Principi talks transit, development, day laborers

Woodbridge, Va. –– The lack of commuter parking was one of the hot topics Tuesday night during Woodbridge Supervisor Frank Principi’s first Tele Town Hall meeting.

After Potomac Mills mall announced earlier this month they will reduce the amount of commuter parking spaces there by 725, some wanted answers as to where they should park once that mall forces them out Feb. 14.

“We are a victim of our own success. In 2008, the mall announced their plans for expansion but the the plans weren’t clearly defined at that time, saying they were interested in building some new stores and restaurants and that they needed more room to build,” said Principi.

Principi suggested commuters park at underutilized lots nearby the mall, including the commuter lots at Interstate 95 and Va. 123, Bethel United Church at Minnieville and Smoketown roads, the parking lot at the Rippon Virginia Railway Express station, and in Dale City at Kmart and at Dale Boulevard and Gemini Way. An expanded Horner Road commuter lot could be opened within a year, he added.

Potomac Mills mall is only required to provide 275 parking spaces to commuters per an agreement with Prince William County officials.

Day laborers who loiter at 7-Eleven at U.S. 1 and Prince William Parkway, and what’s being done about them, was also discussed.

Principi said his “hands are tied” when it comes to a solution, as the loiterers stand on private property.

He added he has seen Prince William police officers enforce the county’s no loitering policy, but would rather see day laborers contained to one spot because it will prevent them spreading to other sites throughout the area, possibly on public sidewalks.

Principi says while no nearby church has offered to allow the day laborers to stand their parking lots, he hopes one might.

The supervisor also touted his smart growth plan which entails keeping the addition of new homes, businesses and offices in one of three major planned town centers: North Woodbridge on the Occoquan River, Potomac Town Center (at the Wegmans grocery store) and at the planned Harbor Station development (near Dumfries, the old Cherry Hill Road area).

Slow to develop, the owners of Harbor Station – which already boasts an 18-hole golf course that’s never been used – have put the property up for sale, said Principi.

In order to keep the vision for the mixed-use development alive, which includes plans for a new VRE station, the property must not be split up and sold separately, said Principi.

“When these centers are built, one will be able to live at one, work at another, and shop at a third. But in order to achieve that we need more transportation options,” he said.

Those options include a wider U.S. 1 and an $130 million interchange at Va. 123 in North Woodbridge.

The interchange would carry traffic into Belmont Bay (the large housing development behind the Woodbridge VRE station).  The project is $32 million short of the funding needed to begin phase one, but Principi says he is working with state and federal leaders to obtain more transportation dollars to get construction going.

The Tele Town Hall was a first for the supervisor, where at least 1,000 people participated in the event listening in on their side respective ends of the phone, he said.

While fewer than 10 questions were answered during the call, participants were given the option of submitting their questions via phone or on his website to be answered by Principi at a later time.