Planning Director Rebecca Horner acknowledged to the Planning Commission on October 23, 2019, that the newly proposed “Conservation” Residential zoning will enable extension of sewer and growth of high-density cluster housing anywhere within the Rural Crescent, if the plan is approved. Another farmer has already submitted a request to have the “Conservation” Residential area extended beyond the four delineated areas in the plan.
However, it is apparent that our educated citizenry is having an impact – a citizenry fighting to preserve the open spaces, low-density housing, and no sewer policies of the Rural Crescent, which then permits focusing critical county resources on the development area of the county. But that positive citizen impact means there will be further delays, and more vigilance required before this comes to an end of any kind.
The current planning commission will hold another work session on November 13, with no public comment opportunity, to complete their review of the planning office recommended rural plan. We don’t know what the next steps will be after that. With the upcoming elections in November, there will be new planning commissioners and a new board of supervisors. All we know is that we must continue to speak to the facts and the truth – the truth for what will benefit all citizens of the county. In life, aren’t all good things worth fighting for?
True Rural Preservation IS Possible
Our current county Comprehensive Plan lists the following:
“PURPOSE of the Rural Area designation is to help preserve:”
- “the County’s agricultural economy and resources,”
- “the County’s agricultural landscapes and cultural resources,”
- “the quality of the groundwater supply,”
- “and the open space and rural character presently found there.”
The reasons for the establishment of the Rural Crescent, and its boundaries, are as valid today as they were when it was carved out in 1998:
- “Preserving some open space.”
- “Prevent sprawl” across the entire county.
- “Enable resources to be put towards aging and lacking infrastructure in the urban development area.”
- “Ensure a high quality of life by ….providing large amounts of open space, particularly in preservation and conservation areas.”
A careful and complete read of the 200 page 2014 report from ERM (the consultants who provided the study), puts on full display real preservation best practices and observations – best practices which are then ignored in their recommendations. This shows that the consultants acquiesced to pressure from county leadership to generate rural development justifications to benefit a few developers.
Here are some direct quotes from the experts’ best practice input:
“Sewer policy is an important component of rural preservation. Extending sewer to large parts of the Rural Area would be inconsistent with the current Comprehensive Plan’s overall vision for the Rural Area. Accessibility to public sewer can allow for a scale of development that is more intense than that which is appropriate for the Rural Area.”
“Extension of public sewer … could facilitate a scale of development that would be incompatible with the goals of the Comprehensive Plan and would increase demand for public facilities.”
“Cluster developments on sewer across large parts of the Rural Area would not create an area that, overall, would feel “rural”.”
“Land served by sewer can generally accommodate higher densities and, as such, development on sewer may result in greater overall impacts to the environment when considering the larger amount of runoff from increased impervious areas, as well as impacts associated with the increased number of vehicle trips from the larger number of homes.”
“…do not recommend extending public sewer throughout the Rural Area, particularly to those areas dominated by farming, because accessibility to public sewer can allow for a scale of development that is more intense than that which is appropriate for the rural character and economy of the Rural Area.”
“Land preservation can be fiscally positive in that by avoiding extensive development in the Rural Area, the County will not have to spend money providing schools, roads and other public facilities to a scattered rural population.”
“Sewer policy is key to preserving the Rural Area.”
This county has not done a good job implementing these policies and best practices. A line was drawn in 1998 to preserve the county’s rural area. Zoning was established to enforce that line. Preservation tools were recommended, yet none have been implemented.
Everyone needs to speak honestly about saving open space. All we have to do is look next door to our neighbor Fauquier County. They have saved open space and farmland, without high density cluster housing development, or by allowing sewer in their rural area. Through their attractive and workable countywide PDR program, Fauquier has preserved 13,000 acres. (See slide 13 here)
There need to be investments throughout our county. There are deficits of protected open space and parks in the eastern development area of the county as well. For too long there has not been enough focus on making both the development, and the rural, areas successful.
Our county policies and decision-makers need to dis-incentivize developers from Rural Crescent projects, and rather, motivate developers to pursue in-fill, rejuvenation, and new projects, like North Woodbridge, in the development area of the county, which will benefit the greatest number of county residents.
For effective rural preservation the county must:
- Enforce and continue the current rural area boundary
- Enforce and continue the current no-sewer policy within the rural area boundary
- Enforce and continue the current rural area lot size zoning
- Implement a funded PDR program, with permanent conservation easements managed by 3rd party land conservation trusts, and no 25 year extinguishment clause
- Implement robust agribusiness and agritourism incentives for businesses to operate within the rural area, with no sewer extensions
- Implement creative septic and open space preservation solutions for housing on large land parcels for farmers and other landowners who want to realize a benefit from selling their land
- Employ a dedicated agricultural specialist on the Economic Development staff
None of the following are acceptable or effective:
- CR-1 zoning change in the rural area
- Sewer extension to any part of the rural area
Our opportunities for transportation partnering align with the MWCOG recommendations for where housing in this county does, and does not, need to go. Protecting the Rural Crescent, investing in multiple open space policies to enhance both the western and eastern portions of the county, and funding transportation initiatives like these for our transit areas, are exactly the smart growth principles all parts of the county require.
We want the majority of residents in this county to know that not just their own quality of life is protected, but the quality of life for every citizen of the county as well.
It is time we all work together. This is not about us against them. We are all one Prince William County, and we all need 21st century leadership from our planning office, planning commissioners, and board of supervisors for better solutions.
Know the facts. The facts support preserving the Rural Crescent. If the Rural Crescent is built out, everyone loses.