Prince William planners have recommended that the Planning Commission reject a proposed development of 6,800 homes west of Manassas despite more than $50 million in transportation improvements.
The Brentswood Community by Brookfield Homes is a development proposed for 1,500 acres south of Interstate 66 and Route 234 near Nissan Pavilion.
“We are concerned about the amount of residential units,” said Stephen Griffin, director of the Planning Office. The proposal also does not include a commitment that improvements to I-66 and Route 29 would be in place before residents move in, Griffin said.
“The commercial portion of Prince William County’s tax base has been declining over the past several years. I have continued concerns that this would accelerate that, thereby signaling to the region that Prince William is a bedroom community,” Woodbridge’s representative on the commission, Kim Hosen, said before Wednesday night’s expected vote on the issue.
The Brentswood site acreage currently is zoned for industrial, employment and some 1,000 residential uses.
“This is essentially going to be a choice for the residents in that area between having transportation improvements, which we can guarantee will occur, or waiting for the state to make those improvements,” said Sean Connaughton, Prince William Board of County Supervisors chair.
The Virginia Department of Transportation has told the county the roads project is not fully funded and construction could begin in about 10 years, Connaughton said.
“It has as many positives as it does negatives. At the end of the day, I’m going to have to decide in a more holistic manner,” Commission Chair Ronald Burgess said before the vote.
Brentswood Community
» 6,800 homes, 1,500 acres
» 2 town centers
» 875,000 square feet of retail
» 2,788,000 square feet of “non-retail commercial”/office
» $50 million for VRE station
