and podiatrists. For that, the clinic has worked out at least two dozen special agreements with doctors in the area ensuring that referred patients with little or no insurance will receive the same level of healthcare as those with a insurance card.

“That patient is going to walk into that doctors office like they own the place, just like any other patient, but they’re going to be paying 45 bucks for that visit versus hundreds of dollars,” said Principi.

Coming to the Prince William Community Health Center is not free. Uninsured patients pay about $45 per visit, while some insured patients pay about $60. The center also takes Medicaid, the monies of which go to help subsidize uninsured patients.

Tracking results 

The clinic received a $650,000 Obamacare grant to open the Evergreen Clinic, and 15% of its operating budget is made up of federal money provided by the Health and Human Services Department. To keep getting those federal dollars, Evergreen must continue to track patient outcomes and prove their doctors are making a dent and improving the health of their patients in Manassas, Manassas Park, and Prince William County.

Principi said the health needs in the Greater Manassas area are actually greater than they are in Woodbridge.

About 2,000 patients being seen in his Woodbridge clinic come from the Greater Manassas area. The hope is more from Manassas will choose to come to Evergreen to free up resources in Woodbridge, which would allow patients there to be scheduled and seen for a “well” visit sooner.

Many of the clinic’s patients are working families that have historically neglected ignored their healthcare needs, sometimes because they simply didn’t know it was available to them.

“Let’s say you’re an immigrant working two jobs, and you have two kids, no health insurance… you’re going to have health issues just like anyone else and if you don’t deal with them you are going to have these kinds of problems  that we’re seeing the community,” said Principi.

Room to grow

With room to expand, the center will look to bring in more imaging services for X-rays, and is already working with LabCorp and Northern Virginia Family Services to provide services to patients. There is 15,000 square feet of space on the third floor, above the Evergreen Clinic, that could be used for offices for specialty doctors as demand grows.

The Greater Prince William Health Center in Woodbridge was on the verge of collapse five years ago before Principi took over. He says a poor business model of only treating uninsured patients left the clinic in the red. The Woodbridge clinic expanded in 2010 and today has more than 80 employees shared between both locations.

Monday’s Manassas City Council meeting was as dramatic as everyone expected given two items on the agenda that would tighten zoning regulations surrounding abortion clinics as well as other medical facilities. The first zoning change would separate medical facilities into a different zoning category and the second would require certain clinics that perform outpatient surgeries like cosmetic surgery and abortion to get a “Special Use Permit” from the city before building could commence. Both agenda items were defeated 4-2.

Defenders of the proposed zoning changes called for “transparency” in the process of new medical facilities opening in Manassas, while opponents said that the amendments unfairly targeted women’s health clinics.

Mayor Harry J. Parrish II made a lengthy speech at the beginning of “Citizen Time” the segment of the meeting where audience members are allowed to voice their opinions to council members. It was a packed house and Delegate Bob Marshall came out to observe the debate over the proposed policy changes. 

“We all understand that this is an emotional and passionate issue,” Parrish said. “But tonight’s agenda items are not about abortion, just about land use.”

While the Commonwealth of Virginia oversees the medical regulation for abortion clinics, cities and towns have the right to update zoning regulations on facilities making it harder for providers to move into new areas.

The issue has been brewing for some weeks as Councilman Mark Aveni asked council members in January to consider updating the city’s zoning regulations in a manner similar to those made in Fairfax. 

Supporters of Aveni’s zoning amendments cited ongoing issues at a clinic in Fairfax as a reason for the considered changes as well as the “protection of the unborn.” Over the summer, the Fairfax clinic made news after reports of health violations surfaced. Ultimately, the clinic closed and has not reopened. The Amethyst Clinic in Manassas is one of just 20 left in the commonweath that performs early term abortions according to the clinic’s website.

“I believe in choice. My body, my choice,” said Manassas resident Lianne Best. “Clinics like Amethyst provide more than just early term abortions; they provide healthcare for women in need.”

Roughly 83 people spoke out at the meeting. 55 of the speakers supported Councilman Aveni’s proposal to separate out medical facilities from other businesses. And about half of the crowd lived in Manassas while the others were from surrounding towns. The voting finally concluded around 11:15 p.m. City Councilmen spent hours listening to the concerns of everyone in the audience. 

Photo by Mary Rosenthol

Va. tribe told to wait for recognition – Maybe they needed a celebrity — say, someone like Wayne Newton — to make their pitch. [News Leader]

2013-14 Snow Causes VDOT To Blow Winter Budget – This snowy winter has had an impact in missed school days for students and missed work days for business owners. It has also greatly impacted the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) snow budget. [Reston Now]

City of Manassas wins a 2014 Communitas Award – The City of Manassas has been awarded a 2014 Communitas Award for Corporate Social Responsibility. [City of Manassas]

Prince William Elementary, Middle School SOLs to be Pushed Back– Prince William County Schools (PWCS) has announced that its administration has decided to postpone SOL testing for elementary and middle school students to later in the year. [Bristow Beat]

Gonzales expected to take the stand – The only living firsthand witness to the April 19 slaying of Julie Serna Gonzales is expected to testify in front of a Stafford County jury today. [Fredericksburg.com]

11 a.m. 

