Occoquan Town leaders are set to make a big decision on what could be the tallest building in town.
The Town Council is scheduled to vote on Tuesday on whether or not to approve The Mill at Occoquan, a planned 5-story building that would be built on Mill Street, across from Town Hall. The building would include 52 apartments, and street-level retail space, as well as a space for a restaurant and terrace overlooking the Occoquan River.
The developer, the Manassas-based Mid-Atlantic Real Estate Invesvestments, Inc., is petitioning the town for two special-use permits. The first would allow it to build up to 52 units, and the second would allow it to build the building to a height of 55 feet, 24 feet higher than what the town allows.
If it is approved, the building will be the tallest structure in town and will dwarf its neighbors on Mill Street, which includes retail shops, restaurants, and single-family townhomes. “If granted, [the building] would further change the look and feel of the town, and especially of Mill Street,” states a town staff report dated June 3.
A public hearing on the project was held on June 15, where the public had a chance to weigh in on the project.
About five people spoke, and opinions on the project were nearly split, said Mayor Earnie Porta. The town has held multiple town hall meetings on the project in the past where more than 90 people have attended and spoke.
“The two concerns that folks have: One, folks don’t want to see more people in town, and that we can’t really accommodate. We can’t reject a special-use permit request because you don’t want to see more people in town. It’s legally not permissible,” said Porta.
The second concern is about the building’s height.
“Their position is, and it’s understandable, even though it’s comparable to some of the other buildings, they still think it’s too tall,” added Porta.
During Tuesday’s meeting to be held at 7 p.m at Town Hall, at 314 Mill Street, it’ll be up to elected officials to make a decision.
The much-talked-about project has been debated and modified since it was first proposed in 2019. Back then, the building was much larger with a total of 80 apartments proposed. The building was also going to include a sixth floor, as well as a rooftop observation deck.
Based on comments from town officials and residents, the developer offered a compromise and removed the observation deck, and scaled back the number of apartments. In doing so, however, the number of parking spaces was also reduced from 211 to 143.
If the town approves the special permit request, the developer has agreed to review the plan to see if, and where it could fit some of the additional 14 needed parking spaces for the development. If they are built, the spaces will be big enough only for company cars, states the staff report.
At full occupancy, the town expects to see nearly $2 million in Real Estate tax revenue each year from the project.
The developer will also spend about a half-million dollars to extend a portion of the town’s riverwalk, per an agreement it has with the town, should the development be win approval. The walk would be extended to the Mill House Museum, and would also have a put-in area for kayakers and paddleboarders, similar to one that opened last year on the other end of the riverwalk.
Should the tiny town of Occoquan allow a five-story building to be constructed on the riverfront?
The town council has been weighing this question for two years, and tomorrow, leaders are set to hear from the developer and from the public about the proposed Mill at Occoquan project.
The building, to be built on Mill Street, would feature 52 apartments, and 7,000 square feet of office space. Included in that space would be a full-service restaurant with a terrace overlooking the river.
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You can call it a successful test run.
Occoquan brought back its spring craft show in May after it was canceled last year due to the pandemic. But it wasn't the craft show people remembered.
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Visit the first of the Town of Occoquan’s Artisan Markets this weekend, May 8 and 9.
A pandemic-related substitute for the traditional spring Arts and Crafts Show, Artisan Markets are scheduled for single weekends in May, June, and July.
Held in Occoquan’s River Mill Park, they will feature a variety of juried artisans as well as food and beverages. This weekend the market will run from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Town streets will remain open so you can park in Town if you like or take a free shuttle from the commuter lot at the corner of Route 123 and Old Bridge Road.
Entrance to the market costs $5 and both tickets and VIP packages may be purchased in advance. Please make sure to bring a face covering. Additionally, in accordance with current pandemic-related restrictions, attendees at any given time will be limited to a little more than 200 people, so please be prepared to wait a short time in entry lines.
For more information and to a link to purchase tickets is online.
More than a hundred and fifty recreational boats are anticipated to take part in the area’s 20th annual Blessing of the Fleet.
The event is set to take place on Saturday, May 15.
The Occoquan River Maritime Association (ORMA) is sponsoring the event in coordination with the Town of Occoquan, the Fairfax, Occoquan and Prince William Yacht Clubs, the Belmont Bay, Hoffmasters, Holly Acres, Occoquan Harbour, and Prince William Marinas, and with support from the Coast Guard Auxiliary, the Potomac Marine-Tow Boat/US and the Fairfax and Prince William public safety agencies.
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At 10:29 a.m. Sunday, April 4, Virginia State Police were called to a two-vehicle crash in Fairfax County.
A motorcycle and pickup truck collided in the southbound lanes of Interstate 95 at the 162-mile marker, just north of the Occoquan River.
There is one confirmed fatality. Police are still in the process of notifying the victim's family and have not released his name.
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Occoquan is looking to once again honor its heroes.
The town's VFW Post 7916 is working to raise funds to hang 26 banners on utility poles in the town, each one featuring a veteran of the U.S. armed services.
Each banner has a sponsor who chooses the featured hero printed on the flag.
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A public meeting about two new water pipelines under the Occoquan River will be held.
Fairfax Water, which is the wholesale provider of drinking water for eastern Prince William County, will install two 42-inch water mains underneath the Occoquan River. The two lines will run parallel to each other and will increase the flow of drinking water to the county, and improve the reliability for utility customers of the Prince William Service Authority.
The project is a collaboration among Fairfax Water, the Prince William County Service Authority, and Virginia American Water.
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The Prince William County Department of Transportation will publish a virtual presentation for public information and comments on the Department’s website at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24, 2021.
The presentation will provide information regarding the preliminary project limit, scope, schedule, and proposed improvements on the realignment of e intersection in the Occoquan Magisterial District.
The $11.5 million projects will make improvements to several hundred feet of existing Old Bridge Road in each direction of the intersection. These enhancements are aimed at easing traffic congestion and improving vehicular & pedestrian safety by realigning the curves on Old Bridge Road approaching and going through the intersection.
The project will also add a dedicated right turn lane from Old Bridge Road onto southbound Occoquan Road and will install pedestrian crosswalks and ramps at all sides of the intersection. In addition, the project will include a new traffic signal.
