Some Prince William County residents who live in the Brentsville District, the most rural area of the county, weighed in on future plans to develop the region.
Increased development was a common point of dissatisfaction among many residents. Loss of green space, increased congestion, and overcrowded schools were cited reasons for why many oppose new development in the county.
Residents also said there was a lack of places for young people to congregate, as well as a lack of support for education, was brought up among other things topics but land use dominated the conversation.
“We need the county to commit to keeping the rural area rural and stick to what is allowed in the zoning,” said Brentsville District resident Tammy Spinks.
The majority of Prince William residents live in the heavily-populated eastern side of the county. For more than 20 years, development on a tract of land between Quantico and Manassas Battlefield National Park known as the Rural Crescent has been used to curb development on the western side of the county. New homes must be built on 10-acre lots, and sewer and water lines are prohibited without the permssion from the Board of County Supervisors.
The comments came during a virtual community conversation hosted by Brentsville District Supervisor Jeanine Lawson, focused on the future of Prince William County as directed by the Strategic Plan —Â Â community-based document that is supposed to reflect the community’s desired future for the county.
First approved in October 1992, the plan focuses on items like improving transporation, public safety, and the economy.
Over 50 people joined Lawson’s Zoom call, which featured opeening remarks from the Supervisor, and comments from the county’s Strategic Plan Coordinator Kaye Wallace, as well as the Brentsville Strategic Plan Team representative Tahari Johnson.
The conversation was guided by the five questions below. Attendees were allowed to write their answers into the Zoom chat if they did not want to speak on the call.
The five questions were:
1. What do you like most about living in Prince William County?
2. What do you like least about living in Prince William County?
3. If you were in charge, what would you change about Prince William County?
4. What do you believe should be the top 3 priorities for the community over the next 4 to 5 years?
5. What other comments or insights do you want to share that would be important to PWC’s strategic planning process?
The first question asked about what people liked about the county started the conversation with a few comments being given. The dialogue increased exponentially when the second question about what individuals liked least about Prince William County.
The conversation topics varied when the next two questions were asked. Several commenters wanted the county to focus on increasing funding for support services for lower income residents as well as mental health services.
One resident cited how the pandemic has shown us where the real inequities lie in the community and that county programs have to focus on helping homeless and other disadvantaged residents. To see the summary list of answers given, go to https://www.pwcgov.org/government/dept/budget/Documents/Notes-August_25-Brentsville.pdf
“It is my hope that the voices of county residents are heard loud and clear. It was mentioned several times last night that there is a lack of trust in our county government, mostly due to land use decisions. This is the time to truly listen to the citizens of [Prince William County] and incorporate their vision into the Strategic Plan, not the vision of staff or those seeking to profit from the development,“ said Lawson.
As the virtual meeting wrapped up, residents were encouraged to continue participating in the process. Resident input is still being sought as the Strategic Plan Team. To give input to the team, e-mail [email protected] or call the Strategic Plan Coordinator at 703-792-7058 to provide comments for the Strategic Plan.
The year-long strategic planning process has reached the “community visioning” process where Supervisors are having conversations with residents, asking them what type of communtiy they want to live in. In December, a draft strategic plan will be created, and the Board of County Supervisors is expected to adopt a final plan in January 2021.
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