Dumfries homeless shelter plan in limbo, pulled from planning agenda

It appears a plan to put a homeless shelter in Dumfries has hit a snag.

Prince William County officials have asked that a request before the Dumfries Town Planning Commission tonight, to approve an amendment to the town’s zoning ordinance to allow homeless shelters in the town’s B1 zoning district, be removed from the agenda.

Supervisor Andrea Bailey, who was the project’s biggest advocator, is expected to make a statement about the project tonight. Bailey called each member of the Dumfries Town Council to push for the project, we’re told.

The county was expected to have a signed purchase agreement on the building that was to house the 60 to 80-bed shelter — Grace Church, at 1006 Williamstown Drive in Dumfries — by tomorrow. That’s the same day the Dumfries Town Council was expected to take a vote on whether or not to approve. A conditional use permit for the shelter.

The Grace Chruch building has been for sale for more than a year, as a Real Estate listing database shows the property has been “off of the market” since late March. Prince William County began purchasing negotiations with the property owners on August 14.

The shelter was slated to be for single men and women, with no children allowed. Currently, the county is housing homeless at a motel at the intersection of Van Buren Road and Route 234 near Dumfries, and in a gym at the Dr. A.J. Ferlazzo Building in Woodbridge.

It would have been located in Williamstown, a neighborhood known for crime and drug use. Police are still searching for the person who shot a 14-year-old boy in Williamstown on September 5.

From Prince William police:

Shooting Investigation –On September 5 at 2:06AM, officers responded to the area of Brockenbrough Dr. near McDowell Ct. in Dumfries (22026) to investigate a shots fired call. Residents reported to police that gunshots were heard in the above area. Upon arrival, officers located the victim, a 14-year-old male juvenile, suffering from a gunshot injury. Officers rendered aid to the victim before he was transported to an area hospital with significant injuries.

“Putting a homeless shelter there is a terrible idea,” said Chuck Feldbush, a retired Prince William police officer who spent 25 years working the eastern side of the county. “You have an open-air drug market, and you want to put a place where people can go and hang out there?”

Dumfries Town Councilman Charles Brewer said the county “jumped the gun” on the putting the new shelter.

Multiple councilmembers told PLN the shelter became an issue only after someone on the town council made in passing to Prince William County leaders asking for more health and human services resources from the county to be made available to town residents.

“Why did they act on the request of a single town councilperson,” asked Brewer. “The town council has not formally addressed you about this, nor have we discussed it, and now, all of a sudden it’s on our agenda for [September] 15.”

Typically, town residents must travel about four miles outside of the town to the county’s socail services office at the Ferlazzo Buidling to receive help.

The Dumfries Town Council is set to hold a virtual meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020.