Rural Crescent community forum to be held March 6 in Manassas

How can the Rural Crescent promote farming, locally grown food and other agricultural uses? How would more houses in the Rural Crescent impact property taxes for everyone in the county, from Haymarket to Quantico? Can protected rural areas help spur redevelopment in targeted areas, such as Route 1?

On March 6, a panel of local experts will discuss these and other questions at a community forum at a community forum 7:30pm at Bull Run UU Church, 9250 Main Street, Manassas. Each speaker willmake a brief presentation, followed by Q&A with the audience.

Earnie Porta, Mayor, Town of Occoquan, will moderate the panel. The speakers are:

• Charlie Grymes, Chairman, Prince William Conservation Alliance

• Chris Price, Director of Planning, Prince William County Planning Office

• Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director, Coalition for Smarter Growth

•Jay Yankey, Board of Directors, Prince William Farm Bureau; District Manager, PW Soil & Water Conservation District

Gainesville resident and PWCA Board Director Elena Schlossberg believes living in a community is about more than building roads and houses. “Now is the time to get involved”, she says. “Upcoming decisions about the future of the Rural Crescent will influence the location of infrastructure investments from Haymarket to Quantico.”