InsideNoVa: Around Prince William: Thoughts about our past, present and future

My family moved to Prince William County about 35 years ago. As my wife and I were driving to Costco recently, I asked her where we bought a Japanese-style screen when we were furnishing our new home. She responded, “Hechinger.”

That started a conversation about businesses that are no longer around and changes to our community. We miss Frank’s Craft Store on U.S. 1 and the Friendly’s Restaurant up the road from Frank’s. It was our usual place for after-church breakfast. I reminisced about Crown Books and Dart Drug. Potomac Mills had been open only for a couple of years.

There was no Prince William County Parkway when we moved here. Hoadly Road and most of what are now major thoroughfares were only two lanes. Dale Boulevard came to an abrupt end near what is now Mapledale Plaza. Commuting was a long, slow challenge.

My, how things have changed.

Potomac Mills is now a Northern Virginia tourist attraction. What used to be a ride through the country from Woodbridge to Manassas is now a quick hop on the Prince William Parkway. Strip malls have popped up everywhere. Many two-lane country roads are now four or more lanes choked with commuter traffic in the mornings and evenings. Much of western Prince William has remained relatively the same, thanks to the “Rural Crescent” policy adopted in 1998.

After pondering the past and present, I began to wonder what people will remember 35 years in the future. That depends on decisions made by the Prince William Board of County Supervisors now.

Perhaps the roads that bisect the proposed Prince William Digital Gateway will be designated “scenic byways” offering examples of flawed public policy and bad decisions favored over community and environmental concerns. They might even become a tourist attraction!

Today’s commuters will be remembered as the folks who used to drive to work at great expense, loss of family time and risk of personal safety to sit at a computer far from home to do their job. Future generations will probably reminisce about the traffic jams that occurred on what ended up as empty miles of asphalt. People figured out they could work remotely from home somewhere else in the country or the world.

Our supervisors appear to be making community-altering decisions too fast. The scars they create across Prince William will last long after they are all gone. I suggest Prince William do nothing for a while as government and business sort out how technology will change how data is stored and where people work. They can assess quickly evolving technological and economic landscapes and their effects on things like roads, housing developments and infrastructure.

A lot of knowledge workers will choose to work from anywhere but an office in Fairfax County or the District of Columbia. Why would anyone want to live in the asphalt and concrete jungle Prince William became when they can live anywhere?

“Dead technology capital of the world” might be Prince William’s future tourism slogan. The folks who made it so shall not be remembered kindly.

Al Alborn is an award-winning columnist and member of the Virginia Press Association. His column appears every other week. You can learn more about Al on LinkedIn.

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