Remember when our new board supervisors ran on “eliminating the rural crescent?”
Neither do we.
Among the most significant changes outlined in the draft Pathway to 2040 Comprehensive Plan update, released to the citizens on 2/2/22: the elimination of the county’s rural area designation from the map, known to many as the “rural crescent.”
It is clear to anyone reading the new “legend” associated with color designations on the map, which are virtually impossible to differentiate – the Pageland application is simply where the malignancy of this “cancer” will begin to spread county-wide.
But we know the cure. The cure is citizens engaging, getting educated, reaching out to the community organizations who have been consistently and credibly working for quality, sustainable communities across the county.
Prince William Times: ‘Rural crescent’ no more? County proposes major changes in comprehensive plan update
In survey after survey, the community has told the county they want our rural crescent and green spaces protected.
We do however remember this electoral statement:
“Every dollar we spend on the rural crescent, to develop it and put houses out there, is a dollar that we can’t put toward schools in the eastern end [of Prince William County] where we have some of the oldest schools in the region,” (Occoquan Supervisor Kenny) Boddye said on October 15, 2019.
This challenge before us is about more than the Pageland landowner’s data center application. With no warning, for all intents and purposes, this Board is now eliminating the rural crescent.
The new land use map creates a picture of residential and industrial sprawl county-wide.
In a time when environmental stewardship has never been more pressing, this county is about to pull a Charlie Brown move and completely miss the ball.
With new and farcical names, which hide developer give-aways to the five biggest PWC land speculators, their whining and developer contributions have finally paid off in the way this draft plan is presented.
Let’s get this straight: Beginning in 2014, after multiple stakeholder meetings, community forums, surveys, and community engagement roundtable forums with vision boards and consultants, the Planning Staff drops a bomb, with NO forewarning, informing the community that the “rural crescent has been eliminated?”
RAILROADING!
Supervisors must believe this community is stupid. Any supervisor bragging about land preservation because of the arts and agricultural overlay district, as well as a PDR program, is either lying or does not understand: by eliminating the rural crescent and incentivizing housing and industrial corridors throughout what was once the rural crescent, real conservation through an independent land trust will be extremely challenging.
With only 6 days notice between the 2040 land use map disclosure, and the “public engagement“ ruse on February 10th, this board continues the opaque process of railroading their develop-everywhere goals. From the east to every corner in the west, no land is sacred. Neither the Prince William Forest National Park…nor the Manassas National Battlefield Park.
These supervisors MUST hear from all of us. Stay tuned for community-led events.
By the time you receive this email, it will probably be too late to sign up by the 5 PM Monday deadline to speak remotely at tomorrow’s (Tuesday) 2/8 Board of Supervisors’ Public Comment Time.
You can still show up in person at the McCoart Building: James J McCoart Bldg – Google Maps.
Speak for 3 minutes during either the 2 PM or 7:30 PM Public Comment time – Let them know your thoughts!
The County Planning office is also holding a meeting this week, on everything this county is trying to affect in everyone’s quality of life.
The Prince William County Planning Office is continuing to update the County’s Comprehensive Plan, Pathway to 2040. As part of this effort, the Planning Office published:
- Draft Land Use Chapter v01312022 (pwcva.gov)
- Map
- Electrical Utility Services Plan (pwcva.gov)
- Draft Housing Chapter v01252022 (pwcva.gov)
on the web portal.
The meeting is Thursday, February 10, starting at 6 PM: PWC Planning Office Community Engagement Meeting on the draft Pathway to 2040 plan. At the Beacon Hall Conference Center on the George Mason University SciTech Campus
The “open house” with County Agencies will begin at 6:00 PM. There will be no formal presentations at this event. Draft policies and other meeting materials will be posted prior to the meeting and following the meeting.
In-person public comment time will start at 7:00 PM. After in-person comment time is finished, on-line comments will start.
A 2-step Registration is required to attend in person, or to speak, during public comment time. Registration must be completed by 5 PM on Wednesday, Feb. 9
-
In person attendance registration.
- Register to speak during public comment (In-person or Virtually).
Go to the county project site on Thursday, 2/10, to get the link if you simply want to watch the event.
Comments can be submitted online or via email Pathwayto2040@pwcgov.org, or by calling 703-792-7516.
Keep the faith – We are one Prince William.
Nothing is going to get better.
It’s not.”