Manassas and Prince William County neighborhoods are starting new efforts to combat creeping issues such as violence and neighborhood blight in a region devastated by house foreclosures.
Residents of the Georgetown South neighborhood in Manassas, for example, plan to establish a neighborhood watch program, lobby cable companies to bury lines and lockboxes, and petition absentee landlords to clean up properties.
The Westgate community has plans to transfer its homeowners association to a new management company, and the Lindendale neighborhood is concentrating on curbing potential violence near an area where a teenager is accused of killing two people.
The efforts stem from a six-month project to address growing problems in Prince William communities. About 40 residents met Saturday at George Mason University’s Prince William campus to culminate the project.
Manassas Councilman Steven Randolph, a member of the group, said he has seen examples of small groups bringing about change during his 25 years working in government. As a former vice president of the Georgetown South Homeowners Association, he said the group was able to resolve major issues regarding open-air drug markets.
“We’re all cognizant that this is a very diverse community, and that makes it even more important that we work together,” he said.
Some participants were skeptical that the initiative would achieve tangible results.
“The action plan is a start — but it’s the follow-through that matters,” said Maureen Wood, representing the Wellington neighborhood.
Lee Morrison, representing the Point of Woods and Cannon Ridge neighborhoods, said he thought the process was worthwhile after the initial “getting to know you” feel of the forum.
“It wasn’t about resolving the problem — it was about resolving attitudes,” he said. “We share the same frustrations — all of us do.”
Lisa Johnson-Firth, an immigration lawyer in Manassas, said the project helped bring together residents on opposite sides of major issues, such as illegal immigration.
“We had everyone from Help Save Manassas to someone like me — an immigration lawyer — come together on this issue,” she said. “I think the [initiative] helped heal a lot of division — at least for the people who participated.”
