As early voting for the fall 2024 election approaches on Sept. 20, Potomac Local News is dedicated to informing the community about candidates vying for one of three open seats on the Manassas City Council and the mayor’s seat.
To help voters make an informed decision, we are continuing a new feature series, “One-Question Manassas City Council Candidate Survey.” This series will run throughout the campaign season, offering insights into each candidate’s stand on key issues affecting our city. Our third one, which ran on Aug. 27, focused on data centers.
The candidates are given 10 days to respond to a Google Form, and their answers will be compiled into a single post on PotomacLocalNews.com. This format lets voters quickly compare the candidates’ views on critical issues, helping them make an informed choice come election day.
Today’s topic: Parking.
The candidates were asked: What solutions do you propose for the ongoing parking issues in areas like Georgetown South? How would you address the community’s concerns and find a sustainable solution?
Mayoral candidates
Xiao-Yin “Tang” Byrom (R)
Parking in our city isn’t a one-size-fits-all issue. Each neighborhood deserves a
Byrom
tailored approach that respects the needs of its residents. In places like Georgetown South, where congestion is a daily struggle, homeowners associations need to have the loudest voice. They live the problem and know the solutions that work. For other areas without these associations but still facing parking headaches, we have options. Should we introduce paid street parking? Build more vertical structures? Require City decals for long-term parking? These choices have their pros and cons, but they need your input.
As Manassas continues to grow, the parking crunch will only get worse. But here’s the good news: We’re not alone. By looking to other cities facing similar challenges, we can adopt proven strategies that fit our community. Your voice matters in shaping how we address this.
Byrom, the owner of Tang’s Bridal and Alterations in the Canterbury Village shopping center at 8675 Sudley Road, opened her Manassas store as an alteration shop in 1999. She eventually expanded her business to include bridal and formal wear. Her business employs 17 people.
Michelle Davis Younger (D-Incumbent)
NO RESPONSE
Davis Younger
Davis-Younger is seeking a second term as mayor, after being elected in 2020. She owns and operates a Human Resources Consulting firm located in Historic Downtown Manassas called The1ForHR, LLC, which focuses on career coaching and resume writing.
City Council candidates
Lynn Forkell Greene (R)
Parking is a vital issue for our community, affecting residents, businesses, and
Forkell Greene
visitors alike. Here are some key points I believe we should focus on.
Enhanced parking solutions: We need to explore a range of parking options to accommodate the growing population and influx of visitors. This could include expanding existing parking facilities, investing in multi-level parking structures, and creating additional parking spaces in strategic locations.
Improved signage and wayfinding: Clear and accessible signage can significantly improve the parking experience. We should invest in better signage to guide drivers to available parking areas, reducing frustration and congestion.
Smart parking technologies: Implementing smart parking solutions, such as real-time space availability apps and automated payment systems, can streamline the parking process and make it more convenient for everyone.
Support for local businesses: Ensuring that parking is accessible to customers is crucial for the vitality of our local businesses.
Community feedback and engagement: I believe in actively engaging with residents to understand their parking challenges and preferences.
I am committed to addressing parking concerns with thoughtful, practical solutions that balance the needs of all stakeholders while enhancing the overall quality of life in Manassas. Your feedback and support will be invaluable as we work together to create a more accessible and efficient parking system for our city.
Lynn Forkell Greene is seeking to regain a seat on City Council, where she served for 14 months, from fall 2021 to December 2022. Forkell Green served the remainder of Davis-Younger’s term, a seat vacated when Davis-Younger was elected mayor.
She is an administrative director for a nonprofit. Forkell Greene and her husband share four adult children and three grandchildren. Before announcing her re-election bid, Forkell Green was a freelance reporter covering city issues for Potomac Local News.
Ashley Hutson (D)
As we all know, many neighborhoods in Manassas were established 50 and even 60+
Hutson
years ago. When these neighborhoods were built, typical families had only one vehicle, so only one parking space was allotted per house. Now, residents in a single-family home may have four or more vehicles, so where do they park?
I understand that the residents of the Georgetown South Community have faced historical parking challenges. To help aid the situation the City of Manassas, guided by community input, proposed permitted parking districts which allow for two designated spots per household and a third offered by lottery. Listening to the community’s input to make informed solutions is important.
As a former renter of an apartment at the corner of Battle Street and Center Street, I experienced parking challenges and heard of many challenges throughout the community. Especially on days when the streets were closed, some neighbors expressed frustration with not knowing or having no nearby place to park their car. While some of those sentiments are common to every city, more can be done to ensure convenient parking for the residents of Manassas. Ensuring residents and businesses are informed about special events and perhaps offering special garage parking permits for Old Town residents on event days could help this problem.
Further, the capital improvement plan calls for a parking garage with ~300 spaces on the north side of the train tracks in Old Town to allow parking for City Hall and the surrounding businesses. I have no doubt that an additional 300 spaces in Old Town will be helpful!
Throughout my campaign, I have stressed the need for forward thinking land-use decisions, because all too often, the people of today are negatively impacted by the decisions of yesterday. Because Manassas is less than ten square miles, we must be considerate of the future needs of our community when planning for housing developments.
Hutson is seeking her first term on City Council. She is the director of Member Engagement of the Heavy Construction Contractors Association in Manassas. Hutson has served on the Manassas Board of Building Code Appeals, Washington Council of Governments Transportation Planning Board and Community Advisory Committee. She graduated from Osbourn Park High School and Christopher Newport University.
