Supervisors Revisit Closing of Route 234

When the Board of County Supervisors decided to write a resolution on their consent agenda stating that the closure of State Route 234 would be contingent on the opening of an alternate route, not everyone was in agreement over what was meant by an alternate route.

At the Sept. 10 meeting, Supervisor Pete Candland addressed that concern, saying that while he had agreed to the motion added to the agenda on July 16, he had not understood that the alternate Manassas Battlefield Bypass could be the Bi-County Parkway itself, as passed on Aug. 6.

“It was an unusual situation last week having this motion. Usually we require a written resolution be brought forward; usually we require a week between the time the motion is made until when we vote on it,” Candland said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t do any of those steps.”

Candland thought the resolution should be revisited, citing that the board unanimously agreed to add the agenda item on July 16, even though it meant a suspension of the rules of the procedures.

July 16, 2013,  RES 13-438 APPROVED: Suspend Rules of Procedure to Add One Item to the Agenda Pertaining to the Reaffirmation of the Board’s Intent Regarding the Manassas National Battlefield Park Bypass Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

Aug. 6, 2013: Supervisors' Time RES 13-475 APPROVED: Reaffirm Resolution No. 05-981 that Endorsed the Selection of Alternative D as the Preferred Alternative for the Manassas National Battlefield Park Bypass Environmental Impact Statement.

Consequently, the Aug. 6 resolution sought to “reaffirm Resolution No. 05-981 in its entirety,” proposed by Potomac Supervisor Maureen Caddigan, passed unanimously.

The Alternative D section of the 05-981 resolution stipulates that "this alternative would build a new 4-lane road as described in Alternative C, but would meet Sudley Road rather than run south, and from Sudley Road connect to the Route 234 Bypass North."

Candland told Bristow Beat in an interview that a connector from Sudley Road is not enough, and before 2005, the idea of the Battlefield Bypass was to connect Route 234 to roads in Centreville, presumably Route 29.

Supervisor Caddigan said at the Sept. 10 meeting that she would also like to revisit the issue.

“Since I was the maker of the motion, and I think it’s a very, very sensitive subject, I would support Mr. Candland on this. I don’t see the problem with bringing it back next Tuesday," said Caddigan. "There are questions out there, and my name is on it. I would like to defer it and come back to it next Tuesday.”

Chairman Corey Stewart said he thought the resolution was simply to reaffirm what they had decided in 2005.

However, Candland drew distinction between the Bi-County Pakrway and a separate Manassas Battlefield Bypass.

“Bi-County Parkway and not the Manassas Battlefield Bypass. That’s not the intention that I had in voting for this last time.”

The resolution has been placed on the agenda for the Sept. 17 Board of County Supervisors Meeting to review the issue.

J. RES – Affirm – Board of County Supervisors’ Opposition to the Closure of Route 234 or Route 29 through the Manassas Battlefield Park Until the Manassas Battlefield Park Bypass is in Place and Open to Public (Modified Alternative D) – Supervisor Candland