The Prince William Planning Commission will hold a public hearing September 3 at 7 p.m. in the McCoart Building to discuss and vote upon the rezoning of 864.2 acres in central Bristow to make way for the mixed use residential/commercial community of Stone Haven.
Although the Planning Commission is advisory only, its recommendations are considered by members of the Board of County Supervisors before they decide upon whether or not to green-light a proposed development.
Stone Haven is a very large plot of land located in the Brentsville District. It runs along Devlin Road to the west from Balls Ford Road in the North to Linton Hall Road in the South. It extends southwest to Piney Branch Elementary School and northwest to properties adjacent to Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow.
The applicant has requested the rezoning of 864.2 acres plus another 23.4 off-site acres originally zoned A-1, Agricultural, to PMR, Planned Mixed Use Residential and PBD, Planned Business District. The overall proposed density of housing is just 3.3 dwelling units per acre. Brentsville District Supervisor Wally Covington said this would make Stone Haven the least dense community along the Linton Hall Corridor.
Should the proposal be approved, it would permit the building of up to 1,650 residential units, which would include at least 50 percent single-family detached units and the rest townhouses. Additionally, it would allow for a maximum of 1,062,735 million square feet of office/employment space and/or commercial/retail development.The community itself would also include two community parks, nature trails, two community centers with a community pool, tennis courts, park lots and nine parks for Stone Haven residents.
Organized by the Office of Brentsville District Supervisor, several meetings were held in the summer of 2013 when Stone Haven was in the very early stages. Although many residents said at that time they were skeptical of adding a new community to the area, they nonetheless cooperated with the voluntary assignment and shared with stakeholders their visions for the community.
" received far more public scrutiny than anything else done in the county in years. I think that is a good thing. There was a lot of public input," Covington said.
At those meetings, residents said they prefer the development be residential mixed use commercial, rather than industrial, as they felt it better matched what the neighborhood is becoming. Still, residents held concerns about the effect the new development would have on schools and roads. Residents also proposed walking/bike trails and open space where residents could enjoy nature. Attendees of the meeting also wanted land for a new high school, and possibly new middle school, fields and districtwide community center. They also wanted a significant landscaped buffer zone.
In its finalized form, the proposal includes many of the features citizens proposed. The project would protect some existing open space, maintaining high-quality open space and expanding the open space within the county. The plan also proposes “to plan and implement a comprehensive countywide network of trails” to connect to trails in surrounding neighborhoods. The trail would run from Linton Hall Road to Wellington Road.
Covington said the plan also incorporates key roads that would complete the grid in the Brentsville District, including extending University Boulevard and Rollins Ford Road. Additionally, the applicant is proffering more sidewalks along Linton Hall Road to connect existing sidewalks and landscaped buffers to separate Stone Haven from the communities of Amberleigh Station and Silver Leaf. The applicant will also provide 50 feet of landscaping along Linton Hall Road.
While the proposal for Stone Haven includes most of the residents’ requests, the plan for Stove Haven remains controversial. Residents remain concerned that the development would simply bring more people, which would inevitably move more traffic and more students into already overcrowded western Prince William schools.
However, the Stone Haven project is proposing at least partial solutions to some of these population problems. First, the site would not add any more students to Patriot High School as Stone Haven is zoned for Stonewall Jackson High School, Piney Branch Elementary and Gainesville Middle. However, Stone Haven students may never get a chance to attend Stonewall; they may simply start at the 13th High School as proposed to be built on the Stone Haven property.
The development site would proffer 91.2 acres to Prince William County School for which it could build the 13th Prince William High School. In addition, the developer is proffering another 30.1 acres for use as either an active recreation or a new middle school plus 19 acres for athletic fields.
Covington said for that reason both the site and development have received the approval of the School Board, which is rare for new residential developments. School Board members were particular excited about the location of the school that would be right in the heart of the Bristow community where a school is already needed.
The estimated total number of students Stone Haven will produce for the district is 1,009: 447 elementary students, 235 middle school students and 297 high school students. The new high school could then help ease overcrowding at Patriot by redistricting neighborhoods, and possible take some students from other schools, such as Stonewall or Battlefield, as well.
The Stone Haven development would also change the business and retail environment in Bristow. The plan for the commercial/retail space is designed to offer an attractive visage for the community. Stores will be located within 100 feet of Rollins Ford Road and University Boulevard. Parking for stores will be on internal streets. The intent is to provide attractive storefronts and easy access for pedestrians.
The site would proffer a park-n-ride commuter-parking site, bus shelter, and two comprehensive and pedestrian facilities to help with traffic concerns.
However, some are concerned that the Planning Commission has not given the community enough time to review their documents before the public meeting. On her Facebook page, Jeanine Lawson for Brentsville District Supervisor, Lawson (R) is calling for the Planning Commissioners to postpone their public hearing on Stone Haven so that residents can have more time to familiarize themselves with the issue, especially after the holiday weekend. She also notes concerns about school enrollments and the burden on roads and parks, and questions the usability of land the developer is proffering to the county.
However, Covington said that in order for the proposed high school to open by its target date of September 2019, the development meetings need to move along within a certain timeframe. He also expressed that the proffering of wetlands is a good thing. "Whenever you can have that part of the preserves, it’s a double win" as its good for open space and protects the Chesapeake Bay, he explained.
Covington said he had not yet decided how he will vote on the development. Rather, he would first like to hear from the Planning Commission on the matter as well as citizens. He explained that after the Planning Commission hearing, there will also another public hearing before the county supervisors. In cases like these, when there is a large community planned and a lot of public interest, he said supervisors made sure to take the pulse of the community.
Read the planning documents for yourself here.
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