WASHINGTON — The proposed development of a 100-acre farm site in the Manassas area has been dealt a setback, as the Prince William County Planning Commission recommended Wednesday against changes that would allow the project to move forward.
The development of the Kline farm property, which sits near the Prince William Parkway and Liberia Avenue, envisions the construction of nearly 400 homes and townhomes, as well as a Sheetz, a CVS and a self-storage facility.
But at a Planning Commission meeting, several residents voiced concerns about traffic problems and school crowding if the development moves ahead.
Delegate-elect Danica Roem, who made easing congestion a top campaign issue, was among those who spoke. “When we’re dealing with development, we’ve got to stop looking at just beyond the tip of our nose,” she said.
Roem argued the project could add even more traffic to roads not immediately next to the site, such as Yates Ford Road and Route 28. She said Yates Ford Road was already dealing with backups when her sister was driving her to school in 1998, “and Route 28 has been a disaster since Moses parted the Red Sea.”
While the commission ultimately did not support applications for rezoning and special-use permits in support of the project, the county’s Board of Supervisors will have the final say.
