The owners of the old Kline Dairy Farm have waited at least 20 years for the county to rezone more than 50 acres on Prince William Parkway.
They’ve agreed to wait a month and a half more.
The Prince William Board of County Supervisors unanimously voted early Wednesday, January 18 to defer a decision to rezone land once used for farming at Prince William Parkway, just outside Manassas.
According to Sherman Patrick with Compton and Duling, who spoke for the property owners, who agreed to the deferral and demanded Supervisors call a special meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 14, to hold a vote.
Supervisors will not hear public comments about the project following hours of testimony from the public from residents who are in favor of the rezoning and those who are against it.
Developer Stanley Martin Homes aims to build 240 townhomes, a drive-in pharmacy, a fast-food restaurant, and a storage facility.
The county planning commission blessed the project in November 2022. Residents who live nearby are concerned about traffic congestion from the new development.
Manassas and Prince William County are negotiating with the developer to relocate the Greater Manassas Baseball League, adding multiple ballfields on the property. More 20 more acres of the property will be deeded to the county for civic use, including a new school.
The relocation of the youth baseball league would be a solution after Manassas signed a deal with the city’s largest employer, Micron, in 2021 to expand its computer chip manufacturing facility on Godwin Drive. Micron’s expansion will consume the EG Smith Baseball Complex, where the league has played for over 50 years. The city sold the land on which the ballfields sit to Micron.
A total of 60 percent of the league’s ballplayers come from the county, and about 30 percent come from Manassas.
“We’re looking for a new facility, and this would be a great opportunity for us,” said GMBL President Colby Poteat.
The loss of the baseball fields in Manassas has left the organization scrambling to find a new home with multiple fields, creating a one-stop-shop for families looking to see their children compete in multiple games rather than holding individual games on fields scattered across the region.
Opponents of the project cited traffic concerns, fearing the development would lead to more congestion on area roads. An effort to deny the project failed in a 4-3 vote, with Supervisors Jeanine Lawson, Yesli Vega, and Kenny Boddye voting to deny it.
“I’m hoping those who still have concerns will work with the applicant. Give and take on both sides. We need a good-faith effort to move forward in some way,” said Woodbridge District Supervisor Margaret Franklin.
If supervisors approve the project, an elementary school slated for the property could open by 2031.
The effort to develop the old Kline dairy farm is nearly 10 years old. Initially, developers wanted to build more than 400 homes on the land but scaled back the project after residents expressed concerns about additional traffic on area roads.
