Supervisors seek input on smart growth strategies

Prince William supervisors are not just opening doors but floodgates in their quest for public comment, and have scheduled six town hall meetings on proposed Comprehensive Plan land use changes.

The amendments have been in the works since 2007, when supervisors appointed members of a Land Use Advisory committee to look at ways of incorporating Smart Growth strategies into the comp plan, and to make other recommendations as needed. In the months since, Planning Commission members and planning office staff have developed their own set of recommendations for this chapter of the plan.

The public is asked to help choose which is best.

The LUAC version, according to information presented to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, creates centers of commerce and centers of community that provide specific spots in the county for high-density and mixed-use developments.

The Planning Commission version removes that ‘centers’ concept and instead applies “the principles described in ‘centers’ to all mixed use areas,” according to summary statements provided to the board. This plan also changes the means of factoring ratios of retail, retail service and residential in developments.

Planning staff, meanwhile, put back the centers of commerce and community concept that was omitted by the Planning Commission, and identify four areas for these labels: North Woodbridge, Triangle, innovation and Potomac Town Center. Staffers also recommend two other areas — Wellington and
Yorkshire — for study and possible inclusion in this centers plan.

In addition to land use changes, supervisors are also considering proposals to amend the transportation chapter. The public may comment on both plans at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Ferlazzo Building in Woodbridge; at 7 p.m. on July 15 at Westminster at Lake Ridge in Woodbridge; and again at the Ferlazzo Building at 7 p.m. on July 23.  Each meeting targets a particular district; in order, these three are aimed at soliciting feedback from residents of Woodbridge, Occoquan and Dumfries.

Three more town hall gatherings are set for Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Development Services Building, targeting Coles District residents; for Sept. 23 at Battlefield High School at 7:30 p.m., especially for Gainesville residents; and for Sept. 30 at Marstellar Middle School at 7 p.m., for Brentsville residents.

Even though the meetings are geared toward specific districts, all residents may attend and comment.

Staff writer Cheryl Chumley can be reached at 703-670-1907.