The Prince William County Planning Commission approved four developments across the county at its Dec. 10 meeting, the last of 2025.
The Commission unanimously approved of three developments, while approving of another in a 7-1 vote. Here are details on some of the final votes of the Commission’s 2025 term:
Cabin Branch at Quantico Creek
The first of the approvals was at the Cabin Branch development in Dumfries. The proposal was to rezone nearly 32 acres of land from a planned business district to a planned mixed residential zone for 191 townhouses.
The project area is located south of the Van Buren Road and Fettler Park Drive intersection near a few hotels and Interstate 95. Nineteen of the 191 planned units are to be affordable housing units, according to the staff report.
Two residents showed up in support of the project, but cautioned the Commission that the development may cause traffic congestion.
“Van Buren Road has no bike infrastructure and I’ve traveled from where I live in Dale City, Woodbridge, down to Dumfries, and that’s the most harrowing section,” Kevin Parker said. “It would be connected to Dumfries in a way that could really enhance everything if there [were] more connectivity on that road.
David Macy, a nearby resident of the project, said he was happy to see more residents flowing into the area but congestion may become more of an issue.
“There’s 191 units and 1.5 to two cars per 191 units, that’s about 300 cars that are going to add coming and going. Let’s say 60% or 75% of them travel and commute, that’s an extra 200 cars that need to turn left every day at the commuting hour,” Macy noted. “… The proposal only puts out about $60,000 for that left-turn lane extension. There’s no traffic circle, no planned light, or any other mechanism to kind of bottleneck that traffic.”
The Commission approved the project unanimously.
Carver Road
This project, located east of the intersection of Old Carolina Road and Mercury Avenue in Gainesville, is a 42-acre project for 116 single-family detached units.
The area was rezoned from agricultural to planned mixed residential. There are no affordable housing units planned for the site, but the proffer amendment states the applicant will make a $2,500 contribution per residential unit constructed on the property.
There were no residents who showed up in support or opposition for the project. The Commission approved it unanimously.
Chinn Landing
The Chinn Landing project is a 15-acre rezoning from agricultural to planned mixed residential for up to 47 townhouses in Woodbridge.
The site is near the Sturburdge and Minnieville Roads intersection. It’s near a few religious buildings, including the Mount Olive Baptist Church and Ministerio de Vida.
Parker also spoke up about this project, noting how it should be closer to the Tackett’s Mill mall.
“It seems like it’s creating a whole other town center [and] walkable area when we already have some walkable area type situation at Tackett’s Mill,” Parker said. “t seems like we’re adding little things here and there when we could just expand the Tackett’s Mill area. … I just feel like the development should be more toward Tackett’s Mill to have the walkability and bikeability that we want.”
The Commission also unanimously approved this project.
North Carter’s Grove
The final rezoning application in front of the Commission on Dec. 10 was in Dale City near C.D. Hylton High School at the corner of Spriggs Road and Olender Park Court.
The project, on five acres of land, seeks to build 13 single-family detached units. Residents from the adjacent Carter’s Grove Homeowners Association expressed their concerns with the proposal.
“Shortly after the houses were built [in 2000], we were having issues with our water, mainly smells and issues with red rings around our drains and things in our showers. We’ve gone back and forth with the water company. They have since band-aided issues,” Stephanie Riggins said. “We’ve only been there for now four years, some of us only three years, and we’re already having erosion issues that are backing up into the neighbor’s property. We feel that the county needs to further investigate strain on the water lines if they’re going to have another development.”
Corris Bullock, the Carter’s Grove HOA president, echoed Riggins.
“Once the developer leaves, it becomes the problem of the association and the county is not willing to come in and do the heavy lifting of saying, putting a budget toward cleaning up their problem,” Bullock said. “I just believe that before we approve anything or before you let the developer disappear and it becomes a problem of the homeowner, that the county actually holds the developer accountable for the things that they need to be doing instead of just hand-waving it.
The Commission approved the project in a 7-1 vote, with Gainesville District Commissioner Blake Ross in opposition.
