Chairman Corey Stewart talks to Jeanie Helfin about her farm at the Prince William Conservation Alliance press conference. (Photos by Diana Meiser, Aide to Supervisor Candland)The Prince William Conservation Alliance held a press conference, Tuesday, in cooperation with county leaders to request VDOT (Virginia Department of Transportation) find a location for their park & ride lot that is outside of the Rural Crescent.
VDOT proposed locating a park & ride within greater Haymarket to facilitate transportation on I-66 in conjunction with widening the road and installing new HOV-3 lanes.
VDOT originally sought to locate the commuter lot closer to Route 15, but a newer preferred plan relocates the lot to the Heflin Farm on Antioch Road in a very rural segment of the county. According to the PWCA, VDOT also plans to extend Heathcote Boulevard to Antioch Road.
Since sending notice to the Heflins, VDOT has visited their working cattle farm. Carl Heflin explained that the VDOT lot would bisect farm. He said he has no idea how he could continue to raise cattle if the commuter lot were to locate there.
At 6 p.m., Chairman Corey Stewart (R) and Gainesville Supervisor Pete Candland (R) along with HOA representatives and PWCA leaders presented a united front speaking out against the I-66 park & ride.
Gainesville District Supervisor Pete Candland speaks with Chairman Corey Stewart and Jeanie Heflin outside Piney Branch Elementary School. (Photo by Diana Meiser)Their message was two-fold: firstly, that VDOT should not be taking the Heflin farm, and secondly, that they should not locate their park & ride along Antioch Road within the Rural Crescent.
Chairman Corey Stewart told Bristow Beat he is “absolutely” opposed to the VDOT chosen location. “We’re going to strenuously oppose it. I hope VDOT would back down, and I expect that they will."
Stewart is looking to send a board directive to VDOT that recommends the agency find an alternate location for the commuter lot. If necessary, he intends to call a special meeting as his board does not meet again until Nov. 17.
“What they’ve done here is diametrically opposed to what the county does with its land projects,” Stewart said at the conference.
Property owner Jeanie Heflin thanked Stewart and all of the citizens who offered her their support. To Dominion Valley residents, she said, “You are wild.”
Gainesville Supervisor Pete Candland said he supports property rights, especially for farm owners. He explained the board supports a commuter lot going in a proper place for it.
Brentsville Supervisor Jeanine Lawson (R) was unable to attend, but her representative Karen Ulrich said she also supports VDOT in finding another location for the park & ride.
Don Johanson, President, Dominion Valley Homeowner Association; Sandy Surabian, President, Thunder Oak Homeowner Association; and Karen Sheehan, Secretary, Rose Hill Estates Homeowner Association all supported the efforts to keep the lot out of the Rural Crescent.
Charlie Grymes, Chair of the PWCA, said Prince William needs more smart growth not “dumb growth” that raises taxes and increases traffic.
Elena Schlossberg, who was instrumental in the fight against the Dominion Power high voltage power lines in Haymarket, called the location of the park & ride, “nonsensical." She said a location near Walmart and Kohls would be ideal.
Kim Hoven, Executive Director of the Prince William Conservation Alliance, said her organization called the conference “because we believe in the protection of the Rural Crescent and this particular property.” Hoven said the park & ride would be a “pretty significant intrusion into the Rural Crescent, but it would also open up the area.” Hoven said the alliance has been working for some time to make Antioch Road a protected scenic byway.
A day before the conference, Bristow Beat spoke with Michelle Holland, VDOT Manager of Mega Projects. Holland said VDOT has heard from the community’s concerns, and that VDOT will likely revisit the issue.
At the VDOT meeting that followed the conference, VDOT representatives mainly reviewed their plans for HOV-3 (High Occupancy Vehicle three lanes)/ HOT (High Occupancy Toll lanes) on I-66. Attendees were disappointed that VDOT did not allow questions or comments from the public except in writing.
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