Dear Supporters,
Once again, citizens find themselves fighting to protect the best land use tool in Northern Virginia, Prince William County’s Rural Crescent. This urban growth boundary was designed to insure investment of critical infrastructure dollars in the Development Areas of the county, as opposed to pushing housing density here, where there are less roads, fewer schools, and other basic infrastructure like sewer and water. Introducing new growth in the Rural Crescent area, which will require high-dollar infrastructure investments, is the opposite of smart growth.
You may ask, what is the definition of smart growth? It is planned economic and community development, which works to curb urban sprawl.
The County is pushing the position that in order to “save” the Rural Crescent, we must “develop” the Rural Crescent. Don’t be fooled. Their flawed solution, which they have yet to fully identify for their contrived “problem,” is to allow high density “cluster” housing, which introduces sewer into the Rural Crescent. This “solution” is, in actuality, a Developer scheme.
Prince William County is incredibly unique – from our Potomac Shoreline to our Bull Run Mountains – there is none other like it. We have urban communities which truly need and deserve re-investment and development dollars; while the rural areas have assets this County has yet to fully invest in.
Is selling out and breaking up our Rural Crescent what we really want our County leadership to leave as their legacy?
Please, come to the Prince William Conservation Alliance Rural Crescent Forum next Thursday, March 7 and learn more. An educated Prince William is the only way to ensure that our tax dollars are properly used, and our green spaces are protected. Here are the details:
The Rural Crescent: Exploring the Path from Sprawl to Sustainability
THURSDAY, MARCH 7
7 to 9 pm
Northern Virginia Community College
Manassas Campus
Colgan Theater
6901 Sudley Rd, Manassas
Free Parking
In 1998 PWC Supervisors adopted a Comprehensive Plan that formally established an urban growth boundary, the Rural Crescent. Their intent was to strengthen the County’s capacity to control urban sprawl.
An urban growth boundary is designed to accomplish many goals, including to safeguard open space and agricultural land from sprawl development. They also seek to encourage smart growth and provide predictable approaches to capital investment and development.
After 20 years, the basic concept of Prince William’s urban growth boundary is still in place. By continuing to support the Rural Crescent, county leaders can promote investment in areas that might otherwise be left behind and put the county in the best position for a positive future.
Speakers include:
Tom Eitler is the Senior Vice President for the Urban Land Institute and former PWC Chief of Long-range Planning when the Rural Crescent was adopted.
Mike May is the managing partner of May Law LLP, a member of the PW Board of Zoning Appeals, and served the Occoquan District on the Board of Supervisors from 2007 to 2016.
Read more here.
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