Stephen Kent (R)
With parking policy and managing cars, the only sustainable solution is to enforce
Kent
existing parking codes in the city and have a paid permit system for street parking. Much of the discussion in Manassas centers around the effects of overcrowding within single-family homes and how that leads to a lack of available parking, but we often leave out the fact that having three or more cars also could mean you’re a family with older children. In just two years, our family will need a third car for our teenage daughter, and the city-sticker system used in Georgetown South and Bristoe Station is a workable solution. There are no magic wand solutions to parking. You have to remain flexible, price parking spaces appropriately, register all vehicles, tow cars that don’t play by the rules, and consider whether or not the city needs a second parking deck to support the Historic Downtown deck. It’s also very important that small cities like Manassas not become over-reliant on free parking. When cities do that, you rapidly begin losing what little available land you have to parking lot. Green space becomes concrete slabs. Fair, market-rate parking solutions is what will keep Manassas beautiful and moving.
Kent is seeking his first term on City Council. He is an author and public relations professional. He and his wife, Melony “Mel” Kent, share a child. Mel Kent ran for the city school board in 2022.
Tom Osina (D-Incumbent)
The candidate who proposes the all-encompassing solution for parking issues in the
Osina
City of Manassas can be elected for life!
Seriously, parking is a challenge in the city because many of our neighborhoods were built for car situations which have changed and grown over time. If you live in a single family home, your garage, driveway and street can accommodate more than the two vehicle household which was the norm in the last century. But if you live in a townhouse, apartment or condo, parking spaces are limited especially on the adjacent public streets.
As a resident of Georgetown South for more than two decades, I have seen what occurs when residents can register as many vehicles as one wants even when there is a parking district. That is why I knew limits were needed, first as a resident who could not find parking if I came home after 8 p.m., then as a member of the GTS Community Council where I was part of an effort to propose some restrictions, and finally as a member of City Council where a two-vehicle limit per address was set in a special GTS parking district. Accommodations were made for work vehicles and an adjustment was made to permit a one year third vehicle parking pass (based on a lottery) based on community input.
Is this perfect? Not if you own more than two vehicles per address. But it has made it so all GTS residents can park at least two vehicles which has helped with the original problem. This would not necessarily work in all of Manassas as the streets in GTS are public streets so the city government could implement a total solution. What I have been doing is going to different neighborhoods which have indicated that there is over parking. I talk with their HOA Boards and residents to determine what are the challenges that they face and what might work in their particular situation. I connect them with police representatives to help with current enforcement and bring in city staff who guide them through the process if there is interest in establishing a special parking district.
What does not work is seeking wholesale changes in parking because one has received a parking ticket in an area outside of their neighborhood. I have received parking tickets in different parts of the city but I have not turned my poor decisions into ones where I am calling for changes in parking which really should be decided by those who live in the area.
Our neighborhoods are unique and they require different approaches to bring some parking relief to those who live there. I have great faith that our residents know what the problems are and are willing to accept equitable solutions if they have a part in building the solution.
Remember, the focus of the Town Hall meeting on Sept. 16 is Parking. It will begin at 7 p.m. in City Hall, 9025 Center St.
Osina is seeking his second term on City Council. He and his husband have lived in the Georgetown South community for more than 20 years. He is the father of two grown children.
Robyn Williams (R)
To address the ongoing parking issues in high-density neighborhoods like Georgetown South, I propose a comprehensive strategy that tackles both immediate concerns and long-term solutions. Georgetown South is unique in that the neighborhood’s roads are owned by the city, not the homeowner’s association. The city has already initiated a plan aimed at providing residents with more reliable parking options in Georgetown South.
For other neighborhoods, a short-term solution would involve working closely with homeowner associations to reassess current parking allocations. In the long term, we can explore opportunities to create additional parking by reconfiguring underutilized public spaces, all while preserving the community’s amenities.
There are several potential solutions worth considering, but it’s essential that we engage with residents in every community to ensure the strategies we implement reflect residents’ needs and concerns. Together, we can develop a sustainable solution to these parking challenges.
Williams is seeking her first term on City Council. She has served two terms on the Manassas City School Board. Williams holds a bachelor’s of science in economics from George Mason University. He found her background in finance and economics valuable on the MCPS School Board, in addition to her more than 10 years as a broker/owner of Redstone Realty, specializing in residential real estate.
Williams’ public service in Manassas began with the Beautification Committee, where she served as a member and eventually chairperson. She also volunteered as a teacher assistant at Haydon Elementary for several years and taught modules in schools through the Prince William Soil and Water Conservation Department.
Mark Wolfe (D-Incumbent)
This is a little bit of old news regarding GTS. This Council has acted decisively to implement a
Wolfe
fair and equitable parking plan for GTS that recognizes the reality of having 1,700 parking spaces for 800 units. This issue had been before the City for years and I am proud that this Council took decisive action.
One of the major changes the City has implemented over the years is in allowing (encouraging) citizens to request that parking districts be established in their neighborhoods.This grassroots empowerment of our citizens increases public engagement and is our best tool in dealing with outside parking. Another example of the city trying to help can be found on Stonewall Road where the city change the parking pattern to allow for more vehicles to be parked in public areas.
Parking is and will continue to be a challenge. but it is my priority — and a City one — to work to maintain the integrity and quality of life in our neighborhoods.
Wolfe is seeking a fourth term on City Council. He has lived in the City of Manassas since 1990. Wolfe has executive leadership experience in the corporate and nonprofit sectors and is currently the chief operating officer of MovieComm. Amy, his wife of 36 years, is the artistic director and CEO of Manassas Ballet Theatre. They have two children, both of whom graduated from Osbourn High School.
Stay tuned as we continue this series with topics such as power outages, parking issues, city management and staff retention, budget and taxes, public school performance, and data centers. We aim to provide a comprehensive look at each candidate’s platform, ensuring voters have all the information they need to make a thoughtful decision.
We hope this series will engage the community and foster a more informed electorate. Check back for new insights and updates from your Manassas City Council candidates. Early voting starts Sept. 21, and Election Day is Nov. 5.
