Prince William Studies Rural Lands, Farmers Speak Out on Suburban Growth

NOKESVILLE, Va. — In a rural schoolhouse, the future of Prince William County’s Rural Crescent was considered.

The crescent-shaped area of land from the Potomac River at Quantico, north through Nokesville and Haymarket, and around to Manassas National Battlefield, was designated in 1998 as a place where suburban sprawl would be limited, homes would only be built on 10-acre lots, and access to public sewage would only be permitted at new developments under certain circumstances.

Now county officials have ordered a study of the Rural Crescent, which today dominates more than 50% percent of Prince William County available land. The area is a stark contrast from Prince William’s more developed areas like Manassas and Woodbridge, featuring farmland and Civil War battlefields. Utilizing an online survey, the study will first examine how land is being preserved in the Crescent, whether there should be more farmland, or more recreational attractions, and how much more county residents would be willing to pay in taxes to keep the land preserved.

“The urban-rural line is running through Prince William County,” said Clive Graham, of Environmental Resource Management, a firm that will help conduct the study. “There’s already more developed land in the Rural Crescent than we expected to find when we came here.”

The land is outside is on the outer rim of heavily developed areas like Manassas and Woodbridge. But it includes 7,570 homes, with room for another 3,700 under the current zoning plan.

“Is that a good number? What should that number be,” asked Graham.

Study to take 6 months

Residents packed the gymnasium at Nokesville Elementary School, one of the most rural campuses in the county, to learn about the Rural Crescent Study that began in July. It was ordered last year by the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, said county Planning Director Chris Price.

The study will take about six months to complete, and following the closure of the online public opinion survey Sept. 27, an interactive workshop is planned in October where residents can see for themselves feedback from the survey, and what tools are available — such as state and federal cash — to better preserve the area.

A final report on the study is expected in December.

“We’re not here to tell you what to do,” said Tom Daniels, Professor of City and Regional Planning at University of Pennsylvania.

He, too, will lend his talents to the survey.

“This is your land. This is your community. This is your place,” said Daniels.

Farmland vs. suburban growth

But it didn’t take long for those who live in the Rural Crescent to speak up about their land. It quickly became a discussion, and at times an argument, over the continued development of new suburban homes along the boundaries of the Crescent, and about the sustainability of local farming.

“We don’t need more people driving up and down the road saying ‘your cow is having a baby, do something,’” said one farmer who said new residents don’t understand how farms work, or the needs of area farmers. “We are doing something… leave her alone [to give birth].”

Another farmer on the Rural Crescent said the imposed 10-acre limit on houses limits the amount of crops that can be grown here.

“We need a new form of agribusiness here. If we are going to farm, let’s have something to make the land work,” he said.

Other farmers who spoke said they would gladly leave Prince William County for places like Fauquier County, but because their land is not zoned for development, they would likely lose money on the sale of their land and homes.

“Ten-acre lots have killed us. Yes, there are more farms in the county on 10-acre lots, but the house takes up nearly all 10 acres, so those of us who rely on farming, we’ve had to cut back,” said a farmer while speaking to those conducting the Rural Crescent Study.

Those who were not farmers and spoke said, while they respect property rights of farmers, the county needs to take additional steps to formulate a better land use plan for the future.

Early indications show neighboring counties like Fairfax and Stafford have compatible zoning along their borders that touch Prince William’s Rural Crescent. But in Loudoun and Fauquier counties, development in those areas will soon encroach on Prince William’s countryside, said Graham.