Rural Crescent Residents Disagree on Zoning Regulations

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Landowners were divided on whether to open the Rural Crescent to development but were in agreement on one issue: they did not trust the Prince William County government to act in their best interests.

At Thursday evening’s Public Interest Rural Crescent meeting at Nokesville Elementary School, attended by approximately 120 citizens, Clive Graham, planner with the Environmental Resource Management Co., informed citizens that his company was conducting a study on the Rural Crescent.

As part of the study, the county was seeking residents' input which could be offered at public meetings and through an online survey.

Graham explained that his study would "determine if they are meeting the county objectives, and if warranted, recommend new goals, objectives and tools for new or revised rural policies.”

Chris Price, director of planning, said county officials failed to create clear objectives for the Rural Crescent when it was created in 1998 to protect the area from further development and in the 15 years since.

However, this year, the Board of County Supervisors has inquired about what the objectives should be for the area, and Graham said, after breaking up into smaller groups, that the impetus for the study is that the supervisors are considering opening the region for future development.

Graham identified the Rural Crescent as encompassing 52 percent of county land. Within that area, 28 percent of the land is preserved, while the majority of it is privately owned.

A key restriction for landowners is that most homes within the Crescent are zoned A1, or agricultural, thus limiting their lot size to no smaller than 10 acres. Additionally, there is no sewer access in the Rural Crescent.

Many landowners expressed that they resent these restrictions, as they keep property values lower than what they would be in other parts of the county.

However, many people also expressed doubt at the process, believing it would not recognize their needs, but favor developers with more money and political influence.

“I can’t believe that we’re back here where we were 20 years ago, and I don’t think we’re going to get any further ahead,” said one woman. “We have property, and we want some rights. We don’t want the county dictating to us what we need to do with our land.”

Jeanine Lawson, former candidate for Chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, countered her statement, saying, “There’s a thing called property rights, but there is also a thing called planning, and communities plan for the future. We have a comprehensive plan in Prince William County.”

However, others joined in voicing their frustration at the zoning implemented and upheld by the county.

“(I) look across the road and they are building houses on top of houses, but we cannot build on our land,” said one man who lives on Vint Hill Road.

Others living along the edges of the Rural Crescent said they were also unhappy with their semi-rural environment.

“You can be on the borderline of development and the Rural Crescent, (and that means) you’re really in a dead zone. My grandparents already divided down to two acres, now can’t divide any further,” said William Champ of Nokesville.

Some said it is a fallacy that ten acres makes a farm, which is why the policy ought to be revised or repealed.

“Yes, there are more farms within the county on 10-acre lots, but most of the people are not farming when the houses take up half the 10-acre lots,” one resident said.

One man said it would be one thing if the county was courting real agribusiness, but county officials seem more interested in bringing in home builders.

Others, who once enjoyed a rural way of life, said agriculture has become an oddity in his neighborhood once the development communities moved in. Now, joggers stop to tell him his animals are “too skinny" or "too fury," and he’s a veterinarian.

Yet, some citizens made clear they wanted to protect the Rural Crescent and preserve the land from development.

“Not everyone who has a lot of land wants to cash in and make a profit,” said one woman who, between herself and her family, own 100 acres in Prince William County. “We are strong preservationists. The quality of life is very important to raising our kids, and I believe we should have choices (of where to live in the county, be it urban, light residential or rural)."

While she said that some of her neighbors hope to get rich selling their property to developers, she thinks that, as a community, all of Prince William County loses when new development comes in. For one thing, taxes go up.

Others voiced similar concerns that the county could not keep up with providing services like schools, teachers and roads due to the new developments they have already built, but that does not stop elected officials for planning for more developments.

However, citizens were probably most upset to hear that the Prince William Planning Office was holding focused input meetings with stakeholders, not just landowners. Price said that stakeholders included business owners, preservationists, the Ruritans, the Park Service, Nokesville Business Association, but most objectionably, builders.

Citizens protested the assertion that  developers are stakeholders, but Price said they were invited to participate in talks since they constantly petition the supervisors for more land to develop. To this, one citizen said that makes them “petitioners, not stakeholders.” Others asked if any regular citizens were invited to these meetings, not as part of any specialized group, to which Graham answered “no.”

People said they hoped as residents and property owners, they would have more input than those “stakeholders.”

When Graham asked that the room split into small groups to hold smaller discussions, half of the attendees agreed to go, while others wanted to stay and continue the town hall format. Ultimately, both were conducted simultaneously, although the increased noise level hindered the effectiveness of the town hall platform, which itself then became a small group of citizens asking questions.

Toward the back of the room, citizens were encouraged to write their concerns on post-it notes.

Supervisors from the Brentsville, Gainesville, Occoquan and Coles districts sent representatives to the public meeting, although their main function was to observe.

Within a few days, there should be an online survey posted on the PWC Website, www.pwcgov.org/planning, and all Prince William County residents, but especially those living in the Rural Crescent, are invited to participate. The survey takes 20 minutes, and it will be posted until Sept. 27, 2013.

The survey is not limited to questions about zoning, but includes questions about outland, parks, recreation activities, business, roads and landscaping in the Rural Crescent.

Graham said the survey was meant to be posted in time for the meeting, but they experienced technical problems. Those who do not want to take the full survey can also leave a comment.

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