A proposal under consideration in Manassas would require medical care facilities, like urgent care centers, to obtain a special use zoning permit before opening.
The discussion sparked a debate over abortion clinics in the city — Manassas is home to one such clinic. Those who support a woman’s right to choose say the proposal goes too far. Those who oppose abortion say it doesn’t go far enough.
For years, the abortion clinic in the city has been a contentious point of debate among city residents and a magnet for abortion protestors.
The ordinance proposed by Councilman Mark Aveni last year requires medium-sized medical care to obtain a special use permit. The city’s planning commission recommends amending the proposed ordinance, requiring special use permits only if the medical care facility would be located in the city’s downtown area, or in an area where commercial development abuts a residential neighborhood.
Overall, the city aims to have three tiers of zoning for medical land uses. The first is for small doctors offices, like dentists and general practitioners, the second is the medium sized medical care facilities to include uses like outpatient surgery centers, and a third for major medical uses such as hospitals.
Nicole Caruso, of Manassas, warned members of the City Council on Monday requiring special use permits to open doctors offices in the city could send the wrong message to doctors.
“If we need a special permit to open a new dentist office, a new doctor’s office, we here Manassas are going to be short on doctors and have residents with some bad teeth,” said Caruso.
Other city residents disagreed, and supported Aveni’s proposal to require the special use permits for all medical offices in these areas.
“Abortion is legal, but you can limit where abortion clinics are located,” said John Murray, of Burke, who said he may live outside Manassas but frequents the city’s businesses.
“We have one abortion clinic already, that’s one too many, we don’t need anymore… if any more were to come in it would ruin the tenor of the city,” said Michael McManus, who lives on Fairview Avenue in the city.
The discussion comes as city planners are in the middle of a comprehensive review of the city’s zoning ordinances – the rulebook that governs where certain types of buildings may be built in the city. It’s the first complete update of the zoning ordinance book since 1946.
“It’s older than I am,” said Manassas City Planning Commission Chairman Harry Clark.
Manassas Planning and Zoning Services Manager Matt Arcieri said a committee reviewed the city’s ordinances and proposed several simplifying changes:
- Reduce definition of a restaurant from five uses to two
- Align zoning and building codes to make it easier for business owners opening new businesses to comprehend
- Requiring car dealerships to have 20,000 square feet of land
- Banning car dealerships from locating from within 50 feet of a residential area
- Allow for temporary structures, like event tents, to be erected for up to five days without obtaining a city permit
- New regulations on how long fireworks and farm stands can set up shop in the city
- Separate commercial districts from industrial zones
- Remove a requirement for churches and places of assembly with 50 people or less to obtain a special use permit
The City Council will take up the matter again in an April 6 work session where it will review comments provided by residents on Monday night. We can expect a final decision from the Council on April 13.
*This story has been corrected.
