Supervisor Lawson urges community participation for Dec. 8 hearing on Stone Haven development

Brentsville District Supervisor Jeanine Lawson encourages Prince William County residents to participate before Dec. 8 in the public comment process for the proposed Stone Haven development in Brentsville District. Below her comments, Lawson lists differences between the former Stone Haven proposal and the current proposal.

She says: “Community input is valuable at all levels of government.  I am writing today as a local elected official encouraging you to participate before the Stone Haven vote next Tuesday, December 8th at the Prince William Board of County Supervisors meeting. 

The process has been long and this housing project has been modified multiple times.  December 8th is your final opportunity to submit your input. Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and/or attend the 7:30pm meeting at the McCoart Administration Building.

I commend the applicant and their representatives for working diligently over the last few years with me and several local neighborhoods.  They deserve credit for their efforts however, my strong concerns on local transportation and school impacts remain for the following reasons:

TRANSPORTATION: 1,006 homes will return us to the days of local gridlock. Wellington, Devlin, and Balls Ford Roads are all currently at service level D. 

The following intersections are currently failing during the afternoon commute: Linton Hall & Worthington; Devlin & Fog Light Way; Devlin & Wellington and Devlin & Linton Hall. There is no foreseeable funding to widen these roads or fix these intersections.

Stone Haven proffers include extending Rollins Ford Rd and University Dr. as 2 lane roads.  There is no foreseeable funding to widen these extended roads to the planned 4 lanes.  I can’t allow our community to return to the days of bumper to bumper traffic while trying to access I66 or simply go about daily life.  We’ve made progress, let’s not regress to local gridlock. Let’s stop the failed formula!

SCHOOLS:  For too long we’ve relied upon approval of thousands of homes in order to secure school sites.  This has led to schools opening at or above capacity and leaving no room for responsible future growth. Our next high school in western PWC will be at or above capacity WITHOUT students coming from new development.

I fully understand that most families of existing neighborhoods prefer their children attend a Linton Hall area high school.  However, adding a housing development of this size will simply make this more difficult because the new school will fill so quickly due to Battlefield and Patriot* being extremely overcrowded by 2020.  New developments competing with existing communities add to the difficulty of new boundaries with NO guarantees of who goes where at this time.

There is another option.  The School Board can purchase the land for the new school.  It’s even possible they can buy the land at this proposed site.  Land acquisition is budgeted for these reasons.  We do not need to approve more homes to get school sites.  Let’s stop the failed formula!

Which leads me to my next point.  You may receive a mailer from the Stone Haven developer that asks you to contact the Board of County Supervisors to support a new high school on December 8.  I want to clear up any confusion created by the mailer.

The Board of County Supervisors is voting on a land use proposal to add 1,006 homes NOT voting on approving a high school or a high school design.  The Stone Haven proposal proffers a site for the high school but not the high school itself.

I’m disappointed the flyer has no mention of this significant housing development.  You’re welcome to contact my office for any clarifications.  As I noted above there are other ways to procure a high school site.  The only thing the mailer is correct about is the overcrowding of our schools.  This is exactly my point.  For years this is the formula we have used which has caused our schools to be overcrowded and our children to be educated in trailers.  Let’s stop the failed formula!

PARKS AND FIELDS:  The developer has proffered a linear park and sites for sports fields. I want to make sure the public understands that there is no foreseeable funding for building those sports fields.

At the current time we do not even have funding to build fields on sites that were donated years ago.  I have heard from sports leagues there is a growing demand for sports fields and I agree!  However adding 1006 homes grows that demand without any actual constructed sports fields.  Let’s stop the failed formula!

I want to encourage you that I will work hard on the problems caused by overdevelopment in our district and I know we’ll find creative solutions that don’t involve continuing that failed formula.  It is my job to look out for the interests of ALL the residents in the Brentsville District.  I make those decisions based on the facts and the totality of the impact of the project.

I have truly enjoyed my first year in office and I am humbled and honored to represent you.”

Thank you,
Jeanine M. Lawson
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Additional school information provided by Supervisor Lawson:
*Battlefield
Capacity:  2053
2015 enrollment:  2698 (645 over)
2019 projected enrollment: 3010 (projected 957 over)

Patriot
Capacity:  2053
2015 enrollment:  2766 (713 over)
2019 projected enrollment:  2777 (projected 724 over)

Stonewall Jackson
Capacity: 2409
2015 enrollment:  2444 ( 35 over)
2019 projected enrollment:  3071 (projected 627 over)


For those of you who want more information, I have included some facts about the project below.

Stone Haven is scheduled for a Public Hearing before the Prince William County Board of Supervisors (BOCS) on December 8, 2015 starting at 7:30 p.m.

Stone Haven is a large residential project proposed for a parcel of land bordered by Wellington, Devlin and Linton Hall Roads in the Brentsville District. This project was previously heard by the BOCS on October 7, 2014.  At that hearing, the Board voted to defer.  The rezoning presented in 2014 has been modified.  It is important for you to be aware of some of the major changes:

Homes
2014:  1650 homes on 864 acres
2015:  1006 homes on 717 acres - The remaining (147) acres which contained the retail center and higher density housing have been removed from the rezoning application.

Transportation
2014: Rollins Ford Rd 4 lanes built
2015:  Rollins Ford Rd 2 lanes built, 2 lanes just right of way - New proposal gives right of way for all 4 lanes but only constructs 2 lanes*
2014: University Blvd. 4 lanes built                  
2015: University Blvd. 2 lanes built, 2 lanes right of way - New proposal gives right of way for all 4 lanes but only constructs 2 lanes*
2015:  Right of way for future Devlin Rd. widening along the length of property*
*The widening of Devlin Road along with the construction of the additional two lanes on Rollins Ford and University will need to be funded by the County or State.  At this time, no funding is available.

Parks and Recreation
2014:  160 acres plus $3 million towards building fields
2015:  125 acres – Open Space park behind Piney Branch Elementary School was removed when that acreage was taken out of rezoning.  Off site and linear parks remain the same – The County would be responsible for the $3 million to build fields.

Schools
High School site remains the same including $3M proffer for utilities and road to site

If you have questions on the modified plan, please contact Steve Donohoe, County Planner at 703-792-7615 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) .  The 2015 staff report should be available soon at http://www.pwcgov.org/government/bocs/Pages/BOCS-Landing-Page.aspx under current agenda.

Please also feel free to contact my office with questions and comments.  In addition, it is also important to contact all the board members by emailing .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with your comments.

10-7-2014 Staff Report: http://eservice.pwcgov.org/planning/documents/PLN2013-00186.pdf

Please view my website and follow me on facebook. 

http://www.supervisorjeaninelawson.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Supervisor-Jeanine-Lawson/384153588411504