River Oaks Split Unpopular in Redistricting Process

Woodbridge, Va. –– A redistricting debate in Woodbridge may come down to the land separated by River Ridge Boulevard.

As part of a redistricting plan from Prince William County, the four-lane road would split the River Oaks neighborhood in Woodbridge, putting a portion of the neighborhood now in the Woodbridge District into in the Dumfries District.

The nearby Harbor Station development would also be placed in the Dumfries District as part of the plan.

If approved, River Oaks would have two separate county supervisors representing it, and Woodbridge Supervisor Frank Principi doesn’t like the idea.

The River Oaks neighborhood is a “community of interest because it is 77 percent minority, explained Principi in a letter to PotomacLocal.com.

“One of the criteria we established as a Board earlier this year was to preserve communities of interest to the maximum extent possible when drawing lines for redistricting.  I have heard from many residents of River Oaks who are opposed to dividing their neighborhood, which has developed a strong sense of community over the years,” stated Principi.

The Prince William County Board of Supervisors will meet at 7:30 p.m. at the county’s government center on Prince William Parkway to ratify the proposed redistricting plan. If it’s approved by the county, it will then be sent to the U.S. Department of Justice for final approval.

It won’t be a public hearing tonight, but residents will have one more chance to weigh in on the proposed redistricting changes that, by law, have to be made every 10 years following the census to address population changes.

In Southbridge –– the residential neighborhood next to River Oaks –– home owners association President Jim Riley supports moving Harbor Station into the Dumfries District but doesn’t want to see River Oaks split between two magisterial districts.

“I know that I wouldn’t want my community split between two precincts let alone two magisterial districts.  That is why I put forward a proposal to the Board of County Supervisors suggesting they use the Dominion Power easement to the east of the River Oaks HOA as the boundary line.  That would keep the River Oaks community unified while enabling Harbor Station to be moved,” said Riley.

Dumfries District Supervisor Maureen Caddigan, who would inherit Harbor Station and the portion of River Oaks into her district, could not be reached for comment for this story.

Also under consideration tonight: renaming the Dumfries District to the Potomac District, officials say to end confusion between the boundary lines of the Town of Dumfries and Prince William’s much larger Dumfries magisterial district.

Dumfries town leaders have all passed a resolution opposing the name change, while Riley’s home owner’s association supports the change.