We now have more information on those involved in a police pursuit this morning that put seven people in the hospital.

All seven were injured after the minivan they were in ran off Interstate 95 at Dale City. The vehicle was being pursued by police in Fairfax County.

A spokesman at Fort Belvoir stated on Twitter police from the Army base initially assisted local law enforcement at the onset of the pursuit but the incident did not originate on the military base.

Here’s more in a press release:

At 2 a.m. Tuesday (March 11), Virginia State Police Trooper M.R. Bullock responded to a single-vehicle crash on the Exit 156B ramp leading to Dale Boulevard from Interstate 95.

A 2009 Toyota Sienna was traveling south on I-95 when it attempted to take the exit ramp in excess of 100 mph. Its driver lost control and ran off the left side of ramp, struck a guardrail and overturned onto the left shoulder. The minivan came to rest on its roof.

Four of the minivan’s seven occupants were ejected from the vehicle. Prior to the vehicle crashing it had been involved in a pursuit initiated by Ft. Belvoir Police.

All seven occupants were flown to nearby hospitals – five to Inova Fairfax and two to Washington Memorial Hospital. A 15-year-old female passenger is among those at Inova Fairfax and is being treated for life-threatening injuries. The other six individuals are being treated for serious injuries, but non-life threatening injuries.

The Virginia State Police Fairfax Crash Reconstruction Team is on scene assisting the trooper with the ongoing investigation into the crash. State police are still in the process of determining and confirming the names and information of all seven occupants. The driver was a female believed to be in her early twenties. The passengers included a 23-year-old male, a 21-year-old male, a 17-year-old male, and three 15-year-old females.

8 a.m. 

DALE CITY, Va. – An exit ramp on Interstate 95 at Dale Boulevard is open once again after a police pursuit ended with four teenagers being ejected from a fleeing minivan.

The minivan was traveling south on I-95 at a high rate of speed when the driver lost control after trying to exit the highway at mile post 156. The vehicle, being pursued by police, struck a guardrail and overturned on the left shoulder. A total of seven people were inside the van before it ran off the highway.

The police pursuit was initiated at Fort Belvoir. A base spokesman took to Twitter early this morning that he was not aware of the incident and asked a reporter to provide him with more details.

The modified Tweet is below:

@OhMyGOFF Angie, please email doxxx.x.xxx.xxx@mail.mil with info on what you’re asking about. Unaware of “accident involving 7 teens.”

— Fort Belvoir, Va. (@Fort_Belvoir) March 11, 2014

Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said all seven occupants of the minivan were flown to area hospitals. At least two of them have injuries that appear to be life threatening.

The crash remains under investigation by Fairfax County and Virginia State police.

A statewide tornado drill will take place at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday.

Schools, as well as local and state office buildings will recognize the drill as a way to show students and employees what to do in the event of a tornado.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe encourages all businesses and residents to participate in the drill. Emergency tones will be broadcast by the National Weather Service to indicate the drill is in progress, and tones will simulate those that are broadcast in the actual event of a tornado.

Here’s more information from the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office on how they will be participating the drill:

The Virginia Tornado Drill will utilize a test tornado warning, just as it did in 2013. All National Weather Offices will issue this test tornado warning under the standard tornado product. NOAA Weather radio will transmit the test warning as it would normally for a real tornado event. The Emergency Alert System (EAS) will also be activated as if the drill were an actual tornado warning. The text will clearly indicate that it is a test and not an actual tornado warning. Anyone receiving the tornado drill via NOAA Weather Radio, the EAS System or by commercial radio or television will be able to know that the activation is for tornado drill purposes.

Should severe weather actually threaten Virginia on March 11 the Tornado Drill will be postponed until Thursday, March 13 at 9:45 am.

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management developed a website to provide information on who to protect themselves in the event of a tornado.

Harmony

Harmony is a beautiful, 4 year old tuxedo female. She is a little shy at first but warms your heart quickly. Once she knows you she loves to sit on your lap and have her ears rubbed.

Paddy

A 3 year old, friendly, gray male tabby. He loves kitty treats and runs when he hears the bag open! He does well with other cats, but does enjoy his own napping spot!

Missing cat: Smoke

Smoke is a large, white tabby. He has white feet, chin belley, and a white-tipped tail. He was last seen near Chatham Heights in Stafford County, between U.S. 17 and Va. 3 and the William Street Bridge at Fredericksburg.

Please call 540-621-8811 if found, or email trexj34[at]gmail.com.

Spice

She is just the cutest thing! Spice is a very social and affectionate 3 year old female who still quite kittenish. She has been spayed and is UTD on all her shots.

Sasha

A wonderfully sweet, gentle brindle boxer mix. Sasha is a 7 year old spayed female who has been micro-chipped and is UTD on her shots.

-Information provided by the Stafford SPCA. Contact them for more information on any of the animals listed above.