Two intersections in Occoquan are about to become safer for pedestrians.
Crews will begin installing ADA-compliant ramps and crosswalks at Mill, Washington, and Ellicott Streets. According to Mayor Earnie Porta, these projects are largely grant-funded and are being coordinated on behalf of the town by Prince William County.
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At a public meeting last week, town officials outlined how it would use the new State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund it received as part of President Biden's American Rescue Plan Act. The Town used the public meeting to solicit feedback from residents on spending the cash instead of holding a regularly scheduled Town Council meeting.
According to Town Mayor Earnie Porta, the funds will be used for capital projects, rather than maintenance activities, to address long-term needs like stormwater and energy efficiency upgrades.
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Occoquan will hold a public meeting on tonight, Tuesday, March 1 to discuss how the town will use money received through the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF).
The meeting will replace a Town Council meeting that had originally scheduled for tonight.
During the meeting, residents will learn how the town aims to spend more than $900,000 in SLFRF funds the town is to receive. The presentation will be followed by questions and feedback from the public regarding the use of the funding.
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Occoquan will soon enact an amplified outdoor sound permit which will allow residents and businesses to play music for outdoor events. The licenses enable sound to be audible at 50 feet beyond a property.
The town will require businesses to renew permits annually. The cost of the license will be $100.
The town has set hours when amplified outdoor sound will be prohibited, between 10 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and between 8 p.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sunday to Thursday. The permit program is scheduled to launch in Spring 2022.
In other town news, officials want more information from the developer of The Mill at Occoquan. The building is designed to be a five-story building located on Mill Street on the waterfront.
The Mill would feature 52 apartments and 7,000 square feet of office space which includes space for a restaurant with a terrace overlooking the Occoquan River. If The Mill is built, it would be the tallest and most prominent building in Occoquan.
An application for The Mill had been presented to the Architecture Review Board at its meeting on Sept. 28, 2021. The September meeting resulted in the board asking for more information from the applicant on a range of different topics concerning the project such as who would be in charge of maintaining planters boxes, the style of door for residential use and fire safety, placement of retail signage, and copper downspouts that were mentioned but weren't in the design.
The next meeting of the Occoquan Town Council is February 1 at the Occoquan Town Hall, at 314 Mill Street. When the Occoquan Town Council meetings were supposed to take place in January, they were canceled due to the recent snowstorms.
The Town Council updated its comprehensive plan, making points to improve access to the Occoquan River, enhance the town's business district while preserving the tiny village's character.
Across the Occoquan River in Fairfax County, officials are developing Fairfax Peak at the I-95 Lorton Landfill Complex on Furnace Road. Upon closure of the landfill, developers aim to transform the 400-foot high trash heap into an indoor ski slope.
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Soon, drivers could "fly" over traffic at Occoquan.
The Virginia Department of Transportation presented the preliminary results of an ongoing traffic study to the Occoquan Town Council. Of five new options being considered to relieve traffic at Route 123 and Old Bridge Road, the "inside/outside" flyover ranks as the best alternative.
Under the plan, a new ramp would be built at the intersection, and cars entering Route 123 north toward Occoquan from Interstate 95 south would remain in the right lane to use the ramp, which would take them over Route 123 to Old Bridge Road.
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Occoquan is looking within the town limits to set a historical marker commemorating the contributions made to the town by Valentine Peyton.
The town council was approached by the Peyton Society of Virginia, a non-profit organization dedicated to collecting and preserving information regarding the Peyton family and their contributions to Virginia. The Peytons were among the first families to arrive in the North American continent from England during the 17th century.
The honoree, Valentine Peyton, was born in Westmoreland County in 1687 and worked as a planter, land speculator, and public servant. He served four years in Virginia's House of Burgesses from 1736 to 1740, as a captain of the Virginia Militia and as sheriff of Prince William County in 1749.
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The Occoquan Business Guild says stores will be open later than usual this fall to help you kick off your Christmas shopping.
The Occoquan Business Partners have launched a new event, Shop Late in Occoquan, taking place four Saturdays this fallāSeptember 18, October 30, November 20, and December 11.
During Shop Late, participating businesses will be open until 8 p.m. or later, allowing shoppers extended time to get a head start on (or finish up) their holiday shopping. Both the shops and restaurants will be open later.
For the Saturday, September 18 event, the following businesses are scheduled
to participate Art A La Carte Gallery, Artistsā Undertaking Gallery, Babba and Me, Ballywhack Shack, Gift & Gather, Glory Be, Hitchcock Paper Co., Leaf & Petal, Madiganās Waterfront, Man Overboard Enterprises LLC, Marin Woodturning, Organic Allure, Patriot Scuba, Personally Yours, Potomac Chocolate, Puzzle Palooza Etc, and So Bohemian.
The October 30 date is set during the Spirits & Spirits Halloween weekend event. November 20 is the kick-off to the popular Occoquan HolidayFest.
There's a new restaurant in town in Occoquan.
"Congratulations to Zorba's Grill Ā a new Greek restaurant that opened today in the Town of Occoquan! Located at 201 Union Street (formerly the site of the Blue Arbor Cafe), Zorba's is a family-owned restaurant that offers both interior and patio dining in a friendly, pleasant setting. Please join me in welcoming Zorba's to Occoquan and wishing them all the best," writes Mayor Earnie Porta.
From calamari to chicken alfredo, the menu is expansive.
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