Dear Neighbor,
At 7:30pm on Tuesday evening the Board will vote on a CPA for the Independent Hill Small Area Plan along Route 234 and Bristow Road.
Unfortunately, county planners decided to build this plan within the Coles and Potomac magisterial districts, making this the only proposed ‘small area plan’ within two individual districts.
While the portion of the Coles District, which represents the majority of the plan, is far from perfect and will require some changes to fit in with the character of Independent Hill, and most importantly, the wishes of our residents, the most concerning aspect lies in the area close to Prince William Forest. As it stands now, the plan calls for the removal of 41 acres from the Rural Crescent for Public Facility/Office Space, most likely for a data center.
Why we would need to remove 41 acres from the Rural Crescent for office space or a hotel when so many office buildings and hotels are sitting vacant today, or for a data center next to a National Forest when the data center overlay district is literally right across the street (on the north side of 234) is anyone’s best guess. You can read an article highlighting Prince William Forest’s concerns about the plan in today’s Prince William Times here.
Additionally, there is chatter that the 41 acres planned to be removed from the rural area could actually increase.
I campaigned on preserving and protecting the Rural Crescent two years ago. Those words were not transactional talking points to bamboozle folks in an election year, but my word and my bond with the residents of Prince William County and the Coles District. As such, I will not be able to vote for the CPA as proposed.
This does not mean, however, that the CPA on Tuesday will not pass. Following the approval of a housing development in January which removed 146 acres out of the Rural Crescent, the Board Majority has gone on a full scale blitz attacking preservation of the rural area and those who live in it as being accomplices to “segregation.” As ridiculous and mind-numbing as this is, this is the current state of intellectual debate going on amongst your Board and why approval of the CPA as it currently stands on Tuesday is possible.
Removing acreage from the Rural Crescent to designate as office space when so many offices are sitting vacant today, or for a data center next to Prince William National Forest and Quantico Creek which will employ very few people doesn’t seem to be a great course of action. Particularly when one could be built right across the street in our designated data center overlay district.
Many by-right commercial uses could go in at this location which would benefit the community and local economy without the environmental impact of a data center in the Rural Crescent.
County government has marketed this plan as the gateway to Prince William County’s outdoors. Something tells me a data center in front of our treasured National Forest doesn’t strike anyone as a gateway to our outdoors. However, if this is approved, you can bet that another one next to our other national park, Manassas Battlefield, won’t be far behind.
You’re welcome to share your thoughts on this plan with the Board at our meeting Tuesday evening in-person or by signing up to speak virtually through this link – https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6239959/Mar-16-2021-BOCS . You can also e-mail your thoughts to the Board at BOCS@pwcgov.org.
For Coles,
Yesli Vega
(703) 792-4620